BIG BIG TRAIN - THE UNDERFALL YARD
Quite easily my most personal review ever (written in 2010) of an album whose centrepiece is still an extraordinarily emotional experience.
I write this review under a great deal of strain, both professionally and personally. The former I won't bore people with, but the latter is pertinent to this review.
Last Friday, my best friend Keri died suddenly, without any warning whatsoever. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
I'm sure that most readers of this review appreciate that, at times such as these, we turn to our music in order to release our emotions, try to find out some meaning to such events, or simply to wallow in the depths of our individual feelings and torment.
I was recommended The Underfall Yard by a friend when asking for birthday recommendations. When I finally acted on his, wise, advice I sent him a PM telling him just how fantastic this piece of modern progressive rock was as a body of work. If I had reviewed it at the time, it would have generated a certain “excellent” review.
Since last weekend, the album has come to mean a whole lot more, deserving of “masterpiece”, and really because of one piece of music, and I will explain why.
Victorian Brickwork is the first epic track on the album. Until that point, we are treated to exemplary playing and lyrics on Evening Star and Master James of St George.
The lyrics themselves, when I played them on my MP3 player last week meant so much to me, recalling so many conversations with Keri, my friend.
Lost in the low lights at the ocean tides the love you never meant to hide The low lights at the ocean tides The love you never meant to hide
Keri and I had so many discussions about how different our beloved wives were from us, the idiosyncrasies, and the day to day ups and downs of married life. But one thing held us in a bond. The love we both shared for our life partners and the children that we have. Those lyrics are so profound and just so painfully reflective. And so true. We never seem to tell our love just how much they mean to us until it is too late.
Some seven minutes into the track, the piece transforms itself into a glorious explosion of sound, guitar telling a painful story. And then, that moment.
The joy of the best progressive rock bands is to change moods and signatures. I am not ashamed to say that at eight and a half minutes into the track, when the brass solo commences, then accompanied by keyboard and rhythm section, into such an achingly beautiful, joyously painful, section of music, I cried my eyes out, in sheer wonder of the breadth of expression and emotion portrayed.
I am not an overtly religious man. However, I tell you, God spoke to me that night, and as I write this review. God gave these musicians the wonderful talent to create such an incredible piece of music, to call out to me in a moment of emotional crisis and of need. These incredibly talented musicians provided me with an outlet in which to cry, reflect, and to come to terms with both Keri, and the love I feel for my family.
Very rarely does a band, or music, touch one like this.
The album is a great work. However, for me, I am going to award “masterpiece” to this album on the rare basis of one track from it, a track which I will forever associate with my friend.
Salute. Gorffwys mewn tangnefedd (rest in peace)
PORCUPINE TREE - THE INCIDENT
My contemporaneous review of an album I really did not, and still do not, like at all, and is a fairly decent indicator of my upcoming thoughts on 2022’s Closure/Continuation. I have revisited the album tonight to see if I was being unfair at the time.
I wasn’t.
I have been listening to prog for 32 years now. I regard Porcupine Tree as one of the finest exponents of the genre that have emerged in recent years. I love their music. In addition, in those 32 years, as can be seen from my reviews, I have albums ranging from great favourites to ones I feel are poor.
However, in all the years I have been listening to prog, there is one word I have never used to describe an album. That word is BORING, and, yes, this does deserve that title in capital letters. I have tried, tried very hard. From the moment I downloaded the album, I have given this album some 20-odd listens, but the first impression remains.
In fact, so dull do I find it that I can only really pick out one track that really captures my attention, and that, of course, is Time Flies, and for all the wrong reasons.
Being a great “neo” prog fan, I can put up with nods and tributes to great bands and can appreciate the influences that the classic bands had. However, Time Flies is such a basic rip off of the Floyd's classic Animals that it is, to me, a wonder that Waters & Gilmour haven't reached for the telephone and called Messrs Sue Grabbit & Runne for such a flagrant breach of copyright law.
The rest really does melt into a repetitive mixture of post-modern progressive music. The band are capable of so much more, Wilson especially, who is far too mature and capable a songwriter and lyricist to come up with such a concoction of teen angst as this.
The biggest disappointment of the decade, and an album, I feel, will descend in peoples’ affections once the initial excitement of the first reviews settles down into realism.
PHIDEAUX - NUMBER SEVEN
Excellent album from prog purists favourite.
I had listened to Phideaux a couple of times on Last FM, but never seriously, until I downloaded this based upon strong recommendations as to how to spend my birthday money in December.
Boy, am I glad that I went along with the recommendations. This is a fantastic piece of work, lovingly crafted and executed, with a narrative revolving around a continuous struggle between dormouse & crayfish, but most obviously a metaphor for other types of eternal struggles. The narrative also includes an interesting (certainly for the first couple of listens) history of evolution lecture. You don't come across that every day!
I hear many influences in this album. Floyd, Parsons, Oldfield, and most definitely folk, including in a couple of passages, strangely, some of the harder crusty folk rock such as Tansads & Levellers that I still adore.
The playing is sublime. I have always loved piano led orchestral symphonic pieces, and this one does not disappoint, the vocals are spot on, and the ethereal chants add a majesty to the whole piece.
My only criticism is that the length could probably have been a tad shorter, especially in the second movement, but overall, this has been a fine introduction to an artist rightly lauded.
It will move me to explore the back catalogue, and I can think of no better recommendation than that.
TRANSATLANTIC - THE WHIRLWIND
Grandiose prog rock which I loved at the time, but listen to a lot less now.
Well, I've had some six weeks in which to listen and grow accustomed to the easily most awaited release of 2009. My patience in awaiting the album and in waiting to review it have not been in vain. This is, quite simply, symphonic prog at its most grandiose and will appeal to all fans of the sub-genre and, of course, fans of the bands that make up the component parts of the supergroup.
What other band could, I wonder, come up with a single slab of music lasting some 77 minutes long, and not only get away with it, but also confound all those critics who instantly assume anything lasting more than a few minutes must be overlong, self-indulgent, and, by extension, rubbish?
Because they do, by and large, get away with it. Certainly, there are some, few and far between, moments that stand out as filler, but mainly the piece de resistance comes across as it should - a grand homage to the genre itself.
Neal Morse is, of course, the main driver behind the piece, certainly regarding the lyrics and vocals, and there is no doubt that his conversion to Christianity drives the lyrics throughout. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so, and certainly I regard his thoughts and moods as poetically relevant as were, for example, Jon Anderson's mystical musings in Yes and his solo career - in other words, they most certainly do not get in the way of the album itself.
All collaborators play their socks off on this work, but special mention really must go to the rhythm section of Portnoy & Trewavas, who really do absolutely belt out their respective parts. This album most certainly does need to be played on a good system to fully appreciate all the intricacies and noises produced.
As regards CD2, I have enjoyed the four original pieces, none of which could possibly be described as essential, but are most certainly enjoyable. As regards the band's tradition of covers, these are, as usual, hugely enjoyable. Special mention goes to Giant Hogweed, which is quite simply a massively fun tribute to the whole music of that period, but especially A Salty Dog, which I regard as being one of the finest covers of any band's original music ever. The singing and playing on this are simply quite exquisite.
Highly recommended and a very welcome return by one of the genres true legends.
IQ - FREQUENCY
Essential album from the wonderful second wave of prog survivors.
Well, we've been waiting for this for a long time. Was it worth the wait? Yes. IQ are one of the most important bands to emerge from the second wave of prog bands in the 1980's, alongside Marillion, Pallas, and Twelfth Night, and deserve our attention when a new album is released. But would they deliver with the loss of one of their guiding lights, Martin Orford? The answer is a definite yes.
Frequency, the title track, is a slab of pure unadulterated prog music, with an epic feel that has your toes tapping throughout. Holmes delivers superb guitar bursts, and Westworth, the successor to Orford, makes you wonder if he really is a new boy with the textures he creates.
As the opener progresses to Life Support, the piano backdrop to Nicholl's incredible vocals is amazing, and a reaffirmation of just what a great band they are. Peter Nicholls shines throughout this album and I do believe that he is becoming more and more accomplished as a vocalist as the years roll on. The mid-section features some fantastic interplay between Jowitt and Edwards in the rhythm section accompanying a great guitar solo by Holmes, before Westworth again attempts to make the keyboard slot his own. A dark and meandering piece that grows on you each time you listen to it.
Stronger Than Fiction, clocking in at over 10 minutes, starts off with a commercial feel, and could be accused of being a stereotypical IQ piece, but I think that as the track develops this is belied. Nicholl's most definitely keeps the track together, and I am enjoying the upbeat feel of the track. I especially like Westworth's keyboard textures as the track moves to its mid-section, in glorious harmony with quite the most beautiful vocal. The rockier sequence that follows has a dark and melancholic feel to it, before reasserting a more upbeat tone with a strong guitar and rhythm backdrop. Holme's almost sings on his guitar at the close of the piece, with some lovely piano and bass accompanying.
One Fatal Mistake follows without a break and is a natural follow up to its predecessor. Nicholl's voice is quite incredible, with piano, acoustic guitar vying for attention. I have to say that Nicholl's has become one of the most important and beautiful vocalists in the world of prog - his performance on this, and, indeed, the whole of the album, is really something else.
What follows is nothing short of genius. Ryker Skies could well be one of the finest pieces of music ever created by this band. A rich backdrop of keyboards and acoustic guitar accompany the vocals, before the dark electric guitar, pulsating bass, and drums kick in. What follows cannot be stereotyped as “neo” prog or any other type of prog. This is simply a fine slab of rock music which must have taken all the five years taken to create this album. Dark, brooding, solid, with a counter to all those who believe that the future will automatically be bright and chirpy, the mood created is ultimately dystopian. This is exemplified about seven minutes in by a grand Westworth keyboard solo, which reminds me a bit of Banks in his darker moments, culminating in him accompanying Nicholls to the conclusion of the track.
The Province of the King is the longest track on the album and commences with a gorgeous acoustic guitar and keyboard backdrop to Nicholl's fine vocals. This track is the natural follow up to much of Dark Matter. I love the mellotron sequence that precedes the heavy pulsating rockier phase, before calming down again to the rich acoustic background. This track has many moods and is all the better for it. Probably the finest mellotron moods for many a year, interspersed with some fine guitar solos and vocals. When "The phone rings and there's no one there", the track progresses to a symphonic masterpiece, with keyboards at the forefront of a huge cacophony of sound. Although still dark, it is strangely uplifting. Westworth is a fine successor to a great player - we miss Orford, but you know the band will continue, given the exceptional musicianship demonstrated here. Has Holmes ever produced such a fine solo as the one kicking in about 11 minutes into this track? I doubt it very much, and Westworth really shines in the piano when Nicholl's brings the piece to its denouement. A great way to bring a great track to its conclusion.
Closer brings the album to its conclusion. Once again starting with some lovely sound textures, I close my eyes in appreciation when Nicholl's starts singing. This is not just any prog - it's IQ prog! Band plays its heart out in support of some exceptional and beautiful vocals. The band shines throughout. A grandiose track to close a great piece of work.
Was the album worth the wait? Definitely. Have they lost something with Orford? Yes, is the reply. Is it irretrievable? NO. Is this band still at the forefront of the second wave of prog rock? Absolutely.
Closer Every Day sums it up - we feel close to a band that is still capable of producing great music. As an IQ fan, I find this album essential
BYRON - A KIND OF ALCHEMY
Superb album from Romanian outfit. A shame they never reached these heights again.
The 2009 follow-up to an excellent debut album, A Kind Of Alchemy is an album that has been described as a "grower" - in other words, an album you really don't like on first listen, but "get it" after a while. Well, not to these ears. I loved it first time around, and the feeling has only really grown since.
As with the debut, there is a huge range of styles and influences present here. Opener The Night has at its heart a bluesy, melodic feel, until the chorus comes along and blows both the speakers and your mind.
I will, though, here single out three tracks which transcend that boundary, a large one, between extremely good and utter genius.
War has to be about the finest and most honest paeon to the utter futility of conflict I have had the pleasure of hearing in many years, probably since Waters' halcyon days. Musically, it is a treat from start to finish, with some luscious harmonies between Dan Byron's sensitive and moving lead vocals and some exceptional female backing from Lu Cozma. The whole band, and especially a man who is fast becoming one of my favourite keyboardists, the marvellously named 6Fingers, create a loving and moving pastiche. At the denouement, just when you think it can't become any better, Costin Oprea creates an incredible electric guitar burst.
The longest track on the album, A Poem Without An End, clocks in at 7:40 minutes, and is simply superlative. The keyboards on this piece of music tell enough of a story in themselves, but when you add to the equation the thoughtful and, I believe, deliberately underplayed lyrics and vocals by Dan Byron, you have here one of the finest pieces of rock music produced in the new decade, it is that good. The explosions of sound add to what is, at its heart, a pure melodic joy. The utter simplicity, and technical virtuosity, of 6Fingers' work makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on this track. Thoughtful prog at its very best, with a massive wall of sound to delight purists at the closing passages to boot.
Lastly, Vitruvian Man, which, again, features such incredible piano and keys work that make you want to weep at the beauty of it all. The vocal performance by Byron is also superlative, and it is in this area that, I feel, the most profound improvement has come about from the debut. When he sings to you "Feel alive, back home", all you can do is really gawp at the music player. This is a track which has, at its heart, a melancholic story, but produces such an uplifting feel as to make you really be grateful to be alive. Utterly superb, and the only petty criticism I have is that the track deserves longer than the less than four minutes given.
So, three works of such genius, if they were an EP, I would have no hesitation in awarding the ultimate masterpiece status. Does that mean the rest of it is bad? Not a bit of it. The problem is, for rating purposes, the remainder is merely excellent.
Diggin' A hole is just about the most fun I have had in listening to a track in years. Utterly manic, purely eclectic in a bonkers manner, it is out of keeping with much of the rest of the album, but in a great way. The vocals are a hoot (it strikes me as being just a fun time out), there are some great brass moments and neo world music thrown in for good measure.
A Little Bit Deranged continues the eclectic and slightly mad theme, certainly lyrically, but it is the musicianship that really holds it all together. Very bluesy in parts and featuring some of the beautiful flute playing that so impressed me on the first album (more on the next one please!).
I Don't Want To Entertain You is perhaps the closest the album comes to throwaway, being just a little bit too knowingly self-deprecating for its own good.
King Of Clowns is a fantastic rock track, with very clear post-modern sensibilities, and if it wasn't a hit single in Romania, I would like to know why not. The jazzy rhythm section is fantastic, and the track closes with more sensitive piano work.
The Song That Never Was provides us with emotion and great rock in the jazz tradition that marks most of the finest bands we love.
Sirens provides us with perhaps the nicest sea faring track since Procol Harum's A Salty Dog, this one is a great track which provides the Eastern European folk feel that so delighted me on the first album. 6Fingers' accordion is great.
The Alchemist is an old-fashioned rocker, held together by more exceptionally tight rhythm section work, and another candidate for a hit single, if only radio these days in the commercial world would play such tracks. The mood veers from shades of Purple to Van Der Graaf, to the best of modern heavy prog.
Blinded By Sunshine highlights the band's strong jazz tendencies, with keys again very strongly to the fore, whilst the album closer, A Peaceful Mind provides us with a fitting emotional and grand sounding finale. The string quartet at the fore is a delight, and this track has commercial folk/symphonic classic written all over it. A great way to finish a superb album.
There is one hell of a lot going on on this album, in much the same way as Forbidden Drama. It is impossible to accurately classify, but one thing is for sure, this is a superb album, and I will again register my gratitude to Alex for introducing me to a band whose work will be playing on my system for many years to come.
I cannot recommend this band to you all highly enough.
MARILLION - LESS IS MORE.
Imaginative remaking of some classic, but also more obscure Marillion songs in a stripped back environment.
Less is More is the new Marillion album, made up of acoustic or semi electric versions of old tracks, something the band have actually done before in the shape of a gig at Oswestry The Walls restaurant a few years ago, a gig I was honoured to go to and the CD of which is still available.
It is no surprise to friends that I will rate this album highly. I am a massive fan of the Hogarth era band and feel that they are still the trailblazers in terms of modern progressive rock music.
Of course, H albums are either love ‘em or hate ‘em, and I don't think this one will be any different.
What I really like about this album is that they have not opted for the easy route of redoing commercial or even fan favourites. Only one track from Afraid of Sunlight and Brave, for instance, and none from Marbles, a critically acclaimed album rightly. Instead, they have chosen to delve into some of the less well known and selling albums such as Marillion.com and Anoracknophobia. The album is no worst for it either.
Go and Interior Lulu from Marillion.Com open the work. Both, in my opinion, are richly enhanced by the acoustic treatment, and Hogarth brings, especially, a rich emotion to both tracks, which were easily the highlight of an otherwise somewhat average LP. Interior Lulu on the original featured a manic storm of guitars and keyboards, and I prefer this version, stripped away and bare. As showcased on the recent Wishing Tree album, Rothery plays acoustic with grace and feeling, and Mark Kelly on the piano continues his fine run of creativity. Trewavas, normally associated with booming bass lines, backs up sensitively, and Ian Moseley also plays with delicate understatement.
Out of this World follows, the band's by now famous tribute to Donald Campbell. The acoustic version was played live at the memorial service to Campbell recently, and this is a track which is very suited to the quiet treatment.
Wrapped up in Time is the sole entry from last studio release, Happiness is the Road, and is one of the lesser-known tracks. This is not actually that dissimilar from the original in terms of pace and does not, I think, stand up as well in isolation in the context of this album as it did as part of the narrative on HITR. However, the massive pleasure in the song is the gorgeous bluesy treatment by the band of the music. Rothery's guitar sings with great backing from the rest of the band.
The Space is the sole entry from the debut Hogarth album, Seasons End. It was a fine album, but I always felt that this track was the weakest on it, and my opinion has not really changed with this version. It is again marked by superb playing and vocals, but the slimmed down version does not really bring anything new to the table.
Hard as Love is the only entry from Brave, still regarded by many as the band’s finest moment. So, how does a track clearly a very important part of that narrative/concept and very hard rocking sound in an acoustic reworking - fantastic is the answer. Hogarth and Trewavas sing quite exceptionally, especially during the chanting, and Kelly's piano playing is so sensitive to the mood that you can feel and hear the instrument cry. Quite easily the highlight of the album for me, simply because it really should not have worked. It does, and then some.
Quartz is the first of three tracks from Anoracknophobia, which is not regarded as one of the era's finest works. However, having said that, this and the other two tracks made me get out the CD which I hadn't played for a long time, and I found myself re-evaluating the work, and coming out with a far higher opinion of it. Special mention goes to Moseley for excellent percussion work, and Trewavas plays some exceptional bass. Again, the track is played in a bluesy frame of mind, but importantly does keep the tempo of the original, which was important. Newcomers and fans alike will warm and marvel at the exquisite singling and guitar playing in the It’s So Hard sequence.
If My Heart were a Ball follows. This is, I think, the weakest of the tracks. The original was not much better, and I think this is one track which suffers from the new approach. It meanders somewhat, never really getting where it wants to go.
It’s Not Your Fault is the sole newcomer, and it is a marvellous piece of music, this is a duet by some soulful Hogarth lyrics and Kelly's piano accompanying.
Memory of Water is the sole entry from the exceptional This Strange Engine. Truth be told, it really doesn't deviate that much from the original, which was a quieter entry on that album anyway, but it is no less wonderful for that. A great piece of music, Hogarth really excels on vocals again, while the guitar players back him up with some eery and understated chords.
This is the 21st Century closes the regular album and is the third track from Anoracknophobia. This one benefits from the acoustic approach, and the main sequence has a great tempo to it.
The bonus untitled track is, in fact, Cannibal Surf Babe from Radiation. As with the original, it's a great deal of fun and entirely untypical of most of the band's work (but no less enjoyable for that).
I think this is a brave album for the band to release. They were really on a hiding to nothing, with some disliking acoustic music full stop, or not being prepared to have old favourites rearranged and changed beyond recognition in some cases. However, I think they have done a fine job, and, if the intent was to make people re-examine the back catalogue with a fresh approach, it has most certainly succeeded in doing so.
It is most certainly not an essential addition to any collection, although for fans of the band like me it certainly is, but it is an excellent addition to any collection. I would particularly recommend this to people who have not explored the band's music for some years, as I think it is a great way to get reacquainted with them. It will also appeal very strongly to those who like their rock music thoughtful and played in the blues fashion.
IO EARTH - IO EARTH.
Damned fine debut album from a band who have given us some great music.
I am extremely surprised that this exceptional debut album from British band, IO Earth, has garnered so few reviews. Because, aside from the fact that this is a wondrously accomplished work, the band have also been making some large waves in the world of prog, not just with this album, but also developing into a popular and fine live act, a fact acknowledged by magazines such as Classic Rock Presents Prog.
From the moment I first heard the delicious Introduction, with delicate keyboards, symphonic and orchestral keyboards, with the charm of ethereal female vocals, I knew that I was in for a treat.
This is a very long album, running in at over 94 minutes on two CDs of material, so it is not the type of album that can be taken in immediately, or treated as a casual listen. It's length also prompts me to forego my usual individual track review to provide more of an overview.
I think the first thing to state is just how lush the whole work sounds. It has been lovingly recorded and especially cleanly produced by Miguel Seco from Portugal. The musicianship and vocals are of the highest quality throughout, and, crucially for such an opus, you never tire of listening to it from start to finish.
There are so many influences as to really define this album as being an eclectic smorgasbord of tones, colours, and soundscapes. You have symphonic, neo, most clearly prog folk on tracks such as Mountains Start To Fall which will be loved by all Mostly Autumn fans, post rock, jazz, pop, tracks that owe a huge nod to Mike Oldfield, and, at times, stuff that is impossible to classify, such as the utterly unique Eeee, featuring a male soprano and a rocking groove that imports so many sounds I would not know where to begin. Importantly, though, all of this is underlaid with a clear ear for commercial sensibilities. What could have been a frightening mess in less capable hands is presented to us as something that lasts long in the memory and appeals to rock fans of all types.
Of that, I can think of no better example than the highlight of the album to me, Come With Me, and its shorter Reprise. Trancey, dancy, and gorgeously modern in its progressive sensibilities, it is an incredible creation. The guitar solo is simply heaven, and we even have a sort of gospel choir thrown in for good measure.
In IO Earth, founding members Dave Cureton & Adam Gough have formed a memorable band (and it is a band, not a duo) and created quite simply one of the most stunning debuts I have had the pleasure to listen to.
The album is available to listen to on Spotify, and I would then have no hesitation in recommending that listeners move on to purchase it. I got it as part of two albums for £10 deal, an outrageous bargain. I cannot wait for the follow up, which I think when released will be one of the albums of the year.
I have thought long and hard about the correct rating for this. I am very sparing in my "masterpiece" ratings, and I honestly believe that too many somewhat dilute the importance we should ascribe to such a rating. I'll say this much, though. This album only just falls short of it, and that it is an excellent addition to any prog rock collection and an album that really does deserve far more of our attention.
PENDRAGON - CONCERTO MAXIMO
Standout live DVD filmed in the band’s latter day stronghold of Poland.
One of the finest prog live concert releases of all time, this is not only an absolute must for fans of Pendragon from the start, such as I, but would, I think, appeal to those reading this who are curious about the music and personality of a band with a 30 year history, but have never "taken the plunge", because what you have here, in a performance lasting in excess of 2.5 hours, is quite simply a history of the band's output from start to the then new album, Pure.
Therefore, you have the full range, from what some call “neo-prog” in the beginning, to the wonderfully bombastic symphonic period, right through to the heavier material of latter years, and what is remarkable is just how effortless and enjoyable each period represented is live.
Of course, the main man is Nick Barrett, with his unique voice and quite incredible guitar work, he plays and sings as if he was still a young man. However, star of the show, to me, is new drummer Scott Higham, who quite literally pummels his drum set to near death, has a marvellous rapport with the audience, and is also clearly as mad as a March hare. It would also be remiss to not mention the wonderful keyboards of longstanding ally Clive Nolan and bassist Peter Gee.
The set was filmed in Poland, where many prog bands enjoy a successful and faithful following. The sound is exceptional, the filming lush, and the audience are intelligent and respectful throughout.
I will not mention highlights, simply because this DVD is a treat from start to finish. It never seems too long, and, in fact, you still want more when it does end.
Very highly recommended to all lovers of progressive rock.
THE DECEMBERISTS - THE HAZARDS OF LOVE.
A really important album for me prompting an exploration of the wider world of Americana and folk music, both of which remain important to me musically. I remain of the opinion that this is one of the finest albums ever made.
Up until I purchased this album, I had not really ventured much beyond the shores of the United Kingdom for either folk or prog folk music, excepting, maybe, the timeless classics of Simon & Garfunkel. This was purchased on the strength of several reviews, and I fell in love with it virtually straight away. Since then, I have bought The Crane Wife, and will very soon complete my collection of this incredible band's material.
This album puts a complete end to the fiction that to qualify as folk music, a work must somehow qualify for inclusion on the Cropedy Festival, run by Fairport Convention every year, and that proper folk music is, somehow, akin to a bunch of people merely playing instruments that haven't been seen commercially for a hundred plus years.
This is not merely a great American folk album, it is also a rock opera/concept album of the highest order, telling as it does the compelling and, ultimately tragic, love story between Margaret and William, a fawn.
Colin Meloy tells his story with great aplomb and is backed by some quite incredible female vocals along the way. Instrumentally, there is a bit of everything thrown in, from accordion to banjo to organ, but all along the way, the music accompanies the story in the very best traditions of operas. At once symphonic, at others folky, at others ambient, to some passages which remind one very strongly of the finest classic rock - for this, check out The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid, which features a great riff.
This album contains modern folk and rock music at its absolute best, and, if its purpose was to get the listener to explore such music out of the comfort zone of one's own country's artists, then it has absolutely succeeded.
If you have not ventured beyond familiar and comforting names and wish to explore a great nations folk tradition updated to the 21st century, then this album is utterly essential.
A monumental work.
PICTORIAL WAND - FACE OF OUR FATHERS
A disappointing effort from a band not heard from again.
I purchased this on the strength of other reviews and was expecting great things. Unfortunately, my listening tastes do not seem to accord with others who have reviewed or rated this album.
It's not awful, far from it, but neither, to me, is it anywhere near resembling essential.
The playing is excellent throughout, that much is sure. For example, there is a quite sublime guitar solo midway during Prince Of War, only for it to be spoiled by the vocals intruding at the end of it. In addition, I really like the female vocals. If only I could say the same for the male contributors, who spend far too much time growling, and out of tune at that.
I cannot help getting the feeling that this is an album which has been thrown together in some way, with a very diverse set of influences, ranging from classic symphonic to hard prog, and this is the fault line running throughout this. It doesn't feel like a cohesive whole, rather more like a smorgasbord. Struggle of Autumn Leaves is a very good example. There are some lovely melodic moments in this, but the track all too often descends into a mix of what I can only describe as who knows what. Even in the crazier experimental days of bands such as Crimson and VDGG, there was a cohesive feel and theme to the music, and this just seems to be lacking here.
I would also say that I found the production to be awful, and this certainly detracted from the enjoyment here.
It is a shame I'm writing this review. I love Scandinavian prog, but this is the worst I have had so far.
An album that really does not know where it is going, and very disjointed.
KNIGHT AREA - REALM OF SHADOWS.
A really strong album - you can see my review of their 2022 release, D-Day II - The Final Chapter on the Album Reviews of 2022 Page.
Listening to the stream on the site of the sample of Knight Area's impending new release drove me to, not before time, write a few words about this superb release from 2009.
Realm of Shadows has just about everything the more discerning prog fan could wish for in an album. It's fresh, it's brilliantly performed, with flashes of symphonic genius, combined with marvellous melodic moments that raise the hairs on the back of the neck. In addition, in Mark Smit, they have one of the best prog vocalists in the business now.
The album opens with Ethereal, a track that provides the listener, on a decent set of speakers, with a wall of sound, very reminiscent of mid period Genesis. It's bright and breezy and enjoyable throughout.
Antagony is a strange track, and I do not mean this to be a derogatory statement. At the outset, it moves into heavier territory than the opener, but also contains flashes of the type of melodic rock that would have graced many an American stadium. Very tightly performed, with a cracking rhythm section, this is commercial pop/prog/anthem rock at its very best. Mark Vermuele's guitar solo is excellent here.
Two Of A Kind changes the mood completely, a synth led track which is a love song with an eye on the type of audience and radio stations that brought commercial success to both the "traditional" symphonic bands in the 1980's and the singles led success of Marillion a little bit later.
Momentum features some brilliant bass pedal work by Gijs Koopman, and he leads this instrumental track with aplomb. A creepy guitar solo accompanies. This is an altogether darker affair that is comparable to similar work IQ have released at the top of their game.
Awakening is another short instrumental and could have been longer in my opinion. It features some sweet piano and synth work by Gerben Klazinga, is very melancholic, and very good. It would, I think, been a credit to the album if this theme had been developed a tad more.
This leads to Dark Souls, another rather dark track, and more "traditional" neo. It heralds a return to a truer band composition and performance, and, once again, the sound that is created fairly booms out of the speakers. Whereas Black Sabbath always had a tongue firmly in cheek when writing and performing about the "dark side", this is altogether far more convincing.
The title track itself sends me back to Duke, one of my favourite albums of all time. The pianos, crashing drums, and general feel of the track is very close to the quality exhibited on that classic. For those who aren't particularly keen on that gem, they might be reassured by the fact that Smit's exceptional vocal performance is closer to, say, Peter Nicholls than Mr Collins, and I defy any fan of quality bass playing to be anything less than stunned by Koopman's performance here. On the album, he is brilliant. On this track especially, he is as close to bass perfection as it is possible to get. Indeed, I would venture to suggest that it is not since the halcyon days of Yes that I have listened to a bass player so dominate and lead the music in a track.
A Million Lives is a slightly longer track, and is, certainly in intent, a similar track to Dark Souls, excepting that it is nowhere near as moody. I think perhaps that the band have listened to Asia more than once, because I find its tone, beat, and general expansive sound to be very similar to a track such as Wildest Dreams. Passages mid-way through are also very clearly influenced by Fish era Marillion, in that we have a contemplative, narrative, passage interrupted by a massive explosion of sound to lead us to the end.
The album closes with Occlusion, its longest at over eleven minutes long. This is a track that is epic in intent and execution and contains many changes of both signatures and moods. The initial phase continues the bombastic phase we had previously before, just prior to midway through, the return of the dark keyboard led mood returns. Some of the guitar work, and general dark romantic state, takes me back to Fugazi. The band's underlying symphonic tendencies then take full rein and control, with some wonderful synths creating true bombast. A quieter interlude then leads the track into a more experimental end phase, possibly, to me, a little too much out of character with the rest of the album to be wholly effective.
Although this is, to me, a true "classic" neo prog band and album, I must say that it is never, at any stage, derivative. The influences that the band clearly take their lead from; bands such as Genesis, IQ, Marillion, and more commercial acts such as Asia can be heard in the music throughout. However, Knight Area manage that extremely difficult feat of managing to combine all of those influences and mould them into something special and unique.
This is a fine album, and I believe that the new one is released at the end of this month. It is most definitely on my "to buy" list. In the interim, you could do a lot worse than purchase this gem. Highly recommended for those of you who love the classic symphonic acts, the exceptional acts that burst onto the scene in the mid 1980's, and enjoy some commercial sensibilities in your prog.
HARVEST - UNDERGROUND COMMUNITY.
One of my favourite discoveries of recent years who have been on standby for eight years now.
Released in 2009, this is a nice album available as a free download on the band's website, although I for one will be sending off for a copy of the CD. This is an accomplished and very good debut work.
As a piece of trivia, this band have supported Marillion on Spanish dates, and it is this wonderful band to whom Harvest clearly owe much in loyalty and influences, certainly in their very knowing way of writing and performing catchy and instantly accessible pieces of music. The second track, Beyond The Desert, is one of the best pieces of pop/prog I have heard in quite a long time, and on this, as, indeed, everywhere, lead vocalist Monique Van Der Kolk absolutely shines. Hers is a beautiful voice which adds so much atmosphere and flavour.
There is one cover, and that is of the marvellous Marillion track Waiting To Happen, from Holidays In Eden. This track was a highlight of a relatively ordinary Marillion album for me, and to hear it reinterpreted in a far less "in your face" way by this band is an enjoyable experience. In addition, there is a piano sequence on She Tries lifted straight from that all time classic, Brave, and is no less enjoyable for showing its influence.
All the band perform extremely well. The guitar solo on No Return by Jordi Prats is particularly evocative, lifting a track that sits deep in melancholy.
There is a foray into prog folk territory, with clear knowing nods to post indie sensibilities, on The Story Of Tim Ballas. Indeed, as I mentioned at the top, it really is very hard to classify this album, aside from stating that it is a collection of extremely well written, well performed, emotional, and enjoyable songs. Perhaps my only criticism is that the forays into harder material, such as Mara, are not as effective as much else here. Harvest is, I think, a band who should stick to the tuneful, because it is clearly what they are best at.
One for those who, like me, are a sucker for killer female vocals, this will also strongly appeal to those who don't have to have epics on their prog albums, and to Marillion fans curious to explore a little more the bands associated with them.
This is a band that is one to watch in the future.
TOUCHSTONE - WINTERCOAST
Superb album on which Kim Seviour shines.
Prog meets culture!
Yes, the introduction to this fine LP, Prelude, is voiced by none other than revered English thespian, Jeremy Irons, and a recent interview in Classic Rock Presents Prog explains how they managed this.
Touchstone is one of a new wave of British female fronted prog bands, in this case Kim Seviour, whose vocals are, I'm glad to report, absolutely spot on and a joy to listen to. They had a spot at this year’s Power Voltage festival, and it is to be hoped that they won a few friends and fans, because they deserve it based on this album.
This album could perhaps be described as a mix of traditional classic rock, with pop/rock and prog tendencies. For no better example, listen to the title track itself, which weighs in at over 10 minutes in length, and has some mighty fine guitar, bass, and keyboard riffs interspersed within lighter, proggier moments. I wouldn't, by the way, describe it as overly AOR, just more classic rock.
On that basis, it works very well. Strange Days is a good example of this, with a pulsating guitar riff, and some very good singing by Seviour and Cuttingham. The latter's keyboard work is also very effective throughout.
Highlights of the album are Solace, which relaxes down the heavy riffing for a superb vocal and dreamy song, and allows Paul Morrghen to shine on his own with a very good, melodic, bass line, and the "epic" two parter The Witness, which is probably the proggiest on the album, and features some work very reminiscent of Marillion in their early days. It also features a lovely piano solo.
So, this is an album to enjoy, and is very good at what it does. Not essential by any means, but they will improve vastly with their next release if they could concentrate more on the prog than the riffy rock side.
NURKOSTAM - III OF DREAMERS.
Finnish outfit regrettably not heard of since a DVD released the following year.
The third of the releases by this Finnish outfit to be made available to us reviewers, and the first full CD length release, III Of Dreamers is a 2009 release, and represents a nice leap in progress from its two predecessors.
As with the first two releases, there is so much going on here that to label the band is very difficult. Eclectic is the word which probably comes closest to describing their influences and output.
The opener, Overture (Ulrich), is a fantastic instrumental piece featuring swirling keys, a lovely bassline, and interesting guitar. Most clearly Crimson-esque, reminding me strongly of that band's Wetton era output without ever being wholly derivative. A very nice start.
The Camel Song features a lovely mellow start, with flute, and downbeat lyrics set against a lovely mellow melody. It is the prime evidence of a band who have taken a massive leap forward in terms of song writing and delivery, and I especially love the powerful bass riffs. There are all sorts here - traces of Floyd, Crimson, early symphonic prog, in fact too much to really classify.
Ocean is a very nice ambient track featuring a dreamy guitar lick and simple percussion. Very effective track.
This mood continues with The Dreamer, which pulls off that very difficult task of telling a story without speaking a word. The orchestration, simple piano chords, bass, and effects create a peaceful atmosphere, one in which you can visualise the subject dreaming. Fantastic.
As for Almost Famous, the start reminds me strongly of much Of Anthony Phillips' acoustic output, before the vocals enter and the mellotron begins to cast its spell, whereupon the track takes on a far more ambient, almost folk prog, feel. The vocals let this down a bit, in that the male lead is a little bit too "down" to represent the uplifting feel of the track, and the band would have been better, in my opinion, by allowing the female backing vocalist (I do not know her name) to take a far stronger lead, because she has a lovely, lilting voice far more in place with the soaring music that accompanies the track.
Dike returns us to far darker territory, and the booming bass makes a triumphant return accompanied by a very strong mellotron in parts. Throughout, a whole host of instruments and effects (again, quite Floydian) make their presence known, and on first listen it is all quite overwhelming, and easy to state that it somehow "lacks direction". It is not until you hear it a few times that you really begin to appreciate what is a very good, dark, and accomplished piece of music very well performed.
There is another complete change of mood on Motherside, which hits you like a train coming at full pelt. Very heavy (again, I love the basslines) and very psychedelic, this is not a track which you can say that you will relax to of an evening with a glass of wine, but it is certainly an interesting journey.
Things come to a supreme conclusion on the closer, Anon, which is again a very clear reprise of the band's strong early to mid-Crimson influences, taken together with a satisfying feel for the symphonic. The build-up to the climax is electrifying and extremely well performed. They really have come on leaps and bounds in terms of their performance, because this is a track which has you utterly engrossed. It is the perfect close to this album, because it is, clearly, the whole of the parts of which preceded it.
In my reviews of the first two EPs, I stated that this band showed promise, and that promise is very clearly realised on this album, and I hope, and believe, that they will go from strength to strength. Others have mentioned the "poor" production on this album, but I can state that listening to it in the Flac download format I have makes for pleasant, and good quality, listening.
When you look at the neo prog label the band have been assigned, some of you who associate that with the likes of Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Arena & etc (all of whom I love) might be put off. Don't be. If you like your prog eclectic, spacey, and, in parts, downright unpredictable, then you really should give this album a fair punt. Certainly, fans of Crimson, earlier Floyd, ambient prog, and music that is more than initially presents itself will enjoy this album.
This is an excellent album which I will return to over the years to come. I have a feeling that this band will become a whole lot better known in the prog community over the next few years, and I wish them well. I would also acknowledge my gratitude to them for making their music available to me to review.