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Shudder to Think - Pony Express Record (1994)

If you've heard anything about this album, ignore it.  Reviewers tend to place too much emphasis on the fact that Shudder to Think emerged from the D.C. post-hardcore scene, or their (slight) influence on DeSoto bands like the Dismemberment Plan or Burning Airlines.  (Honestly, I think Storm and Stress or Slint would be a better comparison.)  And while the word "fragmented," which seems to be de rigeur for a review of Pony Express Record, does apply with a fair degree of accuracy, the punk influence is barely apparent.  What this really sounds like is deconstructed grunge.

This is not to say that if you don't like grunge, you won't like this album. I've never heard anything from the grunge movement that interested me, and I think the album is pretty damn good.  Yes, it has a heavy, distorted guitar presence, bottom-heavy textures and quite a bit of sarcasm.  But it also has singer Craig Wedren, whose sneer is tempered by constant departures into a vaguely effeminate falsetto, and whose lyrics are largely stream-of-consciousness rambles, like the endlessly repeated line from "X-French Tee Shirt": "Hold back the road that goes so that the others may do what you let me in just to pour me down their mouths."  The song structures are equally scattered: the band will seize on a random phrase and use it as an ostinato for two minutes, or or have one of the guitars hold a perfect fifth for a minute while the other instruments trade angular motifs around it, or or juxtapose brief snippets that, taken on their own, could be out of early-90s alternative rock songs, but which combine to make something much weirder and more interesting.

Actually, the album starts out in a way that might mislead the first-time listener, since the first three songs are among the most "normal" of the bunch.  Admittedly, they're not exactly radio fare, but they do have standard verse/chorus structures and driving (if irregular) rhythms.  It's not until "Sweet Year Old" that the album reveals its true nature: this and the two songs that follow it feel more like collages of several songs pasted together than anything else.  There are false endings, alternating loud and soft passages, and Craig Wedren's utterly counterintuitive vocal phrasing, with pauses in the middle of sentences.  The lyrics start to take on a peculiar cyclical quality, with certain phrases reappearing in different arrangements to create different meanings.  "Kissi Penny" uses the particularly interesting technique of associating certain pitches with certain words, so that the word "major" is sung with the same descending major second at two different points in the song, even though it's a noun one time and an adjective the other.

But it's not until the second half of the album that things get really weird. "No Rm. 9, Kentucky" is a startling break from what came before: the song opens with bare acoustic guitar strumming and Wedren's fruitiest falsetto, singing the inane words "Happy birthday baby, yeah, you make me feel, oooooooh."  Then, suddenly a major chord turns minor and the rest of the band enters slowly and quietly in 6/8, with cryptic but disturbing lyrics like "tongue kiss through the kitchen screen" and "I predict by 3 AM the pill bottle top will have come undone."  In other places, the alt-rock motifs and chugging atonal grooves start to be infused with chords that seem to come from jazz-pop standards, quotes from Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me," and more fruity whoops.  The longest song, "Trackstar," includes long passages in which Wedren almost whispers his lyrics over quiet backdrops of cymbals and scrapey guitar sounds, and a real groove doesn't start until almost four and a half minutes in.  When it does, it simply repeats the same four or five melodic and lyrical fragments in constantly shifting juxtapositions, so that "I did some damage to the future and it gets me down" becomes "it gets me down to the future" and "I did some damage to your truck" -- and so on.

But lest you think you've pigeonholed the album, they also throw in a cover of the Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You."  The original is a limp R&B song, but here it's completely transformed, alternating between extraordinarily powerful passages in which a fragile-sounding Wedren sings with a shaky voice and mutters to himself as if on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and driving 70's-style hard rock stripped of all the excesses of the era.  It's a completely unexpected twist towards the end of a rather unexpected album, and it's spine-tinglingly good -- especially because you'd expect it to be terrible.

Actually, that's true of the whole album.  Nearly everything about it feels like it shouldn't work, but it does.  I'll admit that when I first listened to it, there were moments that annoyed me on both ends of the spectrum -- the effeminate opening of "No Rm. 9, Kentucky" on the  one hand, and a certain obnoxious, overly-aggressive passage that appears in "9 Fingers On You" (which is still my least favorite track on the album).  But the album grew on me steadily as I listened, and now I love the whole thing.  And, no matter what, there's definitely nothing else out there that really sounds like this.  Highly recommended to anyone who's willing to give it a chance. - Alex Temple [April 2002]

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Shylock - Il De Fievre (1978)

Excellent  instrumental progressive rock from France.  Overall this is fairly dark and heavy symphonic prog with a crunchy and angular mid period King Crimson edge throughout.  The guitarist clearly worships Robert Fripp and their are moments on the album that are a tad derivative, though still quite good.  The exploration of dissonance and experimentation is great, and their are solid moments throughout, though I wouldn't really recommend this album if not for the monstrous first song, which actually displays less of a King Crimson influence than the rest of the album.  This song is utterly breathtaking, and totally blows me away with powerful synthesizer and moog leads, intricate jamming and meaty grooves.  Unfortunately, the awesome keyboard presence from the first song is toned out throughout the rest of the album in favor of an experimental guitar led format. The consensus from what I've read seems to be that the album is worth buying for the first track alone, and I hope that my views haven't been colored by the reading of others, but at this point I'd have to agree.  Nothing on the rest of the album really grabbed me and throttled me like the title track.  The unevenness of the record weakens it for me, but I still put it on all the time, and usually end up leaving it on for the duration of the album.  The mix of King Crimson and instrumental Genesis on the first track comes off sounding to me a lot like the best work that would later come out of Sweden in the 90's, most especially Anglagard to my ears.  Fans of that band should definitely hear this album. - Greg Northrup [January 2001]

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Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape (2001)

Who said these guys were black metal?  If anything fully embodies the essence of what "progressive" metal should ideally be, its Sigh.  Hailing from Japan, the group has fully bloomed from the fertile black metal soil from whence they came, and on their Century Media debut have created an album which should, in all justice, break the band across underground metaldom. Imaginary Sonicscape is a head spinning lesson in genre annihilation, weaving heavy metal together with jazz, electronica, psychedelia, cinematic soundscapes, and *gasp* a heavy dose of 70s progressive rock.  And don't be scared kitties, these men aren't all that evil.  The music is heavily melodic, catchy even.  Really, the "black" metal description is only applicable concerning Mirai's vocals, a genre-defining rasp that is perhaps the only constant throughout this ever shifting brew.  Indeed, you'll have surging NWOBHM guitar riffs, effortlessly setting a headbang session in motion, draped with... you guys'll love this... MOOG synthesizers and HAMMOND organ.  The music will unexpectedly shift to some piano interlude, or a jazz section, or some electronic beeps and whizzes.  The whole thing could come off as incredibly self conscious were it not for the band's tangible sense of humor and reckless abandon, hell there's even some porno soundtrack music thrown in.  All in all this is a killer album.  Difficult to pin down certainly, at least within a fairly general "progressive" or "avant" metal definition.  Fans of bands like Arcturus or Devil Doll with a dash of fist-in-the-air heavy metal bombast will dig it.  Safely within my top ten of 2001. - Greg Northrup [January 2002]

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---

Sinister Street - Trust (2002)

Sinister Street are a Dutch outfit that can be fairly easily pegged as playing a more updated neo-progressive style.  Certainly the band's biggest influence seems to be Marillion, as the band has the similar sort of "modern rock" approach that the Hogarth-era Marillion records display.  At the same time, vocalist Olaf Blaruw reminds more of Fish with his crystalline, melodramatic wail. Another heavy influence seems to be Rush, particularly as on that band's 80s material.  Take an album like Brave or Season's End, add the futuristic sheen of Grace Under Pressure, and a bizarro Dutch version of Fish, and add a good amount of water.  Place the batter into the oven, but be sure to undercook it by about 20 minutes, and you'll have something like Sinister Street's Trust.  If that sounds like hell to you, move on to another review, you won't like this album.  The rest of you, read on.

To be fair, this band is good at what they do. The song structures are generally progressive and melodically dynamic, particularly on the opener "Song for a Day", but occasionally present a saccharine poppieness that will prove a turn off to some listeners, as on the apparently radio-ready "Two in One".  The band is tight, with the musicianship more than solid, and the two keyboardists do a noticeable job of adding a good degree of texture to everything.  A hard edged feel occasionally breaks up the sometimes sappy portions courtesy of some chunky guitar work, particularly on the rollicking instrumental title cut.  As intimated earlier, the vocals are rather accented, though Blaruw can certainly not be faulted for lacking passion. The lyrics in general project the same kind of pseudo philosophical approach of Rush, with even a few specific quotes, while at the same time giving us enough overbearing, melancholic angst to bring a tear to the eye of the morose jester in all of us.  Take "Two in One": "I sense your body / I sense it underneath my touch / To think that I could ever love this much" followed by "In the clenching fist of anguish / Truth is neither sought nor found".  I feel you dude.

Despite the fact that I'm not particularly inclined towards this style, Sinister Street do a decent job of forging a fairly unique style. I'm almost surprised they haven't garnered more attention in other circles, as I find them far less excruciating than some of the more popular bands in this general style.  Neo-prog and other modern progressive rock devotees may want to look into this band, the rest of you (I told you to stop reading) should probably pass. - Greg Northrup [September 2002]

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Sinkadus - Cirkus (1999)

One of the first non-English bands that I ever really got into was Anglagard.  Naturally, after becoming addicted to Hybris, I wanted more.  However, I also wanted to broaden my knowledge of different bands.  So rather than get Epilog, I got Sinkadus's Cirkus instead, after reading endless comparisons of Sinkadus to Anglagard (as well as some positive reviews of the album, from sources that I now know to consider... less than reliable).

The comparisons between the two bands are valid to an extent, as Sinkadus sounds like a caricature of Anglagard.  The flute, mellotron, organ, and guitar work are pretty much all dead ringers for Anglagard (save for typically being less proficient), and the presence of Lena Pettersson's cello does little to create a distinctive sound.  I can think of about a half-dozen jokes that I could use to hammer this point home, and most of them contain the word "Xerox".  But I'll behave myself.

A derivative sound is far from being Sinkadus' worst failing, however.  That distinct honor would have to go to the band's lack of compositional ability.  The typical Sinkadus song (at least on this album) features the band endlessly repeating patterns with little modulation until the repetition becomes too much to bear.  At that point, the band moves to a new pattern, and the cycle of pain begins again.  While repetition can be a useful tool in creating a sense of drama, there are no such compelling effects to be found here.  After repeated listening, the distinction between Anglagard and Sinkadus becomes crystal clear: where Anglagard is interesting and dynamic, Sinkadus is predictable and flat.  Where Anglagard introduces new and captivating thematic material, Sinkadus continues to endlessly repeat the theme they're currently hooked on.

I can't say that I hate this album, because there are a number of parts that seem quite good.  However, the band's insistence at running those parts into the ground really hampers my enjoyment.  The biggest crime I would accuse Sinkadus of is wasted potential. I have a feeling that these guys and gals *could* be good, but they just don't know how to turn some good ideas into a full song. Some listeners may not mind the repetition, but I would highly suggest hearing them before you buy. - *Legion* [July 2001]

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Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Grand Opening and Closing (2001)

'What the fuck is this?' might be your first reaction upon hearing Grand Opening and Closing. From rebellious anthems against slumber, inspired pleas to party like it's 1997, to the mottos of 18th century phrenologists, it's all here. But what is it?  An aural assault to say the least, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum bombards the ears with fierce angularity and sweet dissonance in their own infectious way. The curators of this museum have strung together an eclectic exhibit featuring a wide array of styles: the crunchy riffs and shouts of "Sleep is Wrong", the thrash metal of "1997", the RIO chamber "Ablutions" or the ambient "Sunflower". While you might have heard all these disparate elements elsewhere, never before have they been combined in the same insanely creative way.

Strange noises abound on the album, made to great use on "Powerless", the opening low frequency notes being coaxed out of what I presume to be Rathbun's amplified spring instrument, not the only homemade instrument put to use here. Both the music and the instruments that help to create it show the same desire for innnovation. Almost all of Moe!'s percussion ensemble is made of trash, banged upon and beaten on. There's even an amplified circular saw blade in his repertoire.

Some comparisons might be apt here: the dense, metallic edginess of mid-period King Crimson, at times the sparse, song based RIO of the Art Bears (and Carla has a strong voice somewhat reminiscent of Dagmar) and more modern avant/RIO like Thinking Plague. But these are just scratching the surface. This is some of the most inspired material to come out this year - "music that not only pushes boundaries but breaks them down with an axe". Well, maybe more like a roto-tiller. - Mike Prete [October 2001]
 

TWO REVIEWS OF SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM'S GRAND OPENING AND CLOSING

MINI-REVIEW #1:  SGM are one of the most creative bands around right now.  They are strongly influenced by RIO and avant-prog, notably Art Bears and Thinking Plague.  These influences are transformed, though, by their metal influences and their extensive use of homemade instruments like "spring-nail guitar" and "pedal action wiggler."  The album is fantastically eclectic, from "Ambugaton" (chugging, full-textured chamber rock which transforms into precise metallic riffing) to "Sleepytime" (a "Moonsongs"-like percussive epic surrounded by evil lullaby sections) and "Sunflower" (eight minutes of quiet ambient dissonant chimes).  The brilliant "Sleep is Wrong" sounds like a collaboration between Amy Denio, Mr. Bungle and GWAR, covering 5uu's and remixed by Beck.  The enormous crescendo of its ending is both incredibly hard-hitting and unexpectedly catchy; I periodically find myself walking around singing "WHEN I GROW UP I'M NEVER GONNA SLEEP!"   Even "1997," which is pretty close to straightforward metal (complete with lyrics like "motherfucker, you're going down tonight") is inexplicably invigorating -- excellent music to kick someone's ass to.  A friend described it as "Korn goes to art school," which is a pretty accurate summary of the growlier parts of the album: out of tune and scary, but hyper-literate rather than seething with adolescent angst.  I'll admit, metal isn't really my thing, but the "Cookie Monster" vocals are few enough and well-integrated enough that I find the album quite enjoyable anyway.  While Grand Opening and Closing certainly has the disjointedness of a debut album at times, these guys are definitely on to something.

MINI-REVIEW #2:  OK, I'll admit that this album has some pretty cool stuff on it.  The angular guitar lines and clicky rhythmic passages played on homemade instruments are great, and most of "Sleep is Wrong" and "Ambugaton" are excellent.  But the band's sense of structure doesn't live up to those of their apparent influences.  Sure, "The Stain" sounds like early Thinking Plague, but it doesn't have that band's compositional focus, so it feels only tenuously held together.  "Sunflower" consists entirely of quiet ambient dissonant chimes, and its complete lack of rhythmic groove can't sustain my attention at eight minutes.  "Powerless," also, suffers from a "stop-start" feeling that prevents it from getting up a good momentum -- and I won't even mention the tremendously whiny lyrics.  But even in the better-constructed songs, what really gets on my nerves is the vocals.  Say what you like, but Frykdahl does "Cookie Monster" vocals.  Even in a mind-bendingly cool song like "Sleep is Wrong," his metallic screams grate.  Lesser songs like "Ablutions" suffer more, since they have less good material to hold them up.  "1997" is just plain obnoxious, bordering on "nu-metal" -- "Korn goes to art school" or something.  This band has a lot of potential -- they can write atonal riffs as well as any post-RIO band around -- but they sure as hell could use an editor.

Of course, both of these are exaggerated.  The truth is, about half the time I want to love this album as much as everyone else does, but find it disappointing; the other half, I want to pan it but find that I keep coming back to it.  Frykdahl's screaming annoys me some of the time and not others, and pieces like "The Stain" seem to hold together fine about every other listen.  Anyone who's more fond of metal would probably have an easier time with this album than I do.  I'll let you decide, though. - Alex Temple [December 2001]

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Smokin' Granny - Tarth Shooke (2002)

Smokin' Granny is back with their second release, expanding upon their already powerful blend of avant-fusion and funky prog. This time around, they have adopted a much more subdued tone overall, with many ambient excursions thrown into the mix. Many tracks have a modern, almost post-rock vibe, such as "Assembler"; its rhythmically repetitious and jagged electronic percussion and spaced out vibe would feel at home on a Tortoise album. In fact, much of the album reminds me of Isotope 217's Unstable Molecule, with its laid-back groove and Bitches Brew fusion elements. But the band does know how to kick it into overdrive when necessary, and rips through some blistering lines on pieces such as "Tarth Shooke" and "Fuma sin Fuego", in stark contrast with the delicate and pensive outings.

Exploratory improvisations weave tapestries of many interesting textures, from industrial noise, ambient washes, and angular melodies to pounding rhythms that coalesce into intriguing excursions. The powerful yet subtle percussion and buoyant bass anchor and propel the pieces forward, lending a strong backbone to the acoustic/electric guitar interplay and wind sounds. While content to ride and develop a groove, the band isn't afraid to let loose with some scorching riffs at any given moment. The shorter songs and interludes act as microscopic previews of directions and themes tackled at length in the longer pieces. A totally unique and wild blend of instrumental rock, "It smokes without Fire". - Mike Prete [April 2002]

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Snopek - First Band on the Moon (1980)

Following the typical late seventies advice of his record company and management to go "pop", Sigmund Snopek formed the four piece "Snopek" band to concentrate on a more commercial sound. Although an obvious effort to streamline the music, remnants of Snopek's older sound still prevailed: a quirky sense of humour, theatrical flare and strong composition. Sigmund's skill as a composer and performer keep this from falling into the traps of just another simplistic commercial album, for the most part. Songs such as the tedious "Highway Ghosts" fail to really capture the spirit of Snopek's music, and comes off as just another song without any individual flair. On the other hand, pieces like the title track and "Living Out Loud" are filled with memorable melodies and hooks, and do a better job of letting the players show their chops, especially guitarist Byron Wiemann III, who delivers a very strong performance throughout. "Crazy Crazy Angel" most resembles the style of old - an extended piece going through different sections and moods, from the boradway-like refrain to a medieval tinged instrumental section near the end. As does the only instrumental track, "Ride In The Dark (Robotiko)", a slow building track that once it breaks into a swift march like pace and showcases Snopek's keyboard playing. Something interesting could really be done with this track, but unfortunately, it is also the shortest piece on the album. While this album will obviously be a bit lacking for those familiar with Sigmund's more ambitious earlier works (Trinity Seaseizesees, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), it stands on its own as a decent pop/rock album. - Mike Prete [August 2002]

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Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák (1984)

Solaris' Martian Chronicles is considered one of the classic albums to have come out from behind the Iron Curtain, the band hailing from Hungary, and in hindsight is probably one of the very best progressive rock albums released in the 80s.  Solaris plays a style of instrumental symphonic progressive that should be familiar to fans of groups like Camel or Novalis.  Flowing, beautiful melodic themes juxtaposed against a definite ability to rock out, without sacrificing either.  Each note on the album is pored over and meticulously crafted, creating exquisite melodic themes with little to no improvisation or needless instrumental masturbation.  The album also bears significant characteristics indicative of its decade of origin, bordering on the fringe of neo-progressive at points. Rhythmically, the music here is straightforward and uncluttered, sometimes driving rock beats, sometimes more laid back, but nearly always in 4/4 or 3/4 as far as I could tell.  The band is melodically impeccable, focusing on creating dramatic, grandiose passages with layered synths, flute and guitar parts.  For Solaris, their distinguishing characteristic is their hard edged, "futuristic" feel.  Somewhat in line with this theme, all the keyboards are digital, for better or for worse.  In this case, I don't mind them.  Despite having a neo-ish feel, the band simply kicks ass most of the time, as extraordinary synthesizer parts fuse with aggressive, metallic guitar riffs to great effect.

The album opens up with the "Marsbéli Krónikák" suite.  Actually, the worst part of the album comes in the first track, as the band uses cheesy "martian" voices over the otherwise cool instrumental part.  After that initial misstep, the suite picks up gloriously with an array of utterly gorgeous synthesizer themes.  Thankfully, the album does not let down afterwards, as the explosive and energetic "M'ars Poetica" is arguably the best cut on the album, followed by the beautiful flute melodies of "Ha Felszáll a Köd" (If the Fog Ascends), which maintain the winning streak.  Solaris is a band characterized by consistently extraordinary melodic sense and a powerful, dramatic approach, holding a high standard throughout the album proper.  "Apokalipszis" (Apocalypse) and "Legyõzhetetlen" (Undefeatable) are also overwhelmingly impressive.   The two bonus tracks are nice additions, but don't overshadow any of the album work in my opinion.  All in all, symphonic fans who would appreciate a harder, more metallic take on their favorite sub-genre would surely enjoy The Martian Chronicles. - Greg Northrup [July 2001]

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Click Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info

Sparks - Sparks (1972)

Sparks' debut, originally released when they were still called Halfnelson, is clearly the work of a band with no pretense of commercial viability. It's not as blatantly experimental as the follow-up A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing, but it's certainly weirder than anything they did after that. The music sounds a bit like a much less slick version of Queen with a heavy Beatles influence: theatrical, quirky, eclectic, produced by Todd Rundgren. The lyrics are on topics that few other groups would ever think of writing about, like lusting after a close relative ("Fa La Fa Lee," with the memorable lyric "anything between us is a felony"), or being an obsessive collector of big band albums ("Big Bands," featuring the line "I know the name of every trombone player that exists"). But what makes Sparks so distinctive is their awkwardness -- and the fact that, for the most part, this awkwardness enhances the music more than it brings it down.

To be sure, it takes some getting used to. I initially found it frustrating to hear "Wonder Girl" start out as a mid-60s Beatles song and then just refuse to go where it "ought to." The somewhat heavy-handed rhythms of "High C" were also initially a bit off-putting. But I found that the stiffness grew on me, and now it seems such an essential part of the music that I wouldn't want to get rid of it. I guess you could say that they have a knack for doing things at the wrong time, but not the right wrong time -- except that after a few listens, it turns out to be the right wrong time after all.

I have to admit, there are some places where it doesn't work -- "Biology 2," for instance, takes the band's occasional mimickry of falsetto bubblegum pop to irritating extremes (though it might appeal to some early Mothers fans). Or take "Big Bands," which has a fast spoken-word section a bit like the one in Brian Eno's "Dead Finks Don't Talk" -- except that the final lines inexplicably break the rhyme scheme; I can't help but find this a bit unsatisfying. There are enough moments like this that I would never call the album a masterpiece, but with wonderful songs like the bouncy, spiky, tinkly Zolo-fest of "Roger," it's hard to complain too much.

Oddly, there is one song on the album that avoids the usual awkwardness entirely. This is "Fletcher Honorama," a beautiful, quiet, moody song with a sinuous, McCartney-esque melody that does exactly what it "ought to," in the manner of the most sophisticated pop songcraft. The main tune is excellent, the bridge is excellent, the multi-tracked vocals at the end are excellent, the weird little cabaret section with its sudden textural dropouts is excellent... In fact, the song is so good that it makes the rest of the album better simply by osmosis. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the album is worth it just for this track, but it sure as hell doesn't hurt, you know? - Alex Tempel [August 2002]

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Species Being - Orgone Therapy (2000)

Utilizing a completely different lineup than the debut album Yonilicious, drummer and mastermind Frank Grau is back with a new cast of characters. Utilizing a full spectrum of sound, the band weaves their improvisations from the calm, yet eerie deep recesses of outer space (think Alpha Centuari Tangerine Dream)  to intense and immediate jamming. The star of the show is Grau, who's drumming brings the disparate elements together perfectly. He is comfortable with both the abstract and simplistic; bringing the band into more avant territory or keeping a simple groove.

"Track 1" follows a repetitive theme built up upon by the entire group. Interweaving various parts, the members cycle through their parts; keyboard, guitar, bass and finally the drums come to the forefront and recede in waves. The music is an amalgamation of different styles - experimental jazz, droning kraut-rock, languid post-rock all rolled into a spacey exploration. It is amazing that the entire affair was improvised in the studio with no reworking or overdubs. There is never loss of a solid foundation and little aimless meandering.

Another genre defying release, Orgone Therapy encompasses a wide variety of styles, yet is comfortable in all facets. This one comes highly recommended. - Mike Prete [September 2001]

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Split Enz - Mental Notes (1975)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you've all been waiting for.  I, Alex Temple, like a symph album.

Okay, it's /weird/ symph.  It's got music hall influences, strange arrangements, and demented vocals.  But it's also got steaming heaps of Mellotron, epic-dramatic song structures, analog synths, and melodies that would be completely accessible even to a total avant-phobe.  Split Enz would later turn into a brilliant pop band, but even in this stage of their career, they really had a knack for tunes that are simultaneously unpredictable and catchy as hell.

There are two vocalists.  Tim Finn is certainly the more conventional of the two, but even so, his singing here is much more dramatic and mannered than on later Enz albums; at times he reminds me of a much calmer Peter Hammill.  Phil Judd, on the other hand, sounds like a total lunatic, with his quavering, terrified voice, occasional screams and idiosyncratic pronounciation.  The arrangements are also fascinating -- full but rarely cloying, and peppered with strange background noises like the telephone-ish bleeps behind the second line of "So Long For Now," or the quacking ducks accompanying the vocal section of "Stranger than Fiction."  Many tracks have highly complex textures, with instruments constantly joining in and dropping out, and sections always repeating in variation rather than exactly.  And this isn't the perfectly balanced polyphony of Gentle Giant -- in fact, the arrangements are often so asymmetrical that they give the music a stream-of-consciousness feel.  The amazing opener "Walking Down a Road," in particular, is a textural masterpiece, from its opening whirring synths to the circusy oompahs, bluesy keyboard filigree, heavy piano basslines, and unexpected patches of guitar-and-piano counterpoint that can be found within.

I'll admit, as a non-symph-fan, I did have to get used to the album, and there are still a few places that really don't work for me.  Except for the aforementioned noisy middle section, "Stranger than Fiction" is just too lush for my taste, and while the first half of "Time for a Change" contains some very poignant, haunting voice-and-piano work with chord progressions that recall mid-19th-century composers like Chopin, the latter half uses rather stereotypical symph instrumentation, which for me robs the music of its emotional power and makes it seem bland and somewhat heavy-handed.  Still, these moments are rare, and even the downright pretty flutes, folky acoustic guitars, and pseudo-Baroque synth horn work of "Titus" are rendered quite enjoyable by the strong vocals, strong composition and general avoidance of excess and cheese.  And "Under the Wheel," while totally drenched in Mellotron and at times bordering on bombastic, also has sufficiently dissonant chord progressions, sufficiently twisted vocals and lyrics ("Death is just another appointment to keep!"), and enough unexpected interludes to make it just plain cool.

Of course, another thing this album has going for it is the cabaret influence, shown in mildly twisted, theatrical pop songs like "Amy (Darling)", "So Long For Now" and "Maybe."  All three of these show an incredibly astute sense of how to unfold a series of related melodies over the course of a song, as well as the wonderfully quirky arrangements described above, and a general sense of the unexpected -- the generally jovial "Amy (Darling)", for example, breaks out suddenly into an aggressive, minor-key rock-out in five halfway in, and "So Long For Now" ends with a very disorienting use of pitch-bend.  "Maybe" sounds like the Beatles sung by a madman, with Judd's bizarre vocals singing lyrics like "Maybe we'll get it on" (God, I hope not), and featuring a (synth?) trumpet solo that could practically be right out of "Penny Lane."

If that sounds like a confusing, almost incoherent combination of influences -- well, it kind of is.  But it all holds together somehow, if only by virtue of its sheer confidence in what it's doing -- and anyway, it's the eclecticism and eccentricity that give the album its charm, and there really isn't anything else like it.  Pick it up if you like symph, pick it up if you generally don't.  Pick it up if the idea of a cross between Van der Graaf Generator, the Beatles, early Gentle Giant and British cabaret musicsounds interesting to you.  Pick it up if you like Split Enz's New Wave work and want to hear where they started out.  Ah, just get the damn thing already! - Alex Temple [February 2002]

Spock's Beard - The Kindness Of Strangers (1998)

Spock's Beard are a widely regarded and acclaimed member of the 90s progressive rock scene, though the band also has its share of detractors. This was touted to me as a reinvention and update of classic 70s prog like Gentle Giant and Genesis, but I really can't see what the fuss is all about.  I remember really trying hard to get into this album, and just not being able to. In listening to it again while writing this, I'm finding that much of the instrumental portions are quite interesting, at least when they are allowed free reign and venture into more complex territory. The problem usually arises when the vocals come in. Though the adjective "gay" may perhaps be totally inappropriate and absolutely non-descriptive, I find it quite suitable in describing most of this album. First, the lyrics border on horrific, such lines as "Hey you, Mister fancy pants" don't work for me.

Besides the occasional poor line that just jumps out at you, the lyrics are fairly consistent in being mundane and silly. Secondly, the singer is extraordinarily weak, not that he's bad technically, just that his vocals are thin and, for lack of a better term, wimpy. They sound like they could be coming from Beavis & Butthead's guitar toting hippie high school teacher. For the most part, the music is annoyingly catchy and has a sickeningly sweet pop touch. There is a lot of the same old verse/chorus/verse structuring, though, to be fair, they do stray from it in those moments of instrumental complexity. There is a heavy Beatles influence thrown in as well, which adds further to the pop aspect.

A strange analogy just struck me in listening to this album as I am writing this. Ever watch those Christian rock videos that come on cable late at night? Well, the sound of the vocals and the overall mood is scarily similar, and yes, that's a bad thing.  In other words, there is a fake happiness and seemingly forced optimism that pervades every aspect of the album. Basically, it's real tough for me to listen to, aside from a handful of great passages, that do indeed recall the past glories of Genesis or Yes. - Greg Northrup [2000]
 

Wow. When I first put this disc in the CD player, I had to check to see that it was actually Spock's Beard.  I'd heard so many detractions about this group, and seeing Transatlantic at NEARfest (which was dominated by SB's Neal Morse and which I didn't care much for) didn't really help.  I was in no big hurry to check them out, especially since as I write this I am venturing into the more complex and experimental areas of RIO and Zeuhl.  However, since Greg already had this album, I borrowed it so I could actually have an informed opinion on the band, rather than just taking other people's word for the caliber of this controversial group.

I was greatly surprised at the first 2:30 min of this album, a high energy instrumental. Then came the vocals. I'd have to agree completely with Greg's comments above; although prog is not known as a hot bed of great singers, these vocals are very thin and whiny, delivered in the same drawn out way through out the whole album.  I didn't hear much variation in dynamics. Along with the tediously banal majority of the lyrics, there are some really horrendous lines such as: "Wednesday/It's suppository time again/Ain't it grand" and the aforementioned "Hey you, Mister fancy pants". The pseudo-Christian vibe that rears it's ugly head at times is as equally repulsive.

Despite the rare prog rock instrumental passage that stands out, the rest of the music is quite forgettable pop stylings. Some of the heavier parts remind me of mid 90's alternative, just with an added keyboard presence. In fact, most of the album sounds just like typical pop-rock with token progressive elements, like songs in excess of five minutes, or Mellotron and Hammond thrown on top. Unless you have never heard anything remotely progressive before, there is nothing here to get excited about. - Mike Prete [January 2001]

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Spring - Spring (1971)

Spring's only album is considered by many to be one of the defining albums of the early British symphonic sound.  Spring's sound is characterized by an enormously strong and emotional  melodic feel, along with a huge, grandiose orchestral emphasis (due primarily to the presence of no less than three mellotrons).  The album has an extremely pleasing "warm" sound, and some very emotional arrangements go along with the great acoustic guitar and organ.  The main criticism I have is probably that Spring are not very complex at all, and many of their songs come off a simple rock songs with the addition of traditionally "prog" instrumentation.  This is particularly true on songs like "Shipwrecked Soldier" and "Inside Out", which are basically straight-ahead bluesy rock songs with some organ and mellotron on top.

The album starts off incredible, as "The Prisoner", "Grail" and "Boats" are extremely beautiful tracks.  At this point I had the impression I had a definite five star album on my hands.  Powerful vocal melodies and gorgeous mellotron make these extremely memorable.  "Golden Fleece" is another goodie, with a ripping organ line.  Other songs are nice, but the style of the band stays pretty consistent throughout, which gets a little tedious by the end.  The main reason for this is that Spring doesn't really come off as particularly "progressive", so the arrangements and song structures get predictable on the latter half, and there isn't much soloing from anyone to keep things interesting.   The addition of three bonus tracks from an unreleased second album doesn't exactly help matters when trying to get through the whole thing consecutively, but their presence is certainly interesting, as they are definitely competent songs.

Still, despite my misgivings, this is a very good album, and I find myself playing it a lot.  For what it is it's very well done, and makes for an extremely pleasant and relaxing listen when in the mood for it.  Usually though, when I feel like listening to this style, I'd just as soon reach for my Cressida, Beggars Opera or Marsupilami albums, which present a more complex and ambitious take on this extremely rich subgenre of progressive rock.  That said, Spring is considered definitive by many, and mellotron addicts will certainly drool over this album. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]

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Stern Combo Meissen - Weisses Gold (1978)

Stern Combo Meissen is the only East German progressive rock representative that I know of, and have released a number of high quality symphonic prog albums of which Weisses Gold is reported to be among the best.  Musically, Stern Combo Meissen fall squarely into the style of German symph propagated more famously by the likes of Novalis and Eloy.  As such, the major influences here seem to be coming primarily from giants like Pink Floyd and especially Camel.  Rhythmically uncomplicated symphonic prog with huge melodic swells of soaring synthesizer and moog.   Lyrics are thankfully delivered in the bands native language, mercifully sparing us from the unintended goofiness the plagues a number of other German bands like Eloy and Anyone's Daughter whose vocalists insist on delivering their lines in heavily accented English.  The vocals are actually quite nice, if somewhat sparsely used.  The band prefers concentrating on the extraordinarily instrumental arrangements, which have an overwhelming classical air.  In addition to the dual keyboard implementation, the Weisses Gold also features an orchestral element thanks to a string section.  As opposed to Novalis, Stern Combo Meissen is characterized by a more stately and classically influenced sound, in slight contrast to Novalis' more earthy, organ drenched feel.  Still, the classic Novalis albums remain closest reference point for me.

Weisses Gold is a concept album and is structured in a seemingly classical mode; and "overture" to kick things off and heavy repetition and reincorporation of many of the important themes.  Frequent listening certainly aids in fully appreciating the subtleties of the work, where themes are foreshadowed and where they are repeated, as well as simply enjoying the tremendous care put into the compositional element of the album.  The vocals are generally quite good, as the anthemic bombast of "Der Goldes Bann", an emotional high point, illustrates.  The singing vocals are accompanied by a running narrative, which is obviously completely lost on me.  For those unfamiliar with German, the narration only serves to clutter things up.  Still, Weisses Gold is a sterling example of great German symphonic, sitting nicely along side the second and third Novalis albums as one of the best examples of that particular subgenre.  I'm looking forward to hearing more from this band. - Greg Northrup [August 2001]

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Still Life - Still Life (1971)

A very satisfying album of well executed Hammond organ-driven early British symph.  This was a fairly obscure early release on England's famous Vertigo label, and an extremely rare find on LP.  Musically, Still Life isn't complex at all, but bears some great melodies and a slight aggressive edge.  Some of it has a hard rock feel, minus the electric guitar and with a heavy organ emphasis.  The sound quality is great on the CD release, and certainly adds to the warm, early 70's vibe.  In fact, aside from the bass guitar and drums, the organ seems to be the only other instrument present, and far and away functions as the melodic focus of the album.  Vocals are great when they have a powerful line to work with.  Another strength is the nice bass playing, which provides a rich melodic backdrop to the organ.

Like a lot of early progressive music, Still Life is not a particularly complex album, concentrating more on atmosphere and good songwriting.  For the most part, the bands approach is pop/rock with heavy organ and nice vocals, with the occasional allowance of instrumental breathing room.  For this reason, the good songs on here are awesome, while some fail to excite me even in the slightest.  "People in Black" is one of the greatest songs ever written in this style, aggressive and biting, with a totally catchy chorus and great organ riffs.  "October Witches" sees the band stretch out a little more, allowing more room for the organ and bass to create some great textures, as the song once again showcases their more aggressive side during the vocal portions.  A great track.  "Dreams" is another hard rocker, very straight forward, but a lot of fun.  "Love Song No. 6" is slower and more melancholy, and succeeds for the most part, very rich and emotional.  The only throwaway on here is the limp "Don't Go", basically a typical rock ballad with nothing to distinguish itself. Boring.  "Time" is another rocker that closes out the album in grand fashion.  Although I don't see this album as a complete classic or anything, most of the songs on here are awesome songs and I certainly wouldn't want to be without it.  A must have for fans of the genre. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]

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Strawbs - Hero and Heroine (1974)

Supposedly one of the essential albums from this folk influenced progressive group. This album is worthwhile but probably not what I would consider essential. There is a lot of cool mellotron and keyboards. The vocal melodies are well though out and pleasantly emotional, but don't really strike me as a strength here. The music shifts from folk acoustic passages to grandiose, mellotron laced monuments of sound. Musically, it's a very satisfying  slice of folksy, light progressive with plenty of interesting stuff going on.

Pardon the obscure reference, but much of this album, especially songs like "Just Love" remind of the now defunct (I think) 90's band Masters of Reality, especially vocally. I've also heard this band compared to other folk bands such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Hero & Heroine however, is firmly entrenched in the progressive genre.

Opening track "Autumn" is strong, but the album kind of lags into more sing-songy folk territory until the excellent title track, "Midnight Sun", "Out in the Cold", and "Round and Round", what I feel to be the four best songs. This section of the album is amazing melancholy progressive folk, great melodies and strong, somber vocal parts. The album closes with more of the sing along type stuff that characterized the first half, though a little better.  I'm not really a big fan of the layered backing vocals. Overall a decent enough album. Some spellbinding moments, but I didn't dig the whole thing from beginning to end. Good enough to make me want to pursue more Strawbs material though. - Greg Northrup [2000]

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Systems Theory - Demos 1999-2000 (2000)

Systems Theory combines influences from progressive rock, world music, electronics and a modern production approach to create some truly unique music. The band uses traditional instruments such as keyboards, guitar, violin, flute, and mellotron as well as a variety of technology to manipulate the real instruments. The drum patters were written using ACID software and were sampled from real drums. Considering this, the percussion on the album is excellent, avoiding the pitfalls of typical electronic drums with enough variation to keep things interesting and not sounding machine like. The band has a few more tricks up it's sleeve. Judging by the instruments listed, you might think this is a lush, symphonic affair, but then you'd be wrong. Mike Dickson's mellotron adds an eerie feeling to to sound, while the other instruments are pushed through processing to make them recognizable, but not the same old predictable sound.

"Under Oriental Skies" starts out with ominous string sound and far east sounding violin runs throughout. Loops, effects and keyboards add to the dark sound that is occasionally punctuated by quite eastern melodies. "Breakdance In Hell" is the highlight of the album for me, staying true to it's title. Frenetic action abounds, with different instruments all coming and going over the hellish mellotron backdrop. Various sound effects heighten the moon, such as mumbled, processed vocals here and there that sound like tormented souls. "Where Titans Sleep" continues with a very tribal feel, while "Strange Obsession" tones things down a notch, with a more jazzy feel. "The Boy Who Gazed At The Stars" is by far the most symphonic piece here, at times sounding traditionally symphonic, with a strong resemblance to the first Happy The Man album, but at other times much more aggressive overtones from the violin break it up. The bonus track, the final demo mix of "The Cool Vibe Of Asia C" is the most mellow piece included in the set, with a very atmospheric and tribal feeling with didgeridoo and ethnic percussion mixed in with mellotron and keyboard backing.
        For a set of demos, the songs here are amazingly well put together and played; this could easily have been a finished product. My one complaint is that there is such a strong wall of sound in the songs which never lets up. A little breathing room here and there would be better, and judging by the newest song, the band has started to do just that. Can't wait to hear the completed album. Visit www.systemstheory.net for more info. - Mike Prete [April 2001]

Click Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info