Christmas Tunes

As with most businesses this time of year, restaurants usually switch to all Christmas music for the season. This means that year after year, I have been subjected to incessant carols while I am at work. By this point, I can’t stand most of it anymore. However, there are a few that I still really enjoy.

As you might imagine, my picks are not exactly traditional. You may also notice a theme that I find appealing. Anyway, here my top ones. Enjoy!

Click on the pictures for the songs.

Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate), and please take some time to consider what the spirit of the holiday is really supposed to mean.

Electric Light Orchestra: A New World Record

A New World Record: 1976

ELO is an odd item around the house of prog. Sometimes praised, and sometimes bashed. They started out squarely in prog’s realm, but gradually turned to a more pop sound. That doesn’t mean they abandoned it entirely. “A New World Record” combines the best of both worlds. The songs are catchy, but infused with orchestral elements.

Right from the beginning, “Tightrope” gives us strings, and an operatic chorale. It then turns into a bouncy little number, while retaining the string sounds, and some good ol’ rock guitar. It ends with the same tone as the opening.

“Telephone Line” is a nice ballad, with some proggy instrumentation, but otherwise straightforward. It also contains a groovy little doo-wop.

“Rockaria” is a ’50s style rocker, with vocal interludes by a melancholy diva (yes it is one of the band members, but at least it is not the made-up pop kind).

“So Fine” is a great pop track, that has a cool jungle influenced interlude. Thus retaining some prog cred. It segues nicely into the violin intro for the next song.

“Livin’ Thing” is another quality pop track, but there are those interludes again. The gypsy violin gives it a bit of panache. Not just your average Top 40 here.

“Do Ya’” is a staigt ahead rocker, with fuzzy guitar. But wait, maybe not so predictable. The strings again come in with an understated wavy effect. Then a little military drum roll just for good measure.

Those are the highlights. A couple of the slower tracks are not as impressive, but stand up nonetheless.

This was a favorite of mine back in the ’70s, and I still love to hear it. It may not be full on prog, but it makes a great intro for the timid, or less knowledgeable initiate. No matter how you want break it down, it’s a darn good album. ELO was never so focused. It’s also a lot of fun.

Bev Bevan – drums, percussion and backing vocals
Melvyn Gale – cello
Kelly Groucutt – bass and vocals
Mik Kaminski – violin
Jeff Lynne – guitar and vocals
Hugh Mc Dowell – cello
Richard Tandy – piano, moog and guitar
Louis Clark – string arrangements

Pink Floyd: Obscured by Clouds

Obscured by Clouds: 1972

This is a hard one to pin down. It was made as a soundtrack, but is very close to a studio concept. It always leaves me a bit baffled. There are no truly bad songs here, but a few make me wonder if Floyd actually wrote them. Namely “The Gold It’s in the…,” “Wot’s… Uh the Deal,” and “Stay.”

It seems to be going along quite well until track number four. My head always pops up, with a look of confusion. I actually like “Free Four.” I am a fan of a fun palette cleanser thrown into the mix (that means I also enjoy “San Tropez” and “Seamus”). “Absolutely Curtains” doesn’t really consist of much, and gets downright annoying in the end.

The rest of the tracks are quality Pink. Perhaps not at the same level of the albums creating its bookends, but still good. It is an album worth listening to, and even owning. However, I would not call it necessary.

David Gilmour – guitars, vocals
Nick Mason – drums
Roger Waters – bass, vocals
Richard Wright – keyboards

Grace

Grace was formed by a group of art students in the late ’70s, and they toured the North Staffordshire area. The stage show was dominated by lead singer Mac Austin, and flautist / sax player Harry Davies, both vying for the front man position. They started out as sort of more pop version of Jethro Tull. In 1977, they released their first single, “Old Stories,” on an independent label. Grace signed with MCA in 1979, and released the single, “The Fire of London.” This also led to the recording of their self-titled debut album. Appearing on the album were vocalist Mac Austin, flautist and sax player Harry Davies, guitarist David Edge, guitarist Alan Whiting, percussionist Phil Brown, guitarist Marshall Bereford, bass player Dave Rushton, and keyboardist Roger Jackson. The band released another single in 1980, and then a live album followed in 1981.

It would seem that Grace was on the verge of great success, but it was not to be. Prog was on the outs at this time, and the band dynamic was not exactly stable. So, they broke up, and the band members went off to other projects. Mac and Harry stayed together, and formed White Door, with Harry’s brother John on keyboards.

In 1988, back in Staffordshire, Mac Austin and Dave Rushton just happened to run into each other. As you would expect, talk of a reunion ensued. The band ended up playing three reunion shows during that Christmas season. This led to more reunion shows, and of course new music. In 1992, original members Mac, Harry, Dave Edge, and Dave Rushton, brought John Davies and percussionist Tony Hall into the studio, and recorded “The Poet, The Piper and the Fool.” The second, and more prolific, phase of Grace had begun. The old prog influences were still there, but the band’s sound had now been transformed. It is obvious that they were being influenced more by Marillion than Jethro Tull.

Harry’s brother John would not return for 1994’s “Pulling Strings and Shiny Things.” Mark Price became the new keyboard player. This lineup remained stable for their last studio release, 1996’s “Poppy.” A December 1997 show at The Wheatsheaf at The Kings Hall was recorded, and released as “Gathering in the Wheat.” Ironically, this was also the night they announced that they were breaking up.

Well, as you may have guessed, this is not a band that will go away so easily. They got back together with representatives from the new generation of musicians. Guitarist Adam Rushton, and keyboard player David Markham joined the remaining veterans. Both a youthful 21 years old at the time they entered. No new recordings have emerged at this time, but the band still plays live.

The Ypsitucky Colonels 11/15/09

I just saw the Ypsitucky Colonels for the first time, at the Old Town Tavern in Ann Arbor. My reason for attending was mainly trying to finally run into my old friend Will Stewart. Even though we have lived in the same town for over five years, it has been over a decade since we last saw each other. That is not to say I wasn’t also curious about the music. Will has a solid background, and his tastes are impeccable (by my standards). Happily I can report that my instincts were on the money. Seeing The Ypsitucky Colonels is a great way to spend a night off.

Far too often when a group of guys around my age are in a band, they play mostly covers. And there usually is very little variation in the play list from group to group. Tonight I heard mostly originals, with some quality influences. The Ray Davies and Big Star inspirations were expected, but there was more. I also noticed Jerry Garcia, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, and maybe even Little River Band. The band’s own description describes the sound very well. It is stated as “Pub Rock and Power Pop meeting Country Rock out in the Garage.” As confusing as this may seem, it really isn’t. Listen to one song and not only will you understand but the comfort zone will be established as well.

The guys are all talented musicians, and Will’s vocals have a lot of character. The only downside I saw was in the setup. They really need another microphone for the back up vocals. This could have been due to the venue as well. It was pretty packed, and there wasn’t much of a stage area. The Old Town might also do well to examine the quality of service. The place was full, and only had one server. I can understand being understaffed, but she ignored me for 90% of the time, and slammed the soda bottle (warm by the way) on the table without looking at me when I was served.

Technical issues aside, this is a very enjoyable act. They perform fun music with depth. That’s a win-win for any crowd. I highly encourage you to go check them out.

I’ll do something more in-depth when I’ve gotten to know the band better.

Sinkadus

The name of this Gothenburg band can be interpreted in two ways. One definition is to box a person’s ears, as if to say pay attention. The other comes from a Swedish variation of Backgammon. When a five and a two is rolled, the player will shout, “sink a dus.” Take from it what you will.

The origin is with Fredrik Karlsson and Robert Sjöback, who began playing in a rock cover band in 1987. Over time, they added more progressive songs to the set list. After the band partially dissolved in 1990, they reformed in 1991 with drummer Rickard Biström and a new singer. With this lineup, they played only progressive covers, and started to compose originals.

Playing two instruments proved to be too taxing for Karlsson, so in 1993 they added flautist Linda Johansson. Finding the right vocalist was also a problem, so the job went to Biström and Johansson. This year saw them working with the Pschedelic Band Roots of Echo, and writing more of their own material. This was also when they changed their name to Sinkadus. Shortly afterward the bass player quit. Instead of finding a new bass player, they found drummer Bo Guting. Biström then changed positions, and took over on bass. In 1995 Cellist Lena Petterson joined, and Bo left. Mats Svensson took over on drums, and Rickard remained on bass.

In 1996 the band recorded a demo tape, solely for the purpose of landing gigs. They also decided to send it to some record labels. This led to them getting signed by Cyclops. Toward the end of the year, the songs were rerecorded. “Aurum Nostrum” was released in early 1997. This led to performing at Progfest ‘97. The show was recorded, and (with the original demos) released as “Live at Progfest.” In essence it provides two alternate versions of “Aurum Nostrum.” They again entered the studio in 1998, and recorded “Cirkus” (released in 1999).

The next few years saw the departure of Linda and Lena. A second guitarist entered, and left. In 2000, an American flautist named Van joined the group. They have been off the radar for a while now, but there has been no official news of a breakup.

The main comparison to other music is Änglagård. Although Sinkadus existed first, their first album came along after “Hybris” and “Epilog.” It is highly likely that Änglagård did have an influence on their sound.

Transatlantic: The Whirlwind

The Whirlwind: 2009

Transatlantic made quite an impression on me when I heard the first two albums. It was love at first spin. Sadly the band had long been kaput by that time. Neal Morse had struck out on his own to do spiritually based music, and had left both his bands behind. I understand his decision to leave Spock’s Beard. They were just on different paths. But Transatlantic was a collaborative side project, so I didn’t see that as something that could never happen again. I figured Neal would do what he had to do, say what he needed to say, and then find room for something that was more secular. Well, I was right.

The first hint came when my buddy Eric Walker ran into Roine Stolt at O’hare airport. Roine told him that he was working on a project in the U.S., but was very guarded about the details. Eric was actually returning from a Montreal Marillion convention in April 2009 (yeah, talk about right place at the right time). Through investigation he also discovered that Pete Trewavas was not traveling with the rest of the band after the weekend, and was heading to Nashville (where Neal Morse is based). For people like us, that was a gigantic scoop. It may not have been official, but we knew.

For all the naysayers that said we were dreaming, vindication came with the release of  “The Whirlwind” in October of 2009. As a matter of fact, it became known that the guys had convened in April to begin work on the project. Nice job Eric (or should I say Inspector Walker).

“The Whirlwind” is an epic to rival all epics. Transatlantic had done extremely long tracks before, but this album consists solely of one piece. It is broken up into movements, but the whole is one conceptual composition. The sound is still familiar, and doesn’t stray too far from the comfort zone of their previous work. However, they do broaden the scope. Anyone who has heard Transatlantic knows that there is no subtlety in showing its influences. Beatles and Genesis inspired riffs, among others, are par for the course. But they show even more this time. I was especially surprised to hear Zappa and Jan Hammer moments. Other than that, there are no really big surprises. The band does what it does very well. The time apart also seems to have been beneficial, as they are doing what they do even better now.

I have seen much criticism concerning the length of Transatlantic (or just about anything Neal Morse is involved with) compositions. The accusation is that they just try to fill all available space on a CD, striving for quantity instead of quality. I disagree. I am hard pressed to find anything that sounds like filler. Each time I have played it from beginning to end, and never got bored. Neither are any of the movements skipped.

I could try to break down “The Whirlwind, but there is no way I could do it justice. I like the traditional structure with an overture, and a reprise at the end. There are definitely ups and downs, and virtuosic musicianship. Let’s face it these guys are four of the best in the business. There are some absolutely striking moments. One of my favorites is “Lay Down Your Life.” It comes purely from hard rockin’ Beatles land. There are also some very nice, and unexpected jazz keyboard moments. On the downside, the melodies really are far too familiar. It’s high time Neal Morse got out of his compositional comfort zone. But, that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The music is hook heavy, and always captivating. They also do a very good job with bombast this time out. There are parts that almost make me forget I am not listening to a studio orchestra. In essence, “The Whirlwind” is a symphony. It could be the purest example of this in strictly rock form I have ever heard.

I bought the special edition, which includes a bonus disc. Neal Morse has been doing this for years now, but unlike other artists who provide additional discs, it is not the usual alternate takes and demos. There are four tracks that weren’t part of “The Whirlwind,” and of course the covers.

The two Roine Stolt tracks are likeable, but nothing to really rave about. I’ve never been much of a fan of Stolt as a composer, but with the other guys along he provides songs I will listen to on a regular basis. “For such a Time” sounds like standard Neal Morse, even if Pete Trewavas is credited. “Lending a Hand” is the one that stands out for me. Trewavas has come up with a cool psychedelic a la Beatles tune. It is really endearing, and quite different from Marillion.

The covers are real reason to have the second disc. They go back to the Procol Harum catalogue with “A Salty Dog.’ Apparently Mike Portnoy’s Dad was a big fan of this one. America’s “I need You” is right out of the blue. I never would have expected to see this done by a prog group. I actually forgot how good a tune it is. Blending it with The Beatles’ “I Need You” is a bit gimmicky, but it’s fun. Genesis’ “The Return of the Giant Hogweed” and Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” are what make it worth the extra money. They stay pretty true to the originals, but crank up the intensity as high as it can go. Portnoy practically outdoes Phil Collins on “Hogweed”, and has an amazing solo on Soul Sacrifice. Trewavas’ bass is just jelly on this one as well. They all get a chance to shine, but those two just blow it out. It ends with a little vaudevillian ukulele namesake tune tagged on the end of “Soul Sacrifice”

At the time when I first heard of Transatlantic Spock’s Beard was new to my ears, I had given up on any post Fish Marillion, and didn’t know any Dream Theater or Flower Kings. Now I am very familiar with the base bands of all these musicians, and it still strikes me that they all seem most at home with this collaboration. This is even more true eight years after their last album. There may not have been a lot of compositional growth, but more Transatlantic is still a good thing. I love this band, and I love this album (I knew I would). If you are a fan of any of these guys, and especially Neal Morse, go get it. You won’t be sorry.

Neal Morse – keyboards, acoustic guitars, percussion & vocals

Mike Portnoy – drums & vocals

Roine Stolt – electric guitars, vocals, percussion, additional mellotron, minimoog & sounscapes

Pete Trewavas – bass, vocals, occasional VST synth & orchestration

Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway: 1974

Much like Yes’ “Tales from Topographic Oceans,”  “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” stirs up a certain amount of controversy. It is a big, grandiose concept album, that some will say is pretentious and too long. Honestly, I don’t think anyone could approach progressive rock in the 70s without a certain amount of pretense. These musicians were trying to be the Mozarts and Beethovens of rock. So that also means that lengthy works would be inherent to the genre. For my taste, they got it just right (admittedly, I did have quite a few double vinyls in my collection). I have listened to “The Lamb” from start to finish every time since I first heard it, and consider Peter Gabriel’s final outing with Genesis a masterwork.

As I alluded to before, this was the last Genesis album with Peter Gabriel, and he was the main force behind it. The story was his, as well as the lion’s share of the lyrics. Mike, Tony, and Phil were definitely involved with the composing, but unfortunately Steve’s input was limited. He was suffering from a hand injury, but did recover in time to play all his parts on the album. Interestingly, Brian Eno is also credited under ‘Enossification’ for some of the keyboard effects.

The tale is about a tough street kid from New York named Rael, who gets transported to an alternate sci-fi / fantasy reality. Accompanied by his brother (or is he?), Rael encounters mythical creatures and other odd beings. In the end, all of the trials end up composing a journey of self-discovery and redemption. It may not be exactly easy to follow, even with the liner notes, but I have come across others that are far more difficult to discern (see “Imaginos”).

In this period, Genesis was on the forefront of the melodic, symphonic style. However, unlike similar works by Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer, “The Lamb” is not comprised of a few large movements. It is more a series of songs strung together with a purpose, much like they did on “Supper’s Ready.” Another unique factor was how hard they rocked. Don’t misunderstand, the entirety is structured into symphonic movements, but songs like “In the Cage” and “Back in N.Y.C.” have some serious huevos. Like any symphony the mood does not stay the same. “The Carpet Crawlers” and “Cuckoo Cocoon” are beautiful soft interludes, and “Anyway” basically is classical music with vocals.

As with all “golden age” Genesis, the musicianship is superb, and the lyrical wordplay is extremely clever. The cultural references in “Fly on a Windshield” are intricately woven together, and “Counting out Time” is a hilarious account of a first sexual experience. The only problem with the latter is that it doesn’t really fit into the story line. As unlikely as it may seem, even the combination of the New York experience and the fantasy word works well.

At first, this album may come off as a bit much to the casual listener, but I think there is something for everybody here. As grandiose, complex, or ‘high-brow’ appearances may be, it is always accessible. Even something as out there, and downright weird, as “The Waiting Room” is an appealing curiosity. This is also a rare case where the songs still work when taken out of context. When I was a teenager, WLAV in Grand Rapids used to play “In the Cage” and the title track all the time. I even heard “Carpet Crawlers” piped into a restaurant not too long ago.

The band mounted a huge tour to support the album. Not only did Peter create his usual costumes, he even cut his hair short for the Rael character. Because of the compelling story and visual possibilities, there were even plans for a movie version. Gabriel’s departure made this more difficult, so it never came to pass. We are left with an epic musical masterpiece, and Peter Gabriel’s farewell.

I instantly fell in love with this album, and it soon became my second favorite of the Gabriel era (nothing tops “Foxtrot”). I don’t think they ever composed or played as tightly on anything else. Even if it wasn’t as much of a group effort, the quality is not diminished. To those that know it, it is as much of a classic as “Dark Side of the Moon,” or “Quadrophenia.”

Michael Rutherford – bass, twelve string guitar
Phil Collins –  percussion, vibing and voicing
Tony Banks – keyboards
Steve Hackett – guitars
Peter Gabriel – voices and flute

First+Aid: Nostradamus

Nostradamus:1977

I don’t know if it was planned, or if it is just a coincidence, but “Nostradamus” has the appearance of being a big farewell to grandiose ’70s prog. Being that it was released in 1977 (the golden age of punk), and it is First+Aid’s only release, leads me to believe this. The classic prog bands were already adjusting their sounds by this time. However, this one album band decided to record a pompous, ultra-pretentious, symphonic, concept album. I think it was their way of giving one last bombastic blast.

As you may have already guessed, the concept is based on Nostradamus, and his prophecies. In the middle, it shifts to a bit about Catherine de Medici. Sometimes it works quite well, at other times it is downright cheesy. The lyrics in the title track are especially trite. The compositions, however, are very strong. The instrumentation is also worked out very well with a blend of straight rock, and a studio orchestra. The vocalist has a strong voice, but I wonder if this might have worked better as a strictly instrumental affair. With the absence of the lyrics, it might have been a very powerful musical interpretation.

There is keyboard straight out of the Keith Emerson playbook, guitar grooves, and lush strings. Oh, and the pomposity, I can’t forget the pomposity. It would be easy to immediately write this one off as a result of listening to “Tales from Topographic Oceans,” and “Brain Salad Surgery” one too many times, if it weren’t for the fact that it is good music. Forget the concept, and listen. There is much to enjoy here.

Alan Wormald – guitar & vocals
Norrie Tennet – bass
Keith Parkison – keyboards
Dave Freeman - drums

Izz

I originally wrote a bio for Izz on Prog Archives, but I was never very happy with it. I thought I’d try again because this band deserves it.

Izz, from New York, originates with the Galgano brothers. Tom (keyboards, vocals) and John (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals) grew up listening to music together, so it was a natural step for them to join forces as musicians. John met Greg DiMiceli (drums and percussion) in college, and thus started a domino effect of introductions. Greg begat Brian Coralian (drums and Percussion) and Paul Bremner (lead guitar), and Paul begat Phil Gaita (bass). As musicians do, they all jammed together and eventually Izz was formed (the name taken from one of John’s favorite Mets players). However, Paul was in another band, so he was not yet an official member.

In 1998 “Sliver of a Sun” was released. For the debut, John handled lead guitar, and Phil was on bass. While putting the finishing touches on the album, Tom met Laura Meade and Anmarie Byrnes. The ladies did not join the club right away, but their vocal and compositional talents would come to have a profound impact on the Izz sound later on.

2002’s “I move” saw Phil’s departure, and the permanent addition of Paul Bremner. This also meant that John was now on Bass duty. The core of the band was now set with a strong lead guitariist, and the unusual aspect of dual drummers.

In 2004 the band released a collection of previously unused material called “Ampesand Vol. 1.” It consisted of outtakes from the first two albums, and some live tracks. It was a decent curiosity, but real excitement was brewing with the following release.

The release of “My River Flows” in 2005 really started to turn some heads. The band was very good before, but the addition of Laura and Anmarie, and the growth of the group itself drove them to create their most accomplished work to date. Enthusiasm for Izz grew as the album got more exposure. The live shows were also met with high praise. This culminated with their appearance at NEARfest 2007. I was in attendance that day, and the most common comment was, “Man, I hope they recorded that!” Thankfully they did, and the performance was released simply as “Live at Nearfest.”

Izz is frequently seen on the Progressive Rock festival circuit. They are influenced by the usual classics (Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, The Beatles, etc.), and also modern bands, like Radiohead. There are even those that see a certain pop element in the music, mostly due to Tom Galgano and Laura Meade’s vocals. They seem to have no exceptions when it comes to incorporating styles. It is not unusual to hear Rock, Jazz, Latin, and Funk. This gives them a unique crossover appeal. Kudos are also in order for their contribution to “After the Storm,” a hurricane Katrina relief album.

Once considered neo-prog, further exposure suggested there was something else going on. Some clues might have been the complexity of composition, dual drummers, and full voiced female backing singers (sometimes also taking lead, and would have no problem fronting the band individually). This is what let to the label of modern symphonic. Each album has been released with ever-rising praise.

Izz is currently finishing up work on a new studio album. “The Darkened Room” is set for release in the fall of 2009. So, being that I am writing this in October of 2009, that means very soon.