Another smooth jazz-fusion masterpiece from the late 80's, and the ideal soundtrack to someone's harebrained cocaine-fueled highway blitz or Miami Vice-inspired escapades.
Oh, and get this band's 1982 masterpiece Night Birds while your in the neighborhood. It's the ideal rub to this cut of steak.
Young, Canadian and vitally alive with the tremendous, timeless spirit of late 60's baroque pop, Tнε Hεαvy Bliиkεяs are an indie bunch with a fine ear for orchestrations and harmony, making things tick like fine clockwork toward a certain confectionery perfection...an ambition brought to fruition in 2004's Tнε Nigнτ Aиd I Aяε Sτill So Yoυиg.
Distinctive in many fashions but cut from the same glorious genetic cloth as outfits such as The Zombies, Todd Rundgren and The Association, I can only hope these guys continue to bless this ADD-riddled musical world with more timeless melody as the years roll on, and I don't think I'm the only one who'd like that either!
Although their original vocalist Fish jumped ship in '88 to many a disgruntled art-rock fan's dismay, neo-prog. progenitors Mαяillioи came back stronger than ever with the magnificent Sεαsons End in 1989...and on top of that, they did so with a brand new vocalist named Stεvε Hogαrth..a man who was a polar opposite to Fish in every way imagineable, yet just as talented and powerful behind the mic.
Although not a perfect album by any means, there are several cuts here ('The King Of Sunset Town', 'Easter', 'Berlin' and the title track) which should be considered essential to any fan of melodic progressive rock, and the rest ain't half bad either. The first of those four develops gorgeously over its 8-minute span, given resonance thanks to the incredible synth work throughout and a killer hook to boot, while the folkish anthem 'Easter' boasts the band's single best guitar solo of the 90's and a two minute mantra of an outro that immortalizes the song as a classic with unbelievable ease. 'Berlin', meanwhile, features some sweltering sax on it's melody line and the title track tells a downtempo, atmosphere-laden tale of a changing environment and what may come in time.
Although this excellent band as many a great record to its name, Sεαsons End is a late 80's classic and the ideal introduction to the amazing voice of Stεvε Hogαrth, making it a class addition to any collection.
Dreadful, droning dream-hazed doom metal brought to sonic eminence through dissonances unbound and the lonely, graven echoes of an acoustic guitar abandoned in the wastes. A soul could cry to this.
One of the most underrated power-trios in all of pop-rock canon, Tнε Oυτfiεlδ have been putting out record after record of addictive, prog-tinged power pop since 1985 in some form or another, led by the sky high tenor of Tony Lewis, a fellow whose range and delivery falls in some magical realm between Sting, Jon Anderson of Yes and Todd Rundgren.
With 2011's comeback record Rεplαy living up to it's namesake long after other AOTYs have fallen through the daily grind, I'm inclined to believe they've never been better as a band in hookcrafting and performance than they are today.
Two cuts in particular, the monstrously anthemic 'California Sun' and the smooth as silk 'A Long, Long Time Ago' have actually charted regionally here in the U.S., and they're quite epidemic in and of themselves. However, this is a very strong record overall - twelve tracks and not one dud among them, with variety being expoused through a few numbers like the reggae-hazed groove of 'New York City' and the balladeering 'Sandman'.
Consistent to a fault and crunchy in all the right places, you might have to double check your speakers to make sure they aren't glistening too much after a couple runs through this sucker.
An excellent, unique and rather unconventional debut by progressive Celt rockers Ioиα, and probably my favorite record by the band overall. Neo-proggier in some ways than what would come later, the Clannad influences are more heavily tempered and reigned in by complicated and at times breathtaking instrumental interplay, particularly on numbers like 'A'Machair' and the 8-minute 'Trilogy'. Although not quite everyone's drink of choice (as is the case with many musical hybridists), I guess when you have someone as amazing as Joanne Hogg at the mic they could be doing half-assed polka-punk folk and still sound like a million bucks.
Oh, and it's got that "fresh out of the late 80's" production I love so much too, which makes the deal even sweeter from an atmosphere enthusiasts's point of view.
Of the immensely imporessive progressive rock projects that maestro Dan Britton has helmed or been instrumental in bringing about (Birds & Buildings, Deluge Grander, etc.), I can say without a doubt that All Ovεя Evεrywhεяε is perhaps the most beautiful of his involvements. Orchestral meandering? Check. Gorgeous female vocals? Check. Psychedelic folk blended with Mellotron drenched shoegaze rapture? You bet your goddamn ass-check!
Eight wondrous pieces through and through, a record that grows more and more beautifully fragmented and immersive as you work your mind and senses about it's sonic contours, and an exquisite masterpiece in modern progressive rock. Get it!
