Weekly Dose of Prog: Yes - The Yes Album

The Yes Album is a disc that I grew up with; my mother had this one and Yes' greatest hits sense I was a wee babe. Needless to say I could describe this album in vivid detail without actually listening to it again, but why deprive myself of the experience? It has been a while.

Looking at the tracklist before actually beginning listening I immediately recognize family favorites, "Yours Is No Disgrace," "Starship Trooper," and "I've Seen All Good People." Each of these I can sing along with and could probably manage the majority of the song without any music accompaniment. With those three alone (of six), I know I will enjoy this album as a whole. However, as I listen through it, I'm reminded of how great this album truly is.

Weekly Dose of Prog: Wishbone Ash - Time Was

Here's one for you older folks out there, a band that people of my generation have probably never heard of, and I'm willing to bet even a fair chunk of the older crowd never had a chance to listen to this great band. This band was one of the earliest pioneers of dual guitar players, utilizing both as lead and creating an interesting harmony within the melody. Along with this, they incorporated multiple vocalists (three at their beginning) which gave them the flexibility of range, style and layered performances. Using these elements the act combined progressive themes with those of blues rock to create a unique sound. The band I'm referring to of course is Wishbone Ash.


Mixing the emerging themes of blues rock and progressive rock, along with the forming heavy metal scene, Wishbone Ash's songs are all over the place stylistically. I know Time Was is the best of the band, so it may be a little unfair to compare the styles of songs next to each other, seeing as they were pulled from over a twenty year career (at the time of the album's release, 1993), but I'm not complaining about the styles, just remarking that they are there. There is the constant melding of hard/blues rock and progressive rock, sounding at times like a mix between Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band, but it goes deeper then that. At times I hear tunes of the psychedelic-induced Yes, at other points I hear a vocal harmonized/operatic style closer to Uriah Heep then anything else. Early in the collection, there is a 'call and answer' section (I believe it's the song "Errors Of My Way" but I'm not wholly sure) between the lead guitar and the vocals, wherein the guitar plays a line/lick which the vocals attempt to mirror. I've heard this before in other acts, but in this example it's actually quite a long section, taking up a good chunk of the song. It's something the members spent some time on, not just a four-bar phrase tossed in for fancy.

EP Shakedown: Syd Arthur - Moving World

I had know idea who or what Syd Arthur was, but what I heard was not what I was expecting by any means. Moving World was another 'gift sent' to me by Ripple Music, and I really don't know what to make of it. It melds styles I previously thought un-meldable. Truly a conundrum of sound and style. I only label this as progressive rock because I don't know what else to classify it as, it is that much of an interesting mashup of style.

I'm going to assume Syd Arthur is either a nickname or the band name, like Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull or Franz Ferdinand, a name that sounds like a person's, but is in fact the group's name (in my searches I discovered a theory that the band gets it's name from Syd Barret (original singer for Pink Floyd) and from The Kinks' album, Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire), so that's kind of interesting). I say this because the singer has a very peculiar voice; At times making me think it is a female singing, and at others just a really odd male (the first draft of this paragraph was all about a female vocalist, then I did some actual research and learned the truth). It is really odd, I can tell that he's British, but other then that I am at a loss.

Weekly Dose of Prog: Beardfish - Mammoth

Even though the group has been around for a decade, I have never listened to Beardfish before. Not only that but before about a year ago, I hadn't even heard of them in the first place. I stumbled upon the group trolling through the ProgArchives archives (kind of a pun), found their album artwork interesting and they had some decent reviews on the site. I did some more research, and found that either you love the group or hate it, with little heard from anything between. On top of all this, each group is very vocal of their particular view, making for some pretty interesting (and at times funny) articles/forum posts/flame wars. Alright Beardfish, I am intrigued, you pulled me in. Now either wow me or let me hate you, seeing as that is the only two possibilities...

...And I am wowed. Mammoth, Beardfish's latest release (just this past week) is an amazing display of eclectic progressive rock, delicately dancing into progressive metal occasionally but still keeping the lighter side of things firmly grasped. I say it's eclectic progressive because almost each song is a part of a different subgenre of the progressive movement; there are long, outlandish pieces with movements and frequent time-signature changes, there are more straight-forward rock n' roll style songs, jazzy tacks incorporating the saxophone, and even a light a fluffy piano piece. All of this and more, summed up into one word: eclectic. Which to me translates to 'fun.'

Favorite Albums: Styx - The Grand Illusion

It's been a while sense I've done one of these, and my Favorite Albums list is getting nothing but longer - 57 albums at the time of this writing - and I need a new article to fill a gap in the week so why not right?

Having recently taken a stroll down memory lane (The Times, They Are A Changing) I have been hit with the memories of some of the classic albums that have changed my life. I could list the majority out for you, going a bit into each one, but I'd prefer to stick with the reason you're all here right now, to hear the word of the amazing album The Grand Illusion by the equally amazing Styx, and why I think it as such. For it is this album that is more steadfast in my memory then any others. It was their grand opus, their gift to the world and its people.

The Grand Illusion is a loose concept album, not so much in story, but in overall message. Its a tale of accepting who you are, enjoying life, love, and not getting caught up in the small things in life. All of the songs are uplifting and powerful, ranging in themes from sci-fi/aliens, fantasy, and day-to-day life. The album also plays paramount in Styx's rise to fame and popularity. From their formation, the group had always played around with progressive rock themes and ideas. Their first albums are heavily entrenched within prog, but as the 70s grew, so did the groups gap from the genre. Their songs began to take on a more pop-oriented/radio-friendly feel, becoming shorter and simpler as the years went on.
While I would say that this would normally have been a bad thing, for I dislike when bands go soft or simple just to sell some more records, in Styx's case, I'll let it slide. They did their best work as a popular rock band. I've listened to their entire discography, so I've heard the prog days, and while it is decent, it's not the best when it comes to the 70s progressive scene. It is because of their average talents at the full-progressive level that I deem them more then able to move into radio-friendly sounds. That being said, although their progressive themes had taken a nose dive by the end of the 70s, it still was present at least somewhat, The Grand Illusion is proof.

Retrospective: Frank Zappa - 1966-1969

If you count all of the studio albums, soundtracks, live albums and posthumous releases, Frank Zappa, and his affiliated projects, has over one hundred albums to his name. That is one of the most proficient composers/writers/musicians I have ever heard of. It's going to take me weeks to even make a dent in his impressive catalog - and I only have forty-seven of them! I kept my collection to only the albums that were released during his lifetime, and only a handful of live albums (mostly his 'You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore' series). Just because of the sheer number of albums, I'm not going to be writing a large amount on each, just a couple of lines, and also for this one I'm going to give each album a rating (something I normally don't do), which will be based on the listenability, when compared to his other works (some of his stuff is waaaay out there). If you haven't ever heard any of Zappa's stuff, use this as a loose guide on where to begin.

Some of these albums are attributed to (originally) The Mothers Of Invention, then Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, some are just as Frank Zappa & The Mothers, while most are Frank Zappa solo. It's all Frank Zappa to me.

Freak Out! - 1966 (4/5)
The first album, and really quite a good start. It's a bit split on song quality, with some being some great compositions of verse and music, with others being a progressive oddity. Unlike the following few albums (and mostly until we get into the solo years of Frank Zappa) Freak Out! actually was almost entirely made up of what could be called 'songs.' While some were winners and some were losers, they were songs nonetheless. I enjoyed it overall, finding it a great launching point for a long career.

Weekly Dose of Prog: The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

(I'm also including this article in my 'Favorite Albums' list, because well... it is)

Usually known for their folk melodies - and some great ones at that - for their 2009 release The Decemberists went all out. While still keeping true to their folk roots with The Hazards of Love, they insert much more progressive elements into the album. For long-time fans (such as myself), the addition of the progressive sound is not wholly unexpected, with previous songs branching into this genre ("The Mariner's Revenge Song" being the first to pop into my mind), it's just the scope of the progressiveness that caught me off guard. The Hazards of Love is a rock opera in any possible description (again not wholly unexpected, as The Crane Wife had some rock opera elements within, just not to this extent), with a full cast of character revolving around a diverse and evolving plot.
Even before putting this record on again, I am already struck by the memory of the opera. The lyrics of "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" (mostly the chorus/title line), and the repeating melody of the Queen's theme; the heavy guitars of this section are great, much heavier then anything else The Decemberists have done, and the repeating melody (whenever she makes her appearance), heard throughout the album, is what I love about progressive concept albums.

I was in a bad mood and really didn't want to write this article (I put it off til the last minute again), but by the second song - or first true song after the intro track, "Prelude" - I had a bit of a smile on my lips. I was still a bit pissed but the lulling effect of Colin Meloy's voice does wonders for my soul. Something about the folksy guitar, overlayed with his velvety voice, really reaches me. This is one of the main reasons I like The Decemberists, I believe. With any other singer, something fundamental would be missing, the bit that makes The Decemberists, The Decemberists. The Hazards of Love is my favorite release by the band, and one of my favorite albums of all time. I've heard it several times now, and it always brings about a circle of emotions from me; smiles and a bit of head bobs at the begging, goosebumps and sort of introspective at the climax, and a bit melancholy at the last song, as it all ties in together. Simply superb.

Weekly Dose of Prog: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')/Over-Nite Sensation

So I haven't been keeping up with my progressive music and writings. This week has been hectic with doubles at work, dealing with the government and being sick, so instead of writing a Weekly Dose of Prog about some new artist I found, I'm going into the classic range, with Frank Zappa's double album (complied such in the era of CDs anyway), Apostrophe (')/Over-Nite Sensation.

Keeping with the usual eclectic Zappa theme, Apostrophe (')/Over-Nite Sensation, is an experimental/avant-garde/progressive mess - in all the right ways. The songs vary wildly in style, composition, tempo, and thought pattern, and truly the only thing keeping the album together is the complete disharmony within the tracks themselves; they are so uncollected, that they fit together perfectly. What intrigues me most about the album is the title. You see Over-Nite Sensation was released a year prior to Apostrophe (') so I don't know why on the re-issue they would reverse not only the titles but the song numbering as well. Maybe it sounded better this way, as The Saga of Nanook of The North is a great opener, but truly I don't know, and probably never will.

Awesome Songs: Rush - "2112"

This one is going to be a long one, partially because "2112" itself clocks in at over twenty minutes, but also because there is so much to discuss...and I love this song. It is filled with everything I love about progressive rock songs; there is an underlying story (this one of science-fiction origin), there are large segments of amazing instrumentals, and many of the elements that are seen at the beginning of the song are brought up again within later segments. This song is one of my favorites of all time, and I can't even count how many times I have heard it over they years. Enough that I've had time to go over every nuance of it's composition and story - to the point that I can explain parts to my father, who has been listening to the song for a decade longer then I. Fucking amazing.

While I grew up with Rush, the most of the epic "2112" was the little blurb they play on the radio, and on their Chronicles greatest-hits album, "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx," which at almost seven minutes in length (very long for a radio track) still pales in comparison to the original version. My father, realizing that I was missing out on one of the best songs in rock history, tried to explain to me the awesomeness of the full track, but without my own way to judge, it did little for me. He fixed this dilemma at around my sixteenth birthday (I can't remember the actual year), purchasing for me the entire album 2112. Here I am, almost ten years later, still rocking out to a song that was released ten years before I was born, it is just that good.

Rush - "2112" (Listen while you read)

New Band: Fen

So, Fen is something....unique. It took me about half of Trails Out of Gloom just to get used to their particular style. It's progressive rock alright, but it just seems...different. It's not heavy by any means, and it has the usual progressive elements, but it also includes a lot of acoustic guitar (with an electric backing) and several sections with layered vocals - which is not a bad thing, but it's something you don't hear much nowadays. As I said, different. Trails Out of Gloom has popped up on a lot of people's 'Best of 2010' lists so I wanted to see what the fuss was about, but I can't really follow their logic.
At first take of Fen's 4th album, Trails Out of Gloom, the vocals and the music don't seem together 100%. They seem to both try to pull the songs in a different direction; the background musicians seemingly wanting to go heavier and heavier, but the singer keeps it light and fragile. It's almost like an alternative rock band decided to add progressive elements into their sound without really changing their original style too much. It is a little hard as a self-diagnosed metalhead to fully acclimate myself into their style, even with me being a fan of varied genres and styles, but once I was able too I enjoyed it a bit more.

Top 20 of 2010: 1 - 5

Well this list began at 10, and then quickly grew to over 30 as I chose the best albums from 2010 in my vast collection. I've spent some time in whittling away at the list, trying to scrape it down to 10, and after i realized that was going to be impossible (too many categories to think about), I split the difference and decided on 20 - perfectly doable, without leaving too many great albums out of the cold. While this listy was still supposed to be only 10 albums, I was going to post one a day, from the 21st to the 31st, with a full-length article about each one. Because I upped it to 20, and because I didn't get a proper jump on this project, and also because I haven't even finished all the albums I wanted too before compiling the beginnings of this list, I am going to release it in four segments, five albums within each. Each album will have a short synopsis but that is all.
These lists aren't in a real order, it was too much effort just to get the list to 20, let alone order it in some fashion. It's all in alphabetic order; that's how I like it, that's how I'm keeping it.

1. Airbourne - No Guts. No Glory.
Airbourne does it again. Another balls-to-the-wall 80s throwback rock and roll classic. While not as groundbreaking as their first, Runnin' Wild, No Guts. No Glory. was a great release; following the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' I really need to hear this one again, the last time being over six months ago, but don't worry the sound still carries. If you have heard their first album, then you will like this one. If you're a fan of the late 70s/early 80s simplistic rock (AC/DC, KISS to some extent) the you have found your replacement band for those times of fond memories. Rock n' roll at its finest. 

5 Quick Album Reviews

Because there isn't enough time!

Amplifier - The Octopus

I was looking forward to this one, way back when I made the Retrospective for Amplifier, but I thought it came out in 2011, not late this year, so I was very happily surprised! The Octopus continues the group's trend of changing their style a bit with each release. While with their latest release, the EP Eternity, I wasn't sure where the future was with the band - with what direction they would head - The Octopus points the direction clearly; the arrow points directly to prog! This is by far their most genuine progressive rock sounding album so far, with almost all of the alternative sounds of the previous releases vanishing. This album is two discs and two hours long, with many songs over seven minutes in length. It also walks hand-in-hand with psychedelic music; most songs have a very trance-feeling guitar/bass/drum section bleeding into the vocal passages. It's a very interesting direction and feel, given the band's history of only touching the progressive elements a bit. This is a swan dive into the pool! The Octopus has become my favorite Amplifier album so far; it's new direction is something I love. I now await an EP in 2011 to steer the group into yet another direction, followed by an LP in 2012 or 2013 (if the trend continues), pushing that direction even further. Amplifier is a band that is continuously re-inventing themselves, and they are damn good at it!

New Album: The Smashing Pumpkins - Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor (EP)

Normally I don't give much credence or time to EPs; normally they are either over too quick or are the band's experimental outlet and that's not something I'm really into. But of lat I've been rolling through a bunch of EPs, partially because of my discovery of Bandcamp.com and of the fact I don't have much time but I want to listen to something new, and a 15 minute EP is better then part of an 80 minute full-length. Regardless, this one will be short (ok, it ended up being a decent length, damn I can't do anything right).

Late last year (or early this year, I'm too lazy to look it up), The Smashing Pumpkins reported that they instead of releasing a new album in 2010, they would instead release one song a month for free (or donation) off their website. I didn't pay any attention to this because I thought it was kind of a dumb idea (I would have preferred an entire album), and I have a lot of music on my plate. Later, they ended up releasing what they had as an EP sometime later, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor, which is what I am listening to now. I know I am really late with this review (the first EP being released in May after all). This EP is a continuation of their sound from their latest LP, Zeitgeist (which is not a style I like too much), wherein they are continuing to stray from their progressive roots, or even their beginning sound of alternative metal, into a semi-spacy alternative rock. Trace elements of prog are still there, but it is bothering me a bit to put 'progressive rock' as a tag at the bottom.

Comparison: The Velvet Underground - Then And Now

I discovered The Velvet Underground in my freshman year of college and sucked to them for the sole reason that many people do the things they do in college; because it seems edgy and cool (I said 'seems'). Little did I know that this was not 1968 any more, and people didn't give a flying fuck about the real counter-culture and therefore The Velvet Underground. Instead they opt for the fake culture of hipsters and Che-varians. It's sad and it's happening, and it's got nothing to do with this blog.
I listened to The Velvet Underground, at first to be edgy, and later as my musical knowledge (and therefore my musical 'greatness') grew I latched onto bands and sounds like The Velvet Underground to separate myself from the other people who prided themselves as music nerds. When into an argument about my musical superiority, if I ever felt my back against a wall, with seemingly no way out, I'd drop the ol' VU, to confused looks and skeptical understandings. I had won, and that's all that mattered.

Tribute Series: Cygnus And The Sea Monsters

As I was researching the horrible news of Mike Pornoy leaving Dream Theater I stumbled upon a series of tribute shows he, and several other musicians, took part in in the 2000's. I have not been listening to these in order (instead opting to listen in the order that most appeals to me), and so will not be reviewing them in order, but they are pretty sweet, and fairly unknown. So I think they deserve some sort of mention.

Cygnus And The Sea Monsters is a Rush tribute one-night-only supergroup consisting of Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big), Sean Malone (Cynic), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater).
Out of the group i listened to this one first, as I am a huge Rush fan - more then The Who or Led Zeppelin anyway - and I think it is fitting that Mike Portnoy is sitting in for Neil Peart, as they are both amazing percussionists. The group hits all of the progressive rock classics (opting out the more mainstream successes like "Tom Sawyer" or "Spirit of Radio") and the band plays them all amazingly.

Retrospective: Amplifer

(I've had this post 90% complete for two months now, never wanting to sit down and finish it up. But after writing the post for Demons And Wizards, I decided to get cracking. So thank Uriah Heep for me ever finishing this article.)

I've had the latest Amplifier album (Insider) for over a year now, and up to now have never given it a listen. But in the past week I was really bored (after my week of roadtrips - 1,200 miles in 5 days) so I let my computer decide for me. I went to my full 50,000+ song library and hit 'random', pledging to listen to whatever popped up. This is the engrossing tale of how I heard/fell in love with Amplifier. Instantly after listening to Insider, I went out and found their first album, and their two EPs and gave them all a listen as well - was not disappointed.

To begin with, their overall sound; Amplifier is an alternative progressive rock band (I know, a mouthful). Their music is not really heavy, and it does seem to move time signatures and styles throughout, and it hosts a mix of spacey and funky sounds. To put it in a nutshell, it sounds like a more progressive Incubus; you know, early Incubus, just a bit more progressive and incorporates a bit of industrial sound (just a smidge). I realize that my description of this group is not beneficial in any way, as it seems to drift, but that is what the music does - drifts from style to style with no course in sight. And it works!

Amplifier (2004)
Their debut album was re-released two times before their second recording, and after listening to it, one can see why. It was originally released on the small/independent label Music For Nations in 2004, before being picked up for a wider release by SPV - with a bonus EP worth of material. I wasn't lucky enough to have this special release, instead finding only the original track version. This album is the groups most 'safe' album. In all of the articles I read about the group, they were called an alternative band, with almost no mention of the progressive elements. This album is probably what the writers were referring to. While there is a hint of the progressive sound, it is mostly alternative rock, with a splash of heavier/metal sounds throughout. It seems like a good place to start, and a good way to get noticed, but I am glad the changes that ended up happening, happened.

Favorite Albums: Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

It's been a while, and I have at least two articles that could use my attention, but I just listened to Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep again and I feel the need to tell you all about this spectacular album. I've already gone into the history of Uriah Heep (way back in January of 2009) so I don't need to go into to much detail on that front. They were/are a British band that is one of the foundations of hard rock and heavy metal music. More specifically, they are the forerunners of progressive rock and - by extension - progressive metal. They were among the first to use dual lead guitars, and layered semi-operatic vocals. Many of their songs were narratives, telling of mystical battles and amazing people; Demons and Wizards was no different.

Current Trend: May To March

A long time ago, I was putting out a monthly article about what style was making up the majority of what I was listening to. During my shitty summer, I fell off that wagon, and I think it's time to get back with it. This one will be a short re-hashing of the past nine months, to get us back to the current age. Nothing too in-depth or long, just an overview:

Ok, so the trends I have been going through have been back-and-forth between Funk and Stoner, with the occasional Progressive strewn in. I have really been sticking with these three genres for the majority of the past year. Parliament, Funkadelic and Sly and The Family Stone are some of the best music from the 70's I've had the pleasure to bear witness.

Retrospective: Queen - Queen II (1974)

I know this has been a long time coming, but here it is, part 2 of the Queen retrospective.

While Queen II continues the progressive sound heard in their debut album, it also is a step towards the main-stream stadium-rock that they would become world renown for.Now I have listened to this album a lot less often then the first Queen album, and as such, I am not as familiar with the tracks. With the first part of the retrospective I wrote, I could complete the entire article without listening to a single song (except "Son and Daughter") and still pull off a decent description. For this one, I will need to work through every song, which is why I have taken forever to continue this project.

Some Good Progressive Rock: Rush And Kansas

This past month, I've been listening to the entire Rush discography (8 out of 19 complete at the time of this writing), and I just now finished the first Kansas album, and I have to say; I really like this 70's progressive rock sound that these guys put out. A lot of people know of Rush and their prog music (2112 anyone?), but not a lot of people know more from Kansas then "Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust In The Wind," or "Point Of Know Return" (including myself).

After listening to their self-titled (and heading into their second, Masque) release I have an added respect for this group. They stick to the semi-mainstream venue of prog, not being of the King Crimson-style of pretentiousness. They mix the straight-forward focus of classic (read: 70's) rock with the interesting instrumentation, song structure and lyrical content of other progressive bands. Half of their songs are short and seemingly radio friendly, and the others are longer (over seven minutes) story-arch songs of varying subjects. Kind of a neat blend.
Rush does this too, but to a less successful extent. For this article I am only using the 70's/early 80's music of Rush (aka classic Rush), but they continuously fall into the same rut of trying to be more 'epic' then what is needed. Now I love Rush, and I really don't want to say anything negative about them, but after listening to almost all of their 'good' albums, their music is just better when they focus more on the rock style and less on the progressive element. Starting with their third album, Caress Of Steel (and soon after the addition of Niel Peart), their music becomes skewed into the inaccessible forms of prog music. The songs are long, to a ridiculous extent, and the lyrics are quite silly at times - but the music still rocks, so I have no complaint there. It's just that each album only has two or three decent songs to its credit, and two or three ten-plus minute epic pieces that fall flat after the first five minutes. 2112 is the exception, and I think they took the awesomeness of that song, and tried to re-create it with each following disc; as noted with "Cygnus X-1" and "Cygnus X-1 Book II" on the following albums, A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres.
As the group enters the 80's the super long songs wain away, but so too does the rock aspect. Instead the group focuses on different styles and sounds, to keep up with the ever-changing soundscape we live in. And I have no fault with that, you have to do what you do to survive. If they were still putting out the same style of records as their debut album, this article would have a very different spin to it, mostly about how boring the band has begun (and that article probably would have never been made). So I guess a congrats are in order for the guys from Rush, for still being together and still putting out decent albums (not the same, but still decent), for all these years.

Again, I am only two Kansas albums in, and I know the group takes a major nose dive somewhere in the 80's as far as quality is concerned, but in the golden days, they have a better grasp on understandable progressive rock then the Canadian kings of prog: Rush. So go out and give Kansas a try, you'll probably be surprised at how much you like their sound.