Prog and Other enjoyable music

Happy Belated Birthday!

2008-09-16T21:10:00.002-04:00

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 =)

2008-08-27T14:00:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-06T12:20:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-06T12:10:00.002-04:00

Basically same comment as below... =D

Caravan - Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's REUP

2008-07-06T12:06:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-05T10:48:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-04T23:43:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-04T23:26:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-04T12:55:00.002-04:00

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

2008-02-15T19:32:00.002-05:00

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

2007-12-31T15:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-12-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-11-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-18T14:52:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-07T17:45:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-29T17:18:00.000-04:00

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

Ok, fair comment, wrong tone

2007-10-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-20T18:55:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-20T18:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-18T21:34:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-18T21:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-01T19:32:00.000-04:00

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

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries

2007-09-04T10:47:00.000-04:00

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

Victor Wooten - A Show of Hands

2007-09-01T21:20:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-08-31T18:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-29T23:20:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-29T15:27:00.000-04:00

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

Happy Birthday!

2007-08-27T21:11:00.001-04:00

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

Michael Giles - Progress

2007-08-27T20:57:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-27T20:40:00.001-04:00

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

2007-08-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

Check previous comments below

=P

2007-08-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-05T20:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-05T20:30:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

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

Daevid Allen & Euterpe - Good Morning!

2007-05-31T15:02:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-05-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

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

Not prog related but...

2007-05-01T15:38:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

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 =)

2007-04-26T16:58:00.000-04:00

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!

=(

2007-04-05T21:01:00.000-04:00

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..

2007-04-03T14:48:00.000-04:00

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

ERGH!!!

2007-04-02T15:40:00.000-04:00

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?

2007-03-27T21:39:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-03-25T20:54:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-25T17:47:00.000-04:00

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

Rating: 9+/10

Check Archives...

2007-03-25T13:34:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

A fun commercial Jazz album =)

Caravan - Caravan

2007-03-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-22T20:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-03-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-03-16T22:41:00.001-04:00

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

2007-03-16T17:54:00.000-04:00

Good Album

Expect some vinyl rips soon

Quick Update

2007-03-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-13T17:43:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-04T17:35:00.001-05:00

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

Supertramp - Even In the Quitest Moments

2007-03-01T21:36:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-02-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-22T01:01:00.001-05:00

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

2007-02-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-01T18:42:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-01-30T19:37:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-23T18:13:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-13T01:41:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-13T01:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-11T19:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-01-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

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

Focus - Hamburger Concerto

2007-01-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

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 =(

2006-12-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-20T15:54:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-20T15:43:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-12-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-12-14T22:07:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-12-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-12-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-12T18:37:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-12T16:51:00.000-05:00

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