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| Progressive Rock CD Reviews |
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Ed Alleyne-Johnson - Reflections
Review by Greg Olma
One of the upsides of being in the midst of the demise of the brick and mortar record store is the ability to search through iTunes to find unique covers of your favorite artist’s songs. Now granted, there is plenty of substandard cannon fodder out there in terms of badly done covers, but every now and then you can run across a real treasure of a song.
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Jon Anderson - The Mother's Day Concert
Review by Gary Hill
Originally available only as a bootleg, VoicePrint has teamed up with Jon Anderson to bring this magical event to the general public. It should be said that since it was a bootleg, the sound quality is not what you might expect from a Jon Anderson release.
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Anubis Spire - Children of a Foreign Faith
Review by Gary Hill
I've liked Anubis Spire from the start. They've always had a strong, accessible, yet challenging sound.
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Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin!
Review by Julie Knispel
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is perhaps the best known and most widely loved Italian symphonic progressive bands. Revered every bit as deeply outside their home nation as within it, their works help to form the cornerstone of both Italian progressive and symphonic progressive music.
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Big Big Train - The Difference Machine
Review by Gary Hill
This latest disc from Big Big Train is a fine example of how an artist can combine classic progressive rock sounds with more modern textures in a mélange that, while nodding to the music of others is as a whole something unique.
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Circa: - Circa:
Review by Gary Hill
Well, since I’m a huge Yes fanatic, it seems a foregone conclusion I would like this CD. The thing is, unless something purely amazing comes out in the next few months, this is my favorite disc for 2007 – yes, it’s that good.
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Circus Maximus - Isolate
Review by Gary Hill
I was very impressed with Circus Maximus’ debut disc and particularly with its manner of combining progressive rock and heavy metal into a powerful mix of music. I was really looking forward to the follow up and now I have it in my hands. I am not really disappointed, but I guess a bit surprised by this disc.
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The Flower Kings - The Sum of No Evil
Review by Josh Turner
When I receive a Flower Kings’ album, it’s a personal event of the utmost importance. The only problem is finding a long-enough lunch, a shady tree to idle under, or a stretch of asphalt that’s sufficiently-straight.
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Fuzz Beloved - Fuzz Beloved
Review by Gary Hill
Fuzz Beloved is a close relative to both Imogene and Ludivine. It is vaguely prog rock, but also encompasses the sounds of psychedelia.
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Gentle Giant - Octopus
Review by Julie Knispel
Gentle Giant is perhaps one of the most difficult progressive bands to get into. Their mix of canon and baroque vocal parts, counterpoint and medieval musical arrangements kept them from being immediately accessible.
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Harptallica - Harptallica
Review by Gary Hill
I put this one in progressive rock. You might ask why, since the whole disc is made up of covers of Metallica songs.
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Jethro Tull - Live at Monteux 2003
Review by Gary Hill
There is Jethro Tull and there is Ian Anderson. Interestingly enough as the only founding member of the band to have remained with the group, the two have become rather synonymous over the years. In fact, there are those who believe that Anderson’s name is, in fact, Jethro Tull.
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Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Review by Julie Knispel
By the time Jethro Tull released Thick as a Brick in 1972, the band had already seen radical shifts in membership and musical style.
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Kosmos (Canada) - Kosmos
Review by Gary Hill
My understanding of what this band sounded like before I actually heard them was a more traditionally prog version of Hawkwind. Well, I’m not sure that’s quite the vibe I came away with.
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Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
Review by Julie Knispel
Magma arose out of the French music scene of the late 1960's with a sound unlike any rock band from any region. Based around the spiritual jazz explorations of John Coltrane with lyrics in an artificially constructed language called Kobaian, Magma was the brainchild of drummer Christian Vander.
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Patrick Moraz - Future Memories I and II
Review by Gary Hill
Patrick Moraz might not be the household name that Rick Wakeman is, but he definitely has plenty of prog rock cred built up. Stints in Yes and the Moody Blues will do that for you.
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Navigator - Re-Evolution - Volume II
Review by Sonya Kukcinovich Hill
With two independent CDs to their credit and a massive writing and recording project underway for a third CD, the band deserves greater notoriety as they bring something really unique to progressive music. Their second release completes the story line begun with the first.
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Nox Arcana - Shadow of the Raven
Review by Gary Hill
I first became aware of Nox Arcana when researching my book on music based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft. The duo had done a full album of Lovecraft inspired compositions.
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Oz Noy - Fuzzy
Review by Gary Hill
Sometimes fusion can be stale and overly technical. It feels like the whole soul and spark of the music has been pulled from it.
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Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve enjoyed every Phideaux album thus far, but the truth is, they are going to have a hard time beating this one in the long run. It is a masterpiece that stands along all the progressive rock greats as an equal.
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Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (40th Anniversary Reissue)
Review by Julie Knispel
Pink Floyd in 1967 was a completely different musical beast than the band most people came to know and love in the 1970’s. Most of this was due to the genius (and insanity) of founder member Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett, the mastermind whose childlike innocence and penchant for psychedelic hook writing would rocket the band to the forefront of the British pop scene during the spring and summer of 1967.
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Refugee - Live in Concert: Newcastle City Hall 1974
Review by Gary Hill
This was originally a bootleg. With the wizardry of modern recording the sound quality of this has been taken from poor to adequate – or perhaps a bit better.
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Ritual - The Hemulic Voluntary Band
Review by Gary Hill
Wondering at the title to this disc, I did a search for the word “hemulic” and came up empty handed. So, while once can certainly imagine conceptual links to Sgt. Peppers, I can’t tell you what the meaning of the title is.
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Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement
Review by Julie Knispel
Poland’s Riverside are slowly, but surely, growing a larger, more diverse fan base around them. Moving from indie label Laser’s Edge Records (home of their first release) to larger label InsideOut, the band has found success opening for bands such as Dream Theater in Europe, while headlining their own shows simultaneously.
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Secret Oyster - Secret Oyster
Review by Gary Hill
Secret Oyster has been a well-kept secret, until now. They recently played NEARFest and this has prompted the re-issue of their first two albums.
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Secret Oyster - Straight to the Krankenhaus
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve read where a lot of people say that this disc is where Secret Oyster turned away from the prog rock meets fusion elements of their debut to turn straight jaxx. Well, they must have listened to a different disc that what I have here.
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Tangerine Dream - Madcap’s Flaming Duty
Review by Gary Hill
Tangerine Dream have released a new album for 2007. It’s one of their few releases to feature vocals, and is arguably the best of the “voice oriented” discs.
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Tangerine Dream - Paradiso
Review by Gary Hill
Those who follow Tangerine Dream have come to expect one thing consistently from them – a sense of experimentation and change. This disc is certainly one of those experimental moments.
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Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Review by Julie Knispel
Pawn Hearts, the fourth album by the first incarnation of the seminal British progressive band Van der Graaf Generator, is the fullest distillation of the band’s multiple talents.
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Visa - De Facto
Review by Rick Damigella
When a band combines elements of traditional world music in a modern music setting it can often produce magical results. Such is the case with the band Visa, a group of nine musicians from Los Angeles on their second album De Facto.
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Rick Wakeman - G’olé Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
Originally recorded and released for a documentary film on the 1982 World Cup, this has been out of print for years and is seen here in its first ever release on CD. I’d have to say that this one is considerably stronger than the Burning soundtrack – also just now reissued – and has a lot wider ranging appeal.
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Rick Wakeman - The Burning
Review by Gary Hill
Long out of print, this soundtrack album is now available on CD. With all the music written and performed by Rick Wakeman, it’s a foregone conclusion that Wakeman fanatics will be all over this.
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Yes - Greatest Hits
Review by Gary Hill
With this Yes compilation recently reissued, it seems a good time to have a look at it. It always seems a bit odd when you get a “Greatest Hits” compilation from a band that isn’t known for hit singles, but such is the case here.
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Yes - Live at Montreux 2003
Review by Gary Hill
Yes is a band that has no shortage of live albums. For this reason, the next statement I’m going to make is all the more profound. This may well be the best live CD they have ever released.
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| Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews |
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Anubis Gate - Andromeda Unchained
Review by Greg Olma
Locomotive seems to be the home for many quality metal bands and Anubis Gate is no different. This is my first taste of the band and I must say that I am really impressed.
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ChthoniC - Relentless Recurrence
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that I’m not the biggest fan of extreme metal. In fact, cookie monster vocals generally will get me to shut off a CD.
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D'espairs Ray - Coll:set1
Review by Rick Damigella
Being a long time fan of Japanese rock music, I was recently in attendance at the JRock Revolution festival in Los Angeles where I was introduced to the band D’espairsRay.
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Halford - Metal God Essentials Volume I
Review by Gary Hill
This compilation of remasters from the real metal god, Rob Halford is a top-notch set. Not only do you get a CD that’s full of some of his best material from his three previous solo albums, but that’s just the beginning.
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Heaven and Hell - Live from Radio City Music Hall
Review by Rick Damigella
Next year may be the 40th anniversary of Black Sabbath, but 2007 will be forever known in the lore of heavy metal as the year of Heaven & Hell.
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Lillian Axe - Waters Rising
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit, I’ve never heard Lillian Axe before. There were so many metal bands coming out in the 1980’s and most of them were bad, that I sort of ignored a lot of them.
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The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets - The Shadow Out of Tim
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve been a fan of The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets for years. Their music is usually based around H. P. Lovecraft’s mythos and that has endeared them to me. I
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The Doors - The Doors (40th Anniversary remix/reissue)
Review by Julie Knispel
The mid to late 1960’s saw a sudden emergence of rock bands reacting to the sounds and styles brought over as part of the British Invasion. From folk inflected psychedelic rock (The Byrds, some Grateful Dead) to full flight psychedelia (Jefferson Airplane), the reaction was swift and decisive.
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The Doors - Waiting for the Sun (40th Anniversary Remix)
Review by Julie Knispel
Waiting for the Sun was the Door’s first number 1 selling album, reaching that lofty position on release in 1968. In many ways, this was both a boon and a bane.
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The Fall - Live At The Knitting Factory
Review by Gary Hill
Punk is a weird animal. Don’t get me wrong, I like punk rock, but it’s strange because poor sound quality and other aspects that in other forms of music are considered bad, are like a badge of honor with punk.
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Ken Hensley - Blood on the Highway
Review by Gary Hill
I’m sure many of MSJ’s readers remember Ken Hensley from his days in Uriah Heep. Well, those times are long gone and Hensley has been producing his own brand of rock and roll for quite some time.
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Ministry - The Last Sucker
Review by Mike Korn
The end of days is almost upon us. Soon our glorious commander in chief George W. Bush will be riding off into the sunset.
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Ted Nugent - Love Grenade
Review by Greg Olma
What can you say about Ted Nugent that hasn’t already been said? I have followed his career since Double Live Gonzo and rarely has he disappointed.
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Racoon - Another Day
Review by Greg Olma
The great thing about reviewing music is that you get exposed to so many different artists and styles of music that you would otherwise never really hear. Racoon is one of those pleasant surprises that hit me right off the bat.
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Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
Review by Bruce Stringer
Suzanne Vega stands as one of New York’s finest ambassadors, yet – ironically – is also one of it’s most respected commentators.
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The Waterboys - Book Of Lightning CD - Special limited edition release including bonus DVD
Review by Bruce Stringer
Mike Scott’s Waterboys once again take to the folk-rock inspired music that helped re-establish them with Dream Harder, stripping away the ingrained folkiness that slowed the band down with Fisherman’s Blues and Room To Roam.
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Witches in Bikinis - Witches in Bikinis
Review by Gary Hill
Monsters, ghosts and goblins have a connection with rock music that goes way back. Well, we’ve come a long way from “I Put a Spell on You,” “Haunted House” and “The Monster Mash.”
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus DVD
Review by Gary Hill
As someone who saw this tour live (twice, I believe) and owned the VHS of this for years, it’s a pleasure to finally have it on DVD. For those who don’t remember, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe spun off of Yes during the Trevor Rabin era (between the Big Generator and Union albums).
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Blaze Bayley - Alive In Poland DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Blaze Bayley has had his name dragged through the mud for no good reason other than the fact he replaced Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden. I think many fans just weren’t ready for the new Maiden sound and of course they blamed Blaze.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Video Anthology 2 - 1990's DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Those expecting to find Yes or King Crimson amidst this DVD will come away with out completing their quest. On the other hand, those looking for some stellar jazz performed by an incredible group of musicians will be rewarded with a great piece of music and video entertainment.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Video Anthology Volume I - 2000's
Review by Gary Hill
Well, I have to admit, the sequence of these two DVD’s seems backwards to me. When I viewed them I did so in chronological order (Volume II is the 1990’s).
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The Byrds - Under Review DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is another DVD in the “Under Review” series, and once again, the quality here is top notch. In addition to giving some insight into the world that gave birth to the Byrds, we get treated to in-depth analysis of the music of the band.
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ChthoniC - A Decade on the Throne (DVD and CD’s)
Review by Gary Hill
This is an incredible package! I really mean that in every sense of the word.
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Cro-Mags - The Final Quarrel: Live at CGBG 2001 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Punk should be raw and angry, and Cro-Mags definitely deliver. There is so much energy and angst on the stage you can almost think of them as extra members of the band.
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Darzamat - Live Profanity: Visiting the Graves of Heretics DVD
Review by Julie Knispel
Black and death metal must be absolutely huge in Poland, as it seems to comprise the majority of live album and DVD releases coming from that former Iron Curtain nation. Live Profanity: Visiting the Graves of Heretics is no exception to this generalization.
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Deep Purple - In Concert With The London Symphony Orchestra DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The whole nearly clichéd concept of doing a concert with a symphony orchestra is, thankfully, starting to fall out of style. Just you don’t misunderstand, there are some instances where it works really well, but more often than not it comes across as a gimmicky concept that falls pretty flat.
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Marianne Faithfull - Dreaming My Dreams DVD
Review by Gary Hill
So, you’ve probably heard the name “Marianne Faithfull.” You may have even heard a song or two.
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Marvin Gaye - Greatest Hits – Live in ‘76 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
What can you really say about Marvin Gaye that hasn’t already been said? The man was a pure legend of music.
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Isaac Hayes - Live at Montreux 2005 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit, I’m a bit like a lot of people out there. I’ve always had a deep respect for Isaac Hayes (who wouldn’t love that voice?) but I haven’t really followed his music career.
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Heaven and Hell - Live Radio City Music Hall 2007 DVD
Review by Greg Olma
This tour and now DVD has been a long time coming. I always felt that the Dio era of Black Sabbath was overshadowed by the original line-up.
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Roger Hodgson - Take the Long Way Home – Live in Montreal DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Thinking back to the music of Supertramp, one remembers all those killer songs. Well, the truth of the matter is, those songs might be even better than you recall.
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Jethro Tull - Live at Montreux 2003 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Jethro Tull is certainly a band that needs no introduction in progressive rock (and classic rock) circles. Their unique sound and reputation for quality precedes them.
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Elton John - Someone Like Me DVD
Review by Gary Hill
A lot of these documentaries are pretty weak. I have to say that I really enjoy this one.
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Lene Lovich - Live From New York – Studio 54 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
In some ways the punk movement and the hippie movement had a lot in common. They also both shared ground with the early rumblings of progressive rock – although, it’s certainly arguable that that in itself is tied to the hippie movement.
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Steve Morse - Band – Live in Baden – Baden Germany March 1990 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a reissue of the classic Steve Morse Band performance from 1990.
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Mountain - Live in Paris DVD
Review by Gary Hill
When it comes to great 1970’s hard rock with its foot planted firmly in the blues, you just don’t get much better than Mountain. Well, here we have a new DVD featuring a concert the band played in Paris in 1985 – OK, let’s be more accurate, it’s compiled from two shows on two consecutive nights in the capital of France.
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Mike Oldfield - The Space Movie DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This movie is a questionable inclusion at Music Street Journal. On the surface, it doesn’t qualify as music related.
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Keith Richards - Under Review DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I get a lot of documentary/biographies. I tend to look at them rather skeptically anymore.
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Solitude Aeturnus - Hour of Despair DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This DVD brings a new, visual dimension the music of one of the masters of doom metal. Solitude Aeturnus’ particular flavor of doom resonates extremely well with me and it’s cool to get to experience their live show for the first time.
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Super Guitar Trio - Live at Montreux 1989 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
You wouldn’t know it from MSJ, but I’m a big Al Dimeola fan. The reason I say you wouldn’t know it is that this is the first opportunity I’ve had to cover Dimeola.
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Tangerine Dream - 35th Anniversary Phaedra Concert DVD
Review by Gary Hill
First, let’s state up front that this is a great concert. Tangerine Dream’s music is presented here in an exceptional powerful live performance. We even get a cover of Jimi Hendirx’ “Purple Haze.”
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Johnny Thunders - Who’s Been Talking? - Johnny Thunders in Concert DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Billed as the final recorded concert from Johnny Thunders, this is sort of a mixed bag. Let’s get a little background out right here. I had heard Thunders with the New York Dolls before, but was never really all that impressed with that band.
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Tribuzy - Execution Live Reunion DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Brazilian metalers Tribuzy have jumped the gun and released a DVD after only one record but quite honestly I wish more bands would do this. How many of us would love to have a concert video of Judas Priest done right after Rocka Rolla or Rush right after their self titled debut.
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Various Artists - A Night At The Family Dog DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Those looking to recapture the 1960’s should really dig this DVD. Originally captured for PBS Television, this show from 1970 featured Santana, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. It has been remastered and digital extrapolation has been used to create a dolby 5.1 experience on the audio track.
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Phil Varone - Waking Up Dead DVD
Review by Greg Olma
I know that the glamorous life of rock and roll is not real. The real story is more about bad hotels, crappy food, groupies that are not super models, and addiction.
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Vital Remains - Evil-Death-Live DVD
Review by Julie Knispel
Vital Remains is an American death metal band hailing from Providence, Rhode Island. Active since 1989, the only remaining founder member is guitarist Tony Lazaro, who has surrounded himself with an intense group of musicians for Evil-Death-Live, the first video document of their brutal live show.
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Rick Wakeman - The Other Side of Rick Wakeman DVD
Review by Gary Hill
For those who are Wakeman fanatics, myself included, this DVD is great. Like his CD of Yes songs, this DVD is strictly solo piano, and Wakeman shows that he needs neither fancy Moog synthesizers nor other musicians to make great sounds.
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Jeff Wayne - Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds - Live on Stage DVD
Review by Gary Hill
It’s always a great feeling when a plan comes together. By that criterion, Jeff Wayne must be a very happy man.
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Y&T - Live One Hot Night DVD
Review by Greg Olma
I never thought that Y&T got the respect they deserved. They always seemed to be on the edge of being huge but for whatever reason, they could not seem to make that jump.
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Blue Öyster Cult - Live in Costa Mesa, California, August, 2007
Review by Rick Damigella
Celebrating 35 years as the original “thinking man’s metal band” Blue Oyster Cult has been touring the majority of 2007 with various members of their 1970’s classic rock peers.
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Deep Purple - Live in Ventura, California, August, 2007
Review by Rick Damigella
Deep Purple stormed through Southern California in August as part of their current world tour, playing three shows from San Diego to Ventura over five days. I took in two of the gigs, the first being in Costa Mesa at the long underutilized Pacific Amphitheater and then the very next night at the Ventura Theater.
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D'espairs Ray - Live in Los Angeles, CA, September, 2007
Review by Rick Damigella
Music was the universal language one recent summer night in Los Angeles when the JRock revolution tour rolled into Los Angeles for two nights at the Wiltern Theater. Over the course of two nights, nine bands from Japan rocked the venerable stage of the Wiltern with sounds that were altogether unique yet strangely familiar all at once.
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Dream Theater - Live in Rosemont, IL, August 2007
Review by Greg Olma
I was surprised when I bought my ticket for this Dream Theater show. The past few tours that I saw them, they were the only band and it was billed as “An Evening with…”
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Heaven and Hell - Live in Hoffman Estates, IL, September, 2007
Review by Greg Olma
For those of you who don’t know who Heaven and Hell is, it is basically Black Sabbath Mk III. Although the original lineup is considered the best (not by this writer), this version definitely has a high regard among all heavy metal fans.
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Kansas - Live in Tonawanda, New York, August, 2007
Review by Sonya Kukcinovich Hill
This was absolutely an amazing event held as part of the Canal Series Concerts on the banks of the Erie Canal in Tonawanda, New York, just a stone's throw from Buffalo.
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Marilyn Manson - Live in Chicago, August, 2007
Review by Travis Jensen
The first time I saw Marilyn Manson, was about 10 or so years ago at an Ozzfest at Alpine Valley in East Troy Wisconsin. I had several of his CD’s and thought he was a very strange, yet also very creative and artistic individual, as we all did.
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Navigator - Live in Tonawanda, New York, August, 2007
Review by Sonya Kukcinovich Hill
There is, perhaps, nothing more exciting than hearing a great new band for the first time.
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Queensrÿche - Live in Hoffman Estates, IL, September, 2007
Review by Greg Olma
Queensryche stepped out of the studio to be special guest on the second leg of the Heaven and Hell North American Tour. Being in the studio must have given them the itch to go out and play live in front of an audience because the original boys from Seattle looked and sounded great.
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Rush - Live in Milwaukee, WI, September, 2007
Review by Greg Olma
Lately Rush concerts have become quite the events. Since the Test For Echo tour, the band has been playing 2 sets with no opening act.
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Slayer - Live in Chicago, August, 2007
Review by Travis Jensen
Another summer season had arrived, which meant that I would attend yet another Slayer show. Last year it was the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, this year at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont Illinois.
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