Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond

Captain Beyond
Captain Beyond

Capricorn, 1972

Rod Evans - vocals, percussion
Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt - guitars, backing vocals
Lee Dorman - bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Bobby Caldwell - drums, percussion, vocals

1. Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)
2. Armworth
3. Myopic Voic
4. Mesmerization Eclipse
5. Raging River of Fear
6. Thousand Days of Yesterday (Intro)
7. Frozen Over
8. Thousand Days of Yesterday (Time Since Come and Gone)
9. I Can't Feel Nothin' (Part 1)
10. As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves of the Sea)
11. Astral Lady
12. As The Moon Speaks (Return)
13. I Can't Feel Nothin' (Part 2)

Captin Beyond may be one of the most obscure bands of the 70's, but the bands that their members came from certainly weren't. Evans was the original vocalist for Deep Purple (the one that sang on Hush), Reinhardt and Dorman were from Iron Butterfly, and Caldwell played with Johnny Winter. Some call them prog-rock, some call them space-rock, some compare them to the Allman Brothers. But no matter what you call them, they were a talented band, despite their lack of commerical success.

Many of the songs on this album actually merge together to create longer songs. The first set is Dancing Madly Backwards / Armworth / Myopic Void. The songs are full of heavy riffs and odd time signatures, and finishes with a section featuring several guitars with delay, slide, and wah applied to them. The effect is otherworldly, and gives you the feeling of floating into space or into a vision. Mesmerization Eclipspe and Raging River of Fear each stand alone, and both are excellent rockers. The next epic is Thousand Days of Yesterday / Frozen Over / Thousand Days of Yesterday. It starts off with another etheral guitar-based track before launching into two rockers, with similar lyrics to tie them together. The album's finale is I Can't Feel Nothin' / As The Moon Speaks / Astral Lady / As The Moon Speaks / I Can't Feel Nothin'. (I certainly hope they had some other way of naming these songs when they did them live...) Bookended by some of the best rocking tracks on the album, the poetic middle sections compliment it nicely, and the jam in the middle is another great track.

Any fan of the rock of this era, progressive rock, or proto-prog should check this out. These are a excellent musicians performing some amazing songs. I can think of no reason for their failure, other than they were perhaps ahead of their time. Three or four years later, Rush would fuse progressive excess with bluesy hard rock and strike it big.

Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior

Return to Forever
Romantic Warrior

Columbia 1976

Al DiMeola - acoustic and electric guitars
Chick Corea - piano, electric piano, synthsizers
Stanley Clarke - bass guitar
Lenny White - drums, percussion

1. Medieval Overture
2. Sorceress
3. Romantic Warrior
4. Majestic Dance
5. The Magician
6. The Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant: parts I and II

Return to Forever, along with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, was one of the best and one of the most well-known jazz fusion groups of the 70s. Like the other two mentioned above, Return to Forever consisted of several members of Miles Davis's band from the Bitches' Brew era.

The music here is instrumental jazz fusion. The sound is a mixture of progressive rock, classical music, and jazz. It has a very medieval feel to it, as foreshadowed by the album cover and the song titles. The band has massive talent in every position, with each song carrying a display of chops from each member. DiMeola's guitar playing is at a speed that rivals that of neo-classical shredders such as Malmsteen, but his delivery is much more varied and enjoyable. He does it in both clean and distorted tones, and in mostly major keys or modal runs. Corea is on the same level, tearing out brilliant piano runs and a couple of blazing synth solos. Stanley Clarke and Lenny White are a powerful rhythm section, keeping a great beat, rockish in some parts, funky in others, throwing in fills that display their technical ability.

I don't think that there is a bad song on this album. Are songs are impressive and enjoyable, each in their own way. This is one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, jazz fusion album so far.

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

Queensryche
Operation : Mindcrime

Geoff Tate - vocals
Michael Wilton - guitars, backing vocals
Chris DeGarmo - guitars, backing vocals
Eddie Jackson - bass guitar, backing vocals
Scott Rockenfield - drums, percussion
-featuring-
Pamela Moore - lead and backing vocals

1. I Remember Now
2. Anarchy-X
3. Revolution Calling
4. Operation: Mindcrime
5. Speak
6. Spreading the Disease
7. The Mission
8. Suite Sister Mary
9. The Needle Lies
10. Electric Requiem
11. Breaking the Silence
12. I Don't Believe in Love
13. Waiting for 22
14. My Empty Room
15. Eyes of a Stranger

This is the story of a man who hates the government. This is the story of a man who loves drugs. This is the album that launched the entire genre of progressive metal. This is Queensryche. This is quite possibly the most pretentious way I've opened a review. Ever.

This is one of my favorite albums, and in my opinion, one of the best concept albums ever made. All of the musicians are very talented, but the obvious star of the show is Geoff Tate. His vast vocal range is put to its full use, and is complimented perfectly by Pamela Moore. Musically, it is very guitar-driven, with the two guitarists churning out soaring solos, with the occasional bit of wankery thrown in, and heavy rhythms that compliment the angry lyrics. The sound is fairly typical of 80s hair metal, but the lyrics are different, more intelligent. Instead of innuendos that cause eye-rolling and cheesy ballads, you get anti-government sentiment, drugs, and insanity. The story is certainly a very morbid one, and the live performances highlight that. But for those who can enjoy that kind if thing, this album carries a huge payoff.

This album has been in my car almost constantly since I got it, so I can listen to it even when I'm not at home. The story is interesting, but each song is packed with adrenaline and most can stand on their own, regardless of the album's concept. Any fan of 80s rock or progressive metal should have this one.

Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

Frank Zappa
Hot Rats

Rykodisc, 1969

Frank Zappa - guitar, bass, percussion
-featuring-
Captain Beefheart - vocals
Ian Underwood - saxophone, woodwinds, keyboards
Sugarcane Harris - violin
Jean-Luc Ponty - violin
Shuggy Otis - bass
Maz Bennett - bass
John Guerin - drums
Paul Humphrey - drums
Ron Selico - drums

1. Peaches en Regalia
2. Willie the Pimp
3. Son of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. The Gumbo Variations
6. It Must be a Camel

Frank Zappa is, in a word, strange. This, however, is one of his more accessible albums. You won't find anything as dirty as Dina Moe Humm or Bobby Brown (Goes Down) on this one, nor is there anything as silly as Joe's Garage. Most of the album is performed in a style of instrumental jazz fusion, the music technical yet fun at the same time.

The album starts off with the tremendously catchy Peaches en Regalia, but the catchiness is deceiving. The various melody lines weave in and out of each other, creating a complex but simultaneously very enjoyable little song. Next is the only vocal track on the album, Willie the Pimp. The lyrics about being a pimp, sung by Captain Beefheart, are more goofy than offensive, and most of the song's time is spent in a very impressive guitar solo from Zappa. Son of Mr. Green Genes is a long instrumental track with some more great soloing from Zappa, and Little Umbrellas is a short instrumental, but more relaxed than Peaches en Regalia. Next is the 16-minute Gumbo Variations, an amazing jam session between Harris, Zappa, and Underwood. The album ends on another shorter instrumental, It Must be a Camel.

While I don't own anywhere near all of Frank Zappa's extensive catalog, this is probably my favorite album out of what I have. Anyone who wants to hear him play some semi-serious music should check this out, and anyone who is new to Zappa would probably do well to start here, unless they're seeking Zappa out for his more humorous and sexual side.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Birds of Fire

Columbia, 1973

John McLaughlin - 6 string electric guitar, 12 string electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Jerry Goodman - violin
Jan Hammer - piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer
RIck Laird - bass guitar
Billy Cobham - drums, percussion

1. Birds of Fire
2. Miles Beyond
3. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters
4. Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love
5. Thousand Island Park
6. Hope
7. One Word
8. Sanctuary
9. Open Country Joy
10. Resolution

Mahavishnu Orchestra was one of the first and most prominent jazz fusion bands, and one of several made up of musicians who had backed Miles Davis in the past.

The album gets off to a powerful start with Birds of Fire. Leading off with an ominous riff, McLaughlin and Goodman play the song's main theme in unison, and then everyone jumps back to give McLaughlin a blistering hot guitar solo (or two). While the music is technically called jazz fusion, these guys knew how to rock with the best of them. I can't see a fan of Jimi Hendrix not being able to get into that title track. Even on the slower numbers such as MIles Beyond and Thousand Island Park the various members of the band, especially McLaughlin, get the chance to show off their chops. The longest piece on the album, One Word is one of my favorites. It starts off with a lengthy bass solo over a jazzy and slowly advancing crescendo in the background. It then launches into what may be my favorite moment of the album, a three-way-duel between McLaughlin's doubleneck guitar, Hammer's Moog synth, and Goodman's electric violin with wah-wah. One again, while their playing jazz music, they style clearly says "ROCK!" (Sorry, I had to.) Cobham takes a long drum solo. This is the weak point on the song, even though he's very talented. I mainly say that because drum solo's usually work better in a live setting. After that you get the dark, brooding Sanctuary to cool you down, and the relaxing, but no less impressive, Open Country Joy.

This is a great album, and I can see fans of jazz fusion, jazz in general, or rock bands like The Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd at least appreciating some of this music. Guitarists should also hear this one, as John McLaughlin earns himself a slot in the list of bests guitarists, and proves that, sadly, he is overlooked far more than he should be.

Styx - Kilroy Was Here

Styx
Kilroy Was Here

A&M 1983

Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, vocals
Tommy Shaw - guitar, vocals
James Young - guitar, vocals
Chuck Panozzo - bass, vocals
John Panozzo - drums, vocals

1. Mr. Roboto
2. Cold War
3. Don't Let It End
4. High Time
5. Heavy Metal Poisoning
6. Just Get Through This Night
7. Double Life
8. Haven't We Been Here Before?
9. Don't Let It End (Reprise)

When I listened to this one so I could get familiar with it and review it, I made sure to use headphones the entire time. Not because listening to this through headphones produces interesting effects, but because I didn't want anyone to catch me listening to this. If that doesn't suffice, feel free to read on.

The whole album has the feel of a Broadway musical trying to "rock out" and failing miserably. Mr. Roboto starts things off, and sets the bar for cheesiness very high right off the bat. Cold War isn't too bad, but at one of the best songs on the album, it doesn't rise above mediocre. It is immediately followed by Don't Let It End, which is easily the worst song on the album. It rises above the standard for cheesiness set earlier by Mr. Roboto by a mile, and one can't help but feel relief when it is over. It wasn't even necessary, as I can't figure out for the life of me how it fits into the story. The instrumental sections of Heavy Metal Poisoning are actually pretty good, but the silly vocals allow that song to shoot itself in the foot. The album comes to a very fitting and very bad conclusion with a reprise of Don't Let It End.

It's a shame that this album was so bad, considering that the Orwellian storyline had a lot of potential to be interesting. It was actually said story that drove me to try this album. The execution, however, was god-awful. Don't get me wrong, I think Styx did some very good music. It just wasn't here.

Jethro Tull - Songs From The Wood

Jethro Tull
Songs from the Wood

Mobile Fidelity - 1977

Ian Anderson - vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, whistles
Martin Barre - electric guitar, lute
John Evan - piano, organ, synthesizers
David Palmer - piano, organ, synthesizers
John Glascock - bass guitar, vocals
Barriemore Barlow - drums, percussion, marimba, glockenspiel, flute

1. Songs from the Wood
2. Jack-in-the-Green
3. Cup of Wonder
4. Hunting Girl
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells
6. Velvet Green
7. The Whistler
8. Pibroch (Cap in Hand)
9. Fire at Midnight

As far as Jethro Tull goes, this was definitely the most talented band they put together. Barlow and Glascock are a powerful rhythm section that can easily take the lead whenever they please. Ian Anderson is as multi-talented as ever, and the dual keyboardists create a lush sound that is never overbearing.

The album gets off to a brilliant start with its title track. Songs from the Wood opens with great vocal harmonies. On the album, Anderson did all the parts himself, but in live versions the rest of the band would get up and move to the mics to sing with him. And they would do a great job, you can barely tell the difference. The song reaches orchestra heights in its middle section, and Barre tears out a riff that would have been right at home in a Led Zeppelin song. Another high point is Cup of Wonder, a great song with no solos that stand out in my mind, but a beautiful and catchy piece of teamwork from the band. Hunting Girl features Anderson's sexually-tinged lyrics and Barre uses his guitar-synth pedal to great effect. The middle section has more Led Zeppelin-esque riffing, doubled up with Anderson's flute. Ring Out, Soltice Bells is a nice song, and earned itself a place on their Christmas album. The Whistler is another catchy song, the chorus gets me into it every time. It's short, but very fun to listen to. Velvet Green and Pibroch (Cap in Hand) are the two "epics" on this album, both are rather keyboard heavy. Anderson's lyrics on Velvet Green are, once again, full of innuendo, and Pibroch features some excellent bluesy work from Barre, bookending the organ-filled and blatantly British melancholy song. The album comes to a close with the balled Fire at Midnight and I enjoy this one very much. It makes a suiting end to the album.

This is one of my favorite Jethro Tull albums. Songs from the Wood is not as excessive, or blatantly progressive as some of their earlier albums, but is a great piece of unique folk-rock played by the best musicians the band ever had. They are truly in their element, and the album shines for it.

King Crimson - Red

King Crimson
Red

EG 1974

Robert Fripp - guitars, Frippertronics, Mellotron
John Wetton - bass guitar, vocals
Bill Bruford - drums, percussion
-featuring-
David Cross - violin
Mel Collins - soprano saxophone
Ian McDonald - alto saxophone
Robin Miller - oboe
Marc Charig - cornet

1. Red
2. Fallen Angel
3. One More Red Nightmare
4. Providence
5. Starless

King Crimson is an amazing and vary influential band. This album comes from one of my favorite era of King Crimson, and is actually my favorite of that era.

Red is one of two instrumental tracks on this album, and Robert Fripp makes his presence known right out of the gate with this one. Ominous riffs backed by a fierce rhythm section that combines Wetton's aggression and Bruford's precision perfectly. Fallen Angel is almost a straightforward rock ballad, until the Mellotron flares up and the various horn-playing guests launch into blistering solos. One More Red Nightmare is another straightforward piece, with a powerful bassline and John Wetton letting out his amazing trademark vocals. Providence is a four-piece improv, the only song on the album to feature former KC member David Cross. This was probably recorded during the Starless and Bible Black era and they just waited until this album to release it. It's less aggressive than the rest of the album, having a creepy atmosphere in places. This is probably the weakest track on the album, but it's certainly not terrible. The best song is the next and last song, Starless. It was a staple for their live performances at the time. It starts off with a moody slow section with dark, introspective lyrics, and a tension building instrumental section before the band lets it rip full blast. The song reprises its intro, but in a more powerful form to give the song a dramatic close.

This is probably my favorite King Crimson album, and it comes with a hearty recommendation from yours truly. For those looking to get into 70s-era King Crimson, this is probably a good place to start.

Kansas - Song For America

Kansas
Song for America

Kirshner, 1974

Steve Walsh - keyboards, vocals
Kerry Livgren - guitar, keyboards
Rich Williams - guitar
Robby Steinhardt - violin, vocals
Dave Hope - bass guitar
Phil Ehart - drums

1. Down the Road
2. Song for America
3. Lamplight Symphony
4. Lonely Street
5. The Devil Game
6. Incomudro: Hymn to the Atman

Kansas was easily the most famous American progressive rock band of the 70s, playing symphonic rock in the vein of Yes and Genesis. This album is split between two types of songs, Walsh's straightfoward rockers and Livgren's progressive symphonies.

The album starts off with Down the Road, one of Walsh's rocker, this one about a drug dealer. It makes use of bluesy organ fills and dual lead guitars, something Boston and their like would soon make use of, but it is used to its full glory on this album. Song for America is the album's best song, and possibly Kansas's best song. It's a great piece of symphonic progressive rock, with lyrics lamenting the destruction of the natural world in favor of one more "civilized," with amazing keyboard, violin, and guitar work throughout. It's followed by Lamplight Symphony, a song about a man being comforted by the ghost of his dead lover. It's melodramatic and the lyrics border on cheesy, but I still love this song. It's another progressive piece, and the instrumental work is every bit on par with that on Song for America, or anything on Yes's Fragile album. Lonely Street is another one of Walsh's songs, a dark blues number about a man who kills another man for raping his woman. The progressive rock isn't entirely absent though, as this is not a typical blues progression by any means, the time signature is way off standard (I think it's 11/8, according to one of my friends, but I'm not entirely sure.) The guitar work is brilliant, and it stands as the hardest-rocking song on the album. The Devil Game is another one of Walsh's songs. It's not bad by any means, actually it's very catchy if the Christianized lyrics don't bother you (I'm not a Christian, and they don't bother me) but comes off as a bit mediocre, partially from having to follow Lonely Street. Incomudro: Hymn to the Atman is another one of Livgren's progressive songs, but this one isn't as good as Song for America or Lamplight Symphony. It features a decent drum solo, although I get the idea he could have done much better, and finishes in a literal explosion (this happens a lot with the music I listen to....), a fitting conclusion for an album of this magnitude.

This is an amazing album. Those only familiar with Kansas's radio songs should give this a listen to hear them at their best. Fans of progressive rock and classic rock in general could definitely appreciate this. And a lot of the former probably have already heard it.

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Massive Attack
Mezzanine

Virgin, 1998

Robert Del Naga (3D) - vocals, keyboards, samples
Grant Marshall (Daddy G) - vocals, keyboards, samples
Andrew Vowles (Mushroom) - keyboards, samples
-featuring-
Horace Andy - vocals
Elizabeth Frasier - vocals
Sara Jay - vocals
Angelo Bruschini - guitars
John Harris - bass
Bob Locke - bass
Winston Blissett - bass
Andy Gangadeen - drums

1. Angel
2. Risingson
3. Teardrop
4. Inertia Creeps
5. Exchange
6. Dissolved Girl
7. Man Next Door
8. Black Milk (appears on some versions with a sample removed, and entitled "Black Melt" instead)
9. Mezzanine
10. Group Four
11. [Exchange]

This one might come as a bit of a surprise, as it is a trip-hop album, and most people probably wouldn't expect me to post something like this. But I decided that, while I was dropping the closed-mindedness toward modern music, that I would drop the bias toward anything resembling rap on three conditions: that they speak so I can understand them, that they use real instruments instead of just sampling other bands' music, and that they not just talk about how "badass" or how "gangsta" they are. Since Massive Attack meets all three of those on here, I decided to give it a try. And was pleasantly surprised, and I've been listening to this one a lot since I got it.

The drum beats represent hip-hop beats, but they are rather reserved, and the sound is washed with atmospheric keyboard tones and a funky bassline that is played unexpectedly slow. The main vocalists are usually rapping, but one of them (I think it's 3D) sings sometimes, and dream female vocals are rather prominent. The heavier sections feature dissonant, but not painful, rock guitars and several of the songs go into instrumental breaks that last a minute or more. As for the lyrics, many times they don't seem to make a lot of sense, but being a progressive rock fan, that doesn't really bother me too much.

So my verdict is, that if you're willing to not shut out an entire genre because its more popular examples are absolutely terrible, you might want to check this one out. These guys put on a very respectable performance. If the hip-hop genre as a whole was like this, you'd probably find me listening to quite a bit of it.

Tool - 10,000 Days

For years, I dismissed Tool as "another bad modern headbanger band" without even having heard them, because I had a terribly closed mind towards new music. And it's a shame I wasted all that time on that mindset, because I missed out on some amazing music.

The music is heavy, with odd time signatures, polyrythms, and long jams on guitar. There is an obvious influence from the Larks-Red era of King Crimson, but the sound is not derivative. They have a very modern sound (although that era of King Crimson manages to avoid sounding dated quite well) and are very original and unique. Vicarious kicks the album off with a balls-to-the-wall start, and it doesn't let up. Keenan uses something he calls a "pipe-bomb microphone" on Jambi (from what I can tell, it's a guitar pickup inside a tube, although I'm sure there's more to it than that.) Next is the album's epic (although half of these songs have enough length to qualify for that title,) the Wings for Marie/10,000 Days suite. It's heavy and darkly mellow in all the right places, and doesn't get old even though it stretches out to nearly 20 minutes. After that comes the album's hit single The Pot with its convoluted bassline, executed with amazing precision. The rest of the album isn't quite as strong as the first half, although Rosetta Stoned is a great song. And that's not to say that the second half is not good, that's just saying that the first half is really hard to compete with.

This album comes highly recommended for fans of King Crimson, and fans of heavier rock in general. If complex timing and metal turn you off though, stay away from this one.

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

Rhino, 1970

Keith Emerson - organ, piano, Moog synth
Greg Lake - vocals, bass, guitar
Carl Palmer - drums, percussion

1. The Barbarian
2. Take a Pebble
3. Knife Edge
4. The Three Fates: Clotho/Lachesis/Atropos
5. Tank
6. Lucky Man

This one's a classic album by a legendary band. Very rarely is a debut album as powerful as this one. The album kicks off with a full-band instrumental, The Barbarian. It has some great fuzzed-out riffs from Lake and some great playing from Emerson. The next one, Take a Pebble is meant as a showcase for Lake, with wistful vocals, poetic lyrics, and a lengthy acoustic guitar solo in the middle. Emerson gets his licks in too with excellent piano work. The next track, Knife Edge is an aggressive song that rocks as much as anything can rock. Lake's voice is a cannon on this one, and Emerson rips out organ solos that would make Jon Lord proud. Next is Emerson's showcase, The Three Fates. It features three sections: organ, piano solo, and piano trio. Next is Tank, another full-band instrumental. This one was seemingly meant to showcase Palmer, with heavily aggressive drumming and a drum solo section. The album ends with the hit single, Lucky Man. They put on a great performance to close out a strong album. This is a good place to start with ELP, and while each album in their main sequence had at least one track better than anything on this one (with the exception of one album), this one's a very strong album, especially considering it was their first.

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Genesis
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Charisma, 1974

Peter Gabriel - lead vocals, flute, oboe, tambourine
Tony Banks - keyboards
Steve Hackett - guitars
Mike Rutherford - bass guitar, twelve string guitar
Phil Collins - drums, percussion, vocals

1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
2. Fly on a Windshield
3. Broadway Melody of 1974
4. Cuckoo Cocoon
5. In the Cage
6. The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging
7. Back in N.Y.C.
8. Hairless Heart
9. Counting Out Time
10. Carpet Crawlers
11. The Chamber of 32 Doors

1. Lilywhite Lilith
2. The Waiting Room
3. Anyway
4. Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist
5. The Lamia
6. Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats
7. The Colony of Slippermen (The Arrival/ A Visit to the Doktor/ Raven)
8. Ravine
9. The Light Dies Down on Broadway
10. Riding the Scree
11. In the Rapids
12. It

This is an album that creates fanatics everywhere it is heard, the legend from Gabriel-era Genesis. The double-concept album by which they will forever be remembered. An album of very strange concept. To state it in its most literal state, the protagonist, Rael, is swept into a strange land where he has some odd visions, has a sexual experience with three lamia, turns into a slipperman, has his penis cut off and then chases the bird who steals it. He stops his chase to pull his brother from a river, but finds his own body instead. Now of course there's some (okay, a lot of) symbolism here, and Gabriel has said it's really about finding a part of himself. I won't analyze it here, because these guys have said everything I could possibly tell you, and done so a lot more.... thoroughly.

Musically, the album has some amazing high points. The first five tracks are all stellar, some of the best work Genesis ever recorded. However, this albums grand scale is also its weakness. It spans a little over 90 minutes, and it's very difficult to create a work that long that is solid throughout. There are several tracks that come off as space-filler, the instrumentals, to anyone who knows anything about Peter Gabriel, probably seem like they were put in so he could have time to change outlandish costumes. For the most part, they are rather pretty and well-played, although the experimental Waiting Room wears thin quickly. And others suffer from the cheesiness that Peter Gabriel occasionally inflicted on the music of Genesis by trying to be "whimsical" or do vocal impressions. However, this is certainly not a bad album, just an uneven one. The first five tracks are all amazing, as are the last few tracks. Carpet Crawlers and The Lamia are both good as well, and Counting Out Time is very catchy, albeit creepy in places.

As a final verdict, I feel this album ranks at #3 in the lineup of Genesis albums. While it's uneven, it's high places soar beautifully.

Gentle Giant - Acquiring The Taste

Gentle Giant
Acquiring the Taste

Vertigo 1971

Derek Shulman - alto sax, clavichord, cowbell, lead vocals
Phil Shulman - alto and tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, claves, piano, maracas, lead vocals
Ray Shulman - bass guitar, violin, viola, electric violin, organ bass pedals, nylon string guitar, vocals, skulls, tambourine
Gary Green - six string guitar, twelve string guitar, donkey's jawbone, cat calls, vocals
Kerry Minnear - lead vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, celeste, clavichord, harpsichord, tambourine, maracas, vibraphone, timpani
Martin Smith - drums, tambourine, gong, side drum
-featuring-
Paul Kosh - organ, trumpet
Tony Visconti - recorder, bass drum, triangle

1. Pantagruel's Nativity
2. Edge of Twilight
3. The House, the Street, the Room
4. Acquiring the Taste
5. Wreck
6. The Moon is Down
7. Black Cat
8. Plain Truth

Gentle Giant is a band that gets two extreme opinions out of most people. They are certainly very talented musicians, and take the idea of making complex rock music to its most extreme. This causes some people to love them, and some to hate them. I personally think that most of the time they make very good music, with a tendency to go overboard at times on complexity. And as for this album, I promise it's better than its cover.

The album starts off with Pantagruel's Nativity, one of my favorite songs on the album. It opens with a synth line that invokes thoughts of the sun rising. Kerry Minnear's soft, high voice contributes vocals and the song settles into various solos over a horn riff. Edge of Twilight is a shorter song featuring more of Minnear's vocals. The House, the Street, the Room is a heavier song and has Derek Shulman on lead vocals instead. At times his voice can get very grating, but he does okay on this song. The song's middle section is jazzy, with a lot of piano and saxophone, until Green comes in with a blistering guitar solo. One of the most interesting songs on this album though is Wreck. I hear it often criticized as too simple and monotonous, a lame attempt to be heavy. (These same people later complain that Gentle Giant has a habit of being too prissy and gentile at times. I wish they'd make up their mind.) Personally, I absolutely love Wreck. It's got the the lyrics of a pirate song, and a Black Sabbath-like riff you can almost headbang to. If this doesn't prove that Gentle Giant can rock with the best of them whenever they want to, I don't know what does. Black Cat is where they all get out the instruments that are non-standard to rock music and jam away, with a very dark, slinky feel to it. Plain Truth is another heavier, more straightforward song, with the electric guitar and violin layed on thick.

This is a very good album, but would probably not be the best place to start with Gentle Giant. While they would eventually put out better, this is Gentle Giant at their heaviest and darkest.

Genesis - Wind and Wuthering

Genesis
Wind and Wuthering

Atco, 1976

Phil Collins - vocals, drums, percussion
Tony Banks - keyboards
Mike Rutherford - bass
Steve Hackett - guitars

1. Eleventh Earl of Mar
2. One for the Vine
3. Your Own Special Way
4.Wot Gorilla?
5. All in a Mouse's Night
6. Blood on the Rooftops
7. a. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
b. In that Quiet Earth
8. Afterglow

This album is an interesting one in the Genesis catalogue. As is clearly stated above, Peter Gabriel was not in the band when this album was recorded. However, I think people jump to conclusions when they say that Phil Collins ruined everything. His pop career did lead to a big decline in Genesis's music, but not while Steve Hackett was around to keep him in check. And this is certainly part of the prog period of Genesis.

The album opens with two "epics," taking up nearly a whole side of a record between the two of them. Eleventh Earl of Mar and One for the Vine kick this album off to a great start. Phil Collins does not have a bad voice at all (he only chose to use it for evil purposes during the 80s) and when the instrumental section on One for the Vine kicks in, you can't tell it apart from the Gabriel-era music of Genesis in the least. Wot Gorilla? is a fusiony-sounding instrumental, and while I've never heard any of the work Phil Collins did with the fusion band Brand-X, I've heard this song compared to it quite often. To me, it sounds like something that the Mahavishnu Orchestra might have done circa-Birds of Fire, but somewhat less aggressive. The bell intro reminds me a bit of Lark's Tongues in Aspic, part 1 by King Crimson, but the music that follows does not. All in a Mouse's Night is where things get so proggy as to be cheesy, with the melodramatic opening and the cartoonish verse music. This story of a mouse taking a walk at night and trying to escape the cat and the humans has its charm though, and I don't count it as a bad song, just a bit of fun that I have to be in the right mood for. Next is Blood on the Rooftops, one of my favorite songs on this album, if not my absolute favorite on this album. One of my favorite Genesis songs overall, really. I'd love to learn to play this one. It starts off with a beautiful acoustic guitar intro and leads into melancholy but pretty singing, with lush string-synth keyboards. A very emotional song, and a great success from Genesis. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers and In that Quiet Earth are an amazing instrumental working, once again having a bit of a fusion feel to them. The album ends with the relaxing song Afterglow, which is similar in feel to Your Own Special Way, but while those are the weakest songs on the album, they aren't terrible, and Afterglow works well to ease the listener out of the album.

Hopefully, anyone who thinks Phil Collins is the devil will give this one a try and change their mind. Looking back, it was Steve Hackett's departure that changed their sound for the worse, not Peter Gabriel's. While those interested in Genesis's prog era shouldn't necesarily start here, this is my 2nd favorite album from Genesis.

Steve Vai - Real Illusions: Reflections

Steve Vai
Real Illusions: Reflections

Red Ink, 2005

Steve Vai - vocals, guitars, keyboards
Billy Sheehan - bass
Jeremy Colson - drums, percussion
-featuring-
Gregg Bissonette - percussion
Jerry Hey - trumpet
Gary Grant - trumpet
Dan Higgins - saxophone
Larry Williams - saxophone
Bill Reichenbach - trombone
Charlie Loper - trombone
Stacey Ellis - backing vocal
Metropole Orkest, Dick Bakker conductor - orchestra
Brian Beller - bass
Chris Opperman - piano
Pia Vai -harp
Fire Vai - speaking
Laurel Fishman - speaking
Ruby Birman - speaking
Len Birman - speaking
Jeff Mallard - speaking
Michael Mesker - speaking
Thomas Nordegg - speaking

1. Building the Church
2. Dying for your Love
3. Glorious
4. K'm-Pee-Du-Wee
5. Firewall
6. Freak Show Excess
7. Lotus Feet
8. Yai Yai
9. Midway Creatures
10. I'm Your Secrets
11. Under It All

This is not the shred-solo album one would probably expect from the name Steve Vai. It is an instrumental concept album, part one of three. The concept is difficult to follow because, while Steve has explained the part of the narrative that each song corresponds to in the liner notes, the songs are intentionally out of order. However, what we know so far is that Captain Drake Morgan experiences a spiritual epihpany and an angel named Pamposh builds a giant church named "Under It All." Doesn't make much sense to me either. But I'm expecting that it will eventually.

There are a couple technical displays on this album, mainly in Building the Church and in Freak Show Excess. But that isn't the point of this album. Instead, he focuses on evoking atmospheres and emotions with his playing. I've always considered Steve Vai to be one of the more tasteful shredders, and it shows on this album. There's enough "wankery" to impress and remind you who you're dealing with, but it's made more effective by the way he holds back most of the time. He also does quite a bit of singing on this album, as Dying for your Love, Firewall, I'm Your Secrets, and Under It All are all based around lyrics. I personally think Steve has a great voice, perfectly on key and knowing to stay within his limits (no doubt this is due to his having perfect pitch.)

All in all, I think this is a great album. There are many who say it's the worst thing he's ever done. The key is to approach with an open mind. This is not necessarily a guitar hero album, despite the large quantity of instrumental tracks and amazing guitar playing. The flashy solos take a back seat to the songwriting, and if you're willing to accept that, hopefully you can enjoy this album as much as I do. (Just as a warning though, my idol as a guitarist is Steve Vai, so there may be some bias playing in here.)

Soft Machine - Third

Soft Machine
Third

Columbia, 1970

1. Facelift
2. Slightly All The Time
3. Moon In June
4. Out-Bloody-Rageous

Robert Wyatt - vocals, drums, percussion
Hugh Hopper - bass guitar
Mike Ratelidge - piano, organ, keyboards
Elton Dean - saxophone
-featuring-
Rab Spall - violin
Lyn Dobson - flute, saxophone
Nick Evans - trombone
Jimmy Hastings - flute, bass clarinet


This is the album that defined Soft Machine, as well as the entire sub-genre of Canterbury fusion. Being as legendary as it is, I was a bit disappointed when I finally heard it. The music is well-played, but the songs seem to wander around without knowing where to go, and are extended way more than they needed to be.

Facelift is entirely improvised, and it shows. While there is a lot of excellent playing in this track, it sounds more like 3 or 4 different pieces stuck together than it does a single song. It is my least favorite track on the album because it is the noisiest and the most padded-out.
Slightly All The Time has a lot of horns soloing, with a bouncy bassline backing them up. It feels a little more structured than Facelift, with the different sections being somewhat segued into each other. Now, onto my favorite track on the album.
Moon In June is the only song that features vocals. And there a lot of of people who don't like Wyatt's vocals. He has a blatant British accent, and he also has a lisp. He retains both when he is singing. It makes his voice very... unique. Personally, I like his singing on this album, although there are a lot of people who don't care for it at all. The only musicians performing on this track are the basic trio that makes up Soft Machine, and they all put on a very good showcase of their talents, with great organ work, excellent "lead guitar" from the bass, and some very agressive drumming during some of the instrumental sections. However, this one could have done with some trimming, mainly in the later sections. This song didn't need to be any longer than 10-12 minutes, and a lot of the incoherent jamming and noise at the end could have been removed with no real loss of content. Nonetheless it's an excellent song, one of my favorites.
Out-Bloody-Rageous is the best of the three instrumental tracks, with the aural wall of keyboards at the beginning and end. However, this part lasts much longer than it needs to, going from interesting to ambient to annoying. The jazzy horn section and the organ solo are both excellent, though.

So while I may feel that this album is a bit overrated (as most any "legendary" album tends to be,) any fan of fusion or the Canterbury Scene would find plenty to enjoy here. (As a side note, a friend of mine pointed out that this is my first review that doesn't involve a creepy
album cover.)