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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Mary Fahl Can’t Get It Out Of My Head Review by Gary Hill I suppose this could fall under non-prog as folk rock. I would say that there is enough progressive rock here, to land it where I have, though. Mary Fahl previously came to prominence as the singer for The October Projects. This solo album features a collection of covers. All are good, and some are great. I think Fahl's voice lands somewhere in the range between Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell. I really enjoy this release, no matter how you categorize it. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.

Track by Track Review

Can’t Get It Out Of My Head Acoustic guitar starts this. I love how the vocals seem to skim over the top of the arrangement. This is a more intimate arrangement than the ELO version, but the magic of the song manages to shine, and there are still some proggy tendencies in place.

Ruby Tuesday I'm a big Stones fan, and I've always loved this tune. This version captures the magic of the number while also bringing some prog tendencies. It's not as big a departure from the original territory as the opener was. The symphonic elements on this work really well.

Tuesday Afternoon Piano and classical strings create the starting point on this song. It's another favorite of mine in terms of the source material. This is a great version that captures so much of what made the Moody Blues' version great, yet also creates a unique texture. The twists on the cut get some cool new angles on this version of the piece.

River Man This was originally done by Nick Drake. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with his work. This has a folk meets prog vibe that isn't a big change from the other tunes. It's gentle, but also exploratory. It's a classy piece of music.

Got A Feeling Here we get a cover of The Mamas and the Papas. As you might imagine, this is a decidedly folk based tune. There are some proggy elements brought in as the cut gets more energy later.

Don’t Let It Bring You Down Fahl puts in a tasty rendition of this Neil Young classic. Folk prog with some rock angles seems to be the order of business here. I dig the classical strings on the tune.

Comfortably Numb As I'm sure you guessed, this is a version of the classic Pink Floyd song. That tune seems particularly appropriate for this kind of treatment. Again, we get a prog meets folk treatment, but this rises more toward the rock side of the equation. This is a great version of a great song.

Since You’ve Asked A song originally done by Judy Collins, who at times I think Fahl's voice resembles, this is another that has plenty of folk and prog elements. There are some intriguing moments, and it's a solid entry in the track list.

Beware Of Darkness Originally done by George Harrison, I don't think I've heard his version. The proggy tendencies really come out on this through a lot of the overlayers. The song starts quite mellow, but intensifies and gets very dramatic and powerful as it does. There is a lot of emotion and class in this. It really rocks out quite a bit later.

The Great Valerio This is more of a dramatic world music sort of treatment. It's a song originally by Richard and Linda Thompson. While I appreciate it, I'm not sure it was the best choice for a closer.

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