| |
| Progressive Rock CD Reviews |
 |
 |
|
Asia - Arena
Review by Gary Hill
This is not your father’s Asia. In it’s beginnings Asia was a band that was arguably the first progressive rock supergroup -- well, OK, ELP probably has that title, but for various reasons, the crown was placed on Asia’s head at the beginning of their career.
|
|
|
|
Asia - Live Koln
Review by Gary Hill
This double disc set is a very strong chronicle of a live performance by Asia. The repertoire includes material from every phase of their career, and they do a great job of performing it.
|
|
|
|
Atomic Rooster - Best of Atomic Rooster - Volume 1 and Volume 2
Review by Gary Hill
Atomic Rooster have often been regarded by most as a progressive rock band. That is the first reason they are included in the prog section at MSJ. Reason number two is the fact that Carl Palmer was a member of the band.
|
|
|
|
Ray Bennett - Angels and Ghosts
Review by Gary Hill
Ray Bennett is probably best known in progressive rock circles as part of the band Flash, Peter Bank's first post-Yes band. It really does not do Bennett justice to refer to him in that manner, though.
|
|
|
|
Brand X - Missing Period
Review by Gary Hill
Associated with the prog musical style both because of their imaginative and virtuosic fusion approach to music and the sometime presence of Genesis man Phil Collins, Brand X have always been a great largely unknown musical treasure.
|
|
|
|
Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour
Review by Steve Alspach
Those fans of progressive music who stick their fingers down their throat at the mention of the name "Phil Collins" may not be familiar with this piece of work. If they were, they may think that Phil may deserve a bit of redemption before being cast to purgatory.
|
|
|
|
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Review by Steve Alspach
Kate Bush found her true ground in 1982's "The Dreaming" which was her first self-produced effort. As inventive and creative as that album was, "Hounds of Love" takes that creativity a giant step further.
|
|
|
|
Cairo (USA) - Time of Legends
Review by Gary Hill
Each Cairo album seems to be better than the one before. When you consider how strong their debut release was, this has to be no easy feat, but they have done it again.
|
|
|
|
California Guitar Trio - with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto-Live At The Key Club
Review by Steve Alspach
On February 3, 2001, the California Guitar Trio played in Hollywood's Key Club. Fortunately, they also had the stellar rhythm section of Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto to accompany them.
|
|
|
|
Robert Calvert - Revenge
Review by Gary Hill
This disc by the late Calvert appears to be a compilation of various demos. The music on the disc, with the exception of one track, does not really resemble his Hawkwind work at all.
|
|
|
|
Chroma Key - You Go Now
Review by Gary Hill
Kevin Moore’s (ex-Dream Theater) project Chroma Key really sounds very little like Dream Theater. Don’t expect virtuosic hard edged prog from this outfit.
|
|
|
|
Curved Air - Phantasmagoria
Review by Steve Alspach
Curved Air was an English band with a lot of interesting little quirks. It's where Eddie Jobson and Stewart Copeland both got their starts, and it's the band that came out with the first picture disc (on its debut album, "Air Conditioning" - they should have spent the time and money cleaning up the sound of the album).
|
|
|
|
December People - Sounds Like Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
To get you in the spirit of the holiday, The December People have released a fresh collection of progressive rock takes on Christmas music. Feeling out of sorts for not knowing who the December People are?
|
|
|
|
Djam Karet - New Dark Age
Review by Gary Hill
The newest release from Djam Karet, this one continues their tradition of rather unusual guitar driven progressive rock instrumentals. It features some jams that are quite entertaining and interesting and would be a good introduction to band for first time listeners while still pleasing their longtime fans.
|
|
|
|
Enchant - Juggling 9 or Dropping 10
Review by Steve Alspach
You know when you're in Europe when even the little record shop at the airport has a Prog section. Duly impressed, I took a chance on this band based on the interesting album title alone.
|
|
|
|
Fairport Convention - The Woodworm Years
Review by Steve Alspach
Fairport Convention is a cornerstone band in folk rock music, having been around since 1967 (except for a six-year respite in the early 1980s).
|
|
|
|
The Flower Kings - The Rainmaker
Review by Gary Hill
The Flower Kings return with their latest dishing of their particular flavor of progressive rock. The group typically has a style that is very hard for journalists to keep up with because it changes so briefly.
|
|
|
|
Peter Gabriel - Ovo
Review by Steve Alspach
Peter Gabriel was one of the masterminds of the Millennium Dome in the East Docklands of London. The Millennium Dome was to be a multimedia-based attraction to celebrate the Millennium.
|
|
|
|
Grey Lady Down - Star-Crossed
Review by Gary Hill
Grey Lady Down seem to be a band that are trying to combine a more metallic approach with a very traditional progressive rock basis.
|
|
|
|
Hawkwind - Palace Springs
Review by Gary Hill
Coming from a band with seemingly a million albums under their belt, this is really one of their best live discs. It captures a great, if quite short, period of the band and does so with a style and texture that really is incredible.
|
|
|
|
Hawkwind - Sonic Assassins
Review by Gary Hill
This fine CD, another of the year 2000 releases of previously unavailable Hawkwind music, is a great compilation. The recordings presented here are from several different sources.
|
|
|
|
Hawkwind - The Weird Tapes Number 4-Live ‘78
Review by Gary Hill
This disc, just released in 2000, is a great testament to the live presence of this legendary, if obscure, band. The CD features some of the finest live recordings of Hawkwind that I have ever heard.
|
|
|
|
Heaven's Cafe - Live
Review by Gary Hill
What if a bunch of prog rockers decided to write and perform a Broadway musical? That is essentially what we have here.
|
|
|
|
Illusion - Out of the Mist/Illusion
Review by Steve Alspach
There are fewer musical bedfellows stranger than the Yardbirds and Renaissance. The seminal 1960s blues-psychedelia-based band featuring Beck, Clapton, and Page seem to have little in common with the group that put the rock in Rachmaninov.
|
|
|
|
Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery (Reissue)
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is another of the recent reissues by Jethro Tull. It is also one of the band’s finest works of all time.
|
|
|
|
Jethro Tull - The Very Best Of
Review by Gary Hill
Choosing what songs to include on a Jethro Tull compilation like this one must be a daunting task. Just think about the wealth of material available in their catalog and then try to imagine culling just enough material to fill one CD.
|
|
|
|
Mike Keneally - and Beer For Dolphins-Dancing
Review by Gary Hill
The music on this CD is really quite deceptive. Listening to just a piece here or there one would certainly think that the group was making modern alternative rock/pop.
|
|
|
|
Nikolo Kotzev - Nostradamus
Review by Gary Hill
There was a time in the '70s when rock operas were all the rage. Since then they have been pretty scarce, and many times with good reason.
|
|
|
|
Lana Lane - Ballad Collection Special Edition
Review by Gary Hill
A two-disc set, this one includes both ballad collections (volume one and two). The album features a number of great prog ballads and several interesting cover renditions.
|
|
|
|
Huw Lloyd Langton - On The Move
Review by Gary Hill
This album by Hawkwind alumni Langton is a great rocking release. It has no weak material and quite a bit that is very strong.
|
|
|
|
Marillion - Anoraknophobia
Review by Steve Alspach
Marillion continues its path towards solid, rock-based music with Anoraknophibia, their most recent release. The band has its feet planted firmly in 2001 with its music that never gets too adventurous or exploratory.
|
|
|
|
William Maxwell - Cardinal Points
Review by Gary Hill
A solo album from Tempest bassist William Maxwell, this disc covers quite a bit of musical range. The material here ranges from solid prog to fusion.
|
|
|
|
Scott McGill / Michael Manring / Vic Stevens - Addition By Subtraction
Review by Gary Hill
Formed by Scott McGill (guitar) and Vic Stevens (drums), this is almost a band, but really a project. The duo, having played together in McGill's Hand Farm, recruited bassist Michael Manring (Attention Deficit) and keyboardist Jordan Rudess (Dregs, Dream Theater) to complete the outfit and record this album.
|
|
|
|
Mother Gong - The Best of Mother Gong
Review by Gary Hill
A compilation of material from various discs by Mother Gong, this is an intriguing CD. The group performs a unique form of progressive rock that is thoroughly rooted in jazz traditions.
|
|
|
|
New Sun - Expectations
Review by Gary Hill
The third album from this group, this one shows a new maturity and refinement and higher level of professionalism for the band.
|
|
|
|
Obvious - Obvious
Review by Gary Hill
This great disc combines elements of Pink Floyd, Hawkwind and other guitar dominated prog styles with a killer modern rock texture to achieve a wonderful result.
|
|
|
|
Petland - Miss Roboto
Review by Gary Hill
The boundaries of what is and what is not progressive rock are really quite subjective and changeable. With that in mind, I am including this album in the progressive rock section of MSJ.
|
|
|
|
Lorenza Ponce - Mystic Fiddler
Review by Gary Hill
Lorenza Ponce has a pretty impressive resume. She has played with such artists as Kitaro, John Tesh, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and Star People.
|
|
|
|
Jean-Luc Ponty - Life Enigma
Review by Gary Hill
Jean-Luc Ponty's particular blend of fusion type music has always been intriguing and his violin work has always been top notch. I have included this review in the progressive rock category because I really feel that it fits the bill.
|
|
|
|
Porcupine Tree - Staircase Infinities
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is made up of outtakes from the Up The Downstair album. It is a brief, but quite strong, nearly instrumental album.
|
|
|
|
Renaissance - Renaissance
Review by Steve Alspach
Funny outfit, the Yardbirds. In their early days they were a blues-based band, and their renditions of old standards as "I'm a Man" and "Smokestack Lightning" were something to reckon. But they also knew the zeitgeist of the 1960s, delving into such psychedelia as "Shapes of Things" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" before finally packing it in around 1968.
|
|
|
|
Jordan Rudess - Feeding the Wheel
Review by Gary Hill
This solo release by keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess covers a lot of musical territory, ranging from hard edged prog and neo-classical to classic era jazz and fusion. The result is quite an entertaining work.
|
|
|
|
Jason Schmidt - Banged Oddities
Review by Vivian Lee
"One person did this?"; a friend asked when I played this CD for him. He and I both liked "Tranquility"; an example of the power of percussion to command listeners' attention, even on a sub- or unconscious level.
|
|
|
|
Shadow Gallery - Legacy
Review by Gary Hill
Legacy is Shadow Gallery's fourth disc, and certainly one of their best. Those who consider Shadow Gallery to be prog metal rather than straight progressive rock should really give this disc a listen.
|
|
|
|
Jeremy Shaw - Neptune Ensemble
Review by Vivian Lee
Neptune Ensemble is a solo debut effort by Chapel Hill, NC artist Jeremy Shaw. The album features guests Jonathan Robinson on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Marc Gratama on drums and backing vocals.
|
|
|
|
Billy Sheehan - Compression
Review by Gary Hill
Billy Sheehan is a bass legend, and, of course the bass work on this disc is very very good. Interestingly enough, so is the guitar, drums and vocal work. Even more interesting about that is the fact that Sheehan is responsible for the majority of that as well.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Sonic Debris - Velvet Thorns
Review by Gary Hill
This album is a great progressive rock disc from a band that should go far in the genre. They take a good healthy dosage of Dream Theater influences as the core of their sound.
|
|
|
|
Starcastle - Chronos I
Review by Gary Hill
This is a collection of early material from Starcastle. Rather than go with the standard best of type collection, this one is composed of nothing but unreleased material.
|
|
|
|
Tangerine Dream - Rockoon
Review by Steve Alspach
Tangerine Dream started in the early 1970s as a keyboard-based trio. Their early efforts were quite exploratory, examining the range of sounds and effects of the then-new electronic technology.
|
|
|
|
Tempest - Balance
Review by Gary Hill
Although 1999's 10th Anniversary Compilation included new recordings of the group's older material, this disc is the first album of truly "new" songs by this band since 1997's Gravel Walk.
|
|
|
|
Under The Sun - Under The Sun
Review by Gary Hill
So many of the newer prog bands seem to either choose to follow the path of older bands like Yes and Genesis or go with the new trend of harder edged prog along the lines of Dream Theater.
|
|
|
|
Wishbone Ash - The Best Of Wishbone Ash
Review by Gary Hill
This compilation chronicles the career of Wishbone Ash. The band has really touched on many styles. Always guitar dominated, the Ash have presented their own version of progressive rock, perhaps a bit sparse at times, but certainly prog.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Magnification
Review by Gary Hill
Yes' brand of progressive rock has often been dubbed "symphonic rock." The term refers to the group producing arrangements in the vein of a symphony using typical rock instrumentation.
|
| Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews |
|
|
|
Alchemist - Organasm
Review by Mike Korn
It may sound like a hoary cliche, but this is one of those records that comes along only once in a great while. From the far shores of Australia, Alchemist are truly one of the most original heavy metal bands I've heard.
|
|
|
|
Annihilator - Carnival Diablos
Review by Arnold Hablewitz
Honestly, I've enjoyed all of the offerings that have come from Jeff Waters and co. They all are unique in their own way, yet they are all so closely related to each other that you can instantly tell two things…number 1, that it is definitely an Annihilator record, and number 2, that Jeff prefers to stay true to his thrash metal roots.
|
|
|
|
Converge - Jane Doe
Review by Mike Korn
This is one of the most extreme recordings I own. It's about as raw, dissonant and wild as anything in music today, yet it does not easily fit any definition.
|
|
|
|
Cradle of Filth - Midian
Review by Mike Korn
Cradle of Filth are possibly the biggest thing happening in the metal underground right now. I know they sell ungodly (pun intended) amounts of merchandise and inspire tremendous fan devotion.
|
|
|
|
Diecast - Day of Reckoning
Review by Arnold Hablewitz
As a whole this disc takes what is so good about the recent New England thrash/death/hardcore scene (Shadows Fall, God Forbid, etc.) and kicks up the heaviness factor by ten, with double-bass reminiscent of Slipknot and hardcore groove and lyrics reminiscent of Hatebreed, Buried Alive, Earth Crisis, and (insert Victory Records band here).
|
|
|
|
Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Review by Mike Korn
Definitely keeping in the spooky spirit of this issue of MSJ, I turn my evil eye now to Norway's Dimmu Borgir. Along with England's Cradle of Filth and fellow Norwegians Emperor, these guys are the reigning kings of modern black metal, unleashing twisted, torturous tracks full of blazing speed, harsh vocals and eerie symphonic touches.
|
|
|
|
Dio - The Very Beast of Dio
Review by Mike Korn
Few musicians have had a longer or more storied career than Ronnie James Dio. The pixieish vocal powerhouse has lent his immense lungpower to bands like Elf, Rainbow and, of course, Black Sabbath.
|
|
|
|
Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
Review by Mike Korn
There are certain records that stand out as archetypes in their genre. Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" epitomizes American rock and roll.
|
|
|
|
Entombed - Uprising
Review by Mike Korn
Over 10 years ago, Sweden's Entombed blasted onto the underground metal scene with "Left Hand Path", an album which is still the heaviest death metal album ever released. The disc unleashed the floodgates of Swedish death metal, a subgenre unto itself.
|
|
|
|
Evergrey - In Search of Truth
Review by Gary Hill
The truth is out there. Everygrey's new album does have strong X Files leanings.
|
|
|
|
FireHouse - O2
Review by Gary Hill
This new release by Firehouse finds them continuing their career of ‘80’s styled metal done with a classic tilt. For fans of that type of music, this CD should be a good entry into the catalog.
|
|
|
|
Halford - Live Insurrection
Review by Gary Hill
This double live disc really shows why Judas Priest made a big mistake in not taking Rob Halford back. The album rocks out much better, and captures the Priest magic much closer than his old band's most recent live album.
|
|
|
|
Iced Earth - Horror Show
Review by Mike Korn
Heavy metal has always been fascinated with monsters and horror since the days of Black Sabbath. The macabre has always been a good match with a gloomy riff or tortured scream.
|
|
|
|
Iron Savior - Dark Assault
Review by Mike Korn
The Iron Savior has been defeated. The threat of the sentient starship has ended and the massive warcraft has departed back to deep space, leaving the two races of man...sundered so long ago by the cataclysm of Atlantis...to dwell in peace and brotherhood.
|
|
|
|
Judas Priest - Demolition
Review by Gary Hill
This is the second studio album for Priest with new vocalist "Ripper" Owens. It really makes one wonder why they are still calling the group Judas Priest.
|
|
|
|
King Diamond - Them
Review by Gary Hill
King Diamond has a way of making albums that are really great horror stories set to song. Them is one of the best of those.
|
|
|
|
Kreator - Violent Revolution
Review by Mike Korn
There's little doubt that the 1980's were the Golden Age of Heavy Metal. Since that era, many newer bands having been trying to reach the standard of excellence the forefathers of the 80's did.
|
|
|
|
Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
Review by Mike Korn
With a mighty crash of thunder, a gaping hole is torn in the turbulent sky. A blinding glare issues from the vortex, solidifying into a bridge of brilliant light, and striding on this mystical path are four figures.
|
|
|
|
Morbid Angel - Gateways of Annihilation
Review by Mike Korn
I wasn't expecting much from this release, as the venerable Morbid Angel, amongst the oldest of active death metal acts, has not been especially impressive in recent years.
|
|
|
|
Nonpoint - Statement
Review by Mike Korn
Make no mistake about it, I do not like the vast majority of rap metal clogging up the CD racks these days.
|
|
|
|
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Review by Mike Korn
If you're the type of person that hates a sunny day or scowls at kittens playing, Opeth might be the band for you. These low-key, cerebral Swedes specialize in an epic form of heavy metal that is strong on gloom and foreboding.
|
|
|
|
Primal Fear - Nuclear Fire
Review by Mike Korn
Primal Fear is a band that would dearly love to be Judas Priest. From the Hellion-style robotic birds on their album covers to the leather garb of the members and the shrieking vocals of Ralf Scheepers, everything about these Germans screams of their desire to follow in the footsteps of the immortal British metal band.
|
|
|
|
Queensrÿche - Live Evolution
Review by Gary Hill
Queensryche has been around for quite some time, but this is their first full live album. When the Operation Livecrime box set was originally released it included a CD of a live performance of the Operation Mindcrime album, but this is more of a real live album.
|
|
|
|
Savatage - Poets and Madmen
Review by Gary Hill
In the battle for best hard rocking album of 2001 Savatage may well have fired the winning shot with this one. Indeed, this is arguably one of the greatest prog metal albums of all time, taking its place with Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime and Paradox by Royal Hunt.
|
|
|
|
Saxon - Killing Ground
Review by Mike Korn
With their 20th (yes, 20th!) album, England's Saxon have surely proven their endurance and longevity. After some mighty lean years in the 90's, the veteran metal band is enjoying a resurgence of sorts and "Killing Ground" should do nothing to hurt their reputation.
|
|
|
|
Shadow Keep - The Corruption Within
Review by Mike Korn
Shadow Keep are a traditional power metal band from England that I had not heard of before. Well, I think we'll be hearing more from them because "The Corruption Within" is a polished and powerful debut that should please all fans of classy heavy metal.
|
|
|
|
Sixty Watt Shaman - Seed of Decades
Review by Mike Korn
Sixty Watt Shaman really had me going for a while. They had me thinking that this was going to be one of the best heavy blues rock records ever, but they blew their wad.
|
|
|
|
Sodom - M-16
Review by Mike Korn
I don't know what the Krauts are putting in their beer these days, but it seems to have resulted in some amazing thrash metal albums being released. The proud members of the G.O.G. (German Old Guard) are on a rampage and tearing eardrums apart with their best releases in years.
|
|
|
|
Jack Starr - Jack Starr's Guardians of the Flame-Under A Savage Sky
Review by Mike Korn
Mr. Jack Starr has been plying his trade in the heavy metal business for well over 20 years so there's no way the man can be called a bandwagon jumper. Heavy music is in his blood.
|
|
|
|
Static-X - Machine
Review by Mike Korn
Amongst the flood of mostly mediocre and derivative nu-metal bands that have poured forth in the last few years, Static-X stands out. This is a group that has carved out its own identity and whose style has become recognizably unique.
|
|
|
|
Various Artists - Twisted Forever...A Tribute to Twisted Sister
Review by Mike Korn
Twisted Sister was one of my favorite "hair" bands from the 80's. Despite the fact that I loathed most of the glammy commercial metal at that time, there was something fun about these goofy looking New Yorkers that appealed to me.
|
|
|
|
WASP - Unholy Terror
Review by Mike Korn
One of the most decadent and outrageous bands to emerge from the Southern California metal scene in the 80's was WASP.
|
|
|
|
Witchery - Symphony for the Devil
Review by Mike Korn
It seems a crying shame that this record didn't arrive in time for inclusion in the last edition of MSJ. That issue tried to focus on spooky stuff and no band fits the bill better than Witchery, who's brand
of "horror metal" perhaps would have made them Poe's favorite metal band (if we can envision Poe headbanging it would surely be to Witchery)!
|
|
|
|
Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice
Review by Arnold Hablewitz
This band is a rare breed. Many progressive metal bands tread water closer to the progressive side of things and therefore tend to forget about the heaviness that is supposed to be present in their respective genre.
|
|
|
|
Aaliyah - Aaliyah
Review by Gary Hill
Coming almost 5 years after her previous release, this is the third album by Aaliyah. Tragically, it will also be the last since a plane crash claimed her life this summer.
|
|
|
|
Aerosmith - Nine Lives
Review by Gary Hill
Aerosmith seem to have gone through several phases, musically, during their career. The early years marked a creative and charged vision. As time wore on, the band seemed to lose direction, both personally and musically. Once the original lineup reformed, there was a renewed energy in the band, but much of the work seemed rather formula.
|
|
|
|
Blue Öyster Cult - Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Review by Gary Hill
Blue Oyster Cult has always been an unusual band. They have many cuts in their history that are classic hard rocking pieces. I'm talking the kind of songs that really rise heads above the vast majority of music out there
|
|
|
|
Boetz - Call to Arms
Review by Mike Korn
Here is one dinosaur that is not going to extinction quietly. Ernie Boetz is one huge real-life statement of defiance, giving a stiff middle finger to the rock of the new millennium.
|
|
|
|
Alice Cooper - Dragontown
Review by Gary Hill
Last year Cooper introduced to a world he called "Brutal Planet", and it was a brutal sounding very hard-edged release that had a strong concept to it. One would expect more of the same on his follow up, but that is not what he delivered.
|
|
|
|
Alice Cooper - Dragontown (Special Edition)
Review by Gary Hill
This Special Edition version of Alice Cooper's Dragontown contains the entire original album as the first CD of this 2 CD set. A second CD has been added wiuch contains four previously unreleased songs and two videos.
|
|
|
|
Enuff Z'nuff - 10
Review by Gary Hill
Enuff Z’nuff really knows how to make killer hard edged pop music with great retro leanings. On this, their tenth CD, they continue that tradition in fine form.
|
|
|
|
Eve To Adam - Auburn Slip
Review by Mike Korn
Eve To Adam make their debut with "Auburn Slip", and it's apparent that they have skill and talent beyond that of most rookie bands. The four New York transplants, led by the Greek-American Sassaris brothers, have a very polished hard rock sound that should appeal to those into bands like Tool, Creed and other modern alt-rock groups.
|
|
|
|
Geggy Tah - Into The Oh
Review by Gary Hill
The music of Geggy Tah is quite hard to put your finger on. It is modern, alternative even, but includes solid retro leanings. The names Steely Dan and George Michael would likely pop into your head at least once while listening to this album.
|
|
|
|
Lake - Lake II
Review by Gary Hill
Lake was one of the great unknown bands of the 1970s. The group combined strong pop melodies with definite progressive rock-oriented arrangements.
|
|
|
|
Frank Marino - and Mahogany Rush-Eye of the Storm
Review by Gary Hill
There were two predominant views of Frank Marino in the '70s. The first was that he fit into the guitar hero group of such people as Pat Travers, Ted Nugent, and Robin Trower
|
|
|
|
Ted Nugent - Full Bluntal Nugity
Review by Gary Hill
Recorded live in Detroit on New Years Eve 2000-2001, this is all out gonzo Nugent. There is no great risk being taken here with much of this material being straight up classic Ted.
|
|
|
|
Gary Numan - Pure
Review by Gary Hill
Gary Numan pretty much embodied the ‘80’s moody electronic branch of what at the time was called “new wave”. From his incredibly original band Tube Way Army to his solo career and its quirky hits, Numan represented the quintessential cool European techno-popper of that decade.
|
|
|
|
Styx - Styxworld Live
Review by Gary Hill
This live disc from the latest lineup of Styx should please long-time fans, but it really does have a few flaws. The first flaw is the lack of Dennis DeYoung.
|
|
|
|
38 Special - A Wild Eyed Christmas Night
Review by Gary Hill
When you think of Christmas music 38 Special is not really a name that pops immediately to mind. It might after you hear this CD. The group has cut loose with their take on holiday music, and it is quite an effective collection.
|
|
|
|
Alice Cooper - Brutally Live DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Recorded in London on July 19, 2000, this is a great record of Alice's Brutal Planet tour and a killer concert video to boot. The show begins with a warning from the robotic "controller" to get away while you have the chance.
|
|
|
|
Queensrÿche - Operation Livecrime DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is the new first DVD release of the Ryche's classic Operation Livecrime video. The video is a live performance of the entire Operation Mindcrime album.
|
|
|
|
Yes - House of Yes Live DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This DVD is a pretty darn good live show collection. The picture and sound quality are awesome and it includes lots of great bonuses.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Keys To Ascension DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Recorded in 1996, this one is the one that almost makes it in the quest for ultimate live Yesshow video. Those who were there say that the video includes a lot of overdubs, but for the uninitiated, you really can't tell.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Live In Philadelphia 1979 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This DVD really seems to be an official release of a bootleg video. For one thing the audio is in mono, rather than stereo.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Musikladen Live DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This DVD is rather a mixed bag. I t does contain some considerably rare footage of the group, and therefore scores points on that basis.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Yessongs DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The only true Yes concert film (as in it was shown in theaters as a motion picture) this movie suffers a lot from the time period in which it was made. Granted, this classic performance from December of 1972 is a great time capsule, but filmmaking has come a long way since then.
|
|
|
|
Black Sabbath - Live in Chicago, IL, June 8th, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
Having seen Sabbath the last couple times around, I was expecting another similar show - a band of living legends performing as legends, going through the motions of repeating the performances from their glory days. Not that that would not have been enjoyable, I signed on for two days of Ozzfest just for that experience two more times
|
|
|
|
California Guitar Trio - Live in Chicago October 26th, 2001
Review by Steve Alspach
The California Guitar Trio made another stop at Martyr's in Chicago on October 26. For almost an hour and a half Paul Richards, Bert Lams, and Hideyo Moriya played a collection of music as varied as the band's origins (Utah, Belgium, and Japan), yet there was a cohesion throughout the evening's set.
|
|
|
|
Alice Cooper - Live in Chicago, October 23, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
More pics from this show are available in our members area.
Alice Cooper brought his mayhem to Chicago on October 23rd.
|
|
|
|
Cracker - Live In Dekalb, IL, June 23rd, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
Cracker is a very difficult band to categorize. The first label that would probably spring into mind is that of a clever and somewhat humorous alternative rock band.
|
|
|
|
Jethro Tull - Live in Rockford, IL, July 24th, 2001
Review by Mike Korn
It was certainly fitting that Jethro Tull would play a grand venue such as the refurbished Coronado Theater. This classic old movie palace is full of ornate and baroque imagery, easily lending itself to thoughts of a time gone by.
|
|
|
|
Marilyn Manson - Live in Chicago, IL, June 8th, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
Marilyn Manson came to Ozzfest to represent and represent they did. They made their way through a strong set of various material from the duration of their career.
|
|
|
|
Nazareth - Live in Chicago July 27, 2001
Review by Steve Alspach
Nazareth hit the south Chicago suburbs on a beautiful summer's evening and proved that, even after thirty years, they still haven't missed a step.
|
|
|
|
Jean-Luc Ponty - Live in Chicago, November, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
More (and larger) pics from this concert appear in our members' area
|
|
|
|
Queensrÿche - Live in Chicago, November 17th, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
During my interview with Geoff Tate he said that they were going to try to do the live album set on this tour. They did not completely fulfill that promise, but indeed served up quite a healthy set from all phases of their career.
|
|
|
|
Tempest - Live In Berwyn, IL, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
There are a few things about Tempest that cannot be disputed. The first is that the musicians in this band are very talented.
|
|
|
|
Yes - Live in Toronto, August, 2001
Review by Gary Hill
Yes brought its symphonic show to Toronto on the 28th of August.
|
|
|
|
|
|
