The Best Album by The Psychedelic Ensemble
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Topic: The Best Album by The Psychedelic Ensemble
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Subject: The Best Album by The Psychedelic Ensemble
Date Posted: April 22 2023 at 14:45
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Mysterious one-man band and composer extraordinaire _____ _________, who worked his prog magic late in his career under the pseudonym of "The Psychedelic Ensemble," released six epic masterpieces in the span of the first eleven years of my association with ProgArchives. Do you have a favorite? Which one stands out the most for you (and why)? For me, the subject of his first two albums were both incredibly bold and daring if not as musically mature or winning as his later efforts. In terms of quality of music and presentation, The Tale of the Golden King and The Sunstone are difficult to find fault with. His final release, Mother's Rhymes is as polished and accessible as anything he ever did, but I've always held quite a soft spot for the 2011 release, The Dream of the Magic Jongleur--more for its barrage of multiple songs of quite stunning nature, such as: the pipe organ masterclass that is "The Benefaction of the Noble Wizard," and the virtuosic bass guitar solo piece "Dream and Premonition" as well as the incredibly gorgeous classical guitar duet, "Magicking", while more full-spectrum songs like the Starcastle/Yes-like "The Quest", the Wobbler-like "The Secrets of Your Mind", the Jethro Tull/Ciccada-like "Strange Days", and the album's most impressive and layered near-epic, "The Riddle", offer more complete prog experiences. Each time I revisit The Magic Jongleur I find myself so blown away by TPE's pacing, the spacing used in his compositions and soundscapes while he uses four, five, and more instruments to trade off in the flashy and flamboyant, yet not over-the-top expression of the characteristics and elements of the story themes. The man and his methods may be hidden from us, but I feel so grateful for the music he has left us. ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Replies:
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 22 2023 at 16:53
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Mother's Rhymes (2019) I'm a huge fan. Mother's Rhymes connects with me...the most emotionally. I dug deep into all his albums. All good to great. One of the few artists I pray for. I want him to have a happy life. That said, I feel he may have health problems. So sad. Mother's Rhymes narrates a man walking through Mother's Goose's dark shadows. Emotionally/spiritually mirrors David Bowie's Blackstar. Musically? The sequencing and flow of Mother's Rhymes is resplendent. Mother's Rhymes oozes chamber music, several subgenre's of jazz, and prog. He's got the chops, vision, and ability to supernova. TPE's vocals nostalgically harmonize with Ian Anderson's late 70's vocals Recommend spending a month absorbing his discography. The man can compose!
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Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: April 23 2023 at 01:57
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I have heard three of his albums. I also feel the most connection with Mother's Rhymes. The album covers quite a lot of styles, from singer/songwriter and sometimes pastoral folk to symph and space. ------------- 
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Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 23 2023 at 06:49
Amazing response, Cindy! Wow! Thank you for really honing in! I especially agree with you with the Blackstar comparison and reference RE Mother's Rhymes. The album is haunting. And, yes: the man can compose! Nice of you to pray for him. Not sure the quality of his life right now . . . ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
omphaloskepsis wrote:Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: April 23 2023 at 10:41
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I think "The Tale of the Golden King" is the pinnacle of his work, with "The Sunstone" a close second. His first two ("The Art of Madness" and "The Myth of Dying") were obviously his attempt at getting back into prog after sidelining that genre (mostly jazz/rock) while getting his PhD and teaching classical composition and counterpoint at a major university in the southern US. Those first albums come off sounding a little "neo-proggy", which is why PA put him in that genre, but anyone you really follows his work knows he is a professional classical composer, and his latter works are clearly symphonic prog. What's amazing about his last work, "Mother's Rhymes", is that not only did he do it alone (composition, instrumentals, vocals, recording, mixing, etc), but he did it suffering from an advanced neurological disease. Around the time of that release, he was supposed to do an on-air interview on an internet radio show, but his declining health precluded him from doing so. He's an amazing composer and musician who, I feel, doesn't get the attention he deserves. With his declining health, I seriously doubt we'll get another release from him, but one can hope! ------------- "Instrumental music is an expression that words can never capture." -- Peter Baumann |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 23 2023 at 15:23
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^Thanks for sharing, Mark! Seems we all know little bits and pieces of this wonderful composer/man--and that he's touched each one of us on some deep level. As above, all and only the best wishes, TPE! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 26 2023 at 10:09
| A song by this band just popped up on aural moon (prog online radio). They sound a bit like Yes (or maybe Starcastle). |