Happy Belated Birthday!

I guess with all my current stress and workload I have been negligent to this blog, and forgot his 2nd birthday! Well! Happy Birthday to us! After 2 years of praise and complaints, this blog is still (sorta) alive... I will definitely be back... please be patient with me =)

Sorry bout the delays =)

Howdy Everyone,

I have returned, but classes start next week. So, as usual updates may be a little slow.
In other news, I've been pretty busy.

I saw Umphreys McGee with STS-9 as well as Return To Forever with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, which were both fantastic shows
I'll keep Blogging, as you guys keep Progging! =D (and pooing? XD )

Phish - Rift REUP

Phish's Rift, while not always considered their best studio album, does a good job of portraying their progressive and "arty" spirit. This truly is a progressive album, and a showcase into the different ways progressive music can go. The title track and opener Rift does a great job of exposing Anastasio's remarkable guitar playing, as well as being a fantastic opener, somewhat reminiscent of the opening number of a broadway musical (Thats what I saw anyway) Fast Enough is a weird almost Country sounding slow temp jam that is interesting, but probably won't scratch any prog heads itches. Maze is another highlight of this album. It carries through with some impressive guitar work and somewhat catchy vocals ("You'll never get out of this maze!") Also some interesting organ/keyboard (?) that really livens up the track and carries with the hook. As always Mike Gordon lays down the bass line like its nobodys business and all is good in this progressive jam. Sparkle is a simple upbeat happy song, and is fun, but not a real serious piece.
The album continues to Horn, a strange song about a car horn (?) which continues into some slow tempo guitar work and then returns to its original line for a final line of vocals. The Wedge is another fun piece filled with some funky rhythms and somewhat nonsensical lyrics (they make sense...sort of "I'm building you a pyramid with lime stone blacks so large, I drag them from the mountaintop, you'll need a two car garage")
My Friend, My Friend is another highlight that starts off nice and soothing, but quickly takes a turn into a somewhat evil sounding, yet still somehow upbeat rhythm. The lyrics are somewhat strange, but seem perfect for the rhythms going on alongside the music. Almost a latent threat, the lyrics both give off an almost evil intent, but without evil action...That probably makes NO sense whatsoever, but maybe you'll understand what I mean if you listen to it.
Weigh is a funky jazz jam that really sound tight, and then really weird lyrics ("I'd like to cut your head off so I could weigh it, what do ya say? Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds") It continues in this quirky manner for most of the remainder of the song, and does not delve quite into the jazz jam it could of from the beginning.
All Things Reconsidered is a very short jazz diddy (whatever that means) that almost takes a carnival feel. Mound is an upbeat lyrical piece and thats all I have to say about that.
It's Ice is definitely a progressive song...
Well I'm gonna stop there... If you want a fun album by a group of people who are having fun with what they are doing, and making somefantastic music, this is an album for you. If you are looking for some straight pretentious "art" then you should probably look away, you will not find what you're looking for. This is an album for the prog fan who wants to listen to some fun, toungue in cheek (almost zappa esque humor) music

Caravan - Cunning Stunts REUP

Basically same comment as below... =D

Caravan - Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's REUP

Though certainly not as good as a "Waterloo Lily" or "In The Land" Blind Dog, (and Cunning Stunts, which'll be next) offer a different view from a seminal Canterbury band. Fans of Canterbury should definitely look into these albums, as they do certainly have some fun and interesting songs (Bass line on Jack and Jill is always good =D )

John Hartford - Aereoplain REUP

This is a most fantastic "New-Grass" album from John Hartford and is nearly impossible to find nowadays. If you even REMOTELY enjoy listening to bluegrass, than I'm sure you will enjoy this album. Considering how quickly it was deleted last time, I suggest you act quick!

moe. - Wormwood REUP

I just wrote a nice long writeup of this in February, so I'm not gonna waste my time =/
Fantastic crossover album from prog to jam, with some nice improvisation as well as jazzy and rock(y?) rhythms and beats. worth a listen, if you like all or some of it, it might open you up to a whole bunch of music =D

Just a few more reups to do (I'm not reupping everything, just things people have actually asked me to) and then I'll begin posting new albums with new, longer write ups. (I might even rip some vinyls if I find something good ;-) )
-Tehan

Supertramp - Crime of The Century REUP

Just a quick post before i go to bed =) .
This is still my favorite Supertramp album (not that they've released a new album since I originally posted this) and is definitely an album worth listening to. Every song in this album fits, and thats something that a number of bands struggle with, especially on a more "mainstream" album like this. It has the "poppiness" and song structure as a regular non prog album, ie, relatively short, concise songs with lyrics and a chorus, etc, but it makes sense as a prog album. It feels right, and thats not something that comes around everyday. Anyway, if what I just wrote makes any sense whatsoever (I am a bit tired, so it may not) or even if it doesn't, this album is definitely worth a download...

Jethro Tull - Stand Up REUP

Stand Up is one of, if not my favorite Tull album. It's fantastic combination of jazz and folk meld into a great album filled with great songs. Definitely worth getting!

I've begun to come back to reupping and will soon have new posts...
Thanks for being so patient!
-Tehan

moe. - Wormwood

I know, Posts have been coming alot more slowly, and this is probably going to continue at least until the summer months. I'm still running this blog, trying to reup things, so just be aware of that.


Anyway, on to the album. In case you haven't noticed, this blog is starting to shift focus from the genius prog starters to newer jam based prog. I'm doing this because in all honestly, I started with that prog because i believe it is a necessity for any progressive rock listener. I don't think any prog rock fan is really a prog rock fan without a copy of Tarkus =D Anyway, I'm now going to try to broaden the horizons of listeners with music that I truly believe carries on the spirit of progessive rock. Now trust me, I don't like every jam band that comes along here. THis is what I believe to be the real prog jam. Hell, Umphrey's Mcgee's Anchor Drops is on the top 100 jazz rock albums on prog archives!.


Now! To this album!!
Wormwood is not a standard run of the mill studio album. To convey the true nature of their improvisational spirit, moe. recorded a live album and then continued to tweak it in the studio afterwards. What come out is a studio quality album with the feeling of a live album. I believe that this album captures this spirit and has some great tracks out of it. The album opens with Not Coming Down a standard opener, pretty standard rock fair. This is followed by Wormwood, a slow rock jam that sortof conveys what to expect. This leads right into Okayalright A fun rock song with alittle southern guitar shredding to close the track and delve into a quick trippy Rumble Strip. Gone is a sweet ballad, fun to listen to, but not all that "Progressive" Although the second half is quite a nice jam. Of course another quick interlude with Organs to lead us into Crab Eyes a true guitar shredder track and where the album REALLY starts to pick up. This album reminds me strangely of Rush, if Rush were a reggae group. Not that this is reggae, but its totally how I imagine Rush playing Marley covers XD. Then Bullet...I love Bullet. This song has a synthseizer and guitar section worty of ELP. Not that it sounds anything at all like ELP, but its worthy. For some reason this reminds me of Ghostbusters. I really can't place it though. Bullet really just feels RIGHT. Its the sound that this album was trying to achieve. It has the sense of improv with complete mastery over balance and electronics. IT slowly lets the synthesizers crawl up until what seems like a battle for control between guitar and synth in a great ending guitar line. Anyway, enough about that ONE SONG. The best part is that the album isn't over, and has more stuff to hurl at you. Kyle's Song is also a highlight. Its another song that fits in the album perfectly.
Well then, I suggest giving this album a try. Definately gotta listen straight through it though, so devote an hour or so. If you enjoy it, No Doy and Tin Cans and Car Tires are even better albums.

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) - The Big Eyeball in The Sky

This is another album which will be probably be disputed as to whether or not it is prog. I see NO way this is not Progressive Rock, and an incredibly fine example of it as well. This album is a collection of great musicians, headed by the great bass man Les Claypool. The album opens with a song about the guitarist Buckethead, telling his story in a song filled with fun riffs and some great guitar work from Buckethead. This is a great beginning and shows you what they can do, and will do, later in the album. This track is followed by "Thai Noodles", a quirky song about a man who apparently loves Thai Noodles... "Tyranny Of The Hunt" is another weird bass driven song with some interesting guitar and synthesizer work. In my opinion, the album really starts to shine on the next track, "Elephant Ghost" Which is a very nice long piece, that lets C2B3 show what they can really do. There is some fine bass and guitar work, as well as fine percussion and keyboards (which is consistently great throughout) The Synth lines add a bit of a transistion as the slow tempo jam continues. "Junior" is great Les Claypool quirkiness, and thats pretty self explanatory for claypool fans. "Scott Taylor" has synth lines that sound almost like what would happen if ELP went metal (not that this album is metal) The title track is a weird bass driven with standard fare Claypool lyrics. Jackalope sounds like something out of Oysterhead, but is quite fun nonetheless. It has some great keyboard work, and is more of a jazzy song then what is shown through the album.
Anyway, This is a good album, and fans of any Claypool or Jam in general
Serious Progheads, this is definitely worth a listen. I know I really haven't been catering to prog recently, but trying to expand into related music. (The "Poo" if you will) ANyway, still worth a listen, you might even like it!

Trey Anastasio - Shine

Haven't posted in awhile, so i thought I'd put something thats hard to find on the blogosphere =D
Great album for fans of Phish, while alittle mainstream, its still a fun album to listen to!
Lets see how long this one lasts =D

David Grisman - Rounder Album (Lossless Vinyl Rip)

Sorry This took so bloddy long... Itunes decided it wanted to reorganize everything and mistagged everything, then proceeded to sort it into new folders...
And No, I don't usually use Itunes...

Anyway, this is a fun Bluegrassy/Oldtimey album where you can hear Grisman obviously searching for his trademark "Dawg" sound. Fun album for fans of bluegrass or Grisman, although I don't think serious progheads will be big fans =P
Enjoy

PS, the above pic is obviously not mine, as it certainly doesn't say "Compact Disc" As it is the original Vinyl from '76

David Grisman - Dawg Jazz/ Dawg Grass (Lossless WAV)

This is a great Dawg album, showing two sides of Dawg music, and how they aren't that different. The Jazz Side starts with its title track, "Dawg Jazz", a big band jazz composition with Grisman soloing on mandolin. This gives a strangely distinct and familiar Grisman sound that I've come to expect. This is followed by "Steppin with Stephane" A lighter jazz medly that is of course graced with Stephane Grappelli's Violin, in a mandolin Violin duet that sounds quite good. "Fumblebee" is also quite interesting dawg music. The side closes with Grisman's arrangement of "In a Sentimental Mood", taking it quite slowly and giving a sense of sorrow that really sounds quite nice, along with a melodic Violin.

The Next Side (Might be the first, I honestly don't know) is Dawg Grass!
This side is filled with the exciting traditional bluegrassy dawg music many have come to love. The first track "14 Miles to Barstow" starts off with a fast paced fiddle duet followed by some nice dobro and of course, mandolin. This is followed by "Swamp Dawg" which carries the swampy New Orleans feel quite well in my opinion. Then is "Dawggy Mountain Breakdown" A traditional bluegrass piece with non other than Earl Scruggs picking away on his 5 string banjo. This is a fun bluegrass song with great soloing from all of the musicians involved. He then takes "Wayfaring Stranger" in a very similar way to "In a Sentimental Mood", the sense of sorrow makes the song sound even more beautiful and interesting. "Happy Birthday Bill Monroe" is a great twin fiddle piece with Darol Anger and Mike Marshall pairing left and right. The Title track on this Side, "Dawg Grass" is a VERY Dawgish bluegrass song. It sounds almost like something off Hot Dawg with bluegrass instruments. Quite good =D

Anyway, This is a fun album giving two perspectives on Grisman's Dawg Music. Any fans of Dawg or music, definitely worth a listen. If people would prefer, I can post in mp3 as well.

EDIT* Thanks to the anonymous poster for the cover art!

Well Hello Again

Hey guys, quick update

I've been back into some vinyl ripping, I have now ripped David Grismans Rounder Album and Dawg Jazz/ Dawg Grass, As well as Chick Corea's Mad Hatter.

These'll be up lossless relatively soon (may be awhile, upload speed capped at 35)

Anyway, if you wanna make a requestof some hard to get vinyls, as i've said before, I have alot of dawg music and related (Grappelli and what not) as well as alot of jazz fusion and whatnot.
Request away!

Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh

A Zappa masterpiece... Need I say more?

Really though, any Zappa fan who doesn't have this is crazy!
Any prog fan who hasn't heard Zappa is also crazy!

Reggie Watts - Simplified

Something different, that is incredibly difficult to find...
Anyway, a great funky soul album, with great vocals from Reggie Watts
If you like it, Buy it to support this artist!

More Prog in a few

Not music... Sorry =D

Hey guys, just wanted to announce that my friend Andrew just started up a political blog and is looking to expand readership and community. Anyway, if you're at all interested in American politics, or politics in general, give it a look see. Its just getting started, but there is already some promising stuff on there =D
http://worlddiscussion.blogspot.com/

Martin Barre - A Trick of Memory

Just a quickie to remind you all that I'm still alive!

Ok, fair comment, wrong tone

I would just like to acknowledge an anonymous comment (these come up everynow and then)and offer a rebuttal on behalf of music bloggers.

I received 2 comments from the same person (within minutes of eachother)

the first one was on Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries

"Sharing? What a nice word for stealing. So you are stealing money from a dead mans family, that is nice, I'm sure you're parents would be very proud."

First of all, I would like to urge that it is sharing. People who like this album to the extent that they WOULD buy it get to hear the album first. I know when I first heard Hedges music, I went looking for copies (only to find that my father was a big fan and had all his albums) If I had not heard it all, I would have missed a guitar genius. Everything that can be found legitimately, should be bought legitimately. However, you also made the point that I am preventing a dead man's family from receiving money. Making a bold statement like this shows that you have little idea how the music business works. I have prevented $0 from getting to his family. Especially with the record company being mostly dead, the only one seeing money is the store you buy it from. Sure you could say I'm stealing the few dollars profit from the record store, but most of them are already run off the market by large chain stores, and I couldn't care less if they lost money (not to mention they wouldn't have a gem like this).
LASTLY on this comment, you said the old "I'm sure you're parents would be very proud." and yes, I would argue that they are. Writing about music, getting the word out about brilliant music that is hard to find and even harder to buy. Do you know how much a rerelease of Steam Powered Aereotakes costs? $100...For a CD! Now, John Hartford's family isn't seeing any of this money, Rounder Records doesn't even sell it, and Its nearly impossible to find. Lucky You, good old Tehan From Prog And Poo has a vinyl copy of it that hes willing to rip for you, so that you know that you will at least ENJOY IT before you go on a hunt and spend $100.

Lastly Mr. 72.219.145.189, You made the comment about how blogspot would send my information to the RIAA, and even though i left "bogus personal information" Which I did not (save me being 251 :D) they could track me through my "multiple blogs" Which I do not have... So, I am thinking that maybe you, We'll call you Sergio, should do some good old research before going on blogs, like mine and Discos Algodon, and accusing us of being thieves and other nasty things.

I apologize for the rant, but I'm sick of people who don't know what they are talking about, arrogantly telling me that I'm a bad person. If you want to make an argument, GREAT, but at least know what the hell you're talking about.
Thank you
-Tehan

John Hartford - Steam Powered Aeretoakes

This is a compilation of the B-sides and outtakes from the recording of Aereoplain. With the entire album being genius, its not surprising to see that quite a bit of genius work was cut out. In some songs it is very interesting to here where Hartford was headed. You can hear a direction of sound, and in some instances, understand some decisions to cut songs. I would argue that none (or very few) of these songs were cut for quality, but instead for a continuing of a concept. The mood of Aereoplain is a perfect direction, and some songs would not have fit. However, just cause they dont fit in a run through of Aereoplain (some certainly do anyway) doesn't mean they aren't good songs. I absolutely recommend this to Hartford fans

John Hartford - Morning Bugle

John Hartford's "Morning Bugle" is the album often compared to Aereoplain in terms of its genius. It does not hold as much of a place in my heart as Aereoplain, but a great album nonetheless

Oysterhead - The Grand Pecking Order

Honestly, quite weird and varied styles. It really isn't Primus + Phish if you think it would sound that way. More like Progressive Jam, with a taste of Les Claypool's Humor. In my opinion, great album, although some fans of phish and primus may be disapointed. Hardcore Progheads probably won't be big fans either =D

Huh

Apparently I'm one of the top listeners of John Hartford on Last.fm...
I'll up Morning Bugle and Steam Powered Aereotakes within the week to celebrate!
(Both worth buying if you can find the damned things!)

Leo Kottke - One Guitar, No Vocals

Good Acoustic album, worth a look for hedges fans or fans of other kottke stuff

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries

Another great album from Hedges, worth a look if you like acoustic guitar.

Victor Wooten - A Show of Hands

Victor Wooten is not only the bassist of the flecktones, but also a very accomplished solo bassist. A Show of hands is an excellent showcase of his talents as a bassist. Just listen to "Me and my Guitar" and youll get the idea =D

Alrighty...

Sorry I didnt post today or yesterday, but expect posts tomorrow

tonight I will be seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones in Lowell at Boarding House park
Should be a good show =D

More posts tomorrow!

Phish - Rift

I dont consider this prog in the traditional "prog" sense, however I do believe that this album as well as Phish as a group are progressive. I also believe that alot of the things that attract me to prog are also often found in their music, and is quite enjoyable. If you haven't listened to any Phish, they are quite different and worth a look. =) Check out Progarchives for more. (I also have all their albums and alot of live stuff, so request away =D )

Stanley Clarke - Stanley Clarke REUP

Great album, see comments below... needs EQ tweaking (more bass)

Happy Birthday!

Did I forget to mention? Prog and Poo is One Year old!! WOOOO!
Barely made it though =D

Michael Giles - Progress

Progress is an album I've had for quite some time and always enjoyed. Theres something about how its put together... It starts in an upbeat jazzy way, dominated by drums (evident in the cymbal in "Departure") and continues to maintain the jazzy flavor with variations on the same formula. The vocals that show up from time to time sound like anything out of the previous GG&F recordings, which is fine by me, but some might find the poppy vocals don't fit with the otherwise jazz oriented album. Overall, definitely a good taste of Michael Giles and a worthy prog album.
Worth a grab
Rating 8.5/10

King Crimson - Happy With What You HaveTo Be Happy With

King Crimson's Happy With What.... (hwwyhtbhw....lol) is an outstanding album prior to 2003s excellent Power To Believe. On it are a few songs that show up in Power To Believe, as well as an overlying theme and recurring synthesized voice. Although the themes are "different" they maintain the same creepy atmospheric kind of feel. They suceeded with this in both albums, showing a bit of a rougher cut here compared to what would be seen in the previous year. The title track opens up after "Bude" a synthesized voice prelude. This is a meta song, seemingly about writing formulated songs. With the heavy rock riffs, it is a perfect opener. Mie Gakure comes next opening with layers of different ambient sounds and synthesizers. THe album is able to continue to layer the showcase and ends with the duo of Lark's tongue IV and then Clouds. Larks' also goes into an instrumental of the Coda: I Have a Dream from Construkction. Clouds starts with the synthesized voice and then goes into a crazy mix of riffing and spoken word and recorded audio. A surprisingly humorous and perfect way to end the album.
Anyway, definitely worth a grab, and more updates soon.!

Rating 9/10

Supertramp - Crisis, What Crisis? REUP

Check previous comments below

=P

Hey Guys, I realize I've not posted in quite a long time, 2 months in fact... I found it hard to continue after all of the lost posts and was having a hard time just figuring out what was going on. I think I'm about ready to start this baby back up, with a little more leeway on musical tastes, while still prog based. I've still got 3 milk crates full of vinyls sitting next to me (dominated by dawg music, jazz and the like) so start requesting and I'll start upping. Thanks to all of those who helped in past times =)

IM BACK!~! =D

Adrian Belew - Side Two

Adrian Belew returns again, with a follow up to Side One (see below =P) This album again has strong guitar work, but seems to have a large amount of synthesized drums and is almost devoid of outside help. Still again, the album takes on the trademark Belew sound, with guitar riffs that don't feel right, but sound right in place and somehow sound good. (I honestly don't know what I'm trying to say in the previous sentence :D )The album opens with "Dead Dog On Asphalt" A mellow yet somewhat disturbing song. A perfect chilling opener for the album. In this way, the album divides from the previous, with a more calm yet scary atmosphere; as opposed to the powerhouse that was Side One. Don't get me wrong, this album has its good share of powerful guitar riffs, however they didn't appeal to the feel of the album as much as they did on Side One. Overall, great album similiar to the previous. if you like Side One, or any late Crimson stuff, SNAG IT

Adrian Belew - Side One

Adrian Belew's Side One is a fantastic solo album reminiscent to the stylings of current Crimson era music, yet with more affluent guitar playing and overall a bit smoother and crisper than some albums (not saying the "The Power To Believe" wasn't crisp :) that is still a great album) The album opens with the track Ampersand, which leads into the album showing the mean guitar riffs and lyrics that will prevail throughout the album. The album has a good amount of artists working with him, and turns out a great album from Adrian.

Henry Cow - Unrest

Gotta run... However, good album worth a look

Daevid Allen & Euterpe - Good Morning!

Believe it or not, not much to say about this album... Always something good to pick up for Gong fans or simply fans of Daevid Allen.

Cheers, hopefully I can continue to post at least daily...

PS Thanks to wheniam64 from http://heretodaybutgonetomorrow.blogspot.com/ for Aerial Boundaries by Michael Hedges. You can grab it there, or when i get around to re upping it. =D

Michael Hedges - Live On the Double Planet

Michael Hedges is one of the greatest acoustic steel string guitar players i've heard. If you have never heard him, this is a "decent" album, although it is live (ill get Oracle on here eventually :) ) Anyway, he has a VERY distinctive style to his playing, where you can tell its him after only 3 notes =D. This is a great live album, he plays some of his own stuff as well as some covers. Definitely worth a look for some

Yeah yeah...

I know it's not really a huge update, but I recently found (after a long hard look) the free mp3 released by Adrian Belew, that is the acoustic version of "I Have a Dream" This has been near impossible to find recently, so I thought i might as well just stick it on here =)

The "non acoustic" version is on the album construktion of light from 2000 (King Crimson)

King Crimson - Discipline

Amazing Crimson album... Not much more to say... "30th anniversary" edition. Worth the DL for Crimson fans and proggers alike

Hatfield and the North - The Rotters Club

Good album ... And thats all I have to say about that....

Not prog related but...

This is a call to all in the massachusetts/Connecticut area. Eliasfest is on Saturday from 1-930PM At Nara Park in Acton MA. Its for a great cause, and their should be some great bands. It is being headlined by State Radio (who i just saw last week..GREAT!) Anyway, I will be there, hope some of you can too!

Anyway, Tix and info: http://www.eliasfund.org/index.html

Jean Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean

Still too lazy to write too much, but Enigmatic Ocean is Ponty at his best. The perfect jazz synthesis with his amazing violin blend perfectly. If you like Ponty, or just fusion, great album and a must have
Rating: 9/5/10

Thanks =)

Thanks to all the readers who have been reupping and showing their support while I have been gone. It really helped convince me to continue this blog and hopefully build it back up to what it was before the deletions. Thanks again... New posts right away!

=(

Unfortunately I have been unable to do almost anything with term endings... Im sorry bout this =/ Any help with re ups would be greatly appreciated, as I will be going to Japan soon, and will have "limited" (No) internet access


Sorry guys...Hope to be bac k on here soon =/

Ok then..

Well, it seems I should try sharebee... expect some reups and maybe new stuff soon
Thanks for the comments guys =)

ERGH!!!

Well... As my blog becomes more popular, there becomes a greater chance of those baastards who like to report "illegal" uploads. Although half the albums would be near impossible to find, they still believe I am taking money away from the artist... Well... 10 or so albums have been reported and removed by megaupload in the past day. I'm worried about possibilities of more of this happening (especially after upping lossless albums) But I love megauploads great system for managing files... Any suggestions, or easy to up backups? (and no rabbit shit is not an answer)

Anyway, thanks for holding with me for this period of assholery... And whoever is doing it... In god's name DONT BE A DICK

Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis?

Good album.. regarded by many as Crime of the Century Part II =)
Worth a grab, although I prefer COTC.

Rating 8.5/10

David Sancious - Transformation (The Speed of Love)

A great fusion album. On the first 30 seconds or so, I was skeptical, but it immediately picked up and became a great album =)

Rating: 9/10

John Hartford - Aereo Plain

Great "New-Grass" album, from John Hartford. Thanks to hermanthegerman for the request.

Rating: 9+/10

Check Archives...

Just a reminder, If you are going to request an album, check the archives first.
For example, Tubular Bells has already been posted


PS In the process of cutting and uploading John Hartford's Aereo-Plain and David Sancious' Transformation (The Speed Of Love)

RE UP: Dave Grusin - Mountain Dance

A fun commercial Jazz album =)

Caravan - Caravan

This first album is one of the best examples of an artist's emergence. While still being somewhat poppy, this was a fun album that had some great moments. definitely worth a listen for all canterbury fans
Rating: 9/10

Darol Anger - Fiddlistics

Fiddlistics is an incredible Jazz album with some great solo work, as well as fun guests such as Grisman... Don't have time here =/ So ill keep this short and sweet. Worth the DL!
Rating: 9.5/10

Sorry bout the pic...Didn't have time for my own..

Sorry... Fiddlistics coming soon

Ok, sorry for not posting it yet, as the upload froze... which is always a pain an hour into a 300 MB lossless album. I'm uploading it again now, so expect it in 2 hours or so, along with maybe the first caravan album (by request) =)

Sorry bout this guys =/
Just know its on the way!


Oh, and thanks to hermanthegerman on Totally Fuzzy for spotting my Stanley Clarke mistake..

oh, and vinyl request are always liked... I have three milk crates here full of untouched vinyls.. ALOT of dawg music and the like (Grisman, Grappelli, Ponty, Di Meola) you get it =)

Stanley Clarke - Stanley Clarke (Lossless)

Stanley Clarke's Self Titled album Is a trip into one of the greatest and most original Jazz bassists. He was the true pioneer of slap bass, and this shows it to a fine degree. This is a great fusion album, while it still shows many conventions of rock. It is an excellent crossover album, and I really recommend it.

Rating: 9.5/10

PS, once again, vinyl rip... I would suggest popping up the bass for this one!

EDIT: Thanks to hermanthegerman for the edit! My bad...

King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

A classic, a masterpiece even. In my opinion, the first step into what I call Progressive Rock. This is the most recent remastery, and boy does it sound good. Of course i dont seem to have a vinyl around here (new they go for hundreds =D)

This is simply a masterpiece, the odds are, if you know this album and are looking for it, you know about it and are either just getting into prog or trying to discover a piece that you somehow missed =)

Anyway, Master Piece, thank to Tripwithtiresias for the request =D
Rating 10/10

Wendy (Walter) Carlos - Clockwork Orange (Lossless . WAV)

This is an absolutely fantastic venture into the roots of synthesized classical music. As most of you are aware, Walter (Wendy w/e) Carlos was also the artist of Switched on Bach, a trip into Bach's composition using synthesized sounds, something unheard of previously. Clockwork orange is the perfect next step, the perfect soundtrack, never has a score fit a movie so well. The dark and eerie yet ironic and funny undertones (singin in the rain :)) make this album a must have. If you have never seen the movie, or read the book, do those as well.

Timesteps opens the album with a 13 minute eerie and exciting piece, perfect for any album, with great hints from classical pieces and it really feels like the book. One of my favorites would have to be the excerpts from Beethoven's ninth. The voice synthesizing is phenomenal and sounds great, carrying on the dystopic futuresque feel. Anyway, amazing album, amazing movie, grab it!

Rating 9.5/10

PS this is my first lossless vinyl rips, comments are encouraged =). Just gotta make sure i didnt screw anything up =D

Arkady Shilkloper - Hornology

Good Album

Expect some vinyl rips soon

Quick Update

Yup, I've been fooling around with my Vinyl Rips, but the equalization is lacking an RIaa pre amp.. so it sounds way to bright and not nearly enough bass (considering it was Stanley Clarke) so im writing up a perfect EQ before i post anything... Anyway, so far I've ripped Stanley Clarke's Vulcan Princess, Walter (Wendy) Carlos' Switched on Bach and Clockwork Orange, Darol Anger's Fiddlistics as well as numerous other half albums I will finish later...

Sooo, expect those as soon as I can find a decent EQ.
THanks for not giving me a hundred comments complaining over lack of posts =)

=P

Hey everyone...
I have yet again been away for awhile (which is bound to happen a bit more im afraid, going to Japan in April) But i just got the Ion USB turntable, so hopefully i should be able to rip some vinyls more quickly and easier =). Anyway, expect something soon, as I have to test it out =D

Btw, thanks for the 3 and a half million comments from tripswithtiresias, always good to read :)
Anyway, I'll be back probably post In the court, as Trips asked for it.

Peace

After Crying - 6

If you liked Townscream, you will probably like this as well. Great European Prog with some interesting Instrumentation.

Supertramp - Even In the Quitest Moments

Not much time, but EITQM is a great addition to a supertramp collection. It's a great album with some good piano driven songs and nice lyrics. Grab it!
Rating: 9/10

Gong - You (Radio Gnome Invisible Part 3)

Ah! Radio Gnome Invisible!! Great Gong material on here, all though not as close to my heart as Angel's Egg is; this is still able to fill you with some great craziness that is Gong. Radio Gnome Invisible is probably my favorite "set" of albums, being able to maintain the upbeat fun and often hilarity, while still putting in beautiful instrumentals (see "Flute Salad" on Angel's Egg!) Anyway, this album is filled with great jazz and fusiony licks and general craziness! If you enjoyed Angel's Egg AT ALL; grab this album!

Rating 9/10

Caravan - Cunning Stunts

Cunning Stunts, although less recent then Blind Dog, still suffers from a bit of poppy mainstream intentions. I believe just as wholeheartedly as with the previous album however, that it does not diminish some great Canterbury-esque pieces and a caravan sound still reminiscent through the album. Grab it if you like Caravan!

Rating: 8+/10

Caravan - Blind Dog at St. Dustan's

Blind dog at St. Dustan's is later Caravan, and is thus generally regarded as not nearly as good. Although I agree that it is not as much a masterpiece as In a Land, or their self titled album, I believe it is still worth listening to; to get a full idea of Caravan's sound. This is similar to others Canterbury artists, as I showed with Gong's Espresso II. It is simply another flavor of music and still needs some listening time =). Cunning Stunts up in a sec

Rating 8/10

Gong - Espresso II

Gong's Espresso II is a great adventure through the fusion side of Gong. I find it to be a great showing of Gong's full spectrum of musical possibilities. The album is sparked by some great xylophone and chime solos as well as some great bass playing. This album is truly great fusion playing and is easily able to compete with more popular fusion groups

Definitely worth a look if you are into fusion!
Rating 8.5+/10

Simply Saucer - Cyborgs Revisited

Simply Saucer is a relatively new find for me, and I am beginning to enjoy them more and more. Cyborgs Revisited is a nice album that really shows their sound. The band almost sounds like a mix of early Pink Floyd and CAN, which I find refreshing and a lot of fun. Grab it now!

Rating: 9/10

Electrocution 250 - Electric Cartoon Music from Hell

Well... This is certainly Different! ECMfH is a very strange yet incredibly fun album. It is a series of great high speed high energy guitar driven tunes, yet they sound almost like something out of Looney Tunes! This is what I picture when I see Looney Tunes in the year 2100. It is truly fun, reminiscent to Liquid Tension Experiment, yet with playful and less serious composition. The Guitar work is phenomenal, is is certainly something that shoudl be checked out

Rating: 9/10

Dave Brubeck - Time Out

At last I have emerged from the great abyss known as Washington DC. I have not been able to update for quite sometime and I sincerely apologize. I hope to make it up to you all in the coming days. Dave Brubeck's Time Out is a stunning Jazz album that has been named a timeless classic. Its use of strange time signatures should always peak the interest of a prog fan. even if it is not in fact prog! It is a fantastic album, of course with the well known track "Take Five" able to sincerely show some of the incredible talents these men have. This is TRULY a masterpiece of jazz and should be downloaded RIGHT NOW

Rating 10/10
:)

Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom

This is an excellent album coming from Rob Wyatt, complete with some interesting vocals and some great synthesizer lines
If you are a fan of any Wyatt stuff, grab it!
Rating 8+/10

Still "busy" hope this bides the time a bit...

Well, I'm still finding I a m lacking time to upload and write decent analysis for this blog, but hopefully this will all end soon..
Anyway, hope this forum post tides you guys over... Notice that it is some 28 pages long and this is just one page of it
Forum Post Here

Can - 10 albums

Hey Guys, I just saw this on Totally Fuzzy and thoguht you might wanna give it a look.
This is 10 albums by my favorite krautrock group Can!

GREAT stuff, Can is an incredible band. I have this stuff already, so if a link expires tell me and ill get it up for you!


Rating 10/10 (must look into this for any Can fan!)

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions Of The Emerald Beyond

Mahavishnu Orchestra is one of the great pioneers of Jazz fusion. Visions of The Emerald Beyond (VOTEB) is no exception. If you are a fan of mahavishnu, then this is definitely another great album to grab. If you are unfamiliar, then this may not be the best introduction, but certainly cant hurt. Great album with some jazzy stuff, plus i just love Ponty's violin! Anyway, for anyone who loves fusion, grab this album!

Rating: 9/10

Jean-Luc Ponty - Indivdual Choice

Individual Choice is a great album from ex-zappa violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. There are some great synthesizers and is generally just some fun violin lead jazz fusion! If you like fusion at all, grab this album for a listen!

Rating 8.5/10

PS I realize I haven't been writing much, but it's exam time, so I've been alittle stressed! sorry!

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow

A great early album from Jefferson album, that sets the tone for albums to come! If your a fan of other JA stuff, this is definitely a fun album
Rating 8+/10

Jumbo - DNA

This is a bit of weird but nonetheless great progressive rock. It is in a classic prog format consisting of a few long songs, and carries the format well. The instrumentation is great albeit a little weird sometimes, but is always fun to listen to! Grab it
Rating 8.5/10

Johnny Winter - The Progressive Blues experiment

This album is a fine mix of blues and progressive rock from the great artist Johnny Winter. I like some blues myself, and having a great median between the two ends up being a lot of fun to listen to, and overall a great album. It's able to combine classic blues instruments with things you are more likely to see in a progressive setting and really turns up quite interesting. Worth a look!
Rating 8.5/10

Secret Oyster - Straight To The Krankenhaus

This is a bit of a weird but fun Jazz-fusion/Prog album with some great keyboards and instrumentation. The first time I really listened through it, I realized how great of an album this really was! Great album, worth a look
Rating 9/10

Weather Report - Heavy Weather

The best known album from this incredible jazz fusion combo. Great album!
Rating 8.5+/10

Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage (Parts I, II & III)

Joe's Garage by Frank Zappa is a great Zappa album, and is truly real zappa. Like before i am just gonna put up a few quick posts, before i can put some substantial writing up. Sorry guys, 2 more quick posts than hopefully some meaty analysis =)

Rating 9/10

Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs

Not much to say, great album
alittle run on time, but expect more later
Rating 9/10

Focus - Hamburger Concerto

Thanks again to Gordon, we have this great piece of art. Focus is a band I have always liked. They have a way of delivering calm orchestral yet stunning and sharp pieces of music, as well as simple acoustic songs. They are all around the board. This album of course showcases the Hamburger Concerto, a brilliant composition managing to maintain sounds of both classical instruments and of modern rock instruments as well. They do a terrific job not drowning out different instruments with their assortments of synthesizers and guitars. It really does sound great, but that's not all this album has. La Cathedrale de Strasbourg is a nice change of pace, providing a slow piano drawn piece, featuring some great accompaniment and general good musicianship. Birth is an upbeat tune with some great Ian Anderson-esque flute work and nice whining solos. Another great work was the ending. The album ends with early birth, which carries themes from birth including the flute and guitar and puts them in a great dramatic ending, something only leaving you wanting more. This is a great INSTRUMENTAL album. If you can't listen 5 minutes without lyrics, this is not the album for you, and progressive rock is probably not the genre for you.

Colosseum - Valentyne Suite

Thanks to our good friend Gordon, I am able to share with you Colosseum's Valentyne Suite, and later Focus' Hamburger Concerto. Valentyne Suite is a great piece of early Progressive Rock with some great instrumentation and jazzy riffs. It is very well composed as a whole, and simply sounds right. In my opinion, This album helped pave the way for Progressive Rock as much as a band like ELP or Crimson, but was completely missed and looked over. If you listen to this gem, I almost gurantee you'll love it!

Rating 9.5/10

The Wilde Flowers - Wilde Flowers

This is where Canterbury started. The Wilde Flowers led to the style and brilliance that is Canterbury Music. I of course, am a huge fan canterbury, whether it be Gong, Caravan or Soft machine. You can certainly hear elements of all these groups somewhere in the album. It is a very fun collection of the recorded Wilde Flowers, mostly short single doo dads and such, but fun to listen to none the less. Many of the songs are bouncy happy songs, reminiscent of some later Caravan stuff (In the land) but there is also some great slower pieces like Memories. The musicianship is of course great, being the creator of subgenre, it has to be good. The recording quality isn't always (or really ever) great, but these are the only real recordings of The Wilde Flowers, so that doesn't detract from it much. Over all, great to grab if you are a huge fan of Canterbury music (such as myself) and want to see where it all started

Rating 8.5+/10

King Crimson - Thrak

Something a little different very quick before I go to a much needed rest...
Yes, it's newer Crimson and I know alot of you don't like this stuff, but im putting it up anyway! so there! Expect more tomorrow!

Rating: 8.5/10

I have to leave again =(

Unfortunately, I am still very busy and must go away yet again, this time to Utah for the next 9 (*gasp*) days. I will not be able to post, but will try my best to fill in those missing days when I come back. Sorry!

Matisyahu - Live at Stubb's

I know, it's definitely not progressive rock. It is however a great album by Matisyahu, who I am going to see tonight. So there. =) It's hip-hop/reggae from a Hasidic Jewish perspective, and it really ends up sounding great
Rating 8.5+/10

Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink

Caravan's In the Land of Grey and Pink is a great album in the worlds of Canterbury Prog. It is more of an acoustic drum album with some weird lyrics (see the title track =)) But is a really great album, and probably if not their best, one of the top. Of course, as a lot of progressive rock goes, it has one humongoid song accompanied by a couple great songs. This song is Nine Feet Underground and really shows the bands ability to play jazzy rock riffs fronted by both organ and whiny electric guitar. This song really is a great piece, but if you prefer to listen to shorter pieces more often (far less time consuming obviously) Then this album certainly doesn't leave you in the rain. The album has the same kind of feeling throughout, as a light Canterbury album. songs like Golf Girl and In the Land of Grey and Pink feel this way, while still managing to be distinct in their sound, and overall fun to listen to. I definitely recommend this album to all fans of Canterbury, and Prog in general. It has something for everyone

Rating 9.5/10

Jethro Tull - Benefit

Jethro Tull's Benefit is my second favorite Tull album. It really is a masterpiece, and deserves a listen. It is the first step in my mind, away from classic folky rock, and in a true progressive direction. The bonus tracks on the CD version here (teacher and such...) really add to the album, and are great to listen to as well. Sossity is a great slow song that really gets you into some weird kind of mood, and the rest of the album manages to do this as well. Definitely grab this if you are a Tull fan!

Rating 9+/10

I'm back!

Well, I am now back from my trip and will be posting music Very soon!
Just wanted to point out the project wonderful advertisements on the top. The way this works is people bid on advertisement space and the highest bidder gets the space for a time. This usally costs somewhere from 50 cents (US) to $1. Right now, there of course is no bid, so you can get ad space on my blog for free! Go for it =)

I'm sorry!

I'm very sorry to have to say this, but I will be away until Monday, as I am going to Washington DC!

I'll be back with some new posts then

Xhol Caravan - Motherfuckers GMBH

Motherfuckers is some weeeiiiirrrrddd Krautrock. It definitely took me some time to get used to, but I finally started to appreciate it. I can certainly understand if it's not your thing though, as it's weird =)

Yay for comments!

Well guys, as of the Totally Fuzzy links, we've been growing. I've been getting a lot of great comments (especially from Gordon! Thanks!) plus one negative comment, which is all fine and good, although if you don't like my stuff, why are you here?
Anyway, a couple comments have told me to put up a wanted list so you can help me out as well, and I finally decided I would... There's not a lot I want right now, but I'm sure it will grow! Anyway, any help on that would be appreciated! Thanks, and more Prog-Goodness on the way!

Magma - 1001° Centigrade

Magma...Not much to say about Magma that you shouldn't know. They are a genre classified as Zeuhl, in the made up language Magma created. Yes, this album is all in a made up language. Yes this album is awesome. Yes you should download it. No I'm not going to say anything else.

Rating: 8.5/10

Well G'day!

My once small time blog is growing even larger! remember, I love requests! if theres something you want to see, I will try to get it. If it's related to any band I've already posted, I almost definitely have it! Requests and Comments are always appreciated! As are links from other blogs =) which will always be reciprocated "wink wink"

Anyways, new stuff coming soon

REPOST: Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs (TML) is a truly psychedelic solo work from the genius that is Syd Barrett. It has a great feel about it, and is great to listen to individual songs, as well as the album as a whole. Theres not much to say here, it's a trippy album, filled with slightly off tune chords and confusing lyrics, as well as simple but fun rhyming lyrics and happy but bumbling guitar work.

Must have for fans of early Floyd (Piper era)

Rick Wakeman - The Myths and Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of The Round Table

This is another of Rick Wakeman's great concept albums. He has a strange thing about sci-fi and medieval ages, but thats all good to me! This album starts off with The Song Arthur, of course referring to King Arthur, after whom this album is named. It begins with a little spoken dialog, before beginning with an orchestral riff that occurs throughout the album, as an underlying theme. It continues with this theme with a variety of synthesizers and instruments (another thing I'm a sucker for) Next on this album is Lady Of The Lake which is a short piece (45 seconds) thats reminiscent of Gregorian chanting. Followed immediately is Guinevere, a soft synthesize/piano driven piece, relying heavily on the recurring riff mentioned above, and changing it slightly. Eventually this becomes the soft song with the whining guitar solo that every album seems to have, but again, thats fine with me.
Next up is Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight. This is hard to describe... Basically it's an orchestral driven piece featuring some great piano and synthesizer work. But it's an orchestra with some aggressive vocals, and really is kind of weird. It is still a lot of fun, and is one of my favorites from this album. (I love the synthesizer solo =D)
Then is Merlin The Magician, again with the Gregorian chanting, before going into a piano intro and then bass synth horn section, which I can't get enough of. It's just sort of magical... Which I suppose is good considering the name of the song.
Sir Galahad is sort of a mix between anyother prog song, with a weird tropical guitar/bell thrown in there... It's still pretty good though
The Last Battle is one of the best ending pieces you could ask for. It's almost a summary of the entire album. It has themes from every song, headlined by the recurring themes of the album, especially the main them thrown in by synthesizers and horns, both backround and foreground. This takes all the emotion from the album and throws it right at you.

I must say, if you are a fan of Rick Wakeman, you owe it to yourself to grab it. It's not as good as six wives, I'll admit, but It's still great!
Rating 9/10

Oops Again! Repost Caravan - If I could Do it all over again, I'd do it all over you

Sorry guys, It seems that I accidentally posted This album with a password that I don't know.. Well, Here is the link without a password, I will also put the link in the old post

OOPS! Sorry bout Warchild

I actually posted the image for warchild! here is the link
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WUA653CY

Jethro Tull - Warchild

I'm in a bit of a rush, so this will be a short post. Jethro Tull's Warchild is a great album (although in my opinion, not as good as a stand up or benefit) That really shows where Tull will be going in the next few albums. Overall this is a good album, and definelty worth a look if you are a Tull fan
Rating 8.5+/10
Thanks to John for the request

Kansas - Leftoverture

Leftoverture by Kansas is another album (similar to 2112) that may not seem consistent with the other stuff I post, other than it is in the same genre (TECHNICALLY) But I love it. It's a great album, starting with the hit "Carry On Wayward Son" and with not a single bad song. This is an epic to be listened through, like Point of Known Return. (though probably not THAT epic) It is a song where every song feels like its placed with the others, almost like a concept album without a concept...but there is a concept... it's weird..
Anyway, this is a great album to just sit in a quiet place and listen. Now if you had a nice cd copy of this (which you don't I'm assuming if your here) you would sit down with your expensive surround sound system and just listen. Of course, this works almost as well. (I must say, I just listened to my Dark Side SACD with surround sound for the first time. I nearly peed myself)

Summary: Great epic album wirth downloading as singles, OR to listen through. Although listening through it is required AT LEAST once by me. ;)
Rating 8.5+/10

NOTE: This album is in ogg Vorbis! if you don't like ogg, its easy to convert, just google ogg to mp3 (or whatever you like) and I'm sure you'll find something. However, if a million people bug me about mp3, I'll upload it in mp3 as well

Rush - 2112

Ok, I know posting Rush is pretty much an invitation for a flame war of love/hate Rush arguments, but personally, I think this is a great album. 2112 delivers a sweeping punch in the gut as soon as you begin to listen to the title track, the 20 minute goliath that is 2112. It starts with a great bit of lead guitar, before finally starting to set the scene with some calm first vocals, followed by a sweeping guitar and Geddy Lee's trademark screaming voice. Those first lyrics "We are the priests.." Really set the tone for what is to come, throughout the song as well as the album. Rush has a way that they can easily change from a heavy rock song to a soft ambient song very quickly, and although you notice it right away (little real transition) it somehow works. This of course happens in 2112, or I wouldn't be mentioning it.
2112 is followed by one of my personal favorites "A Passage to Bangkok" I'm not honestly sure why I like this song, I suppose it's just simple and catchy, something that Prog Rock doesn't often have. It also has one kick-ass guitar solo... Next up is Twilight Zone, which I must say... in this song, Geddy Lee's voice is REALLY annoying, but its otherwise a pretty decent song.
Lessons is the classic acoustic song that every song just happens to have. You know the one, with the upbeat southern tempo, the 6 word phrases, etc. They manage to fit in a bit of heavier rock in there that blends in nicely as well. Alls still well!
Tears comes up and right away you think "oh no...not a 70s depressing song" But it's actually quite a good song (not something I can listen to all the time, but good nonetheless). Something for Nothing ends the album with a bang. It's one of those trademark Geddy Songs, and really is quite good.
Summary: Overall, A good album, 2112 being the real highlight. I myself am not a big fan of the heavier music, I try to stay away from alot of the neo-prog and metal prog, but this album is still able to captivate me. It has a Cygnus-esque layout (one giant great song and some pretty good singles) and is really worth a listen
Rating 8+/10

Gryphon - Midnight Mushrumps

Gryphon's Midnight Mushrumps is a fantastical piece of medieval progressive rock. It is dominated by funny instruments like pennywhistles, and bassoons. Its some of the greatest compositions and very fun to listen to. Gryphon is now surprisingly hard to find, even in blogs like these (I know not as hard as some bands) But they really deserve to be recognized. Anyway, if you like more classical arrangements, that still keep up with fun orchestration with sort of a strange rock like viber, then Gryphon is definettly worth checking out!

Can - Tago Mago

I meant to post this awhile ago, but it seems that I completely forgot to do so... Can's Tago Mago is a dazzling dump into the world of great Krautrock. Kraut rock is a bit of a weird genre, as you might know, but it can be alot of fun to listen to, and Tago Mago is no exception. Tago Mago has some great tracks and ambience, but still keeps ypu interested (unlike some "noise" music)
Overall this is a great album, and my personal introduction to Can (they are a great band! ask for more if you like it)

Mike Oldfied - Tubular Bells I

Mike Oldfield's tubular bells is simply put, a masterpiece of modern songwriting. Its a dazzling piece of work that continues to throw in another instrument, or theme into the mix. It keeps up the excitement of the piece and is aways doing something new. I've always especially liked the part where all the instruments are being introduced, and seeing the different interpretations on the same theme. If you listen to prog, I'm sure you've heard this album and probably own it. If you don't know it...well...theres something wrong there. Pick it up!
(note: I didn't cut this album up, because its really just 1 track, with 2 sides)
Rating 10/10

Premiata Forneria Marconi - Live in USA ('74)

PFM's Live in USA is a great live recording of some of PFM's best work. They are a phenomenal group, and this performance shows off some of the greatest 70s work (the best time for them) If you like PFM, or haven't heard of them, grab this album, as these are the songs that will really get you into it. If you haven't heard them, grab "Per Un Amico" from way down near the bottom of my blog, as that is also one of their greatest works.
Anyway, great band, great songs, great performance
Rating 9.5/10

Caravan - If I could do it all over again, I'd do it all over You

Caravans iicdiaoaidiaoy (my god that doesn't help at all) Is a great Canterbury album reminiscent of their others. if you like any Canterbury prog (soft machine, gong) then there is ABSOLUTELY no reason you won't like this album. Caravan is one of my favorite bands and play the canterbury scene especially well. If I is no exception I certainly recommend this album to anyone who doesn't completely hate Canterbury prog (I don't know why you would) Great album, highly recommend it

Rating 9/10

EDIT: NEW DOWNLOAD WITHOUT A PASSWORD

Well Hello there!

Hello all you fantastical Prog listeners!
Yes, i know, it seems like I've been very dead (as opposed to sorta dead) but it also seems as though I'm back! I hope that after this long stretch of no updates, I can get myself back to some regular updates, as well as the spuratic 5 albums in 2 hours updates spread across an average week. I'm hoping to keep up with my posting. I probably would've given up if not for the surprisingly regular readership (not much compared to some blogs, but hey, you gotta start somewhere) Also, user comments! user comments are probably the greatest thing ever. Thanks to all of those readers posting things like "great selection!" and thank yous.

Anyway, just wanted to put out that I'm back, and keep on commenting on my posts! (pretty please?) Also, request! Its surprisingly hard deciding what to put up, but if i have an idea, then posting becomes less spuratic based on my to post lists.

Thanks again, and expect more (music) posts soon

Old Man and The Sea - Old Man and the Sea

Old Man and The Sea is a great progressive gem, that i only recently stumbled across. It has some very nice talented ELPish keyboard work, and is overall just a cool thing to check out if you like the majority of the prog I post up here.

Rating 8.5/10

Asian Dub Foundation - Community Music

ADF's Community music is a stunning swirl of reggae, jungle and hip hop. It's highly political, as most of ADF's works are, and portrays its messages well. I don't have much to say other than this album is brilliant and is worth a listen.
Rating 9.5/10

Townscream - Nagyvarosi Ikonok

I don't know what language this is in, what year it came out, or how popular this band is. What I do know, is that it's awesome.
It's a truly fantastic blend of symphonic prog, and weird europeanish music. It has some great instrumentation, using trumpets horns, and other non rock instruments. I think this is Czech? I honsetly don't know, but I do know its not too old. For something relatively new (90s I think) this is a step in the right direction for music to go.
Rating 9/10

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus

ELP's tarkus is one of those GREAT ELP albums. It's up there with Brain Salad surgery for god's sakes. Its a masterpiece in my eyes, and definetly a MUST HAVE for any ELP fan or porg fan in general.
Rating 10/10

Ozric Tentacles - Erpland

Ozric Tentacles are a great jazzy prog band. THey are some of the only "newer" progressive rock that I like (I don't really like the metal and hard rock stuff =P) Anyway, Erpland is a great instrumental album with some arabic influences. It really is a fun album, and definetly a great intro to the Ozrics

Rating 9/10

Procol Harum - A Salty Dog

A Salty Dog by Procol Harum is a great progressive rock album by a great band. Procol Harum has a wide variety of styles, and can play any genre possible. However, they are very progressive and symphonic pieces such as A Salty Dog absolutely showcase this. A Must Have for anyone Symphonic prog lover or Procol Fan
Rating 9.5/10

Gentle Giant - Octopus

Octopus by Gentle Giant is a great album that showcased Gentle Giant's weird choice of instruments and attones. This album got me into Gentle Giant. A great intro to them, and a great addition to an existing collection
Rating 8.5+/10



BTW, If you have ANY requests, comment in the latest entry, and I will respond!
Also, Please spread my website around! Link to me from your blog!
I will certainly link back =)

Genesis - Selling Engalnd by The Pound

Selling England by the pound is my favorite album by Genesis. It is full of Genesis greats, and Fantastic songs. Rating 9.5/10
Grab it!

Syd Barrett - Mad Cap Laughs

Syd Barrett's the Mad Cap Laughs is Syd Barrett at his finest. It is full of Barrett tripiness and instrumental good. =) pick it up!
Rating 9/10

REPOST NOW AVAILABLE
New link in comments

Much to come soon!

To make up for all the time I've missed, I am going to release a large number of albums with short descriptions. If you want a description / analysis, just email me and I'll post one

Supertramp - Crime of the Century

Crime of The Century by Supertramp is my favorite Supertramp album. There is not a single song that could not be a single, however, in true prog fashion, this album is best listened to straight through. I HIGHLY reccomen grabbing this one.
Rating 10/10


PS guys, if there is a band that i have posted that you really liked music from, I gurantee I have more from them, just ask in a comment or email me at kem828@gmail.com
Just include in the email a nickname/name and in the subject Prog and Poo

=D

On Friday I went to the Roger Waters Concert in Mansfield MA. It was incredible...
and thats all i have to say about that

Bedside Manners are Extra - Greenslade

Quick post right now. BMAE by Greenslade is a great soft but still exciting symphonic prog album. There are some great songs on this album, like chalkhill, a great synth driven jazzy piece. Pick it up
8.5/10

Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

Hot Rats by Frank Zappa is one of my favorite Zappa albums. Zappa is a musical genius, with more than 65 albums throughout his career. Hot Rats is his first truly solo album. That is, without the mothers of invention. The album starts with a great instrumental piece Peaches en Regalia. THis is a stunning composition. Willie the Pimp has the vocals done by Captain Beefheart, which is a great addition. Son of Mr Green Genes is like Mr. Green Genes, but instrumental, and personally I like this more. The Gumbo Variations are a STUNNING 17 minute jazz piece. This is a definite highlight of the album, although theres nothing you don't like. I can't recommend the one enough.
Rating 10/10
As always, link in comments

Ps, sorry its been awhile since my last post

Going away

I will be in Pittsburgh (PA) for the next 6 days or so, so don't expect any updates. Just a warning =D

The Brondesbury tapes - Giles, Giles and Fripp

Giles Giles and Fripp (ggf) is a great band that would later become at least the early versions of King Crimson. The Brondesbury Tapes really show the soon King Crimson aspects, with two versions of I talk to the wind (In the court) Overall, tthis is some fun B-sides and definetly fun to listen to. Not a hardcore prog album, just some fun GGF (similar to Cheerful Insanity) I plead you to grab it just for fun.
rating 8/10

Mirage - Camel

Mirage by Camel is a great album, and the album that introduced me to Camel. The album starts with a great song, Freefall. This song is just a standard 6 minute track thats fun to listen to. My favorite on this album would have to be Nimrodel, a synth filled clutter of different themes and styles, that come together under some soft lyrics. Very great stuff. Earthrise starts somewhat slow, but then goes in to a synth line thats hard to forget. The album ends with the near 13 minute Lady Fantasy which is great, except I don't like the vocals in this one. Which is fine, as vocals are a very small part of the music. Overall this is a great album, with a couple blunders, but great nonetheless
rating 8.5

On an Island\David Gilmour - David Gilmour

Even if no one guessed, here are 2 albums by ex floyd vocalist and guitarist David Gilmore. I am taking a blast from his first 1978 solo album, and his relatively recently released "On an Island" The Self Titled album starts with a soothing guitar driven instrumental, being Mihalis. On an Island takes an instrumental approach as well, but not guitar driven un til 2 minutes in, where there is a classic whining Gilmour solo. It is sort of a low key orchestral piece (this song being Castellorizon). The Self Titled (DG) then hits back with a rough Late Floyd esque "There's no way out of Here" (similar I think to the type of song The Title Track on "On an Island" is) On an Island, instead has the second track be the title track. This is a beautiful track. I remember first hearing this song on the radio, not knowing about this album, and thinking. oh my god! IS this Pink FLoyd? I have to find out who this is, because I love it! Then the announcer said David Gilmour's new album, and I bought it the day it was released. I know this writing is jumbled and confusing, but I am trying to analyze track to track, and although it doesn't seem to work, each track on these albums has an obvious counterpart, so its hard not to. Anyway, I HIGHLY reccomend these to any Floyd fan. If you haven't heard these, grab them!

Both are 9.5+
(On an Island seemed to get split 1s and 5s from everywhere but you can't trust the press...Prog isn't exactly mainstream ;-) )

=P

I am sorry about the recent inconsistence of this blog... It has been a really busy last couple of weeks. Tomorrow I got on a vacation to Maine for about a week, then I should get back to posting! Let's hope for it... I have 3 files that I was trying to upload, but for now they remain as rars on my hardrive. So expect those when I am back... (I'll give a hint, double ex floydian, with a single desert animal) Have any guesses? comment on guesses, you know you want to

!!!

Well guys! I dont have time for full posts today, so I will give small ones with 2 albums! More tomorrow
Today, something a little different =) more prog tomorrow
Dave Grusin - Mountain Dance:
This is an excellent smooth jazz recording with great keyboard work, and some downtempo rhythms. Very interesting to listen to, especially Rondo's keyboards =D Rating 9/10

ShadowFax - Too Far to Whisper:
Weird stuff... Sort of New agey jazz (sort of =/) with some great syncopated rhytms and emotional synthesizers. VERY excellent instrumentation. Ratong 8.5/10

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Thanks for Brandi

Thank you Brandi for pointing out the mistagged Track in Death Walks Behind you! I knew it was in there somewhere... Check the comment to fix it

=D

Hey Guys, Sorry I haven't posted recently. I am still recovering from Dave Matthews Band! It was a good concert. Anyway, I have two "different" posts I will be putting up either tonight or tommorrow morning, plus some more stuff as well! Check back later!

H to He Who am the Only One - Van Der Graaf Generator

H to He, by Van Der Graaf Generator is an excellent prog album, and one of the albums that got me into prog. Killer, the opening track is one of the first progressive tracks i heard, and I loved it. Killer is an 8 minute in your face opening track, much like the symphonic prog that Van der Graaf is known for. (Now, I really rather like you, but I kill all the love I've ever had) However, the album also has a quieter side, with songs like House with no Doors, a very nice 6 minute piece, that keeps the interest even while there seems to be no excitement. This album is filled with different instrumentation, something that I always love. There are lots of flutes and assorted brass throughout. Emperor in his war room is another of these low profile tracks, at least it starts as one. It adapts into a wonderful harder bridge, then back into soft music, until it moves to a fast pace drum and bass driven, guitar and flute madness with great vocals. Lost is a bit crazy beginning, but then becomes a nice ballad, with a bit of sax accompanying the vocals. Pioneers over C. is one of my favorite tracks, with some great vocals and constantly changing yet recurring themes. It almost seems to have a similar bass line and tone as the rest of the album. The way they play, this album almost sounds like a thick as a brick type one song album. Pick it up!!
Rating 9.5+/10

Thanks to Amy for the *ahem* Request

Death Walks Behind You - Atomic Rooster

Death Walks Behind You is a bit more of a gritty bluesy side compared to the previous self title Atomic Rooster album. This is Still a very proggy album however! Hardly a track goes by without long iron butterfly like solos and guitar duets. There is some excellent riff work, especially on songs like Tomorrow Night (I like the live BBC recording alot!) There are some parts that were drawn out abit (too much unnecessary noise on Gershatzer) But this is a solid prog/blues album. The cd has some bonus tracks as well, various b-sides and BBC sessions, that definetly sound good and different. I personally have never liked the frontmans vocals, but in this album he sounds at his best. I was kind of looking forward to sme horns or other instrumentation like in their self titled, but alas, there is none of that here. Overall however, this is a solid album, with many blues elements as well as some classic prog organ and riffs.
Rating 9/10

Thanks to Aaron for the request
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G'day

Thanks to the Link from Totally Fuzzy, My small blog is beginning to grow! Thank you all very much!

In toher news, I will be going to a Dave Matthews Band concert tomorrow (why? I dunno) So unless I post before around 5 PM, do not expect a post tomorrow (there could always be surprises!) anyway, I will try to post one more tonight anyway. I have gotten a request for some atomic Rooster, so you should be seeing some of that. If you have any requests, please do post them! I wiill try to get them! Thanks -Tehan

Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack - The Nice

Thoughts by the Nice is an excellent showcasing some of Keith Emerson's amazing piano work, as well as overall good instrumentation all around. The Nice are an excellent, more famous for being Emerson's first major band, and what started his route to fame. This is an excellent showcase of that, as he plays some great stuff, backed by great guitars vocals and drums. I highly recomend this to any ELP fan, or just a big prog fan!
Rating 9/10

Magnification - Yes

Magnification by Yes is the newest Yes studio album. Although it has some very different themes then albums like Close To The Edge, it is still quite enjoyable. It has some great songs, like Don't Go, and the title track Magnification. It has some great instrumentation, and good writing/composing. Overall, I recomend grabbing this one to all Yes fans
Rating 8+/10

Oops!

Apparently I forgot the link to the Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition! Well, here it is! http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VPTG3RQ0

Atom Heart Mother/Animals - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are my FAVORITE band, progressive or otherwise. Atom Heart Mother and Animals, happen to be my 2 favorite albums, so I decided to share them. Not much is needed to be said about these albums, except that they are pieces of art. The concept of animals is very unique, but well put together, and the symphonic arrangement of Atom Heart Mother is something you can just listen to over and over.

Ratings
BOTH are 10/10

Stand Up - Jethro Tull

Stand Up by Jethro Tull is my favorite Tull album. I have always been a fan of Jethro Tull's music, especially the use of many instruments and often Ian anderson's flute. There is not a single song that is not worth listening to, and the musicianship and compositions are incredible. Also, if you are a fan of Aqualung, some songs that were live, or non studio recordings (Bouree, etc) are studio recorded. I love this album, I hope you like it as well! (plus, it has a great cover!)
Rating: 9/10

Pictures At an Exhibition

Hello! I am sorry I did not post, as I was away all day. Anyway, today I have a special double feature. Pictures at an exhibiton (PAAE) was composed by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky in the late 1800s. It was then rearranged and played live by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. ELP are one of my FAVORITE bands. I decided to include BOTH the original version, and the ELP version.
Both of these compositions are masterpieces. Mussorgsky has obvious themes, plus the one overlying "walking theme" Which is the first thing you hear in both pieces. If at first you don't like the original, listen to the ELP one and THEN the original. Once you better understand the themes it is much easier to enjoy, even if you arew not a fan of classical music. overall, this is a MUST download. Even if you just want one of them.

Clerks 2

I am back from the movie "Clerks 2" It was a very funny movie, although there was quiter a bit of security about age (you must be over 18) I have never seen them card both when buying the ticket AND before entering the theater! Overall it was a funny movie, albeit a bit of a dumb love triangle. I think if you are into amateur sex humor, etc. It is the moive for you. Otherwise, not so much.
It was still very funny!

Concert is cancelled due to Rain

I was going to go see Pink Voyd tonight (www.pinkvoyd.com) But the concert was rained out. The rain date is tomorrow, so I will be there from 8PM-11PM (EST) I will give a report, and (hopefully!) pictures. Tonight instead, I am going to see the movie "Clerks 2" with the friend I would see the concert with. I will post more tomorrow
Bye!

Lizard - King Crimson

Lizard by King Crimson is an excellent Prog Album. This is not one of their most popular, however, it is definetly one of my favorites. It takes a bit of a turn off of the two previous albums (In the court, and in the wake) It has more jazz influences, and some dazzlingly weird vocals. I have always like the title track Lizard, especially Part A (When prince rupert awakes) as well as Cirkus. This album is very much in you face, lots of different horns, saxes and normal rock instruments as well. I belive this is an album you will no want to miss if you don't have it already.

1. Cirkus(including Entry of the chameleons) (6:28)
2. Indoor games (5:41)
3. Happy family (4:16)
4. Lady of the dancing water (2:44)
5. Lizard: a) Prince Rupert awakes (4:36)
6. b) Bolero - The peacock's tale (6:39)
7. c) The battle of the glass tears (10:58)
i) dawn song
ii) last skirmish
iii) Prince Rupert's lament
8. Big top (1:13)
rating 8.5+/10

*Another album with bad filenames, but good ID3 tags*
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Ashes are Burning - Renaissance

Ashes are burning, by Renaissance is a fantastic 6 track album. It holds music with lots of piano and bass, but also with some beautiful vocals. My top 2 tracks would be the title track "Ashes are Burning" and "Can you understand" Both of these songs carry you through many different themes and bridges, but eventually leading to a reprise filled with great music. Carpet of the sun was my introduction to this band, as it had some commercial success. It however I may like it, is not as good as the other tracks on this album. This album is upbeat at some times, but also can be in an almost depressing mood. (Bits of ashes are burning) But this change is much needed in songs, and something you don't always see alot of. Overall, I would grab this album! It is a very good "folky" almost album.
1. Can you undestand (9:49)
2. Let it grow (4:15)
3. On the frontier (4:53)
4. Carpet of the sun (3:31)
5. At the arbour (6:50)
6. Ashes are burning (11:24)
Rating 9/10
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I am sorry I did not post yesterday

I went to see the movie "A Scanner Darkly" It was incredible. If you like sci-fi dystopia movies, this one is for you! Based on the novel by Phillip K Dick, It captures the setting with the grapical style perfectly. The only problem, was that it is hard to find a theater playing it, as it is a limited release film.
Rating 9/10

Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2)- Gong

Angel's Egg by Gong is possibly my favorite truly psychedelic prog albums, from one of my favorite truly psychedelic bands. Angel's Egg is filled with some very jazzy riffs, mixed along with truly stonerific lyrics and themes. My top songs would have to be "Eat That Phone Book (Coda)" and "Oily Way" (It's not the only way :-) ) This is one of those album where its great to listen to singles, but if you listen through the album from start to finish, your head spins. It is a true music lover's album, and it was my introduction Gong ( whom I now have many albums from) I think you readers out there will like it if you haven't heard it already, give it a try! PS, if I get good feedback, maybe ill put up Radio Gnome Invisible Part 1! ;-)
1. Other side of the sky (7:40)
2. Sold on the highest buddha (4:25)
3. Castle in the clouds (1:09)
4. Prostitute poem (4:52)
5. Givin' my love to you (0:43)
6. Selene (2:09)
7. Flute salad (2:09)
8. Oily way (3:37)
9. Outer temple (1:09)
10. Inner temple (2:34)
11. Percolations (0:46)
12. Love is how you make it (3:27)
13. I never glid before (5:36)
14. Eat that phonebook coda (3:12)
Bonus track on cd release:
15. Ooby-scooby doomsday or the D-Day got the D.D.T. blues (5:09)

Rating 9+/10

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Waterloo Lily - Caravan

Caravan is an excellent British Progressive rock group, that has been very popular. Waterloo Lily is an excellent album, showcasing some of their talents. They are a bit of a softer band compared to many other groups (ELP, Yes, etc.) but that does not mean they are not as good. The vocals as well as instrumentation are incredible, with some great songs. I love the 12 minute "The Love in Your Eye" It has very nice symphonic undertones to accompany the acoustic guitar and vocals in the introduction and then it breaks into a heavier more upbeat bass lead vocal bridge with a guitar solo. It is truly a great album, with every instrument imaginable included.
1. Waterloo Lily (6:47)
2. Nothing at all /It's coming soon / Nothing at all (reprise) (10:25)
3. Songs and signs (3:39)
4. Aristocracy (3:03)
5. The love in your eye / To catch me a brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury kecks (12:31)
6. The world is yours (3:41)
Rating 8.5/10

More tonight! stay tuned!

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Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

This is my first non prog entry, and a bit of an intro to future jazz fusion entries. Headhunters by Herbie Hancock was the first album I heard that peaked my interest in Jazz fusion. Many of the elements of music very similar, and this had the same core musicality that makes me love prog so much. There are 4 long tracks in the album, including the popular chameleon and chart topper Watermelon Man. This album combines some crisp drum beats with obvious recurring themes and strong bass lines. This album is also VERY ELECTRONIC. most of the instruments are synthesized in some way, most notably the bass line in chameleon. This adds a great deal to the music. The keyboard (hancock) does a great job and the improvisational style is well played and interpreted by the muscians. Overall, I think this is a must have if you aren't really knowing much about jazz fusion. If you like prog, but havent found any fusion, or if you just hadn't heard of this album, pick it up!
1. Chameleon - 15:44
2. Sly - 10:20
3. Vein Melter - 9:09
4. Watermelon Man - 6:32
rating 9/10
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Yes - Close to the Edge

Close to the Edge by Yes is considered by many to be one of the greatest Prog albums of all time. Yes is a great progressive band, with rich vocals, as well as excellent instrumentation and keyboard work. Close to the Edge is essentially the template for many prog albums. Three long tracks, with constantly changing, yet often ongoing themes and rich comlex compositions. This is an EXCELLENT album, my favorite track being the title track, Close to the Edge. I highly recommend this album to any prog newbie, who doesn't have it already, and if you are a large prog fan who doesn't have this album, YOU SHOULD

1. Close To The Edge (18:50)
2. And You And I (10:09)
3. Siberian Khatru (8:57)

Rating 10/10
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Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico

Premiata Forneria Marconi are an outstanding Italian Prog group from the 1970s (and beyond) They grew popular outside of Italy, in both America and The UK. Per un amico is the album I bleieve to be their best, which outstanding synth work as well good compositions and general musicianship. Three of these tracks really stand out for me. Generale!, Per un Amico and Il Banchetto. Each of these tracks has a special added effort that makes them special. Whether it be horns, a great synth line, or just a really fun thing to listen to, this album is all around incredible. Please, if you havent heard this album, pick it up
Rating 9.5+/10


1. Appena un Po' (7:43)
2. Generale! (4:18)
3. Per un Amico (5:23)
4. Il Banchetto (8:39)
5. Geranio (8:03)
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Boston - Boston

SIDE ONE
More Than A feeling
Piece Of Mind
Foreplay/Long Time

SIDE TWO
Rock And Roll Band
Smokin
Hitchin A Ride
Something About You
Let Me Take You Home Tonight
Rating 8.5/10
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YRNKQXV9

Welcome To Prog and/or Poo

Hi Guys, this is a new blog for Progressive Rock and other music I deem listenable. (Jazz Fusion, 60/70s rock etc) I will not use rapidshare, as I know that for some people, it is impossible to download alot (plus rabbit shit is not so nice =D)

Anyway, for my first post I am sharing Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIII. If you are a serious prog fan, you no doubt own and love this album for its brilliant keyboard work, and conceptual design. If you dont however, DOWNLOAD IT! it is a very well performed and written album, consisting of true deep synth and keyboards, as well aas appearances from Alan White and Bill Bruford. Overall, it is definetly worth a download. This was one of those albums that got me into this music, and i love it
Rating 9+/10

1. Catherine of Aragon (3:45)
2. Anne of Cleves (7:50)
3. Catherine Howard (6:36)
4. Jane Seymour (4:44)
5. Anne Boleyn 'the day thou gavest Lord is ended (6:31)
6. Catherine Parr (7:00)


*Note, the file names may not be right (they are all album name then track #) but the ID3 tags are perfect*

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