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Slartibartfast 
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Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
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Points: 29625
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 Topic: Your Previous Quarter of a Year's Music Blog
Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:09 |
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April didn’t result in showers of music. Got midway into April and Jeff Beck’s Emotion And Commotion arrived. I think this will go down as my favorite recent Beck album (Jeff is the only Beck I recognize…) Got the version with the bonus DVD. It’s got a live performance with the fabulous Tal.
In May I got caught up with Stereolab and the related Monade’s newest albums - Chemical Chords and Monstre Cosmic. Good stuff though not particularly well known around these parts. Nothing really stands out for me in any of those. Chemical Chords is really nice upbeat album that can cheer you up if you’re feeling down.
The last additions for May were due to personal recommendations by prog archives members. The first was Prince’s The Rainbow Children. Rather interesting for me, probably a big disappointment for many big Prince fans.
The last three however became overshadowed when I was turned on to Happy Rhodes. Started with her first main studio album release Warpaint. Sounds a lot like Kate Bush vocally and the musicianship is really good, too. May ended with the arrival of Rhode’s The Keep. A collection of odds and ends but worthy of being on their own album. One of the things that really impressed me was her medley of three Yes songs, two of which I didn’t know, but the middle part was Soon. Way cool.
So June continued on with my Rhodes binge and brought forth some flowers. A Will Ackerman album with Happy Rhodes as a guest arrived. Actually my first WA record though I was familiar from way back when I first became familiar with the new Windham Hill label.
June would turn out to be an active month for additions. Next up, Happy again - Many Worlds Are Born Tonight, followed shortly by a long neglected addition, Gryphon’s Red Queen To Gryphon Three. A long overdue addition to my CD collection. Never had it on LP. Probably because it didn’t hang around in the used store’s bins very long. In the same order came Michael Hedges’ Watching My Life Go By. I much prefer his non-vocal stuff, but I had it on vinyl and finally decided to get it on CD as my vinyl copy was wiped out.
Freebie, freebie, freebie!!! Umphrey's McGee’s Summer Sampler 2010 was on the counter at the package store for free. I took one of the two. I’d have paid something for it if the guy behind the counter hadn’t said it was a freebie. Nice set of live stuff, which I’m guessing is a compilation of concert recordings.
June and this quarter wraps up with another Happy moment. Building The Colossus. One more title left for next month…
Edited by Slartibartfast - July 28 2010 at 21:10
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: April 02 2010 at 18:40 |
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January got kicked off in a big big way when I discovered Big Big Train. I decided to put in for four based on what I had heard on the archives and the fact that it was an overseas order: English Boy Wonders, Bard, Gathering Speed, and The Underfall Yard. And wouldn’t you know it my Steve Hackett, Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth arrived the same day. All excellent albums.
Got the music bug a week later and paid a visit to my local brick and mortar store for a browse. Came away with John Abercrombie Ralph Towner’s Sargasso Sea, Pat Metheny’s New Chataqua, and Porcupine Tree’s We Lost The Skyline. By pure coinicidence two guitar duets and one guitar solo album. As a bonus the first two were in mini LP sleeve format, which is my favorite.
I was so impressed with Big Big Train that I put in an order for The Difference Machine. Unfortunately their first one is sold out so I can’t complete the discography though I’d like to. Though this one lies between two that remind me a lot of Genesis, it reminds me a lot less, so if you have an aversion to bands that sound too much like other bands this would be the one for you to get. I’d say the same for English Boy Wonders and Bard. That would be my only acquisition for February. But with all those good new additions it was good to take a break and enjoy what I had.
Big Big Train? Why not Miles Davis Big Fun? One of a mail order pair arrived for me kick off March. It’s a little weird because my first Davis was The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions and some of the tracks I’ve know for many years from that album. John Hassell had a new one from last year I decided to try - Last night the moon came dropping its clothes on the street. Intriguing title and nice ambient/jazz music. I’ve got five other Hassells and this one is my favorite. By the way, good move Jazz Rock/Fusion team in adding Jon. Again by total coincidence two albums by trumpeters.
On the advice of someone on the archives I put in an order (half.com) for Bubu ‘s Anabelas without sampling first and decided to add Joachim Kuhn’s Springfever to the order. If you order more than one title from the same seller, subsequent titles get a lesser shipping charge. Bubu is really good reminds me a lot of PFM. Kuhn’s Springfever and Sunshower should earn him a place in Jazz Rock/Fusion. I’ve suggested it before and someone said he’s primarily a straight jazz artist. So, those two are solidly good in Jazz Rock/Fusion. If any of you guys read this you need to check out those two albums. I do see Lancaster and Lumley on their list to consider. Actually the only albums they did, I think, Peter And The Wolf and Marscape are already on this site under Various Artists (Concept Albums). By the way based on those two albums I think they are a better fit for Crossover.
Speaking of Crossover, I decided to order one of the new artists I evaluated and gave the thumbs up to - Anja Garbarek’s Smiling And Waving. It has Steven Wilson and Robert Wyatt on it, though not on the same tracks. I’ll probably be getting in the first review of that one before too long.
Also speaking of Crossover, for the last order of the quarter I got Flood’s Tales From The Four Seasons, which I had given one of the approving votes to add. It was a Unicorn Records release, the label of one of my favorite ProgArchives discoveries, Talisma. Got it with The Gorishankar 2nd Hands under recommendation from a fellow member. Really impressed with that one.
Though not a new title to my collection, my wife got me Rubber Soul remastered. It’s in the mini-LP sleeve, so my old copy is going on the market whenever I get my act together to sell off along with a few other titles of stuff replaced with remasters and other duplicates of what I already have.
Edited by Slartibartfast - April 03 2010 at 00:19
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Icarium
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Joined: March 21 2008
Location: Tigerstaden
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Points: 34050
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Posted: January 31 2010 at 06:12 |
hmm what have i bought this past moths  several Motorpsycho albums (demon box, phanorytime, angels and deamons and Silent lucid moments) Gentle Giant Three Freinds and In a Glass House Supertramp - Indelible Stamped (with its gorgeus art work  )
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: January 31 2010 at 05:45 |
Despite the rather disastrous ending of the third quarter, not speaking musically, two titles I had ordered before the flood arrived October 1st to kick off the last quarter of the year. Black Mountain's debut and In The Future. Kind of helped to cheer me up a little. They still seem more psychedelic than crossover to me, but what the heck, good stuff and a worthy addition to the site. I actually did manage to add about 1/4 of the years new titles to my collection for this quarter. While I am not one for Christmas music, I will add the occasional unorthodox album. When I saw Tori Amos had put out such an album called Midwinter Graces, I had to bite. Its a mixture of some overtly Christmas songs and some just about the winter season. Well done. I got the deluxe edition with an interview DVD about the album. Tori remains one strange person. I don't think it's an act.  Next up, at the end of November, a couple of live albums: Allan Holdsworth's All Night Wrong and King Crimson's USA (30th Anniversary Edition). The Holdworth album is a good live one, though not particularly a stand out for me. I still prefer his work from the '70's and early '80's with his latter works from the '80's to the present. The USA album I decided I finally couldn't resist as they had added two bonus tracks: Fracture and Starless. I was familiar with the album since the late '70's, but never considered it an essential one to have in the collection even though it did have the never released on a studio album track, Asbury Park, likely because of either the band dissolving or the fact that it was more of a improv/jam piece. Also, I had added The Great Deceiver box set more than a few years ago and so I had multiple live versions of most of the tracks already. The bonus tracks made it worth the price of admission so to speak. And upon re-listening to the album for the first time after all these years, the live versions are actually quite good and not the mere replay of the studio versions, which will always diminish an audio live album for me. Last to come in early December was Pekka Pohjola's Keesojen Lehto (aka Mathematician's Air Display, The Consequences of Indecisions). It was thanks to this site that I found out that Mike Oldfield's The Consequences of Indecisions wasn't really a Mike Oldfield album at all. Even better though, I found out I could get the album on CD. It replaces a home made CD copied off an LP that had been counted as a title in my CD collection. Had to order as an import (ouch), but was worth getting. All in all, not a bad quarter. One new discovery, some new stuff by artists I already knew of, and some stuff I'd been long familiar with. 2009 was a decent year for music for me as much as it was a pretty lousy one on a personal level. Heavy on new discoveries that I really like: Umphrey's McGee, Discipline, Paul Cusick, Knifeworld, Black Mountain. A few good new releases from artists I've know for a while, and some blasts from the past. I still can't help but wonder if I jinxed myself by adding Face Value followed by The Incident a few days before the house flood... Three Friends was way too short for me. In A Glass House used to be really hard to get a hold of in the US back the LP age. v v v v
Edited by Slartibartfast - January 31 2010 at 06:15
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: October 25 2009 at 21:31 |
July August September A slow quarter to be sure. Started out with Discipline's Unfolded Like Staircase. A group recommendation by Phideaux. Came in the mail along with P's Number Seven and gave it a run for the money. Two acquisitions I have thoroughly enjoyed. Ordered a used Too Far To Whisper by Shadowfax. Fair to say it was a weaker effort by the band. Watercourse Way and The Dreams Of Children are their best albums. Cusick's Focal Point was my first new one for August. Ordered it due to promotion on this site and was not disappointed. The music is in the same vein as Porcupine Tree and NIN, possibly too similar for some. Robert Wyatt's Theatre Royal Drury Lane came next in the month towards the end. I was expecting better considering the lineup of guests, OK, but the guys studio albums are his best work. Got added to the crossover team. My first addition from a nominee was Knifeworld. Buried Alive may go down as one of my favorites of the year. For sentimental, sort of, reasons and because it was cheap, I ordered Phil Collins' Face Value. It's got it's good bits, but takes up too much space in my collection, I think. Porcupine Tree's The Incident arrived just a few days before my own personal incident (a house flood). It will be one of those albums that forever reminds me of this moment in my life. Interesting to see the very polarized opinions on the album. I'm not on board with either those who trash it or think it's the best thing ever. That wraps up the quarter for me. Two Black Mountains arrived in the mail on 10/1 (twin peaks? As those belong to the next quarter, will blog about them later.
Edited by Slartibartfast - January 31 2010 at 04:58
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Slartibartfast
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Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: June 24 2009 at 18:48 |
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^^^Love Debussy, but haven't explored the other two.
This quarter has really been spare. I may have to go out and buy something since June is almost over. I can always update this post if I can't help myself. Anyway, probably safe to write about it.
Umphrey's McGee leads off the first three if I count the free download Prog Sampler. I still have difficulties with things I obtain that aren't hard copies. Maybe one day I'll get over it. Anchor Drops got a negative review, but I liked it just fine. I think I enjoyed Safety In Numbers even more. The Bottom Half was where I kind of hit the wall. Still, it’s a good album. I may have just been a little overloaded. It didn’t stop me from getting their latest live DVD this month.
After a long hiatus Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin came out with a new one, Green And Blue. Their proggiest effort yet. I think they’d be a good fit for prog related, even though they’ve done more than a few non-prog covers.
Ordered the recently released Joachim Kuhn Band’s Sunshower. Recommended his addition to this site and was surprised to be informed that he was predominantly a jazz player. I only knew him from this one and Spring Fever. Oh crap, just ordered it, hey, the price was right. Both were reissued in 2008. Great Jazz-Rock/Fusion albums.
Wasn’t following the Residents very closely but a fellow archiver alerted me to Bunny Boy. I may be having a little Residents fatigue. I liked it, but I didn’t wear it out like I did with Animal Lover. They also have some companion videos to this on their web site, but I’ve only checked out one.
Colonel Bruce Hampton is a local phenomenon that avant fans should check out. He did his first solo album in a while, Songs Of The Solar Ping. If I had recommend one to start with, it would be One Ruined Life Of A Bronze Tourist.
Wrapping up the quarter, by which I mean May 20, was Tori Amos Abnormally Attracted To Sin. Not easily categorized but rejected as prog by the authorities around here.
Edited by Slartibartfast - October 25 2009 at 21:32
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tamijo
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Joined: January 06 2009
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 4287
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Posted: June 24 2009 at 08:47 |
The New Mars Volta
Kitaro with Jon Anderson
Besides that i'we concentrated on expanding my classical
Debussy - Ives - Puccini
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Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours
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ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher
Joined: August 17 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4659
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Posted: June 15 2009 at 19:23 |
Best stuff I've bought so far this year (in no particular order except the first one; and not all prog - or at least not prog that's listed here  ). Some of these were technically released in 2008 too, but I'm not one for splitting hairs: the Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (3 CD copies, 1 LP, 3 concert tickets and 4 t-shirts  )
Alina Simone - Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware 17 Hippies - El Dorado Melora Creager - Melora a la Basilica Kells - Lueurs Faun Fables - A Table Forgotten Rupa & the April Fishes - Extraordinary Rendition Fire on Fire - The Orchard Sophe Lux - Waking the Mystics Wovenhand - Ten Stones Principal Edwards - The Devon Tapes Gathiens - Nesh Oh crap - looks like I'm not really a full-fledged proglodyte after all  !!
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"Peace is the only battle worth waging."
Albert Camus
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JROCHA
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 18 2007
Location: Oakland, KS
Status: Offline
Points: 1501
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Posted: June 15 2009 at 19:08 |
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Intronaut- Prehistoricisms
The Decembersists - The hazards of Love
The Dear Hunter - Act 1
ISIS - Wavering Radiant
Genesis 1970-1975 Box Set
Chicago Transit Authority - CTA
Zombi - Spirit Animal
The Who - Tommy
Weather Report - Sweetnighter
Soft Machine -4th/5th
Neurosis- Given To The Rising
Neu! - 75
Mono - Hymn tot the Immortal Wind
Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
Mastodon - Crack the Sky
Jon Abercrombie - Timeless
Bill Conners - Theme to the Guardian
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Slartibartfast
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Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: June 15 2009 at 07:36 |
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progkidjoel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 19643
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Posted: June 15 2009 at 07:14 |
 This has been the most intense music buying period of my life thus far... Marillion - FUGAZI 2CD REMASTER Marillion - Season's End 2CD REMASTER Marillion - Misplaced Childhood Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear Marillion - Clutching At Straws Marillion - This Strange Engine Marillion - BRAVE Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight 2CD REMASTER Marillion - La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Marillion - Happiness Is The Road Vol 1 and 2 Thats all I can think of from the top of my head...
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Failcore
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 27 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4625
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Posted: April 25 2009 at 07:27 |
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That's about the same I see in Best Buy over here in the States.
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ColonelClaypool
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Joined: October 22 2005
Location: Bergen, Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 747
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Posted: April 25 2009 at 05:10 |
 Slartibartfast wrote:
ColonelClaypool has much better bargain bins than I've been able to find in my area. I'm so jealous. |
Keeping in mind that this is Norway, "bargain bin" still means $10 or £5 per album... which is about as cheap as it gets over here. Regular full price albums can cost as much as $25 apiece..
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With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince.
With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with.
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Slartibartfast
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Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: April 24 2009 at 20:51 |
ColonelClaypool has much better bargain bins than I've been able to find in my area. I'm so jealous.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to get the new PRR album, Dean.  By the way, that whole jam band label for UM is a bit overblown, although they do do a good jam.
Edited by Slartibartfast - June 15 2009 at 07:44
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Dean
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Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
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Posted: April 24 2009 at 09:28 |
Hmm - I've kind of avoided Umphrey's McGee - fear of jambands I guess, but I do like Chris Poland's Ohm and now he's teamed-up with UM I may just go back and check them out to see if they are as good as you make them sound Brian (and now they are Xover prog  )
Anyway, getting up to date:
Sarah Brightman - Symphony & Dive ... many years ago I was bowled over by Enigma's MCMXC a.D. and then more recently Frank Peterson's Gregorian project ... noticing that he had produced a couple of albums for his (then) girlfriend I thought I'd give them a listen too - excellent stuff - very gothic crossover classical, but without the annoying 4-to-the-floor disco beat.
Hardingrock - Grimen .... Ihshan of Emperor fame teams up with his misses (natch) and a Norwegian harding fiddle player to produce one of the strangest folk metal albums I've heard in a while.
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid ... latest raves of the New Prog generation, out-classing Coldplay and Snow Patrol by a long country mile - my favourite mainstream Indie album of the year so far.
Malcom McClaren - Fans ... way back in the 80s McClaren tired of Punk, dabbled in hip-hop for a while and then thought popped-up Opera was going to be the next big thing, he was twenty years too early, but just about got it right - his take on Madame Butterfly is actually quite good.
Mandragora Scream - A Whisper of Dew ... second album from one of the better Italian gothic metal bands, this time heading towards Prog Metal, but veering off just before it gets there - a nice complimentary album to Fairy Tales From Hell's Caves
Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream & Faintly Blowing ... Tangerine Dream was one of the first album's I ever owned and has been a constant favourite of mine for 40 years ... these are re-issues with bonus tracks, but containing nothing I hadn't already got. The completest in me won out and I'm not disappointed.
Evelyn Glennie & Fred Frith - Touch The Sound ... one of my few reviews is for a Fred Frith soundtrack to a Thomas Riedelsheimer documentary on sculptor Andy Goldsworthy ... this is a Fred Firth & Evelyn Glennie soundtrack to a Thomas Riedelsheimer documentary on percussionist Evelyn Glennie.... a beautiful marriage of expressive percussion and guitar. I saw the documentary on Sky Arts, (but can only find the DVD as NTSC region 1) a thoughtful and interesting insight into the world of Ms Glennie.
Sibelius - Finlandia & Karelia Suite ... I've always loved The Nice's take on the Intermezzo from the Karella, this is the first time I've ever really listened to the original - stirring stuff.
Animal Collective - Merriweather Poist Pavilion ... the only album I've bought in a bricks and mortar record store for quite some time and it was an impulse buy as the little description card on the display stand contained the magic words: 'neo-psychedelia' - I've been playing it on and off for about three months now and it gets progressively more irritating with each listen - musically its great, vocally it just grates, but I've never been a Beach Boys fan.
The Dukes of Stratosphear - Chips from the Chocolate Fireball ... this is proper neo-psychedelia from the boys in XTC, chocked full of wonderful English excentricism with knowing nods to the psychedelic masters of the 60s.
Now some recent Crossover Prog purchases...
Greenslade - Pentateuch of Cosmogony ... an ambitious concept poorly realised is my honest view of this, but I own the original double LP and love the artwork, so wanted it on CD too - I scoured the internet looking for a cheap copy of this and found it on Ebay for £10.
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third ... I'm a late comer to PRR and I adore the Pink Floyd references - luscious.
Steven Caudel - The Earth In Turquoise ... in the 1980s when symphonic prog had all but disappeared from England's shores Mr Caudel came along with Wine Dark Sea ... the record company panicked and called it New Age. Ten years later he tried again with this concept based on Arthurian legend, now on his own Dark Sea Records label. It's taken me a while to track this down (I even tried buying it direct from Steven Caudel himself, but he never replied) - found it on Ebay.
Spleen Arcana - The Field Where She Died ... I downloaded the free copy of this when evaluating the band and fell for it in a big way - when Julien announced hardcopy was available for a few Euro's I instantly grabbed a copy - great tunes, great production, nicely presented. The measure by which many self-released albums should be judged IMHO.
Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul... When Riverside's Mariusz Duda released a solo album buying it was a no-brainer for me - the sonorous vocal style is the same, but the music is a league away from Riverside with nary an electric guitar in sight, but still manages to to be dark and brooding never-the-less with some unusual non-prog references.
Chrome Hoof - Pre-Emptive False Rapture ... I admit I am a big fan of UK Doom metaller's Cathedral, although I did once fall asleep during one of their gigs (in mitigation I had driven 200 miles and then spent the next 12 hours on my feet watching dozens of Prog and Power metal bands with only beer for support) - anyway ... Cathedral's Smee brother's have a side project - it is a megalithic rock orchestra playing Prog Doom Disco and it is the maddest noise you'll hear in a long while.
Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omnia ... *I LOVE THIS ALBUM* - I cannot agree with the low ratings this has been getting, (kind of reminds me of the panning Paradise Lost got in the UK when they released One Second), admittedly more Pop than Prog, but it's still unmistakably PRR with all the harmonies and fine attention to detail I loved in Dark Third and still within the bounds of Crossover Prog.
Steven Wilson - Insergentes ... yes, again - having bought the vinyl in November, I then had to buy the CD so I could play it in the car - this is a slow grower that improves with age and familiarity. I'm really looking forward to the next Porcupine Tree album now.
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What?
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ColonelClaypool
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: Bergen, Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 747
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Posted: April 24 2009 at 07:34 |
2009 hasn't been bad at all so far. I've been browsing the bargain bins, gotten a few secondhand albums using existing store credit and bought some brand new stuff as well. From the new albums I've bought, the standouts have been Mastodon - Crack The Skye (which is absolutely superb, I can't stop listening to it), Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Old Money (his best solo album to date, although he's so prolific it's almost impossible to keep track of everything) and Marillion - Happiness Is The Road (has become my favourite Hogarth era album). I'm fortunate enough to have an independent record store locally, where the owner is a really nice guy who can always find something for you that you'll like. I've asked him on several occasions, "What do I want to buy today?" and given him a few parameters to work from and he has never let me down yet. He has given me at least one absolute gem, Todd Rundgren's A Wizard, A True Star, and several other solid albums (Carmen - The Gypsies/Widescreen 2cd edition, The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead and Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott's) as well. Canterbury has been a major part of 2009, expanding my Caravan and Gong collections. Gong - You. Superb. Caravan - s/t. Caravan - Cunning Stunts. Caravan - ...Plump In The Night. I love Caravan, and these albums are all excellent. Think Cunning Stunts might be my favourite of the three though, due to the sheer brilliance of For Richard(bonus track). I also picked up Soft Machine - Third and Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom yesterday, haven't really had a chance to properly evaluate them yet. AC/DC, too, has been an area of focus so far this year as I've added a handful of albums to my collection. Other purchases in 2009: Steely Dan - Aja. A whim from the bargain bin. Not sure about this one, but only had one listen. Asia - Alpha. Bargain bin. Not too great, too pompous and cheesy for my tastes. Jaco Pastorius - s/t. 2nd-hand store credit. I like the one track with Sam&Dave, but the rest just don't interest me all that much. Mike Oldfield - Islands. Bargain bin, expanding my existing collection. Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out. Bargain bin, expanding my existing collection. Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth. Bargain bin, expanding my existing collection. John Coltrane&Miles Davis - Best of 1955-1961. Never really been much of a jazz fan, figured it was time to give it a go. Bargain bin purchase. Jeff Beck - Guitar Shop. Only had one listen to it, haven't really made up an opinion yet. Bargain bin. Todd Rundgren - Liars. 2nd-hand store credit. Not bad, but nowhere near Wizard. Todd Rundgren - Todd. Almost as good as Wizard. Darker and not as accessible. Booker T&The MG's - Best Of. Green Onions. Steve Thorne - Emotional Creatures, part 1&2. A decent double concept album, but not groundbreaking in any way. Pink Floyd - Saucerful of Secrets. Completed my collection at last, I'm ashamed to admit I had been missing this for years... In addition to all this, within the next month and a half or so I have tickets to see Nils Petter Molvær(Norwegian jazz trumpeter), Bruce Springsteen(not a huge fan, but I'm going with my girlfriend and some of her friends), Jethro Tull(second time for me), Gong&Steve Hillage Band and AC/DC. This is turning out to be a great year
Edited by ColonelClaypool - April 24 2009 at 08:51
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With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince.
With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: April 23 2009 at 20:57 |
< ="-" ="text/; =utf-8"> < name="GENERATOR" ="Office.org 3.0 Win32">< ="text/">
Well, after a slow last quarter last
year, this one got off to a mild start at first.
1/3/2009: I was having the hunger for
some new material and several titles I had ordered from CD Universe
arrived -
Jon Anderson, Live From La La Land,
maybe a little too much JA, but a nice collection nevertheless.
Jean Luc-Ponty, The Acatama Experience,
another artist whose latest work I don't find as interesting as it
used to be, still a nice album.
Marillion, Happiness Is The Road –
Essence & The Hard Shoulder, I had promised myself to buy these
in thanks for the free dowload they offered. I don't find them as
interesting as they used to be either, still I keep up with them.
The Penguin Café, Music From the
Penguin Café, now here's a band I first heard many years ago and
this was the album I heard. I had a home made copy of it in my
cassette collection for many years, but hadn't listened to it in
years, totally forgotten. Someone brought up the band in a thread so
I thought it time to get the album as it was new to CD and I had fond
memories. I wasn't disappointed.
1/24/09: Since the last batch didn't
totally satisfy I decided to venture over to my best local option for
an independent brick and mortar CD store, Decatur CD, picked up an
interesting trio -
David Byrne and Brian Eno, Everything
That Happens Will Happen Today, well it's no Bush Of Ghosts, but as
they allowed you to preview it in streaming audio on the web, I knew
what to expect. I tend not to like it when prog artists try to do
the gospel style music that much.
Fripp & Eno, No Pussyfooting, this
was one I was overdue to add to my collection and never did during
the LP age. This version comes with a bonus disc with the tracks run
in alternate fashions like backwards and half speed and they actually
work.
Pat Group Metheny, First Circle, I saw
this in mini-LP format. Hadn't heard it in many years, but liked it
when I bought the LP way back when. Pat's another artist who's still
at it but seems not as inspired as he used to be.
So still not getting turned on by what
I was getting, yet all the music above is decent stuff. Then I
caught some Umphrey's McGee streaming on this site. It sounded
rather interesting so I put in an order from three different sellers
on half.com for three different titles.
1/31/09: Mantis arrives very quickly.
HOLY COW! This album really blew me away and will probably be the
album I remember early 2009 most for.
2/12/09: Even though ordered at the
same time as Mantis, Local Band Does O.K. arrives. Glad I had a few
days to digest Mantis. Another thoroughly enjoyable set of musc.
Anchor Drops never arrives and I have
to put in for a refund. First time that's happened with a half.com
order that I can recall. I did get a Psychedelic Furs (Forever Now)
cassette on an order that I was expecting to be a CD a few years ago.
Umprey's came to Atlanta for two shows
2/19,20. I missed Thursday's one due to my truck breaking down.
When I checked on Friday's, it was sold out. But they like to tour
so I'll be able to see them in person at another time, I'm sure.
3/9/09: A dirt cheap Kansas Power
arrives another half.com mail order. It doesn't really satisfy.
Maybe an U.M. effect. Ordered it mainly for nostalgic reasons. I
have the LP and a promotional poster still hangs on the wall in the
music room that was given out at the long defunct local Turtles
record store chain.
I'm realizing now that I've made a
grave error by not dating my DVD arrivals as I am building up a good
collection of those these days and they are now an important part of
the prog music collecting experience.
As consolation for missing the show(s)
I ordered a couple of U.M. live DVDs from the band's site along with
a couple of t-sh*ts and a sticker for my truck (can we say fan boy?)
which arrived sometime in March.
3/18/09: A freebie courtesy of Prog
Archives and Baku Llama arrives! Just got in on a giveaway. It's
not easy living in the shadow of McGee. I still really haven't given
this one a fair hearing/listening, but I will. Plus I owe them a
review in thanks.
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: February 01 2009 at 09:53 |
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10/18/08:
Crimson Jazz Trio: King Crimson Songbook Volume 1 arrives. One of those ones I got interested in because I hear of it on PA first. If you have a taste for jazz, you'll probably love these reinterpretations of KC pieces.
10/25/08:
Another excursion to the local independent record store results in a couple of scores - Afrocelts: Seed and Brian Eno: Ambient 1Music For Airports. Afrocelts are on Peter Gabriel's Real World label and are pretty much a mixture of African/Celtic Music/Musicians like the name says. Not for everyone, but I'm on my fifth disc with this one. The Eno album is one which I've never added despite being a long time fan of his ambient works. There's also an interesting version by Bang On A Can, which I have had since 2000.
11/30/08:
Someone shared a link to download Steven Wilson's Insurgentes. I didn't get in on the advance order, but will be ordering the next hard copy release when available.
12/26/08:
My sister gave me the only CD gift I got off of a wish list this year, John McLaughlin's Floating Point. It didn't quite live up to the good word I'd read about it on PA. Not bad, yet not great. There seems to be a thing about many musicians who have been around doing great stuff since the '70's or so. They just have a hard time topping what they did before.
Edited by Slartibartfast - April 23 2009 at 19:41
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: January 31 2009 at 06:35 |
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Arrgh, just noticed I hadn’t finished out the rest of the third quarter and here we are on the first of 2009. A blog works best when it’s kept current.
9/3/2008: Mike Oldfield’s The Music Of The Spheres finally arrives. Not bad at all. Kind of reminds me of The Orchestral Tubular Bells except Mike has taken over the orchestral writing, I think. Much better to do an original orchestral piece than the OTB was.
9/6/2008: Since the local used and new independent record store, Ella Guru, relocated away from my area I had to seek out another. Used CD stores around here have come and gone. It’s a shame but they appear to have a hard time being viable. I did find one I had never been to reasonably nearby in downtown Decatur called Decatur CD. Although I get most of my new stuff from the internet it’s still important to show your local independent store(s) some support. While browsing I found Fripp & Eno Beyond Even (1992-2006). Note to self, no one’s added this one to PA yet, need to add and review. Really still need to sit down and listen to it or play it more often as background music. Various Artists/Peter Gabriel Big Blue Ball is one of the four I picked up that I enjoyed the most. Like the F & E, the material spans a period. It’s a nice compilation of some loose Real World Studio stuff. Grappeli, Stephane Live 1992 not prog at all. Released after he died. He’s an old jazz guy and progressive jazzy when he was young and stretched out some in his older years. He has intersected prog particularly with his album with L. Subramaniam, Conversations. Picked this one up for seeing Philip Catherine in the credits. Basic jazz. Pastorius, Jaco Jaco Pastorius (Remaster) I never had this one in my collection though it’s been out for a while and I’ve been a Pastorius fan for a while. Probably because of the album cover. Reminds me a little too much of P. Collins’ Face Value. Could we have some cool progressive art on the cover instead? A nice set of music from a musician who can no longer create due to having moved on. No telling what Jaco would be up to today. Phil still lingers…
9/??/09: Did the free Marillion download. These free downloads are hard to wrap my head around without the tangible hard copy hold in your hands with a lyric booklet and album art. I do like the music but it is overshadowed by what I get next. I vow to actually purchase it to say thanks for the free download.
9/22/08: I had special ordered the new The Reasoning album, Dark Angel. I think this has become one of my favorite 2008 releases that I have experienced. Hasn’t seemed to attract a lot of attention at the PA. Your loss if you don’t check them out.
Edited by Slartibartfast - February 01 2009 at 09:20
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
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Posted: December 07 2008 at 12:08 |
Playing catchup since August, so this is the last six months...
The Pretty Good Years: a Tribute to Tori Amos - as sung by a very good London based singer/songwriter called Jemima Price (see my June post above) - who also produced an album of Kate Bush covers.
Songs of a Goddess: a Tribute to Tori Amos - a collection of Goth and Ethereal covers.
Live at The Hammersmith Apollo London ~ Tori Amos – the lady herself, live.
Some CD replacements of existing vinyls…
In the Land of Grey and Pink ~ Caravan
Still Life: Remastered ~ Van Der Graaf Generator
The Beatles (aka The White Album) [30th Anniversary Edition]
Nocturne ~ Siouxsie And The Banshees
Music from the Body ~ Ron Geesin and Roger Waters
Hatfield and the North ~ Hatfield & The North
Up the Junction ~ Manfred Mann - a soundtrack to a 1960's film from a story by Nell Dunn staring Suzy Kendal, Susan George and Dennis Waterman (who didn't sing the feme, Mike D'Abo did)
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ~ David Bedford
A few oldies that are mine for the first time...
Insane Times: 25 British Psychedelic Artefacts from the EMI Vaults ~ Various Artists
Pinball and Other Stories ~ Brian Protheroe – Pinball was one of the better singles of the 70s – a bit of a one-hit wonder and the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to the same standard.
The First Day ~ David Sylvian and Robert Fripp … odd I never bought this until now – Damage, the live album from this pairing is one of my favourites.
Shapeshifter ~ Gong – after years of searching I’ve finally got a copy of the 4th installment of the Flying Teapot trilogy – what it all means is still a mystery to me, but it’s jolly good fun.
Grand Hotel ~ Procol Harum – never really listened to 70s PH – a pity because I missed out on some damn fine music.
Once Around the World ~ It Bites – okay, I’ll admit it – I like It Bites.
Destiny ~ Sally French –if you judged her by the scant samples that can be found on the interweb you’d writer Sally off as a folky singer/songwriter, but as full-length songs dripping with mellotrons and Gilmour-esque guitar breaks it’s a fine Neo Prog treasure – a ‘lost’ gem.
And the Glass Handed Kites ~ Mew – the more I hear this the less Prog and more Dream-pop it gets.
The Audience ~ Theaudience – her of the rhomboid jaw, not the 70s Prog band
Tiny Colour Movies ~ John Foxx
Nunsexmonkrock ~ Nina Hagen Band
Utah Saints ~ Utah Saints - okay - it's their "Running Up The Hill" cover that attracts me.
some new stuff...
Dandelion Gum ~ Black Moth Super Rainbow – mad as a bucket of monkeys – everyone should hear this.
Ghosts ~ Siobhan Donaghy - the pixie faced one from the Sugarbabes gets all indie-gothic and serious, and fails miserably, but the title track is a killer.
Silence of Another Kind ~ Paatos
Fusion ~ Eilera - I've forgotten this one already - typical female fronted goffic metal, nothing special.
Etarlis ~ Mermaid Kiss – hasn’t actually been delivered yet, but one of the best of the new bread of rock-oriented, female fronted UK Prog bands
Curse of the Laze ~ The Laze excellent eclectic Prog from a band that didn't know they were prog.
UFOsmosis ~ Cyndee Lee Rule - Our very own ViolinCyndee's solo album  The Slip ~ Nine Inch Nails- as far as I am concerned 2008 is Trent Reznor's year - brilliant stuff.
4:13 Dream ~ The Cure … and I’m grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Dark Side ~ Gregorian – featuring a mock-gregorian cover of Aphrodite’s Child’s Four Horsemen … has to be heard to be believed.
Shrouded Divine ~ In Mourning - an excellent Opeth-like Prog Metal album
The Western Lands ~ Gravenhurst - proposed for inclusion here, but failed to get in, however an excellent album released through the wonderful Warp Records.
Insergentes ~ Steven Wilson - not much I can say about this - everything I wanted (and expected) it to be
Continuum ~ Bass Communion & Vidna Obmana - yep - a goodie.
Droneworks ~ Bass Communion - I have no idea how he does it, but this doesn't get boring - very clever stuff.
Pure ~ Pendragon - to be frank, I'd given up in Pendragon after Not Of The World, and for my sins, ignored Believe, but this is simply an amazing album and I may just have to go back and check it out.
And a couple of albums recorded ages ago but only recently given a proper release…
And Finally ~ Scheer – a 4AD post-punk band from the 90s fronted by Audrey Gallagher.
Crystal Tips and Mighty Mice ~ The Photos – fronted by the delectable Wendy Wu, The Photos sung about being a teenager in Birmingham during the post-punk 80s, this is the “lost” Photos album that was shelved by the record company just before the band split up, sadly the production (by Tony Visconti) loses all of the charm and magic of their first studio release.
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