It's The End Of The Year As We Know It

Yes, my dear reader(s), two posts in one day. I couldn't very well make the first one any longer than it was, now could I? Well, I could, but I wouldn't.

2009 is over and yet for me, it still feels like it's January 2009. I had such grand plans of keeping up with all the wonderful (hopefully wonderful) new releases from our favorite artists or labels. But life happened and pulled me away from the reviewing I so wanted to do. And yes, that's the story for the last few years.

But, I have been listening to CDs and so... here are some initial thoughts. Some may or may not have already been expressed in Blog 1... I'm not lookin' back at it.

EchoUs - The Tide Decides: my first thought when listening to this not very loud at work was of Genesis. Listening more, I'm not sure what I was thinking. If you were to take some slightly abstract electronic music and add vocals, then you'd have some idea of this release. Now admittedly, I still haven't listened to it loudly (my promo copy is a CDR that got trapped in my car CD player; I do my best listening on my drive into work as it's my "me time") so there may be much more to it than that.

Frost* - Experiments In Mass Appeal. Well, some parts do have elements of mass appeal... memorable choruses being foremost. Now... experimental it's not. It's quite dramatic at times, esp. the the opening, title track. I've not decided fully yet whether this has grabbed me as much as their debut.

Dominici - 03 A Trilogy Part 3. This former vocalist of Dream Theater, from before they were even a fraction of the mega stars they are now, has created a CD that... while good, also seems to me to be... routine. It's progressive metal. The track that stands out is the balladic "So Help Me God." The setting for this 3-album concept work, as I understand it to be, is rather dystopic. But dystopias and the end of the world scenarios play well (aren't there like 3 movies coming out in January with that as a theme?).

Demians - Building An Empire. This is a sometimes intense, dramatic CD. The style is progressive rock, not metal. I like this quite a bit, actually. But my full review will reveal more as to why. But it's appealing without being commercial.

Not all of these are 2009 releases, I know. Echo Us is; came out in July... the others... well, I've sneaking suspicion I've been listening to them for the last year, given their 2008 release date... as 2009 was the year I would catch up on 2008 and keep up with 2009. I didn't make a New Year's Resolution to that, but I did say that to Hansi Cross of Progress Records. I actually think I've said something along those lines to him each of the last 2 or 3 years.

Well, 2010 is the year to do it. If you've sent a CD for review, I will review it. Well, if you send me hip-hop, country, boy-band pop, or teen-pop, no. I won't review it. But thanks for the coaster. Prog rock, metal, avant-guard, electronic (as in Tangerine Dream, not House), yes. It may take a while, but I'm not the one to listen to something once and write a review.

2010 is also our 13th anniversary - well, come April 2010. So, I'm quite pleased by that. Not sure if we'll have any hoopla for it as we did... sorta... for our 10th, but we'll see. I've some ideas I'm mulling over.

In a brief look back at the decade, I want to note that back in 2000 is when this site (the main site) really took off, when I was joined by John "Bobo" Bollenberg and Larry "LarryD" Daglieri in crafting the content of this site; others soon joined us for the ride -- in no particular order: Clayton Walnum, Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, Marcel Haster, Marcelo Silveyra, Richard Zywotkiewicz, Tom Karr, Joshua "Prawg Dawg" Turner, David Cisco, along with occassional contributions from John Morley, John Stout, Tony Emmerson, Tonny Larsen, among others. 2000 is also when my tenure at Progression Magazine began, with an article (iirc) on Napster, which was then a novelty and the subject of much controversy. Nowadays, of course, there dozens of places to download legally (or illegally, sadly - just say NO to the illegal download!!). My run at the mag ended in 2008, but it gave me chance to share some thoughts with a wider audience.

Hmm... what else about the last 10 years? (Yes, there are the obvious big milestones that you will see replayed endlessly on CNN, etc.). Oh, I know we've lost many a prog musician in those 10 years... I'm sure a list is out there, I can think of Pip Pyle, Pim Koopman, Paul Young (of Mike and the Mechanics), Shaun Geurin, Hugh Hopper ... oh, so many others. And, we have to add to that list, I see, Eric Woolfson (Alan Parsons Project) who passed away on December 3.

Here is the posting at Rolling Stone: "Eric Woolfson, the co-founder of the British prog rock band the Alan Parsons Project, died of cancer this week [December 3] in London at the age of 64, THR [The Hollywood Reporter] writes. Woolfson had a role in the band’s biggest songs, "Don’t Answer Me" and "Eye In The Sky,” a track which received even greater exposure as the intro music for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era." [I've posted a fuller news item at the main site here].

On that grim note, I would like to lighten the mood by wishing you (everyone... anyone?) a Happy New Year.

Don't Look Back (And Yet I Have To)

Well... this whole blog thing didn't get off to a fast start did it? 5 months go by and nothing beyond that first post. Things have been busy at ProgressiveWorld.net, mostly behind the scenes.

I have had a draft of the second post prepped for... weeks... months now. But not polished and ready for the world to read. As we look at 2009 stretched out behind us, and see 2010 looming in our headlights (the pain in our eyeballs... sorry... that lyric just popped into my head)... here are some thoughts I had since that first post....

While I was on my way to work this morning [that was July 31, 2009], listening to the radio, a song came on that prompted a stream of thoughts. The song in question was "How Soon Is Now" by The Smiths. Now, back in their heyday, they were a mere blip on my radar. I'd heard of them and my sister was a fan, especially of Morrissey. I was a rocker – more or less: Kansas, Eagles, Billy Joel, Journey, etc. I hadn't heard anything by the band and really knew nothing about them. I do recall a comment by Marillion's Steve Hogarth some years ago, that England hadn't gotten over The Smiths.

Anyway, returning to the present – or the near present as this really covers the past few months - "How Soon..." has been turning up in the rotation frequently. What I like about this track is the keening guitar and the whole sense of drama that it has, that the slightly industrial percussion and keyboards give it. Morrisey's vocal performance is only so-so, but I guess suitably moody. That is one comment I remember reading at or near the time of their popularity – moody.

All this led to me thinking about other non-prog songs that have caught my ear of late but are in no way new songs. Another is The Jam's "Town Like Malice." Not at all what I expected from The Jam, though maybe this is the aberation. I was expecting something like punk. And then there's Joy Division's [?, I think it was "Love Will Tear Us Apart"], another song that JackFM has been including in their rotation. Like the Jam, Joy Division is another group whose name I knew, but their music I did not. And a few songs by the The Cure. No, not "Love Cats" (though I do love cats); but "Close To Me" … and actually it's this little shimmery keyboard phrase that I like; it's a cheerful, almost laugh-like sound. And I never really thought of The Cure as cheerful ("Lovesong" actually fits more my impression). And while I can dig "Friday I'm In Love" uh, yeh, that squeal from Robert Smith is... well, makes me chuckle everytime... because my cat sometimes yawns that way.

Speaking of just some cool parts of songs that have caught my ear - the effervesance of "Steal My Sunshine." I mean, I'm not fond of the vocals, but that "inside a fizzy soda can" sound is neat. And a keyboard phrase in a track by Andre 3000, "Hey Ya."

Back in high school there was a girl I sorta knew. Wouldn't exactly say friends with, but that we were acquaintances. Well, maybe I only talked to her once, come to think of it because I can only remember one conversation – she told me her uncle (or some male relative) was the set designer on Star Trek. Cool, I remember thinking, being a Star Trek geek. However, I dredge up this anecdote because the other thing I remember was her jacket – she wore it daily. Okay, I don't remember everything because the more I think about it, it was either an old Army jacket or a black parka (or maybe she had two). What I do remember with clarity was it festooned with buttons/pins (or badges in the UK vernacular) for The Jam, Circle Jerks, and probably a dozen others. I wonder what it was about these bands that attracted her then that didn't me, that does for me now?

At least those songs. They could be the aberation as I said. I mean, take Blue Oyster Cult's classic "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." Does it really have the same vibe – production tone and feel – as anything else on Agents Of Fortune? I don't think so. It's like that song was recorded at one time, found to be a bit more … radio friendly (more so than maybe "Vera Gemini") and the rest of the LP built around it. Music used to be done that way, artists recording singles and then an album was what compilations are now. It wasn't until artists started recording a bunch of songs at one time and put together an album, and pulled a single from it. (Yeh, that's simplifying it a bit).

But I digress. So that BOC chestnut always seemed different from the rest of the album to me. But, that isn't such an anomaly since "Burning For You" is the same for the album it's on.

Another anecdote, from around the same time. My high school played the radio at lunch, blaring out across the quad. It was either KMET or KLOS, though I'm thinking more the latter. For some odd reason and for no special reason I recall a particular day walking across the quad, heading for my locker, while "Burning For You" was playing. Not so weird I suppose; I recall a day – though I don't recall the exact date, mind – having a conversation with a friend while Bob and Doug MacKenzie's music hit "Great White North" was playing…

Although my referencing KMET for my LA-area readers will surely date me, for the benefit (detriment) of others, given that KMET went fzzt in 1985 (became KTWV The Wave, about which I also have anecdotes for another time), this would put my high school years as 1981 - 1985. Yeh, I'm either oooold compared to you :-) or still a young pup.

My contention is that there may be music we dislike at one point in our lives, but come to like at another. I've several examples that I'll just… brush on. Classical. It was, eeewww, music my dad listened to. Then in college a prof. played Handel's "Water Music." I was hooked, finding I quite liked Handel and Mozart the most. Icehouse. Didn't care much for them really, a single here and there. But some time went by (some 15 years go now), I relistened to an album of theirs… became a fan. Duran Duran. Oh, Duran Duran. My sister was a big fan – posters festooned to her wall, she'd buy books, pins, whatever was Duran Duran related. Me, I was like "eh". But then Rio snuck up on me. Oh, not the hits, but some of the other tracks that had … in some fringe way a proggy feel. Certainly art rock.

There are other examples; I'll save that for another blog.

So, who knows. Some 20 years after their release, I may find myself a fan of The Smiths, The Jam. I don't think they'll knock my steadfast favourites of the top of the list, but even those favorites aren't necessarily about their latest works and may in fact be some 30 years old.

Incidentally, some of the songs that are getting (way too much) airplay I detest! "Blister In The Sun" by the Violent Femmes is one. There's another song, perhaps by them, too, as the vocalist is the same. It's ... oh, I don't even recall the title now; thankfully it's short. I mean… they just don't appeal to me.

So... yes, with a few nips and tucks here and there, that is what came spilling out on a July morning when I was um... supposed to be working.

Welcome

Being somewhat of a tech-geek and needing some way to easily share some of my initial thoughts about CDs - and other things - I've started this blog. It relates to the main website at www.progressiveworld.net.

It also, in a way, replaces the old Ruminations section from PW's initial site (now under Articles/Editorials). Which, if you are only visiting this blog, won't make much sense.

So, firstly, an introduction. Progressiveworld.net was started in 1997 as a review site for progressive music releases - rock, ambient, metal, etc. We've published more than 4500 hundred reviews in that time (although as of this posting, we're in the midst of an upgrade/transfer so not all 4500 show up - yet - on the main site). Plus you'll find an assortment of interviews, DVD reviews, a gallery, news, and more.

I, Stephanie, am the publisher/contributing editor and creator of the site; there are and have been as many as a dozen contributors over the years, so it's not a one person operation.

So, what is on the editor's CD player right now? And what does she/do I think of what I'm hearing? In a quick snapshot we have comments on a few:

Solstice Coil - A Prescription For Paper Cuts: Solstice Coil are from Israel. Here's a band that at one moment I think is a bit RIO-ish (Rock in Opposition) at others symphonic prog and at others neo-prog... all at the same time. Interesting, intense and at times... dramatic.

Presto Ballet - The Lost Art Of Time Travel: From the US, Presto Ballet are prog rock group with a definite 70s influence, leaning more towards the hard rock of the era rather than the prog. Shades of Rush and Styx in their sound, featuring Kurdt Vanderhoof on guitar (ex-Metal Church).

Rousseau - At The Cinema: Either my memory is faulty, but I don't recall that their earlier works were so soft-rock/AOR. There's even a bit of a country rock feel to one piece that seems so much like something from Don Henley. At another moment, it's of Fish that I think. I've been listening with out the tracklisting, so that's why I've not included track names here; of course, the full-on review that'll be posted shortly will. It's not a bad CD, but it's very...bland.

Well, that should do it for this first blog. More to come.