ONE STOP PROG SHOP THREAD

*THE ONE STOP PROG SHOP THREAD*
 
This thread serves two purposes:
-It's primary purpose serves as a foundation for people new to prog bands of the 70's, 80's and early 90's and to expand one's progressive musical tastes beyond the bands that get alot mention here on the forum (Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Spock's Beard/Meal Morse, Queensryche)
-Secondary purpose: A point of reference for album discussion that pertain to prog bands and a general thread to discuss classic prog bands
-A. The big 5 (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, ELP)
-B. Bands that wouldn't generate enough discussion if the band was given a single thread. (Anglagard, VDGG, PFM, Le Orme, Camel, Gentle Giant etc.)

This is a collaborative thread- the ideas were pieced together by Project2501, romdrums, Salmacis, KeithK, Robert Brandt, drumline0671 and myself.
GENESIS
I. Selling England By the Pound- Foxtrot- Nursery Cryme-
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway- Trespass (Live Album: Genesis Live)
Trespass
Nursery Cryme
Foxtrot
Genesis Live
Selling England By the Pound
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
II. Wind & Wuthering- A Trick of the Tail (Live Album: Seconds Out)
A Trick of the Tail
Wind & Wuthering
Seconds Out
III. Duke- Abacab- Invisible Touch- We Can't Dance-And Then There Were Three- Genesis
(Three Sides Live)
IV. Genesis Archive Vol. 1- Genesis Archive Vol. 2- The Way We Walk- Calling All Stations
And Then There Were Three
Duke
Abacab
Three Sides Live
Genesis
Invisible Touch
We Can't Dance
The Way We Walk/From Genesis to Revelation
Calling All Stations
Genesis Archive 1: 1967- 1975
Genesis Archive 2: 1976- 1999
KING CRIMSON
I. In the Court of the Crimson King- In the Wake of Poseidon- Lizard- Islands
II. Red- Starless and Bible Black- Larks Tongues In Aspic (Live Album: The Night Watch)
III. Discipline- Three of A Perfect Pair- Beat (Live Album: Absent Lovers)
IV. Thrak (Live Album: Vroom Vroom)
V. The Power to Believe- The ConstruKction of Light (Eyes Wide Open DVD)
MARILLION
FISH

Fish: Clutching At Straws- Misplaced Childhood- Fugazi- Script For A Jester's Tear

Script For A Jester's Tear
Fugazi
Misplaced Childhood
Clutching At Straws

H: Brave-Marbles-Afraid of Sunlight-Seasons End-This Strange Engine-Anoraknophobia- marillion.com-Holidays In Eden-Radiation

Seasons End
Holidays In Eden
Brave
Afraid of Sunlight
This Strange Engine
Radiation
marillion.com
Anoraknophobia
Marbles

YES
Best starting points: Close to the Edge, Fragile

Beginnings

Yes
Time and A Word

Classic Era

The Yes Album
Fragile
Close to the Edge
Tales From Topographic Oceans
Relayer
Going For the One
Tormato
Drama lineup
Drama

YESWEST

90125
Big Generator
Union
Talk
Keystudio
Open Your Eyes
The Ladder
Magnification

I will post the Pink Floyd album discussion URLs when I finish them.


Other Important prog bands:

(the following band descriptions are taken from www.progarchives.com)
CAMEL

In the early 70's Pete Bardens and Andy Latimer forged a music style that would break ground and influence generations until this very day. Supported by a strong keyboard foundation, the guitar has a prominent whole in the music. The drumming style of Andy Ward gives the final signature to their music, not to mention the beautiful voice of Latimer, and his sweet flute as well. Influences from Jazz to Pop/Rock are found on this massive melodical and symphonic universe that is CAMEL's music. Their style changed over the years, with the arrival of Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, and just after, the departure of Pete Bardens. The band became more commercial since the 80's but the incomparable quality is always there.

Essential albums: Mirage, The Snow Goose, Moonmadness
EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER

ELP revolutionized the 70's rock scene by introducing a new line-up format. This fact really mattered due to each musician's geniality and unlimited talent that, put together, generated a level of music never achieved by anybody else as of yet. All of the musicians came from stablished bands before joining forces together: Greg LAKE came from KING CRIMSON, Carl PALMER came from ATOMIC ROOSTER, and Keith EMERSON came from THE NICE.


Essential albums: Tarkus, Trilogy, Brain Salad Surgery
GENTLE GIANT

Formed on the late 60's by the Shulmman brothers, GENTLE GIANT is known as the paradigmatic progressive rock band. With an uncomparable musicianship, they went as far as no one ever did into unexplored grounds in the progressive music, navigating over dissonant 20th-century classical chamber music, mediaeval vocal music, jazz and rock. The multi-intrumentation capabilities of the musicians gave such dynamic to their music, which set parameters to a whole coming generation up to these very days. They explored Moogs, Mellotrons and Fender Rhodes usage with such majesty! Not to mention other instruments like oboes, violins, cellos, horns among others.

Essential albums: Octopus, In A Glass House
JETHRO TULL

Formed by charismatic Ian ANDERSON (vocals, flute, harmonica, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, occasional everything) and guitar master Mick ABRAHAMS. Martin BARRE replaced ABRAHAMS after the album "This Was". JETHRO TULL has etalished itself as a pioneer in mixing Progressive folk-rock with blues. With 60 million albums sold and over 2500 concerts played in 40 countries, the band continue to record and perform, typically 100 shows to around 300,000 people each year throughout all the major rock and roll territories of the world.

Essential albums: Aqualung, Thick As A Brick
VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

If there is a band who never got worldwide recognition, but belongs on the same platform occupied by GENESIS, YES, FLOYD, GENTLE GIANT and ELP, this band is VDGG! Frontman Peter Hammill holds one of the most beautiful voices ever heard, with an infinite range of dynamics added to it, giving an odd atmosphere to the usual thoughful lyrics. Switching from sweet to aggressive moods, the vocals outstand upon a peculiar organ oriented music conducted by the geniality of Hugh Banton, yet counterpointed by beautiful saxes and other wind instruments.

Essential albums: Pawn Hearts, Goldbluff
ANGLAGARD

Änglagård were a short-lived band who nonetheless generated critical acclaim and a loyal following in the early nineties with their brooding mellotron and synth heavy sound that also featured virtuoso percussionist Mattias Olsson and classically trained flautist Anna Holmgren.

Essential albums: Hybris


ITALIAN PROG

For those interested in Italian prog I suggest the following bands and albums:
PFM- Per Un Amico, Storia Di Un Amico

The pioneer of Italian Progressive groups, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI (PFM for short) is one of the leaders of the 70s prog movement. PFM developed a style which is uniquely Italian while maintaining links with the rest of the prog world. A lyrical, romantic and delicate music, full of fineness. A great melodic and instrumental richness, somptuous compositions and arrangements. Sometimes compared with the early KING CRIMSON, the group had its own musical personality, with its elegant music.


Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso- Darwin!, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, Io Sono Nato Libero
One of the Italian giants, BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO defined together with a few majestic bands, a new ground break in the 70's progressive music. The incomparable musicianship of BMS is followed by many Italian bands along the decades until today. The unique voice of Francesco Di Giacomo brings their music to a higher dimension, and the extraordinary keyboard duo performed by Vitorio Nocenzi and Giani Nocenzi structures the perfect foundation for a strong yet beautiful progressive music.

Le Orme- Felona E Sorona
Excellent early-70's Italian progressive trio (still around today) with classical stylings, featuring keyboards to the fore and a unique dreamy/powerful style. Le ORME was one of the three major Italian groups, the other two being PFM and BANCO. This band is usually considered as the Italian EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER and even BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO by the Italian singing. Its music is based upon organ developments and soli reminding Seventies groups which works are essentially built upon keyboards parts.

This is a collaborative thread- the ideas were pieced together by Project2501, romdrums, Salmacis, KeithK, Noware, drumline0671 and myself.

Edit: too late
 
Those are the collaborators
 

One of the things that amazes me is how so may people know so little about the progressive music scene in general, beyond a coure group of bands.  Here on MP.com, that core curriculum seems typically to be:

Dream Theater (duh)
Pain of Salvation
Porcupine Tree
Tool
Spocks Beard/related
Queensryche.

Elsewhere it seems to be the traditional "Big Six":

Pink Floyd
Genesis
Jethro Tull
ELP
King Crimson
Yes

There is an absolutely amazing amount of progressive music out there that would absolutely blow all of you away.

What I will be doing, on a (hopefully) every day basis, is making a post in this thread with a review of an album.  It may be from one of the Big Six.  It may be from a band you have never heard of before, new or old.  I will make connections to bands you hopefully will have some experience with.  And my hope is that it will inspire some of you to look beyond the somewhat narrower band selection we see mentioned here.

I want to make something perfectly clear: I am not in any way denigrating or putting down Dream Theater.  I enjoy their music...why else would I be here?  I have every studio and major live album.  I have every DVD.  I have a bunch of the official bootlegs.  But they are not the be all, end all of progressive music...and that's not a bad thing!  Can a group like Banco do what Dream Theater does?  Not at all.  And the same is true the other way around!  You may even find that your appreciation of Dream Theater's music is increased after discovering some of the bands who helped form and create progressive music back when it was still a new, forward looking art form.

Today's review is the first of two sequentially released EPs by "Big Six" band King Crimson.  Initially released as a limited edition tour CD, Level Five has a lot to offer the average prog fan, and is an insightful look at the process of working up material that would be the instrumental centerpiece of the band's most recent studio album.

Here's my review:

KING CRIMSON – LEVEL FIVE (EP)   

Following the “research and development” phase that was the ProjeKCts, King Crimson resumed its most recent return to recording and performance. Having jettisoned Bill Bruford (who returned to primarily jazz playing via Earthworks) and Tony Levin (who returned to live work with long time collaborator Peter Gabriel), Crimson recorded and released the more electronic album The ConstruKCtion of Light in 2000. Extensive touring followed, and in 2001 the band began work on material that would surface two years later on the bands last (to date) studio album The Power To Believe. King Crimson has always been a band to tour new material prior to release, using the concert environment in much the same way many groups use rehearsal studios.

Level Five was initially released in 2001 as a limited edition tour CD, comprising 5 listed tracks and one hidden improv. The listed material is entirely live, taken from multiple concerts recorded in Spring 2001 across the United States and Canada. The material is almost entirely newly composed songs, which would form the basis of the band’s next studio release. As King Crimson was still heavily experimenting with (and based around) electronic sounds the renditions on this EP offer a different and divergent look at compositions that built the foundation of the group’s most recent work.

Track by Track Review

Dangerous Curves: This EP’s opening track is structured around extensive repeated sections, building tension through repetition, and finally release. In a number of ways, this song’s structure can be compared to similar uses of repetition and release evident in classical and chamber music. As Robert Fripp has been hesitant to perform older material in the most recent iterations of the band, a cynic might see this composition as a modern reworking of the band’s “Mars” arrangement, last played live in 1969. The piece is fully Crimson, however, with no quoting or lifting of melody from previous works.

Level Five: Built around keening, sustained Fripp guitar solo and a "THRaK" like rhythm, this is Crimson in nuovo metal form. An ascending chordal structure and unrelenting rhythm elevate this lengthy instrumental to levels of heaviness unmatched in King Crimson’s catalogue. The track often sounds and feels like an extension of the themes and constructional ideals of the “Larks’ Tongues” school of compositions, and may have missed out on being titled “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic V” out of a desire to leave that particular name behind.

Virtuous Circle: Trey Gunn’s Warr guitar line adds a pulsing ostinato rhythm on this piece, while Robert Fripp layers soundscapes and sound effects in an orchestrated yet improvised manner. Guitar solos take on an almost violin like timbre, while scattered throughout are moments featuring Fripp’s traditionally tortured, overdriven guitar tone. A dark and heavy electronic drum and bass section arises out of nowhere, shocking the listener lulled by the preceding restrained and musically subtle instrumental break.

The ConstruKction of Light: This is the only track with vocals on this limited edition EP, and even at that they feature far less than in most King Crimson tracks. The track is built around interlocking gamelan like ostinato, similar in timbre and texture to the band’s 1980’s output. Belew’s lyrics again veer toward stream of consciousness and obtuse references. While the instrumental parts rival any of King Crimson’s earlier output for complexity, the vocal sections feel as out of place on this live take on the song as they do on the earlier studio iteration.

The Deception of the Thrush: “The Deception of the Thrush” had existed in one form or another throughout the band’s multiple ProjeKCt line-ups, and has become over time one of the group’s newest signature pieces. A lengthy and atmospheric instrumental, vocal samples from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” run through vocoder-like processing add a disturbing, alien quality to the piece, which gradually develops toward a brilliant and emotionally bright climax.

Improv: ProjeKct 12th and X (Hidden Track): Tacked on some 2 minutes after the completion of the definitive take on “The Deception of the Thrush,” this is further evidence of King Crimson’s continuing ability to excel at improvisation. Tortured guitar lines scream over a gently pulsing electronic beat, while soundscapes gently add lushness that in earlier bands would be handled by mellotron. The piece slowly builds, the rhythm becoming more insistent and intense. While this did not evolve into a discrete composition later on, it is an enjoyable improv and a worthy hidden extra

Great review Project2501.  Unfortunately, the Level 5 EP is one of the few KC releases I do not have.

Interesting what you have to say about Dangerous Curves.  I never thought about comparing it to Mars or Devil's Triangle, but I can kinda see why some would.  Talk about repetition though (in a good way of course)!  Belew shows amazing restraint playing the same thing for almost seven minutes, while Fripp soundscapes over Pat's frantic drumming.  I can't help but crank this one.

It's been a while since I've listened to some Crimson, especially the double-duo material...I think I'm going to break out disc 3 of Heavy ConstruKction now.

ORIGINAL: drumline0671

Interesting what you have to say about Dangerous Curves.  I never thought about comparing it to Mars or Devil's Triangle, but I can kinda see why some would.  Talk about repetition though (in a good way of course)!  Belew shows amazing restraint playing the same thing for almost seven minutes, while Fripp soundscapes over Pat's frantic drumming.  I can't help but crank this one.

The very first thing I thought of when I heard "Dangerous Curves" was the structural allusions to "Mars."  It's not obvious, really...but it hit me particularly hard for one reason or another.

The use of tension/release has a lot of analogues in progressive music; King Crimson has used it a lot, especially in the 1980's version of the band, with its gamelan influenced world music.  "Indiscipline" takes it to the most extreme edge,with the band handling repeated motifs while Bruford tries to break it up as much as possible.  And I know from your recent listening of Magma that you're familiar with their mastery of tension/release through repeated musical motif.  Christian Vander is absolutely a master of writing in that format.

I wish I had gotten that Level Five EP when I had the chance.  I've always been a fan of the instrumental side of the Crim.

ORIGINAL: romdrums

I wish I had gotten that Level Five EP when I had the chance.  I've always been a fan of the instrumental side of the Crim.

I see one copy for sale at Amazon.com for $79.99 US.

I think I'm glad I have one of the numbered copies...I'll put it alongside my 2003 edition of Hybris by Anglagard

Solaris

Solaris was established in 1980 and hail from Hungary. They work with a great deal of strong melodic content with interplay between the guitar, keyboard, and flute. One instrument never really outshines the other as they work together to make a cohesive and spacey sound that is their own.


Essential Album: Marsbéli Krónikák (Martian Chronicles) 






I'm not so good at "reviews" and such so.. yeah.

ORIGINAL: Scifi Saint

Solaris

Solaris was established in 1980 and hail from Hungary. They work with a great deal of strong melodic content with interplay between the guitar, keyboard, and flute. One instrument never really outshines the other as they work together to make a cohesive and spacey sound that is their own.

Essential Album: Marsbéli Krónikák (Martian Chronicles) 

I'm not so good at "reviews" and such so.. yeah.

Great band, very underrated.  Lots of Pink Floyd type sounds here, with the flute adding that something extra that keeps the band from being labelled a clone.  And yes, Martian Chronicles is essential.

Not Hungarian, but worthy of investivating from the eastern European region, are Collage (more melodic/neo/symphonic), After Crying (more avant/angular with some nods to Zappa complexity and quirk) and Lizard (darkly symphonic with lots of Crimson-esque bits).

Here's a great old thread on the CANTERBURY sound.
 
And some French prog: Ange, Richard Pinhas, Heldon, Jean-Michel Jarre, Philharmonie, Dissonant Elephant

ORIGINAL: Project2501

One of the things that amazes me is how so may people know so little about the progressive music scene in general, beyond a coure group of bands.  Here on MP.com, that core curriculum seems typically to be:

Dream Theater (duh)
Pain of Salvation
Porcupine Tree
Tool
Spocks Beard/related
Queensryche.

Elsewhere it seems to be the traditional "Big Six":

Pink Floyd
Genesis
Jethro Tull
ELP
King Crimson
Yes

There is an absolutely amazing amount of progressive music out there that would absolutely blow all of you away.

What I will be doing, on a (hopefully) every day basis, is making a post in this thread with a review of an album.  It may be from one of the Big Six.  It may be from a band you have never heard of before, new or old.  I will make connections to bands you hopefully will have some experience with.  And my hope is that it will inspire some of you to look beyond the somewhat narrower band selection we see mentioned here.

I want to make something perfectly clear: I am not in any way denigrating or putting down Dream Theater.  I enjoy their music...why else would I be here?  I have every studio and major live album.  I have every DVD.  I have a bunch of the official bootlegs.  But they are not the be all, end all of progressive music...and that's not a bad thing!  Can a group like Banco do what Dream Theater does?  Not at all.  And the same is true the other way around!  You may even find that your appreciation of Dream Theater's music is increased after discovering some of the bands who helped form and create progressive music back when it was still a new, forward looking art form.

 
I've always thought that Rush should be right up there with the "big" five or six, but as they pertain to this thread, they should definitely be part of the MP.com "core curriculum".

ORIGINAL: Rushman
I've always thought that Rush should be right up there with the "big" five or six, but as they pertain to this thread, they should definitely be part of the MP.com "core curriculum".

Certainly Rush is a major band, but ultimately they are almost a second generation band, much like Kansas in that respect.  As both followed on from the initial burst of progressive rock, they built from those foundations and took the music in different, more "American" (in the boradest sense of the word) directions.  Rush's most progressive output certainly has more connections to traditional progressive music (sf/philosophical/fantasy lyrics, et.al.) than Kansas' material does...

And yes, they certainly are part of the MP.com core curriculum, but even there I think they are almost overshadowed by the other six bands/artists I mentioned...

ORIGINAL: Cassie5563

Here's a great old thread on the CANTERBURY sound.

And some French prog: Ange, Richard Pinhas, Heldon, Jean-Michel Jarre, Philharmonie, Dissonant Elephant

Great link, and loads of horrid misspellings by yours truly there.

French prog...now that's a subject for another time, like when I'm not at work!

ORIGINAL: Project2501

ORIGINAL: romdrums

I wish I had gotten that Level Five EP when I had the chance.  I've always been a fan of the instrumental side of the Crim.

I see one copy for sale at Amazon.com for $79.99 US.

I think I'm glad I have one of the numbered copies...I'll put it alongside my 2003 edition of Hybris by Anglagard

I'd be even more envious if you said The Beatles butcher cover

ORIGINAL: Oblivion86

ORIGINAL: Project2501

ORIGINAL: romdrums

I wish I had gotten that Level Five EP when I had the chance.  I've always been a fan of the instrumental side of the Crim.

I see one copy for sale at Amazon.com for $79.99 US.

I think I'm glad I have one of the numbered copies...I'll put it alongside my 2003 edition of Hybris by Anglagard

I'd be even more envious if you said The Beatles butcher cover

I should keep my mouth shut then...

Actually, the key tense would be past.  I had a copy, once.

One band that has eluded me for years: THE ENID
 
I have heard raves about them, but never have I encountered any recordings

ORIGINAL: Cassie5563

One band that has eluded me for years: THE ENID

I have heard raves about them, but never have I encountered any recordings

They're unique, to be sure.  Very heavily orchestral...a lot of times, you'd swear you were listening to an actual orchestra (and yes, sometimes you were).  Very English in the truest sense of the term musically...very pastoral and composed...

Try these links:

http://www.lasercd.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=CRDVD60
http://www.hicom.net/~dlarson/alpha-e.htm  (He's primarily carrying the Japanese mini-LP editions)
http://synphonic.8m.com/country/uk.htm

Recommended Records: In The Region Of The Summer Stars, Aerie Faerie Nonsense, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Thanks mang!

ORIGINAL: Cassie5563

Thanks mang!

Any time!

Try as I might, I just can't think of any group quite like the Enid.  I mean, they're practically a chamber ensemble, just working in more of a rock style.  Some of Univers Zero's material is also very chamber oriented, but it's quite a bit darker and more atonal...very avant.

Enid's a group I've listened to yet oddly have none of in my collection.  I believe, last I looked, I had a bunch of releases on my to buy list...if not I'll have to correct that.

Wow! 20 posts down and no Sal!
 
Anyways, for a comprehensive timeline of key progressive rock releases from 1967- 1979, look no further that this site: http://www.progressiverock.com/timeline.asp?sYear=1967
 
It gives amazing in depth analysis on prog albums that range from Sgt. Pepper teaching the band to play, to Roger Waters tearing down The Wall.

Today's review (posted late, sorry!) is for the newest release by Japanese symphonic/prog/jazz/fusion band Kenso.  These guys are great...loads of energy, great skill on their instruments, and a sense of humour to go along with their intense music.  The album is entitled Utsuroi Yuku Mono, and it's gotten a lot of play the past week or so since I've picked it up.

Track List:
1. Itamashiki Kaimei
2. Anokoro Moby Dick to
3. Sokowamaa Sokohakatonaku
4. Rhyme stone in Cotswolds
5. Ubud Neiribana Genchou
6. Shiduka eno Tobira
7. Kodama no Mau Joukei
8. A Single Moment of Life
9. GOS
10. Wakuwaku Lehigh Valley
11. Kowakujima ni Uta wa
12. Nitsunawa 6/8
13. Kaze no naka no Fyilin
14. Akatsuku ni Gakushiga
15. Codon 1
16. Codon 3
17. Codon 2

Kenso is one of the foremost and best-known Japanese prog/fusion bands, with a history dating back nearly 30 years. Following on 4 years from their previous studio effort (Fabulis Mirabilibus de Bombycosi Scriptis, 2002), Kenso’s newest release Utsuroi Yuku Mono shows a band still fully in command of their prodigal playing and writing skills, continuing to push their musical boundaries and create material that is challenging and fresh.

Incisive, biting guitar from Yoshihish Shimizu opens the album on “Itamashiki Kaimei.” His cutting lead work leads into a quirky syncopated main section, with a sound not unlike 1974 King Crimson filtered through its 1981 incarnation. Keisuke Komori, the band’s newest member, ably handles the shifting and changing meters. His drumming does not push the song nor does it hold the composition back...he is right in the pocket and always spot on. Long time fans familiar with the band’s earlier, more symphonic works will find much to enjoy in the second track, “Anokoro Moby Dick to.” Debuted in 2005 at NEARfest, the composition features a driving hard rock beat, memorable keyboard melodies, and slashing rhythm guitar.

The lighter side of Kenso’s playing is evidenced in tracks such as ” Shiduka eno Tobira” and “Nitsunawa 6/8,” both of which feature plenty of ornate keyboard work and dashes of keyboard/guitar interplay. Kenichi Oguchi and Kenichi Mitsuda are impressive talents on a wide range of keyboards, and utilise a full palate of modern and vintage sounds and timbres to ensure each song sounds fresh and interesting. Bassist Shunji Saegusa shines on “A Single Moment of Life,” with an elegant and wonderfully melodic solo/melody line that drives the memorable track. Elsewhere on the album his playing is rock solid and always handled in a manner which suits the song. Each member of the band plays for the song, perhaps with the knowledge that there will be opportunities for an solo showcase, but knowing that the song always comes before individual attention.

Keiko Kawashima’s strident vocals add a different dimension to several of the album’s tracks, including “Kowakujima ni Uta wa,” with its strummed guitar and handclaps, evoking a slightly Spanish feel. Kawashima’s timbre and delivery are reminiscent of, yet certainly not comparable to, Diamanda Galas, adding additional intensity to songs already filled to the brim with it. Her wailing vocals on “Codon 3” and “Codon 2,” layered above a quiet jazz beat and synthesizers, are at once disarming and yet entirely appropriate.

Utsuroi Yuku Mono has been labeled by some as Kenso’s densest, least immediately accessible release. While the album’s 17 tracks lack some of the more melodic nature and symphonics that typified earlier efforts, the album is nonetheless a powerful representation of a band that continues to excel, never resting on its laurels and prodigious history. Utsuroi Yuku Mono is a highly recommended release.

Band:
Yoshihisa Shimizu, guitar
Kenichi Oguchi, keyboards
Kenichi Mitsuda, keyboards
Shunji Saegusa, bass
Keisuke Komori, drums

Wow! 20 posts down and no Sal!

 
I'm here.  I just haven't contributed yet. But you know I will.   In the meantime, I am enjoying the thread, particularly the idea of Bill's daily reviews!
 
Three smileys.  That's my limit per message.
 

Hey Project, what would you rate as your favourite Camel album?

ORIGINAL: Ink

Hey Project, what would you rate as your favourite Camel album?

That one has two totally different answers.

The on top answer is, without a doubt for me, Music Inspired by The Snow Goose.  I find it absolutely brilliant, and incredibly moving.

Music Inspired by The Snow Goose, Camel: Camel is perhaps the foremost band in the so-called “second tier” of classic prog. Never quite popular enough to compete with the “Big Six” bands, they nonetheless created a melodic and emotional brand of rock rooted in a slightly simpler style, with loads of great guitar playing and excellent keys. Music Inspired by The Snow Goose is a 45 minute entirely instrumental (as in no lyrics) suite inspired by the Paul Gallico story. It’s mellow, musically lyrical, and features some great, memorable melodies and orchestration. It’s an album I can easily listen to repeatedly without it getting old.


The underneath answer is a bit more complex.  There's few Camel albums I can say I generally do not like; Camel has always been a very consistent band.  Any of the following are great albums and well worth investivating:

Camel
Mirage
Music Inspired by The Snow Goose
Moonmadness
Nude
Harbour of Dreams
Rajaz
A Nod and a Wink

I enjoy all of these quite a bit.

I blame Oblivion86 for today's review...



Today we are looking at a landmark of Italian progressive rock, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's monolithic debut release, simply titled Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

Banco is an essential band.  Full stop.  If you like ELP, you will likely love Banco.  If you like Yes, you will likely love Banco.  Their music is grandiose in a way that only an Italian band could be, with heady classical textures dueling with equal parts jazz and rock.  Banco synthesized elements of the nascent English progressive scene (bands like Genesis and VdGG were huge in Italy long before developing success in their home country), and added in a continental flair and elements of classical arrangements to create a sound that is memorable and unique.  There is a reason Banco and PFM were signed to ELP’s Manticore Records...they are two of the most important Italian prog bands from the classic era.  It’s too bad they were somewhat forced to re-record material in English for those albums, as their Italian material is head and shoulders above the reworkings.  Banco’s first three albums (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Darwin! and Il Sono Nato Libero) are must owns, and are rated among the 20 highest rated albums on the gnosis2000 site (http://gnosis2000.net)

The descriptive comments below are excerpted from the Gibraltar Encyclopaedia of Progressive Rock:

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, or Banco for short, along with PFM, Osanna and a few others, defined the early to mid seventies Italian progressive sound that so many after them would follow. That sound was equally influenced by folk themes, classical music, and the melodic and experimental british bands of the time, i.e. Van Der Graaf, early Genesis, the Nice, and others. Banco, in particular also tended to have quite a bit of Jazz influence to their sound. The two keyboardists (piano, Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer) create some wonderful music, finely crafted and well executed.

Band:
Francesco Di Giacomo (vocals)
Marcello Todaro (guitar)
Gianni Nocenzi (keyboards)
Vittorio Nocenzi (keyboards)
Renato D'Angelo (bass)
Pierluigi Calderoni (drums)

1. In volo - Banco del Mutuo Soccorso opens deceptively, with what can be best described as a spacey soundscape on analogue keyboards.  The composition then takes on a medieval feel with spoken Italian vocals and flute-like keyboard tones.  A touch of mellotron fleshes out the mix on this brief introductory piece, which fades on a keyboard/choral flourish before the next track bursts from the silence.

2. R.I.P. (Requiescant In Pace) – Incredibly upbeat track with emotional, almost operatic vocals. Francesco Di Giacomo rates with Jimmy Spitaleri (Metamorfosi lead singer) as one of the most impressive male voices in all of progressive music...having said this, you will either love his vocals or hate them, as they are entirely different from anything you may have ever heard in prog.  Aggressive guitar and a variety of different keyboard textures dominate this piece.  I dare you to be unmoved by the slow ballad section starting around 4:30, with piano, flute, and one of the most amazing vocal performances committed to a rock album ever.

Passaggio – A brief aperitif aurally, with some harpsichord and studio sounds (walking, some slightly heard dialogue).  Di Giacomo’s vocals here are restrained and sing-songy, suiting this short breather of a piece.

4. Metamorfosi – Intense guitar and ornate organ open this piece.  One might find a bit of comparison to Genesis’ “The Knife” in the beginning before the song breaks down with a wonderful piano section reminiscent of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman (without the latter’s penchant for flurries of hundreds of notes).  This shifts to layers of organ (one playing deep, throbbing bass notes, the other more of a lead tone) and gliss guitar.  The band’s penchant for classical construction and jazz textures are so evident here.  Loads of dynamics...quiet organ interludes burst violently into full band playing at rock intensity, pulling back to a simmering jazz groove while Marcello Todaro rips out overdriven, distorted chords and melodic lines.  By the time vocals come into play at 8:30, the song has moved to a slower mid-tempo beat, with elegiac organ, deft piano runs, and Trower-esque guitar.

5. Il giardino del mago – The album’s second epic (18:26) opens with quiet, ominous organ while occasional cymbal strikes and snare rolls add tension through disruption.  The rhythm section builds slowly, and Renato D'Angelo adds little bursts of trebly bass.  Multi-tracked vocalese (wordless singing...often seen in jazz as scat singing, but an excellent prog example would be Annie Haslam’s vocalese on “Prologue”) evolves to another emotive, near operatic display, while the multiple keyboard parts remain ominous and somber.  The song goes through a plethora of changes, demonstrating the band’s excellent command of dynamics and intricate arrangements as we smoothly switch from sorrow-filled mid-tempo sections to quickly paced piano-driven rock on a dime.  “Il giardino del mago” goes through more changes in just over 18 minutes than most full length albums, and the highest compliment I can pay this track is that it is an epic that doesn’t wear out its welcome.

5. Traccia – The essence of Banco, distilled in one 2-minute track.  Intensely upbeat, serving a similar purpose to Le Orme’s “Ritorno al Nulla,” the track is relentless, with choppy guitar, intense piano, a driving beat, and choral vocals, leading to a massive full band chord and then...silence.  No fade here, the music ends, leaving a silent vacuum for the listener to catch their breath...perhaps to play the album over again?


Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is an amazing album, made all the more amazing by the fact that this was a debut release.  It seems nearly impossible to follow up...yet Banco did, not once, but twice in the next 12 months...

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso homepage

ORIGINAL: Project2501
I blame Oblivion86 for today's review...

Today we are looking at a landmark of Italian progressive rock, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's monolithic debut release, simply titled Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

Long live Italian Prog!
This was an album that showed that the Italians were just as capable of creating landmark prog albums as those crazy British were.
One of the bands in the Italian trifecta.

P.S. I think you should give this album a good 5 days for other people who want to check it out before doing another review. Just my opinion. It's a landmark prog release.

Listening to a song from that album now on Progarchives.  R.I.P.

This thread is going to make me go broke, I swear.  Thanks Bill and Oblivion

I absolutely LOVE these vocals; especially that section at 4:30 that Bill mentioned.

WOW

ORIGINAL: Oblivion86

Long live Italian Prog!
This was an album that showed that the Italians were just as capable of creating landmark prog albums as those crazy British were.
One of the bands in the Italian trifecta.

P.S. I think you should give this album a good 5 days for other people who want to check it out before doing another review. Just my opinion. It's a landmark prog release.

I listened through 3 times this morning before finally starting to write the review...the first two times were spent sitting in awe, as I always do after an extended break from these albums.

I'm listening to Darwin! right now, and it amazes me, with how good the debut is, that Darwin! is actually stronger and more consistent.  I just have a harder time listening to it, because it's almost too intense, if you can believe it.  Just absolutely gobsmackingly amazing.  Music this good should not be ignored.

Yup. Banco's first album is stellar. And it's not their only great one!
 
Re: Camel. I agree with Bill about the album choices, but for me, Mirage takes the cake as their best release. Camel were very adept at creating beautiful melodies. I always really liked Pete Bardens. Oh, and I would include the album I Can See Your House From Here. Only because of the gorgeous song "Ice".
 
Perhaps I'll do some VDGG reviews.
 

I adore this thread. Keep it coming guys. 

ORIGINAL: Scifi Saint

I adore this thread. Keep it coming guys. 

We're sure going to try

I know I would love to see Sal's impressions on some of the Van der Graaf Generator material.  And I have a collection of approximately 1500 to 2000 albums I can draw from, so there's little chance, outside of me getting bored of writing, that I'll run out of interesting music to showcase.

Wait till I hit Magma

Linking to this post from Sal about the Genesis SACD box set reissues:

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1540172

This is one awesome thread.

Keep the reviews coming Bill, I love reading what you have to say about some of the lesser known (at least on this forum) prog bands.

Banco's self-titled debut is truly one of the best albums I've heard in a while. How many bands put out such strong albums in the beginning? I can only think of a few. Darwin is still growing on me; it hasn't hit me yet like BDMS did.

Le Orme's Felona e Sorona is another relatively new discovery. A bit folkier than BDMS, and some parts remind me of Olias Of Sunhillow and ELP. Still new to me, but I will say this: the last track "Ritorno Al Nulla" SMOKES

ORIGINAL: Project2501

Wait till I hit Magma

I can't wait. I'd love to get your take on some of the older Magma releases. KA has been kicking my ass every since you introduced me to it a few weeks ago.

ORIGINAL: drumline0671

ORIGINAL: Project2501

Wait till I hit Magma

I can't wait. I'd love to get your take on some of the older Magma releases. KA has been kicking my ass every since you introduced me to it a few weeks ago.

If I feel up to it tomorrow...as I am pretty wiped and feeling ick...I may post a track by track on Udu Wudu from 1976.  It's really the lest "main sequence" Magma album, and is quite a bit different from what came before.

I could be lazy and do Mekanik Kommandoh...but that's just 1 38-minute track

Le Orme's Felona e Sorona is another relatively new discovery.

 
Another classic Italian release. Trivia: Peter Hammill wrote the lyrics for the English version of the album. I personally prefer Uomo Di Pezza to any of their albums, but that's just me.
 

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

Le Orme's Felona e Sorona is another relatively new discovery.

Another classic Italian release. Trivia: Peter Hammill wrote the lyrics for the English version of the album. I personally prefer Uomo Di Pezza to any of their albums, but that's just me.

Yep, Bill was telling me about that.  After hearing the Italian version, I'm not sure if English words would fit with it.

NP: BDMS - Darwin

Well i'll try and contribute. Oceansize is really cool stuff. I hope to get into them more, so should you.
I know it was mentioned on the previous page how rush isnt really considered in the original emerence of prog. But it would still be cool if we could get the links to the album discussions in here? please?

Agreed, this thread is 110% pure awesome. Thanks so much for doing this!

And thanks for the Camel write up.