PROG RELATED

I'm not sure that many folks will like this ... because, in many ways this is poetry at its best ... this is not a bunch of songs. More like a bunch of little stories, and I have a feeling that these are very much ad-libbed ... and many times I wonder ... how did he come up with that? No one can explain his feeling when he tells his stories, and the music accompanying this is unreal ... do not look to listen to this as if it was just a bunch of songs ... let's say that there is no song here ... just Robin and a few friends ... doing something that many of us think is crazy, and wonder how they came up with all that.

In the middle of all this, are a bunch of pieces that are phenomenal, and I had to listen to the album more than once to be able to feel comfortable with the whole thing, because it is so different as to just about be really difficult to say something. But there are some gems in here, that are too special to be left behind.

The Iron Stone, Political Lies are probably the two pieces that you will remember the most, although I find it difficult to even remember his words ... somehow I hear the story and follow it, but it's as if the words are melded with the story in such a way, that it makes it difficult for us to concentrate on just one thing that we are used to do ... thinking of the lyrics, and all of a sudden, the rest of the piece disappears ... it's as if the music is so elusive and special as to keep us in the story ... not the words, and here, how Robin does it in each and every piece is so special and by far such an individuality that makes this different, and special ... it might even be considered "prog-related" but if we take how this disdains the standard format for anything, this blows the style/definition to smithereens. I'm not sure I even want to say something about each piece, as I thought that listening to it, is going to be such an experience, and so different for many of us, as to make it tough to review something, or say something that in so many ways is so far and beyond words ... in the end, it is almost like "Verses at Elsmere" ... just a flow of feelings and words, and the music ... goodness the music ... makes you wonder how someone even considered doing this ... but it was obvious that some courageous folks took the chance and the work by Ale Moller, Mat Maneri and Barre Phillips is so incredible all the way through ... in what is one special album from an artist, that has so many albums that are so far and away from our ideas of what music, song, or poetry is ... there is a mastery about it, that is unbelievable. And all you can say is ... thanks Robin ... very neat and far out ... very neat and far out.

The festive spirit is present from the start with the extroverted "Party" and "Khashoggi's Ship", where the lively melodies are dominated by Brian May's powerful guitar riffs and Mercury's energy on vocals, a spirit that is maintained in the galloping and groundbreaking "Breakthru" with its operatic reminiscence and John Deacon's bass leading the melody.

The more serious and reflective vein comes with the hard-rocking "I Want It All", one of the band's last anthems with May again in the lead role, the conciliatory "The Miracle", the album's eponymous title track and its conscious anti-war pronouncement, and the denouncing "Scandal" and its critique of the sensationalism of the gossip press with May on keyboards, a heartfelt and brief guitar solo and Deacon's persistent bass lines.

And if "Rain Must Fall" as well as "My Baby Does Me" are failed expressions that don't seem to make much sense in the overall context of the album (the bonus tracks on the CD release, "Hang on in There" and May's solo on the instrumental "Chinese Torture" would have fit much better), the imposing, at times orchestrated and at times raspingly brilliant forcefulness of the superb "Was It All Worth It" with a confessional and heartbreaking Mercury, brings the album to a stupendous close.

"The Miracle", which didn't have a promotional tour due to the singer's illness, even though initially it was argued that he was tired and fed up with the album-tour cycle, was probably the best work of the English band in the 80's.

3/3.5 stars

The band didn't waste any time taking their sound to new heights with their sophomore full-length RADIATOR which emerged in the summer of 1997 to great fanfare although the band was a little too experimental and weird for the Britpop crowds and a little too poppy hooky for the casual alt rockers who were totally craving the unabashed guitar fuzz. But somehow SUPER FURRY ANIMALS captured a new niche of their own making, one that was in that eerie in between zone where all styles of 90s music seemingly met in the dark but didn't tell the family. The results were not only interesting but fascinating and for lovers of art rock and progressive pop, RADIATOR was a real treat indeed.

Alternating mind-blowing electronic experiments with fully fueled Britpop accessibility, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS reminded of many artists but sounded like no other. While comparisons to The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, The Beach Boys and even Blur have been made, the band funneled all those diverse ingredients into a cauldron of its own making and boiled them down into a cohesive mishmash of masterful art pop bar none. RADIATOR begins with the eerie electronic intro of "Furryvision" which makes you think you might have popped in a Tangerine Dream album but the Britpop flavors with raucous guitar grooves quickly take you into the world of more contemporary alternative rock (a la Blur) of the 90s and then the band delivers a series of diverse tracks that feature blistering rock workouts accompanied by stellar space rock and psychedelic effects.

Certain tracks remind me of Spacehog, such as the intelligently designed "Demons" (one of the many top 40 hits and a personal fave!) which featured grungy guitar hooks, references to David Bowie glam rock and even adopts those famous Canterbury Scene keyboard sounds made popular by Soft Machine's Richard Sinclair. The production is one of the top notch elements on RADIATOR as well as the attention to details. "Demons" for example features not just the usual guitar, bass, drums and keys layout but also features a subtle banjo accompaniment as well as strings and a trumpet! Not to mention Beach Boys inspired harmonies which adds layers of ear worm catchiness.

Another standout is "She's Got Spies" which begins innocently enough as what sounds like a ballad before breaking into a Weezer inspired sizzling slice of pop punk before drifting off again into glacial neo-psychedleia that offers bloops, bleeps and sputtering synthesized sounds that offer strange contrapuntal sound effects. The band excelled at these off-kilter contrasts. While the music is catchy and the compositions are cleverly designed, the band also proved to be excellent at writing lyrics. The tongue in cheek "Hermann Loves Pauline" may sound like a party grunge stomper but narrates a fictitious account of the parents of Albert Einstein with references to Marie Curie and Ernesto Guevara. This was another top 40 hit.

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS achieved an even greater success on RADIATOR with no less than four top 40 hits on the British charts and rave reviews for its innovative approach of melding Britpop with nerdy electronic effects, progressive elements and various strains of alternative rock including grunge, pop punk, indie rock and even a bit of shoegaze. While this band often gets lumped into the world of progressive rock for its innovative approach, for those seeking prog musical workouts don't even enter these grounds. This is Britpop plus plus plus. Think Spacehog only with more interesting dynamics as well as much better songwriting. RADIATOR is a compelling listen from beginning to end and was the album that propelled SUPER FURRY ANIMALS onto the world's stage. The band would continue on for the next decade as Wales' most interesting band. This is an excellent experimental indie pop rock album!

But this album is not merely the last time Tibet (plus allies) and Pearce would collaborate so successfully and harmoniously on a musical project - it's also Cashmore's change to sign as a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and he certainly does that, offering in the album what amounts to an early blueprint of the sort of softer, gentler influences he would bring into the Current 93 sound (coming to the fore particularly on Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre). By itself, it is achingly beautiful; set next to Thunder Perfect Mind and But What Ends..., and it's the final piece of a puzzle revealing the absolute best the apocalyptic folk scene has to offer.

The title track is split, yes it is into four parts but to be honest these four tracks sound nothing alike although the lyrics are the uniting factor here. Man we get some killer guitar throughout this four part section and some experimental stuff too reflecting Tony's mental state at the time. "Cherry Red" is the song to check out. Could have been a hit no? Catchy with that chorus bringing it home. Love when they jam on this song and album.

"A Year In The Life" might bring THE BEATLES to mind but to hear it always brings KRAAN to mind surprisingly. KRAAN at their most laid back as the vocals here sound very similar to them. The only weak track for me is "Junkman" but then the closer "Groundhog" makes up for it. A John Lee Hooker cover and a song that Tony named the band after. An old school sounding blues track with Tony even sounding the part vocally. Kind of cool.

A strong album that goes far beyond the straight forward blues/rock style. A solid 4 stars.

Eternity is in love with the productions of time.

William Blake

In the Western Tradition, we especially revere the Golden Age of Athens, the fifth century, BC. Our cherished values of democracy emerged during this time under Pericles; our understanding of philosophy and the life of the mind originated in the lives and works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; the genre of tragedy was defined by Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides.

Similarly, we recognize a Golden Age of progressive rock. Somewhere in the mid-sixties, cauldrons of creativity lead to Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, the Yardbirds, Jefferson Airplane, and the Moody Blues.

By 1969, a milieu existed that fostered, most notably, King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King." It also led to the now famous comments of Melody Maker's Tony Wilson on the cover of Yes' eponymous October of 1969 first release:

At the beginning of 1969, I was asked as were all Melody Maker writers to pick two groups who I thought would make in the following year.

One of my choices was Led Zeppelin. A bit obvious perhaps, but then we all like to back a winner occasionally.

The other was Yes.

Thus, "from the beginning," Led Zeppelin has been "Prog Related."

For me, there is a great irony to this relationship. During my high school years in the mid-seventies, there were two "camps" -- the Led Zeppelin camp and the devotees of Yes. Speaking for myself, I was overtly committed to the Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson "party" to the exclusion of Led Zeppelin. Secretly, I enjoyed Led Zeppelin and even went on to perform "Rock and Roll" in a garage band named "Eclipse."

Fortunately, with the passage of time, I have become far more appreciative of the music of Led Zeppelin. I attempt to base my musical commitments on a "both/and" rather than an "either/or" principle. (To this end, I would like to nominate Joni Mitchell for inclusion on the Progarchives.com site . . . .)

In my current Weltanschauung, John Bonham is to the drums as Jimi Hendrix is to the guitar; John Paul Jones, compositionally and instrumentally, is to Led Zeppelin as Paul McCartney is to the Beatles. On a certain level, Physical Graffiti is to Led Zeppelin as Tales from Topographic Oceans is to Yes.

Why this final comparison? -- "Kashmir" and "In My Time of Dying" in particular.

These two pieces are products of the mind's eye of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham (and in the case of the latter, Blind Willie Johnson). Suitably, one might identify them as "twin peaks" with their imaginative homes in the Himalayas.

I believe a hypothetical reviewer could compose a review of Physical Graffiti based on "Kashmir" alone.

Musically, John Bonham's drums establish a rhythm that is evocative of the attentiveness to breathing behind meditation. Indeed, the drums are the rudder of the ship that journeys through a figurative Kashmir. Page and Jones provide the sails by which the vehicle is propelled. The main musical elements are expressed through orchestration provided by Jones, who, along with Page on the guitar, adopts a stealth approach to the mellotron.

In the wheelhouse are the vocals of Robert Plant. As with most quests for meaning, "Kashmir" begins with an auspicious exposition:

To sit with elders of the gentle/race, this world has seldom seen/They talk of days for which they/sit and wait and all will be revealed . . . .

But, as is commensurate with "standard" mystical experiences, attempts to relate them to others become ineffable:

But not a word I heard could I/relate, the story was quite clear/Oh, oh.

Plant's internal quest displays the rigors of an attempt to relate the landscape of the Imagination. The locale of Kashmir began in Sanskrit as kasmira, a territory bereft of water:

All I see turns to brown, as the/sun burns the ground/And my eyes fill with sand, as I scan this wasted land/Trying to find/where I've been.

"In My Time of Dying" presents a related quest. In my own unoriginal way, I have often remarked that Christianity (and most "axial" spiritualties and systems of belief) reflect an honesty regarding our consciousness of death. Taking the lead from Blind Willie Johnson and Bob Dylan, Jones, Page, Plant and Bonham present this awareness in this towering piece of what I would like to call "Progressive Blues."

There are further insights on "Physical Graffiti" ? Consider the wonderfully sublimated sexuality of "Custard Pie" and "Trampled under Foot" (replete with convincing keyboards by John Paul Jones and potent percussion of John Bonham); the global consciousness of "The Rover" (showcasing a somewhat transformational guitar solo by Jimmy Page); the meditational interiority of "In The Light" (which exemplifies Thelonious Monk's, "If it weren't always night, then we wouldn't need light . . .); and, finally, the closing benediction of "Down By The Seaside" ?

Sing loud for the sunshine, pray/hard for the rain/And show your love for Lady Nature. And she will come back/again/ The people turned away/The people turned away

Thus, in their own inimitable way, Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham have provided us with their own narrative return to the Golden Age . . . .

Phil Manzanera - guitar (Quiet Sun and Roxy Music)

Brian Eno - vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar and tapes (Roxy Music and Fripp & Eno)

Lloyd Watson - slide guitar and vocals (as solo artist support-act for Bowie, Roxy Music and King Crimson)

Francis Monkman - Fender Rhodes electric piano and Hohner D6 clavinet (Curved Air and Sky)

Bill MacCormick - bass and vocals (Quiet Sun and Matching Mole)

Simon Phillips - drums and rhythm box (The Who, Jeff Beck, Roxy Music, Mick Jagger, Toto, Mike Oldfield, Judas Priest, 10CC and flamenco guitarist Juan Martin)

The 10 songs on this live record are based upon the sparkling chemistry between six outstanding musicians, with many different musical backgrounds.

My highlights.

Lagrima - A short version, with an exciting distorted, very intense guitar sound, and some beeps and bleeps, in 1992 Phil Manzanera stunned the world with this composition on the Seville exhibition concert.

East of Asteroid - The moods shift frequently, fuelled by a powerful and dynamic rhythm-section, along fiery guitar leads.

Baby's on Fire - Now let's go funky, with the swinging Hohner clavinet sound, a powerful bass and great vocals by Lloyd Watson, halfway a biting guitar and then splendid work with the slide guitar (also Lloyd Watson). The interplay is amazing, what an awesome line-up.

Diamond Head - The focus is on wonderful, very moving electric guitar play with howling runs by Phil Manzanera, embellished with tender electric piano. How intense it sounds and what a build-up and climax, wow! Phil Manzanera his sound reminds me of David Gilmour, Steve Hackett and Andy Latimer, emotion, rather than scale-acrobatics, with the use of slide and sustain.

Miss Shapiro - This songs rocks with fiery guitar runs and a powerhouse rhythm-section, topped with excellent vocals.

You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover) - One of my favorite 60s rock songs, this is a great rendition, it sounds very inspired and powerful, all members rise to the occasion!

Third Uncle - A very dynamic goodbye with this encore, the rhythm-section Simon Phillips and Bill MacGormick (also vocals) really shines, in this exciting up-tempo song, embellished with harder-edged guitar work, Phil Manzanera rules on this live album.

EVERY SERIOUS PROGHEAD SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE LISTENING SESSION WITH THIS ALBUM!