Another Lifetime Review by Gary Hill Although this album is more of a jazz album than anything else, it is included in the prog section because of Simon Phillips involvement in many assorted prog projects, most recently the ELP tribute album also reviewed this month. More...
This anthology of songs from John Wetton is quite strong. It’s not all progressive rock, and for the most par even when it lands there, it’s more in the AOR end of the spectrum.
Derek Sherinian - Blood of the Snake Review by Gary Hill Derek Sherinian always seems to be looking for new ways to stretch out musically and this time around he's brought a lot of friends on board to help him in that process. The end result is Blood of the Snake, a disc that is arguably his most diverse. It also might well be his strongest album ever.
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Ryo Okumoto - Coming Through Review by Lorraine Kay One of the most sought-after musicians in the prog-rock scene and then some, keyboardist Ryo Okumoto has earned a global reputation performing with some of the biggest names in music, including Kitaro, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, and Roberta Flack.
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Various Artists - Drum Nation Vol. 2 Review by Gary Hill The concept is simple but unique: put together a number of tracks from various artists showcasing influential and potent drummers. This was the concept for Magna Carta's first drum nation CD, and they continue it here - why mess up a good thing?
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Various Artists - Encores, Legends and Paradoxes Review by Gary Hill With a cast of players that reads like a prog "who`s who", this ELP tribute takes the classics and makes them fresh and new again. The result is an incredibly listenable piece of music that really entertains.
Toto - Falling In Between Review by Greg Olma Falling In Between is the first new material from Toto in almost 8 years. Was it worth the wait, you might ask?
Toto - Falling In Between Live Review by Gary Hill I’ve never seen Toto live, but I’ve always enjoyed their music. I’ve only ever owned a handful of the albums and had kind of written them off, but I’ve always respected them as musicians.
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I reviewed the actual concert here in more detail in the CD review that is also included in this issue, so this review will focus more on the DVD itself.
Derek Sherinian - Inertia Review by Gary Hill With this CD Sherinian continues his tradition of creating hard edged prog that is quite firmly rooted in fusion. The disc succeeds very well in creating an energetic and considerably potent instrumental mode that sends the listener on a major journey.
The Lonely Bears - Injustice Review by Gary Hill The personnel on this album are Tony Hymas (Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Ian Anderson), Terry Bozzio (Bozzio, Levin, Stevens; Frank Zappa; UK), Hugh Burns (Gerry Rafferty, Steelers Wheel), and Tony Coe (Spencer Davis, Henry Mancini, Caravan).
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Toto - Live In Amsterdam Review by Greg Olma I remember hearing Toto's "Hold the Line" on the radio back in the '70s. Here we are 27 years later and Toto are still going strong.
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Toto - Live In Chicago, IL, November 2006 Review by Greg Olma I was lucky enough to catch Toto in Milwaukee this last summer. It has been so long since they played the states that I felt a little spoiled getting to see the band twice in less than 6 months.
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Various Artists - Modern Drummer Presents Drum Nation Volume One Review by Steve Alspach If you want to know what the state of drumming is circa 2004, you would do well to check this CD out. These drummers are all at the top of the game, and the CD explores a rather wide range of styles and moods.
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You can always count on Dewa Budjana to deliver high quality and inventive fusion, no matter who he's playing with. This album fulfills that promise with style.
This is a concept album, but I'm not really clear on the concept. I do know that it opens and closes in the same place, after taking a ride across two CDs.
Robert Berry - Prime Cuts Review by Gary Hill The latest release in the Magna Carta series Prime Cuts, this time the attention is turned on Robert Berry's considerable work on the label. The first point I need to bring up is somewhat of a mixed one here.
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The Lonely Bears - The Bears are Running Review by Gary Hill A new release in that it is only now being released in the US, this album has been available in Europe for quite some time. The Lonely Bears catalog is just now being released in America on the Magna Carta label.
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The Lonely Bears - The Best of the Lonely Bears Review by Gary Hill The personnel on this album are Tony Hymas (Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Ian Anderson), Terry Bozzio (Bozzio, Levin, Stevens; Frank Zappa; UK), Hugh Burns (Gerry Rafferty, Steelers Wheel), and Tony Coe (Spencer Davis, Henry Mancini, Caravan). T
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The Lonely Bears - The Lonely Bears Review by Gary Hill Featuring modes that are both prog and traditional jazz, this is a strong CD by a talented bunch of musicians. The melody seems to be a very important part of the music on this album.
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