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August 2016 - Issue 119
Progressive Rock CD Reviews
Leon Alvarado - The Future Left Behind
Review by Gary Hill
This newest set from Leon Alvarado is quite a tasty one. It has a number of nearly vocal only spoken bits that tell the story of the album.
Anderson/Stolt - Invention of Knowledge
Review by Gary Hill
The “Anderson” in the name is Yes co-founder Jon Anderson. The “Stolt” is Flower Kings leader Roine Stolt.
Armonite - The Sun Is New Each Day
Review by Gary Hill
I suppose the easiest way to label this is as jazzy instrumental music.
Asia - Phoenix – Special Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This is a brand new, two CD edition of Asia’s Phoenix album. It’s quite classy.
Barclay James Harvest - Everyone Is Everybody Else: Deluxe Expanded
Review by Gary Hill
It seems odd looking back that a few years ago I’d never heard this band. Now I’ve become quite familiar with them through multiple reviews.
Peter Baumann - Romance 76
Review by Gary Hill
Peter Baumann was a founding member of Tangerine Dream. The music on this reissue shares a lot of territory with the sounds of that band.
Peter Baumann - Transharmonic Nights
Review by Gary Hill
This is a reissue of a solo album from one of the founding members of Tangerine Dream. It was originally released in the last 70s.
Bulgogi - Juan Dissed the Cyclops Baby
Review by Gary Hill
I’d bet you’ve not heard anything like this before. In some ways, it’s not far removed from things like Giant Squid or Green Milk from the Planet Orange.
Gadi Caplan - Morning Sun
Review by Gary Hill
This new album from Gadi Caplan is quite a masterpiece. It’s probably going to wind up on my list of best albums of 2016.
Alex Carpani - So Close, So Far
Review by Gary Hill
This is such a great album. In fact, it’s one that might well make my “best of 2016” list.
Ryan Carraher - Vocturnal
Review by Gary Hill
Ryan Carraher is a jazz guitarist. This is his debut CD.
Flame Tree Featuring Nik Turner - Flame Tree Featuring Nik Turner
Review by Gary Hill
A couple of the musicians here should be quite familiar to regular readers of Music Street Journal.
Danielle French - Danielle French presents...Miss Scarlet and the Madmen “Dark Love Songs”
Review by Gary Hill
This is an unusual and intriguing album. It’s also one that’s likely to make my “best of 2016” list.
Gandalf - Magic Theatre
Review by Gary Hill
While this is not the wizard of Tolkein’s tales, there is a lot of musical magic going on here, making this a well-titled set.
Gandalf - To Another Horizon
Review by Gary Hill
If you are looking for musical wizardry, look no further than this new reissue. This is a mellower, electronic based prog album.
Jerry Goodman - Violin Fantasy
Review by Gary Hill
This album is fully instrumental. It’s a great disc, too. Some of the music here has appeared elsewhere (although most of the time in different arrangements)
Steve Hackett - Blues with a Feeling
Review by Gary Hill
Those expecting a typical Steve Hackett album will certainly be shocked by this.
David Hayes - Epics (Acoustic Version)
Review by Gary Hill
This is rather unusual. David Hayes took his album Epics and reworked all the songs, creating an acoustic version of the set. So, as I said that’s unusual.
Greg Lake - Greg Lake/Manoeuvres
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new reissue of two older Greg Lake albums in one set. The second album includes a single bonus track, while the first has several.
Lucifer’s Friend - Live at Sweden Rock 2015
Review by Gary Hill
At one time, Lucifer’s Friend was a band that was relegated to history. They hadn’t played together since their hey-day.
MJ12 - MJ12
Review by Gary Hill
MJ12 gets their name from a supposed organization called “Majestik 12” which was supposedly convened in the 1940s to investigate UFOs.
Neal Morse - Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
Review by Gary Hill
This new live set from Neal Morse includes the double disc CD set and a bonus DVD. The performances are powerful.
The Move - Looking On – 2 CD Expanded Edition
Review by Gary Hill
The Move were the band that came before Electric Light Orchestra. Quite literally, they transitioned into ELO.
The Move - Shazam
Review by Gary Hill
This is a reissue of an album from The Move. This is pre-Jeff Lynne days.
The Move - Something Else from The Move
Review by Gary Hill
The original of this was a mono EP released in 1968. That’s presented in its remastered entirety at the end.
The Move - The Move
Review by Gary Hill
Let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat, this album itself is not prog rock.
Native Gold - A Man We All Admire
Review by Gary Hill
This is not progressive rock in the traditional sense of the word. It’s progressive music for sure, though.
Mani Neumeier - Talking Guru Drums
Review by Gary Hill
This is definitely not progressive rock. That said, it is progressive music.
Erik Norlander - Surreal
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve always loved Erik Norlander’s music. His sonic style lands in modern prog territory in some ways, but more than anything it’s rooted in the classic progressive rock of the 1970s.
Roger Pederson - Guitar Madness ...and other nice songs
Review by Gary Hill
Very little of this is actually progressive rock.
Anthony Phillips - 1984 (Remastered and Expanded Edition)
Review by Gary Hill
The first disc of this set was originally released in 1981, with a different mix. This is an instrumental album from former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips.
Sailor Free - Spiritual Revolution Part Two
Review by Gary Hill
This new album from Sailor Free might well make my best of 2016 list. It’s such cool modern prog.
Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye - Live in Japan Expanded Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This live album literally features just Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye. Kaye handles the keyboards.
Snoozy Moon - Snoozy Moon
Review by Gary Hill
I suppose it could be argued that this is more psychedelic rock than it is progressive rock.
Stick Men - Stick Men + - Midori
Review by Gary Hill
This is a double disc set. I believe that it was also released at one point in time as two single disc sets.
Syndone - Eros & Thanatos
Review by Gary Hill
This is the latest album from the Italian prog act Syndone.
Martin Turner - Life Begins – Deluxe 2CD + DVD Set
Review by Gary Hill
This set captures a live performance from 2010. As many will know, Martin Turner was a founding members of Wishbone Ash, and this particular tour was all about the 40th Anniversary of that band.
Martin Turner - New Live Dates
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new album in this configuration. The whole thing has been released before, though.
Various Artists - H.P. Lovecraft's Fungi From Yuggoth and Other Poems
Review by Gary Hill
I recently reviewed another release from this outfit (Fedogan and Bremer). This could be seen as a companion to that release, which was a reissue of an older set with additional material.
West Space & Love - Vol. II
Review by Gary Hill
This is a cool album. It’s essentially instrumental, but one song does have some spoken things.
Zanov - Open Worlds
Review by Gary Hill
This isn’t progressive rock in the classic sense of the word. It’s progressive music, though.
Zombie Picnic - A Suburb of Earth
Review by Gary Hill
This instrumental set is part jam band, part trippy psychedelia, part space music and part prog.
Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews
Denner/Shermann - Masters of Evil
Review by Mike Korn
When it comes to heavy metal guitar duos, you won’t find many names more respected than Hank Shermann and Michael Denner: Tipton and Downing, Smith and Murray…that’s about it.
Girlschool - Nightmare at Maple Cross
Review by Gary Hill
I like this new reissue from Girlschool a lot. I’d say that it’s better than the other one I’ve also reviewed in this issue.
Girlschool - Take a Bite
Review by Gary Hill
This is a brand new reissue of an old Girlschool disc. It includes a nice new booklet that is unique to this edition.
Infinite Spectrum - Haunter of the Dark
Review by Mike Korn
The cosmic horror tales of H. P. Lovecraft have inspired innumerable musical works, as I’m sure the curator of this very website could confirm.
Non-Prog CD Reviews
Auburn - Love and Promises
Review by Gary Hill
The newest disc from Auburn continues their musical exploration.
Bun E. Carlos - Greetings from Bunezuela!
Review by Gary Hill
Those popping this disc in to spin and expecting a Cheap Trick album might be disappointed. Sure, Bun E. Carlos has been best known as the drummer for Cheap Trick, but honestly, this is not a Cheap Trick album.
The Cars - The Cars
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve wanted to do a retro review of this album for a long time. I finally got this chance this time around.
Chameleon Technology - Blank Canvas
Review by Gary Hill
The most obvious audience for this set would be people who like punk rock.
Devi - Heart Stone
Review by Gary Hill
This lands in the neighborhood of a lot of the modern female pop music out there. That style (like most modern pop music) suffers from over-production and synthetic elements.
The Everydays - When It’s All Over
Review by Gary Hill
The mix between folk and country here is fairly balanced. Some songs land nearly in one camp or the other.
Foghat - Under the Influence
Review by Gary Hill
Beyond everything else, Foghat were always one of the wave of bands that landed somewhere in the blues rock arena.
Katie Garibaldi - Rooted Clarity
Review by Gary Hill
This new disc from Katie Garibaldi isn’t a big surprise. That said, it’s a solid set of five songs.
Heart - Beautiful Broken
Review by Gary Hill
This new disc from Heart is an interesting one. It includes several brand new songs along with a lot of revisits to old songs from the band.
The Invisible World - Color/Echo
Review by Gary Hill
This new EP is strong. It’s not the most unique or original thing out there, but it is very accessible and compelling.
Jane in Space - Jane in Space
Review by Gary Hill
This seems to be a blend of retro and modern sounds.
Pete Kronowitt - A Lone Voice
Review by Gary Hill
This an effective set. The music lands in the singer/songwriter, folk meets country and rock range of sounds.
The Last Ditches - Spilt Milk
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve followed Randy Pratt’s career from the days when he was part of The Star People.
Medicine Hat - Blood and Bone
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite an intriguing set. It calls to mind things like the Rolling Stones most often, but it moves into full country territory, modern alternative rock stylings and more.
Chris Murphy - Red Mountain Blues
Review by Gary Hill
There is a big roots music revolution underway these days.
Peter Murphy - Wild Birds Live Tour
Review by Gary Hill
Probably Peter Murphy is best known as the singer for Bauhaus.
Oranjjoolius - Oranjjoolius
Review by Gary Hill
It’s pretty tough to find a lot of information about this outfit. They are apparently fairly new.
Chet O’Keefe - Because of You
Review by Gary Hill
If you like your folk delivered with a lot of country, you might like this.
Brian Parrish - Traveller
Review by Gary Hill
Brian Parrish is possibly best known for his work as part of the band Badger. This new solo album shows that he’s got what it takes to deliver great music on his own, though.
Owen Sartori - Nobody Gives a Damn
Review by Gary Hill
This is such a cool album. Not everything here blows me away, but nothing here is really lacking, either.
Sawtooth Brothers - One More Flight
Review by Gary Hill
It would be pretty simple to just label this “bluegrass music.” The bulk of the disc fits nicely into that category.
The Source (South Dakota, USA) - I Feel I Need
Review by Gary Hill
This album lands somewhere in the neighborhood of bluesy hard rock with an alternative edge. There are hints of folk music, country and more in the mix.
Thunderbird - Heavyweight
Review by Gary Hill
There is definitely an old school vibe to this. The music here occupies the same kind of territory as AC/DC, early Kiss, early Aerosmith, Van Halen and more.
U.K. Subs - Friends and Relations
Review by Eric Meli
As is the usual case with discs bearing this title, Friends and Relations isn’t an actual U.K. Subs CD, but more of a  compilation album of rare songs by the band as well as tracks by side projects.
Peter Vitalone - One of Us
Review by Gary Hill
This album would feel very much at home in the 1970s. The blend of sounds here is quite retro in texture.
Peter Vitalone - This Side of the Dirt
Review by Gary Hill
This is one of two albums from Peter Vitalone that I’m reviewing this issue. Of the two, I like this one the best.
DVD/Video Reviews
Paco and John - Live at Montreux 1987 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The “Paco” here is Paco de Lucia. The “John” is John McLaughlin.
Michael Schenker - Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock - On a Mission: Live in Madrid DVD
Review by Greg Olma
It is no great secret that I am a Michael Schenker super fan but I can be critical of his output when I feel that he is not playing up to his potential.  
Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve always wanted to review this, and am now finally getting the chance to do so.
UFO - The Story Of – Too Hot To Handle DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Let me start by saying that I really like this DVD.  I had this back in the day when it was available on VHS,  but it is always better to have the crystal clear picture of a DVD.  
Interviews
Leon Alvarado
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Leon Alvarado from 2016
Armonite
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Paolo Fosso of Armonite from 2016
Ray Bennett
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Ray Bennett from 2016
Big Dust
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Big Dust from 2016
Djam Karet
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Gayle Ellett of Djam Karet from 2016
The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Lisi Wright of Galactic Cowboy Orchestra from 2016
David Hayes
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with David Hayes from 2016
Neal Morse
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Neal Morse from 2016
The Security Project
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Jerry Marotta of Security Project from 2016
Carl Verheyen
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Carl Verheyen from 2016
Zombie Picnic
Interview by Gary Hill
Interview with Jim Griffin of Zombie Picnic from 2016
Concert Reviews
Lita Ford - Live in Madison, Wisconsin, May 2016
Review by Eric Meli

Lita Ford started playing guitar at age eleven. By the time she was 16, she was in The Runaways.

The Romantics - Live in Elgin, Illinois, July 2016
Review by Eric Meli
I loved The Romantics back in the 80s, so it was really nice to get to see them live.
Styx - Live in Rockford, Illinois, June 2016
Review by Eric Meli
The Coronado Theater was built in 1927 and is a perfect setting for a band like Styx.
 
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