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[Steve Jones]

Just finished watching Queensrÿche's 'Live Evolution' DVD.  I love this, it's everything I think a concert DVD should be.  Excellent music, the band are really hot and Geoff Tate is singing his heart out - one of the all time great rock vocalists for my money.  Picture quality and camera-work are excellent, too, much better than the Nightwish 'End of an Era' DVD I was watching the other day.

One criticism, the set list is much diminished compared to the live CD counterpart.  Typically my fave track is one of the missing ones. 

[Iggy]

Just finished Trilogy by ELP
NP Rush Live in Rio

[Steve Jones]

Gentle Giant - Octopus.

I've not heard GG for ages.  My vinyl copies were never unpacked (along with Greenslade and others in the same neck of the alphabet) after the last house move which was 11 years ago.  Knowing my lifestyle prior to that I'd put the 'last played' date at 15 years ago minimum, possibly even as far back as the late 70s/early 80s.  No wonder, then, that I can't remember much other than that I used to like them! 

Of course, as soon as I started listening to 'Octopus' it all came flooding back.  A yes!  a yay! and a wow! - I was back as a teenager listening to Alan Freeman's Saturday afternoon radio show, the centre of the prog universe as we knew it. 

So, I can see what is meant when Beardfish are compared to Gentle Giant.  There's an awful lot of GG influence in the music of the mighty Beardfish, so I guess I owe GG a big thank you for the good times I've had with their Swedish counterparts of late.  On the other hand, there's more to Beardfish than just GG.  As with much modern prog, things have progressed since the 70s and, particularly with recording technology, it shows.  Whilst some parts of GG sound as crisp and new as if they were recorded this morning, other parts sound particularly dated, albeit dated to an era I'm particularly fond of.

If you think your interests lie in this area of prog, it might be better to start with Beardfish and, if you like what you hear, trace the family tree another day.

Cracking album, though, I've played it twice since I got out of bed. 

[Steve Jones]

Roine Stolt - Wall Street Voodoo.

[Steve Jones]

Within Temptation - Mother Earth.

I loved 'The Heart of Everything' (at least when I was in the mood for EuroMetal-by-numbers) but 'Mother Earth' isn't gripping me.  Firstly there's a bit of new-age tweeness about it, as if I'd bought it with some scented candles from a craft fair, after finding it in the rack next to the whalesong CDs.  Secondly the metal element is all but airbrushed out.  If Disney did metal then I bet it would sound like this.

It's not bad as such, it's just not inspiring me at all.  Sharon's voice is excellent, especially when she flips into Kate Bush mode, but for me her sweetness and purity need to be countered by something heavier in the background.  I'll give it a couple more spins during the week, but I'm not hopeful...

[Steve Jones]

So now on to some...

Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime II.  Aaaaahhhhh - that's better! 

[Steve Jones]

It's too hot to do any of the domestic chores, so I'm sitting here with a stack of prog and a bottle of brown ale. 

NP: Tinyfish - Tinyfish.  I like this one more and more as the weeks go by.  If I were a being critical I just might knock a point off for the slightly strained sound quality, but otherwise this kicks serious prog bottom.  A definite 'must' in my prog-pile today. 

[Iggy]

It's too hot to do any of the domestic chores, so I'm sitting here with a stack of prog and a bottle of brown ale. 

NP: Tinyfish - Tinyfish.  I like this one more and more as the weeks go by.  If I were a being critical I just might knock a point off for the slightly strained sound quality, but otherwise this kicks serious prog bottom.  A definite 'must' in my prog-pile today. 

While catching up on my filing.

Savatage - The wake of magellan.  This is really growing on me.

Tony Banks A curious feeling.

[Teunis]

The Urbane - Glitter

[Teunis]

Magenta - Home

[The Butterfly Man]

NP: Saga - God Knows

Tom

[Nicky007]

NP: Tinyfish - Tinyfish

And what are they like

It's too hot to do any of the domestic chores, so I'm sitting here with a stack of prog and a bottle of brown ale. 

Hey, great idea, Stevie. I'l follow suit (shorts). Got some nice cold 6% Danish beer in the fridge. (Didnt need much persuasion) 


NP  Ten:  Babylon

Not as prog as Twilight, but just as terrific 

OK, let's just be honest:  

If Teunis can pull it off here, then I can too 


"She is the devil, she's a Black Hearted Woman
I made her slender fingers cut like knives
For nothing tears a man apart like a woman
She'll shoot you dead, she needs no alibis."

Nicky.

[Deenfan]

Escapedia - War

Check it out:

http://printf.no/music/Space%20Time%20Matter%20War.mp3

Features LadyLau!

[Steve Jones]

Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black.

[Deenfan]

Ah, Steve, you're in an evil mood today...

[Teunis]

Pendragon - The Masquerade Overture

Track: Paintbox 

[Nicky007]

NP  Gary Hughes:  Excalibur  (on Once And Future King, on repeat)

This one rocks like crazy, as good as the best Ten rockers 

We also got Damian singing his heart out, Arjen doing some "cinematic" keyboard stuff, Steve (McKenna, not Jones) driving with a very dramatic bass, and Chris delivers one of his wildest solos ever, so who could expect anything else.

Not every song is as catchy as this one on first spins, but let's see, we now know that Gary and Ten stuff g-r-o-w-s (no 'l' there, guys).

King is kinda Ten meets Caamora, except that King is more seperate songs, mainly rockers, and Caamora is more recitative.

One of the big surprises to me is the drummer Greg Morgan. He does some real exciting stuff on King. Anyone know him ?

Anyone else into this epos ?


"Upon a pagan land in darkness came
A black and heartless spawn of seed
A cruel and wretched plague
For in the mists of time a king lay slain
And left the vilest form of greed
With a crown to claim."

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black.

Hey, Stevie, you're fleet at the moment. You're already on your second Nevermore album. My guess is that they struck home 

What's Neon like in comparison with Endeavor ?

Nicky.

[maddox]

Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura

Track: [01] The Door

[Iggy]

Fear of a Blank Planet PT

[erik]

Fear of a Blank Planet PT

NP Saga / Trust / It's Your Life

This track is soooo catchy!! Saga is a bit of a guilty pleasure... I'm pleading guilty and expanding my Saga collection now which had previously been confined to their masterpiece Generation 13 and the live album Detours.

[Steve Jones]

And what are they like

I thought I did a few words on Tinyfish in a previous posting, but perhaps I'm wrong.  Classic or traditional prog, mainly guitar driven - that doesn't mean 'heavy' or 'metal' by the way.  Can't think of an obvious band comparison as a point of reference, sorry!

Hey, Stevie, you're fleet at the moment. You're already on your second Nevermore album. My guess is that they struck home 
What's Neon like in comparison with Endeavor ?

Yes, I was hugely impressed by TGE and have gone for a second album to try and get a broader feel for the band.  Neon is a much older album, with a substantially higher metal content.  Not entirely walls-to-the-balls(!) metal all the way through, though, there are clues as to where the band would end up with Endeavor.  I'd say TGE is the one to recommend to people, as it's likely to slay 'em.  Neon is good, but there's a lot of good stuff out there. 

[erik]

NP Radiohead / Bittersweet Distractors / The Trickster


Q: What is Bittersweet Distractors?

A: A highly recommended compilation of the essential Non-Album Tracks of Radiohead by and for fans of Radiohead, available for download at www.ateaseweb.com (Messageboard / Multimedia or http://www.ateaseweb.com/mb/index.php?showtopic=235038709&hl=). On Discs 1-3 you can find the B Sides in a well flowing order and on Discs 4-6 amazing performed and recorded Live Tracks. This effort is justified by the fact that many of these B sides and rarities are simply no longer available on regular releases (the EP's My Iron Lung, Airbag/How Am I Driving and Com Lag that are available only adress this material partially) and does not alter the fact that bands should of course be supported by buying their albums.

[Steve Jones]

NP Saga / Trust / It's Your Life
This track is soooo catchy!!

I think you've hit the nail on the head there.  If I were to choose one word to typify Saga then it would have to be 'catchy'  

I haven't got all of their albums, by any means, but of the ones I do have I'd probably rate the following as the most catchy personally: Behaviour. Worlds Apart. House of Cards. Wildest Dreams.  I could pick more, of course; sticking with 'Trust' the opener 'That's as Far as I'll Go' always has me singing along pretty rapidly.  

The other thing that always leaves me gobsmacked by Saga is some of the guitar solos.  Not always in-yer-face, but immaculately put together and tastily executed.  Slick.  

[maddox]

Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura

Track: [04] The Conclusion