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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Hot Head Show Perfect Review by Gary Hill To describe this in one word would be to say “weird.” That doesn’t really encompass all of it here. Some of this is oddly compelling. For my tastes (I should mention I’m not a big fan of Rock In Opposition) this is sometimes difficult to sit through. The musicianship, though, is great and there are a lot of people who really like this type of strangeness. The thing is, even for someone like myself with a natural distaste for some of the more extreme stuff here, there are some great moments. I’d definitely consider this landing more on the good side than the bad. That means that people who really enjoy that type of freeform weirdness will really love this. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Kansas This starts off with a cool little pop rock meets jazz kind of vibe. It works out from there, though into something a bit like King Crimson meets Primus. Spoken vocals come over the top. That pop rock meets jazz thing returns after those spoken vocals and the cut keeps modulating out with a noisy freeform jam. This is quite weird, but also very cool. There is a cool jam later that’s a bit Yes-like, but with that opening section incorporated into it.

Bethany Bouncy and poppy in a lot of ways, this is shifted left of center far enough to be keep it from being real pop music. There are some definite nods to mainstream progressive rock here. Somehow I’m also reminded a bit of some of the more jazzy, artsy music from 1980s pop bands.

Bang Now From a more accessible tune, they take us into a jam that’s among the weirdest here. It’s got a King Crimson meets Rock In Opposition and chamber music and even surf music feeling to it. It’s fast paed and off-kilter and extremely strange. It’s a bit too weird for my tastes, but it has its moments.

Hello Doctor Funky jazzy sounds are on hand here and the vocals have a more accessible nature. This is a cool cut that’s one of the best on the disc. Mind you, this still gets weird and is far from mainstream.

Bodie Doesn't Take It Sitting Down There’s almost an old-school jazz vibe here That said it has plenty of modern elements and lots of weirdness. There is a cool melodic movement at the end.

Some Money This sounds like a live recording. This thing is frantic and crazed and seems to combine hardcore punk with world music and jazz.

Little Kitty This short little tune is sort of an old time pop music piece with an acoustic arrangement. It’s silly and fun.

Fingers Another extremely weird track, this combines that hardcore punk element with jazz and other sounds. It’s got links to King Crimson and RIO, but it’s like it tries to be accessible, but in a weird left of center way. It works out to a rather cool, although sort of freeform start and stop, jam that has a lot of jazz in it.

Bangfish As this comes in it reminds me just a bit of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” It gets more of that odd jazz meets punk and prog approach as it builds up, though. The vocals are spoken female ones. The cut fires out into bouncing jamming at times and drops back. There’s a killer melodic prog (with some serious twists still in place) section that gets into some RIO later. It even has elements of Spanish music.

Unbearable Lightness of Bang Psychedelic music and freeform weirdness combine on this piece.

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