Record Reviews
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  | ANDERSON PONTY BAND ~ BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
EAR MUSIC 4029759106517 (Barcode: 4029759106517) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2014 - 2015 Released: 2015
This is the only album by the rather strange hybrid band featuring Progressive Rock vocalist Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist (of YesFind albums by this artist fame) and French violin virtuoso and Fusion superstar Jean-Luc PontyFind albums by this artist. The album was basically recorded live during the band’s debut concert in the US, with the guitar parts overdubbed later in the studio. Additional musicians include guitarist Jamie GlaserFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Wally MinkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Baron BrowneFind albums by this artist and drummer Rayford GriffinFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen tracks, which include original Yes songs in new arrangements, as wells as music composed by Ponty with new lyrics added by Anderson.
The band toured for a couple of years in North America and was favorably received at the time, but in retrospect the music did not age well as far as my ears are concerned. Although Anderson is certainly a great vocalist and Ponty a superb violinist, the music was on the extreme easy side of both Prog and Fusion and is today quite forgettable.
Overall, although headed by two music veterans of considerable talent, the resulting music is sort of “not here and not there”, as the saying goes, and leaves few memorable moments. Of course these are excellent musicians and the album has its moments, and both Anderson and Ponty die-hard fans would definitely keep this album in their collections.
| | Updated: 20/04/2024Posted: 20/04/2024 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | JON ANDERSON ~ ANIMATION (EXPANDED EDITION)
OPIO 01 (Barcode: 604388679423) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1982 Released: 2006
3rd album by the legendary YesFind albums by this artist founding member and singer Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist. Anderson recorded over the years extensively as solo artists in parallel to his work with Yes, accumulating an impressive musical legacy. This album is considered to be his strongest and most consistent release. Recorded by a stellar cast of over 30 musicians, including Clem ClempsonFind albums by this artist (ColosseumFind albums by this artist), Simon PhillipsFind albums by this artist, David SanciousFind albums by this artist, Jack BruceFind albums by this artist and many others, with brass and string sections and arrangements, this is one impressive piece of music. As usual in Anderson’s case this is a concept album, based on a story written by him. The convoluted lyrics are as unclear and mystical as ever, to the delight of his fans and a source of mockery by his critics. Whatever one might think about Anderson’s literary talents, the music – composed entirely by him - is excellent, with strong fusion (and even some jazz) undertones, played brilliantly all the way. The new expanded edition adds bonus material recorded at the same session, including the almost 12 minutes long epic track called “The Spell”. An absolute must to all Yes fans and a very strong Prog album overall. Recommended.
| | | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | DRUID ~ TOWARD THE SUN / FLUID DRUID
BGO 285 (Barcode: 5017261202857) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 1995
1st and 2nd albums by British Prog band DruidFind albums by this artist, a short-lived but excellent quartet, which included vocalist / guitarist Dane StevensFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Andrew McCrorie-ShandFind albums by this artist, bassist Neil BrewerFind albums by this artist and drummer Cedric SharpleyFind albums by this artist. The played classic Symphonic Prog, mostly composed by the guitarist and the bassist, which included lengthy instrumental passages and well structured songs, with Stevens´ falsetto vocals perfectly suiting the gig, a close similarity to Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist´s work with early YesFind albums by this artist, less the theatrics. The band and both these albums are as good as anything produced by all the other UK Prog bands, but unfortunately they simply missed the train with Punk exploding just at the time when they were starting their career, with British Prog being decimated in the process. The band folded shortly after recording the second and last album, and their recorded legacy remained mostly forgotten, to be re-discovered a couple decades later by the new generation of Prog fans. In retrospect these two albums are superb examples of the first classic wave of British Prog and remain a most satisfying listening experience, surely deserving wider recognition. Sometimes I wonder if the fact that bands like Yes, who decided to schlep on against all odds, was a wise move musically. Here is an example of a band which knew when to quit, leaving behind them a spotless legacy. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | | CD 2 Recommend To A Friend |
  | FELLOWSHIP (FEATURING JON ANDERSON) ~ IN ELVEN LANDS
VOICEPRINT 378 ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock
This very interesting musical project took seven years to complete (1998-2005), but it was definitely worth waiting for. The Fellowship is an international group of musicians, who undertook a very challenging task of creating music based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Their approach is completely different from many other musicians, who created music inspired by Tolkien’s works (like Bo Hansson a.m.o.) – they conducted a thorough research of both Tolkien’s many writings of prose and poetry and also early European literature from the Middle Ages (13th & 14th century), all this to create the “authentic” music of the legendary “Middle Earth”. Of course the authenticity is a matter of opinion, as Tolkien himself did compose any music to accompany his writings, but as far as your humble servant here is concerned this sounds pretty “authentic” to me. The music is similar to early European Mediaeval music, with a touch of modernism, performed entirely on acoustic instruments (some ancient). The vocals (mostly by Yes front man Anderson) suit this music perfectly, and honestly to me this is better than are many other of his other projects. People who like early music fill have a feast with this album, but Yes fans and folkies should not stay far behind. I loved it!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | PATRICK MORAZ ~ TIMECODE
TIME WAVE 007 (Barcode: 604388670123) ~ SWITZERLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1984 Released: 2006
5th album by Partick MorazFind albums by this artist, heavily influenced by then contemporary New Wave pop. It is the only Moraz album consisting almost completely of songs (i.e. with lyrics) rather than his mostly instrumental pieces on his earlier (and later) albums and therefore considered his most pop oriented release. Of course it much depends on one’s definition of pop, since his compositions are definitely more complex than your average pop song. In addition to John McBurnieFind albums by this artist who handles most of the vocal parts (sounding very much like Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist BTW), several guest vocalist take part as well. Bill BrufordFind albums by this artist guests on one track on electronic drums (Bill and Patrick recorded two excellent jazz oriented albums as a duo around that time). Patrick’s keyboards wizardry is omnipresent here and not to be ignored or dismissed. For his many fans this album is a nice trip down the memory lane.
| | | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | CHRIS SQUIRE ~ FISH OUT OF WATER (DELUXE EDITION)
CASTLE 1545 (Barcode: 5050749415455) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2007
1st and only album by YesFind albums by this artist bassist and founding member Chris SquireFind albums by this artist, recorded at a time when all Yes members took a break from group activity and recorded solo projects. This is a very ambitious undertaking, involving a large orchestra and a group of musicians playing music composed by Squire. The band members include Bill BrufordFind albums by this artist on drums, Patrick MorazFind albums by this artist on keyboards (both from Yes), Mel CollinsFind albums by this artist on saxophone (King CrimsonFind albums by this artist), Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist on flute and a few others. Squire plays bass and sings lead vocals (his voice sounding remarkably similar to Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist). The result is a classic Prog album, perhaps one of the last Prog classics of the Golden Decade and certainly more interesting than anything Yes as a group were doing at the time. The compositions are concise, but nicely developed, and there is none of the extravagant (and often pompous) typical Yes prolongation and repetition. All the players do a splendid job and Squire’s bass, often in the lead, is powerful and impressive. This new edition adds a bonus DVD, which includes two video clips filmed as promos for the album and a recent (2006) interview with Squire talking about the album. This is a must for all Yes fans and probably most Prog fans all over the world.
| | | CD+DVD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WOBBLER ~ RITES AT DAWN
KARISMA 210 (Barcode: 7090008312109) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2009 - 2011 Released: 2021
This is a reissue of the third album by Norwegian Prog group WobblerFind albums by this artist. Following the two first albums, which were recorded by a quartet lineup, which included guitarist Morten Andreas EriksenFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist, bassist Kristian Karl HultgrenFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist, the lineup was expanded to include vocalist Andreas Wettergreen Stromman PrestmoFind albums by this artist, who became the group’s lyricist (In English). The album presents seven original compositions, including two lasting over ten minutes, all written by the group members, five of which include lyrics and two short instrumentals open and close the album.
Wobbler, like many other Norwegian Prog groups, explore the original sound Prog, which developed in the early 1970s, and often sound remarkably similar to Prog forefathers, completely skipping the dreaded Neo-Prog doodling. Prestmo, who’s vocal range is somewhat similar to Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist’s alto tenor, creates obvious associations, but does not go beyond into mimicking his style.
The music is remarkably melodic, with the intrinsic Nordic melancholy well incorporated, but more energetic and harder sounding elements are also present, creating a fascinating continuity and remarkable coherence, which make this album a delightful sonic experience. For experienced Prog listeners, especially those well versed in the original Prog period, this album certainly rises fond memories and a worm familiarity.
Prog, or rather the core of Symphonic Prog, to which this music belongs, it an intrinsically limited genre, and as such operates mostly within pre-destined limits, which allow little flexibility. Wobbles certainly manage to stretch the limits of the genre to the max, and their superb melodic and harmonic capabilities are certainly outstanding.
Overall, this album and its two predecessors (“HinterlandFind albums with this title” and “AfterglowFind albums with this title”), all recently reissued, are a superb Prog triumvirate, which can be warmly recommended to all lovers of the genre. They proudly represent the Norwegian Prog scene, which is certainly alive and kicking, in parallel to the other Scandinavian Prog scenes. Great to have this available again!
| | Updated: 30/03/2022Posted: 23/03/2022 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | YES ~ PROGENY: SEVEN SHOWS FROM SEVENTY-TWO
RHINO 081227956417 (Barcode: 081227956417) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2015
This monstrous Box Set comprises of seven 2CD sets, which present seven concerts recorded between October 31, 1972 and November 20, 1972 during the North American YesFind albums by this artist tour promoting "Close To The EdgeFind albums with this title", their fifth album. The band at the time comprised of vocalist Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve HoweFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris SquireFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Rick WakemanFind albums by this artist and the new drummer Alan WhiteFind albums by this artist. These concerts had an almost identical set list, which is of course reflected herein. Some of these recordings were already used in the past to compile the "YessongsFind albums on this label" live album released in 1973 but most are previously unreleased.
By the time Yes recorded "Close To The Edge", there was absolutely nothing left of the initial spark of genius that was reflected by their first two albums. They were deeply into overblown and self-centered world, which had almost completely lost touch with reality. Anderson´s "mystical" lyrics were dangerously close to gibberish and his hysteric vocal extravaganzas reflected a state of blurred consciousness. Wakeman´s endless keyboard doodling was pompous and arduous, and the rest of the gang just schlepped along. Yes, things could be a lot worse and indeed they would soon be much worse with the release of the forthcoming albums, but it was already truly "close to the edge".
Sarcastically, Yes were crowned as Kings of the Progressive Rock, whereas in fact their music completely stopped to progress (i.e. develop) from their third album on. It simply spiraled deeper and deeper into narcissism and arrogance, producing worthless Rococo trinkets hanging in the air. The melodies became simplistic, the endless instrumental passages became intolerably boring and a chill of emptiness took over. Oddly and completely beyond any reasonable explanation the Yes bandwagon keeps rolling to this very day, with this Box Set being a pinnacle of the theatre of absurd.
The sheer audacity of releasing this Box Set is of epic proportions, and reflects the complete detachment between Yes and the real world. Even if God Almighty himself had have called upon Moses to come up the mountain to receive the ten commandments seven times in a row, that would have been considered way overboard. But apparently releasing a box of seven almost identical concerts played within twenty days of each other is fine with some people.
Every live music performance is unique, true. But some are more unique than others. Box sets that present a series of live recordings captured in the span of a relatively short time and include repetitions of the same material do exist, but they all are completely justified, as opposed to this Box Set.
"The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard RecordingsFind albums with this title" is a four CDs Box Set by John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, presenting concerts played during four days and includes many repeated tunes. It is a singular most important collection of music ever produced on this planet. But Coltrane was God.
"The Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel 1965Find albums on this label" is an eight CDs Box Set by the legendary Miles DavisFind albums by this artist second quintet, presenting music played just in two days. Of course there is repetition, but it is pure genius. And of course Miles thought he was God.
"Performance Rockin` The Fillmore: The Complete RecordingsFind albums on this label" is a four CDs Box Set by British Rock Supergroup Humble PieFind albums by this artist, presenting four identical sets played in two days (i.e. each song is repeated four times, with just one exception), but they are miles apart from each other. It epitomizes Rock at its absolute peak, which is purely Devilish.
I could of course go on and on listing Box Sets, which present extensive live recordings from every possible genre, which are all perfectly justifiable, make perfect sense and include fabulous music.
Sadly nothing similar can be said about this Box Set. It symbolizes pure vanity and complete disregard towards the fans of the band, which are repeatedly requested to pay for the same material again and again, honestly offering nothing in return. The sound quality is of course still very much Lo-Fi, in spite of the great efforts made to improve it. Even the Roger Dean graphics, which I usually adore, look pale and weathered. This is cynical BS and if anybody tells you otherwise, you are being bullshited.
| | Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 28/12/2015 | CD 14 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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