Tuesday afternoon Strange Music blowout!

OK, it's after lunch and I'm tired of politics, so let's get to the music!
* Dixie Dregs -- Hereafter, from DREGS OF THE EARTH. OK, I've played this before, but it sounds different to me every time, so.... I still think the Dregs only have about three or four real tunes, no matter how nicely they play. This is one of their best -- a long guitar showcase with an elusive main melody that starts out with almost Oriental simplicity, then slowly builds in complexity and intensity. Then there's a long, sweet violin section that leads back to the crashing main theme. Nice guitar pyrotechnics by Dregs mastermind Steve Morse near the end. I coulda used one more repeat of that very nice instrumental chorus, but.... I think they were maybe a little too complex for their own good, but it pays off here.
* Zebra -- Who's Behind the Door?, from their first album. Didn't this get some AOR radio airplay? Think I heard it once or twice a decade or so ago and was impressed. Opens with some nice acoustic strumming. Sounds vaguely like Styx, or maybe Rush. Lotsa massed backing vocals behind the lead singer. Nice and airy, but then I haven't heard it a thousand times.... OK spacey sound effects, maybe getting a little cheezy toward the end. Going for some hair-metal cliches before the fade-out. Why did I play this?
* Pink Floyd -- Chapter 24, from THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN. Yeezus, haven't heard this in YEARS. Do I need to be on LSD to really appreciate this? Charming, in a very Olde Englishe way....
* Hatfield and the North -- The Stubbs Effect/Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract)/Going Up to People and Tinkling/Calyx, etc., from their first album. Charming Richard Sinclair-vocal intro, then into light, tricky English prog. Energetic, light on their feet, a lot going on, but it's all so LIGHT. Then into Robert Wyatt's equally light, wordless vocal on "Calyx." Later, the Northettes will come in and do these same vocal tricks. I like the lightness, but nothing has any impact. Or real force.
* Rick Wakeman -- The Breathalyzer, from CRIMINAL RECORD. Isn't that the ugliest keyboard sound you've ever heard? Even uglier than Mike Ratledge's tone on old Soft Machine tracks. But at least it's funny.... And who is this Bill Oddie who seems to be a cult comedy figure in England?
* Rick Wakeman -- Judas Iscariot, from CRIMINAL RECORD. This starts out all gothic and ominous, then Rick plays around sorta dinkily with the theme, and after that he comes back to the gothic stuff even MORE hugely and ominously. Then a church organ, and a choir, and ... man, those were the days.... Then he backs off a bit for a sort of church-organ fugue, with a hushed choir, and then.... He comes back in and freakin' BLOWS YOUR SPEAKERS UP. Could he get any more melodramatic? I don't see how. I like this, because it does exactly what I expected. Great cheap laffs. What a comedian.
* The Byrds -- Goin' Back, from THE NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS. A gentle Goffin-King classic with nice group-vocal harmonies and a subtle string section. Bittersweet nostalgia.
* The Byrds -- Wasn't Born to Follow, from THE NOTORIOUS BYRD BROTHERS. Goffin and King Go Country. Way back when I was a kid in California, this song was turned into a Lucky Lager beer commercial. And it sorta sounded better that way. Nice vocals, though. OK spacey guitar in the middle.
* Horslips -- King of Morning Queen of Day, from THE BOOK OF INVASIONS: A CELTIC SYMPHONY. Haven't heard this in YEARS. Rather nice sprightly pop-song/dance with medieval lyrics, nice guitar and sparkly little keyboards. The singing isn't perhaps the best, but it builds in momentum to nice medieval-style choruses. If they had a better singer, this would be pretty good stuff. Sort of a watered-down Gryphon or Amazing Blondel, if that's any use to ya.
* Starcastle -- Shine on Brightly, from CITADEL. No, not THAT "Shine On Brightly." Opens with a nice guitar-and-keyboards fanfare. Three minutes in, this is already better, livelier than the only other track of theirs I've heard, "Fountains" on FOUNTAINS OF LIGHT. Nice shimmery keyboards and guitars. Suddenly Rick Wakeman takes a brief keyb solo! Then some OK guitar. This is nicely punchy -- sort of prog looking for some radio play, not far from Styx or Kansas. And a repeating riff that's worth waiting for. Singer Terry Luttrell could maybe be stronger, he's not mixed out-front enough. But not bad. Worth hearing again. And it's over with fairly quickly.
* Starcastle -- Shadows of Song, from CITADEL. More crystal-clear guitars and keyboards. Suppose Roy Thomas Baker's production helped punch them up? The singing's still not strong enough. The group vocals are OK, but this is merely average. Not enough tune here.
* Flairck -- East-West Express, from VARIATIONS ON A LADY. Acoustic guitars, flute and a string section -- bouncy instrumentals from a late-'70s Dutch band known mostly for their sexy album-covers. Starts out all bouncy and then turns darker. Then we're into a melodramatic spaghetti-Western tune. Then back to the original theme, faster and faster 'til an abrupt ending. The original theme's nice.
* Flairck -- The Butterfly, from VARIATIONS. This is almost classical soundtrack-music, but how'd that sitar get in here? This is pretty, though it's sure not rock and roll. Some flashy violin-playing later on. Gains in intensity toward the end. Nice, different.
* Flairck -- For Antoinette, from VARIATIONS. Light, short, pastoral acoustic-guitar piece.
* Flairck -- De Stoomwals, from VARIATIONS. Flute, viola and acoustic guitar. Pretty. Gains momentum as it goes. Can't translate the title, so don't know what it means. This is nice stuff, though it's a long way from rock. The ending sounds like a merry-go-round running down ... until the train whistle goes off at the very end. And that's the side.
* Alison Moyet -- Invisible, from ALF. I've heard this English singer compared to Kate Bush, though "alto greatness rather than soprano greatness." The song was written by Lamont Dozier of Motown fame, producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain (Bananarama, many others) are all over it. Kinda mechanical, tho Alf sings well. OK for mid-'80s pop, and it gains a little as it goes. It could have gone on longer....
* Alison Moyet -- Steal Me Blind, from ALF. OK, not bad. The '80's version of Adele?
* Alison Moyet -- Love Resurrection, from ALF. Hmm, now she sounds a little like Joan Armatrading ... or maybe Annie Lennox. I've heard this song called "tasteless," and I guess it veers that way a little in the lyrics, but not too much. Still a little mechanical-sounding. Pretty-much standard '80s pop, not too distinctive.
* Todd Rundgren -- Onomatopoeia, Determination, Fade Away, from HERMIT OF MINK HOLLOW. "Onomatopoeia" is pretty cute, though very short, sounds like it ended before it should have. "Determination" is another crazy-fast rocker, not too far from "Couldn't I Just Tell You?" on SOMETHING/ANYTHING, but faster. "Fade Away" is a slightly dreamy, slightly overdone album-ender.
* Jefferson Starship -- Winds of Change. Haven't heard this in years, either. Always used to love the Starship's science-fiction chorales, even if the songs weren't top-quality. This is on the downhill side, but I don't care much. Still love Craig Chaquico's guitar, Grace Slick's operatic vocals, the spacey science-fiction lyrics, all of it.

All Jethro Tull with no coffee!

I love these guys, so why not? There MUST be some more new-to-me classics in these mostly-unheard eight albums I've got piled up here. Let's see if I can find them.
* Quizz Kid, from TOO OLD TO ROCK AND ROLL TOO YOUNG TO DIE. Starts out sounding just like Cat Stevens, then the heavy Martin Barre guitar starts in before the first chorus. Kinda streamlined compared to Tull's folkier stuff. Later on it gets tricky and intricate. Kind of a cross between AQUALUNG and the folky stuff. Is the comic-book album-cover a satire of THICK AS A BRICK? Ok, the choruses are fairly catchy.
* Crazed Institution, from TOO OLD. More light acoustic guitar and flute. Thought this album was sposta be "heavier"? Pretty nice, and better than "Quizz Kid."
* Salamander, from TOO OLD. Brief, acoustic-guitar-and-flute piece with a few lines of lyrics. Pleasant, but short. So this album's desperate "heavy" rep was just a put-on, right?
* Taxi Grab, from TOO OLD. Maybe it wasn't a put-on. Of course, there's heavy and there's HEAVY. This sounds like the heavier tracks on MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY. Punchy but intricate.
* From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser, from TOO OLD. This is surprisingly MUCH gentler than I expected from the awful title: "Think you must have me all wrong." And that's the side. So where'd this album's "heaver, rock and roll" rep come from? And do I dare try Side 2?
* Bad Eyed and Loveless, from TOO OLD. Ian do love his ugly song titles, don't he? This is more delicate acoustic and Ian's vocals. The lyrics are kinda crude -- as usual. Ian could get in the gutter as good as any punk-rocker. Some of the lyrics are sort of stolen from "Velvet Green" on SONGS FROM THE WOOD. Plagiarising himself? = Signs of a lack of inspiration. (Later Note: TOO OLD was recorded first.) Still doesn't rock.
* Big Dipper, from TOO OLD. Ok, maybe this does.... More heavy guitar and bass here.
* Too Old to Rock and Roll.... -- OK, I've actually heard this before, recognized that orchestrated opening right off. You can't be a punker with that orchestra following you around. The verses are kinda standard "folky" Tull. And the choruses are really annoying. OK, we're done here.
* Beastie, from THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST. OK, this is a lot more upbeat than TOO OLD TO ROCK AND ROLL. Almost sounds ... uh ... "modern." Paul Samwell-Smith, who also produced Cat Stevens and America, produced this? Surprised Ian Anderson kept his autocratic hand out of it. Signs of life from Martin Barre's guitar. Catchy choruses, icy keyboards, overall above-average.
* Clasp, from BROADSWORD. "Modern" and catchy, with what sounds like syndrums. Fast-moving and tricky -- very nice, wonder why I don't remember ever hearing any of this back in the day? It's certainly livelier than A or STORMWATCH (which I liked, actually).
* Fallen on Hard Times, from BROADSWORD. "Clasp"'s tune starts this off, followed by brief flute and acoustic guitar. Not bad. The lyrical concerns from A and STORMWATCH are continued here. Gains momentum with some stinging guitar from Martin Barre. Ian's double-tracked vocal on the choruses also helps the intensity. Did Paul Samwell-Smith's advice help punch-up the impact of these songs?
* Flying Colours, from BROADSWORD. Pulls together the keyboards and guitar and pushes for more impact. These guys are pretty tight. Don't know where keybs-guy Peter-John Vettese came from, but drummer Gerry Conway and bassist Dave Pegg were both with Fairport Convention. This doesn't sound like Fairport -- too modern. A nice mix. Songs could maybe be a little stronger, but the production's solid....
* Slow Marching Band, from BROADSWORD. Wow, this is an impressive, haunting slow ballad with more piano than I'm used to hearing on a Tull album -- builds in intensity, nice choruses, stops at just the right spot. best thing I've heard this morning.
* Broadsword. The keyboards take over. Mystical lyrics, tribal drumming. This is more in the sword-and-sorcery/medieval-fantasy vein that Tull should be great at.
* Pussy Willow, from BROADSWORD. Heard this before on one of the Tull best-of's. Somehow it sounds better this morning. More impact. Not such a shock when the full band kicks in on the choruses.
* Watching Me Watching You, from BROADSWORD. The keyboards take over again. fast-paced but kinda mechanical. OK, that's enough.
* With You There to Help Me, from BENEFIT. Going back to 1970, now. Ian's voice sounds kind of distant and megaphonic. Production's much simpler (no surprise), lots of phasing on the vocals and flute. Easier for Martin Barre's guitar to jump out here. Not that far removed from their blues-band beginnings.
* Nothing to Say, from  BENEFIT. Hmmm, appropriate title.
* Inside, from BENEFIT. Ian in woolgathering mode. Not bad, but not stunning. Not distinctive. Cruder in musical approach, simpler. Jeez, am I wearing out after only three sides? More coffee!
* Son, from BENEFIT. Ok, I've lost track of what's what and what fits into what here....
* For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me, from BENEFIT. Best thing on this side. A lot more range, impressive loud choruses and delicate acoustic-guitar backed verses. can't really tell what Ian's going on about, tho....
* To Cry You a Song, from BENEFIT. This is too long, but Martin Barre's heavy guitar-riffing helps.
* A Time for Everything?, from BENEFIT. OK, but over way too quick. Didn't even have time to focus on what was happening.
-- Don't need to play "Teacher," because it's one of my all-time faves, so....
* Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square, from STAND UP. How bout those pitter-pat drums? Is this where Gentle Giant got their drum sound? Have heard lots of STAND UP before, know it's pretty consistent, but can't remember lotsa trax, like this one. Touch here is lighter than on BENEFIT, which is kinda odd since this album came first. This is basically light and acoustic, and over too quick.
* Bouree, from STAND UP. This mostly-solo-flute piece is pleasant enough, and the opening theme (borrowed from Bach? and then turned into sorta-lite-jazz) is memorable, but I've never understood why this seemed like a Big Deal. Maybe it was back in the day...? OK, nevertheless.... Could almost be a TV news-show theme, now....
* Back to the Family, from STAND UP. I've always liked this. The lyrics are freakin' hilarious. Could be a theme-song for all the "kids" who've had to move back in with their parents over the last decade. Nice flute, good guitar, and Ian's vocals are appropriately sleazy and funny. Rockin'.
* Look Into the Sun, We Used to Know, from STAND UP. Ian's voice is rather distant on "We Used to Know," but the flute solo helps make up for it. Then a shrill wah-wah solo from Martin Barre. And yet, overall the songs here are stronger than those on BENEFIT -- this just in.
-- No need to play "Nothing is Easy" or "Fat Man," those have both been on my Tull playlist for quite awhile....
* Reasons for Waiting, from BENEFIT. Very nice flute-with-orchestra piece, very soothing. Not rock and roll, but who cares?
* For a Thousand Mothers, from BENEFIT. Ok album-ender, nothing stunning. Still, lots of talent on display here. these guys could go far.
* A PASSION PLAY, Side One -- OK, bite the bullet. I haven't heard this in years, and it was a real chore the last time I tried.... Opens with lots of synthesizer- and guitar-atmosphere noise. But compared to some of their stuff I've played this morning, this bounces along nicely and has definite signs of life. the production's lighter here than on their earlier stuff. ... This is rather ornately detailed, with lots of synth and keyboard touches, and way-delicate acoustic guitar. Way closer to classical music than rock and roll. There are some actual TUNES here, though the playing keeps getting in the way of them. Then a snatch of Olde Englishe opera -- how did Queen get in here? And some twiddly-bits guitar and a little heavy riffing. This is how Ian strings together 10 different songs/riffs into one rock-opera/concept-album. If it weren't for John Evan's keyboards, this would be a lot more tedious.... His little keyb riff at the end of the side sounds a lot like Mike Oldfield's guitar on OMMADAWN. ...And we are NOT going to listen to "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles." It's just silly. Overall: Not distinctive. Have no idea what ian's going on about here.
And that's enough for today. There's a football game on....

Goldmine -- and it may cost you one

OK, I'm feeling guilty because after posting 17 times in January I have yet to post anything for February.
So when I'm not looking for outrageous news stories on the Internet these days, I've been slowly absorbing the info collected in Vernon Joynson's massive THE TAPESTRY OF DELIGHTS (2006), a thousand-page compendium of data about English R&B, psychedelic and progressive-rock acts from 1963 to 1976.
It's freakin' HUGE. A rather awkwardly large-sized paperback crammed full of bio info, album- and single-release data, short histories of the recording artists, CD re-issue info, where you can find their songs on various-artists collections, chart info if they made any known chart, a "rarities" scale to help collectors judge how much they should pay for an album, etc. etc. etc.
There are errors, mostly very minor. And in light of the gargantuan amount of info gathered here, much of it on acts I guarantee you've never heard of, I can easily overlook the mistakes.
WARNING: It's expensive. If you can find a copy for $40, you'll be doing OK. And there are some truly outrageous prices for it out there.
How much you'll get out of it depends on how much you're addicted to English rock weirdness. For instance, the book helped me decide if I should buy the fairly-rare first album by Gracious! Joynson's description informed me it'd probably be right up my alley -- but also helped me conclude that even with the curiosity factor I probably wouldn't enjoy it $18 worth. The book also told me who REALLY played the acid-blues guitar on Peter Bardens' THE ANSWER.
All the usual English rock stars are in here -- Beatles, Zep, Stones, Who, Floyd, etc. -- but some of the longer entries are on underground groups that are high on the coolness scale but mostly unknown to the general public.
In his write-ups, Joynson often suggests outstanding tracks to listen to -- and definitely lets you know Stuff To Avoid. He also points out "rare" items that are wildly overpriced compared to their musical worth. So call it a collector's buyer-guide.
Joynson's written other massive informational tomes -- a couple on American rock of the same period, entitled ACID FUZZ and THE FLASHBACK, and one on the Punk Rock Years, called UP YOURS! Plus a few others.... The prices on these go from astronomical on up -- way up.
Providence is listed in TAPESTRY OF DELIGHTS, and they were Americans. So there are a few loopholes. And I wish the book covered a few more years into the late-'70s, though Joynson's position is that's a whole different musical era. And you have to cut this stuff off someplace....
But overall, hours of browsing pleasure. I've had this in the house since just after Christmas, and I'm still finding new stuff....

Even more Really Bad Prog

- Jethro Tull: Aqualung. You know, I've always hated this, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I love Tull's lighter, folkier stuff, and the phased vocals, light guitar, and formal piano in the second parts of the verses aren't too far off from what I prefer. But then the heaviness picks back up again. Maybe I've just heard this too many times over the years for it to have much impact for me. And I've been tuning it out after those first few notes for a long time.... Decent show-offy guitar from Martin Barre in the middle. Too bad they then play the whole thing over....
- Jethro Tull: Cross-Eyed Mary, from AQUALUNG. And of course one of the big problems with Tull is you've got to get past Ian Anderson's voice. But some nice flute work in the opening and middle. Too bad about Ian's ugly vocal tone.... And it's all so deliberately heavy and ugly.
- Jethro Tull: Wond'ring Aloud, from AQUALUNG. This isn't bad, but it sounds just like "Nursie" on LIVING IN THE PAST. Except it's longer.
- Jethro Tull: Hymn 43, from AQUALUNG. Heard this too many times, too. They're trying so hard to be heavy. Can't see why anyone would want to hear something this ugly more than once. "But it ROCKS!" they scream. And if you think I'm gonna play "Locomotive Breath," you're nuts.
- Kayak: I Want You to be Mine, from STARLIGHT DANCER. On the other hand, ugly's better than bland. This sounds like bad early-'80s Genesis (same thing, right?). I remember this album getting a big push when it came out back in '77 -- saw a couple record stores with posters of the album-cover in their front windows. Wonder why? This isn't truly terrible, but it's way light -- dinky keyboard sound, bouncy little rhythm, and lame attempts at hooks. Perfect for MOR radio!
- Kayak: Ballad for a Lost Friend, from STARLIGHT DANCER. Rather nice dramatic guitar and keyboards up front, then a thin Phil Collins-like vocal. Then more cheezy keyboard. Guitar's not bad, though. That repeating guitar fanfare's the best part. Get this: Their music-publishing company was called Heavy Music. Haha. OK, not bad.
- Strawbs: The Promised Land, from NOMADNESS. Not bad -- the big sound the fans loved, and a built-in contrast from Dave Cousins' weedy, sometimes grating vocals. Then some VERY grandiose piano. Equally show-offy guitar. At least it's fairly short.
- Strawbs: Back on the Farm, from NOMADNESS. Hey, acoustic! Lighter, not as heavy as they often were during this period. And on the album it follows "Absent Friend (How I Need You)," so it comes as a real blessing after that overwrought piece of crap. Nice little English-country feel.
- Strawbs: Alexander the Great, from BURNING FOR YOU. Believe it or not, this seems to be the story of a has-been rocker who tries for a big comeback. Yoked to a heavier, bouncier production than on the last album. Too bad about Dave Cousins' over-the-top vocal. Some piercing heavy guitar. Kinda pushy, bad-time music.
- Strawbs: Barcarole (for the death of Venice), from BURNING FOR YOU. Pretty, simple chorale-and-keyboard piece. Not overwrought. Kind of soothing. But as precious as anything they ever did.
- Strawbs: Burning for Me, from BURNING FOR YOU. Not bad. Hushed, dramatic ballad. Could actually see playing it again sometime in the future. The best thing here.
- The Nice: Ars Longa Vita Brevis. Taking you back to 1968! ...Wow, sounds just like ELP! I really like Keith Emerson's squiggly keyboards. But what's that ORCHESTRA doing in there? ...They're not gonna mess this up by SINGING are they? Yes, they are, eventually. Nice prelude -- but they're only three minutes in, and they go into a drum solo? They were kidding, right? ... Yeezus, and it's a really LONG drum solo.... Then into a long, jazzy keybs-and-drums interlude ... then a keybs-and-orchestra movement, some of the tune stolen from Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto." Some of this is OK, especially for the time, and the production seems clear enough, which is kind of a surprise. Emerson's keyboards are really pretty bouncy and enjoyable. And that orchestra swings! If they'd taken out that drum solo, I'd be pretty enthusiastic. Then Emerson gets five more minutes to show off. Overall, not completely awful. "Art will still be there, even if life terminates." -- Keith Emerson.
- The Nice: Daddy Where Did I Come From?, from ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS. No, I'm not gonna play "America," because even with its awful muddy production, I still think it's pretty freakin' great, so it doesn't fit in here. THIS, however, is just silly. A musical bad joke, with spoken-word interjections and spacey phasing on the backing vocals. Also some nice keyboards even though they don't take center-stage. And The Question never really gets answered....
- Todd Rundgren's Utopia: Another Life, from ANOTHER LIVE. Hey, I like the wobbly three-keyboards-and-guitar sound. I like the five-minute introduction. Not sure about the group vocals, they're a little operatic. Sounds kinda like THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Could almost be Magma.
- Utopia: The Wheel, from ANOTHER LIVE. This is way more down-to-earth. Pretty gutsy to try a simple acoustic singalong like this after that opening.... This sounds like an above-average Todd ballad. How'd it slip in here? Todd goes on a little long on the solo vocal at the end. But it had its moments.
- Procol Harum: Typewriter Torment, from PROCOL'S NINTH. Lyricist Keith Reid whines about having to write words for this overbearing classic-rock band. But he would have been happier if they'd sold more records. Very small laughs. This isn't as overbearing as I'd expected. Bit of a bluesy undercurrent, and you can hear the piano loud and clear -- organ's mixed down so it doesn't get in the way, except on the middle break. Fairly lively, not completely terrible. Produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
- Procol Harum: Eight Days a Week, from PROCOL'S NINTH. Yes, THAT "Eight Days a Week." Flattened out, not joyous like the original, almost sounds like the Strawbs. Singer/pianist Gary Brooker sounds pretty uninspired. Not the worst version of a Beatles song ever, but ... Pretty bad.

John Wetton of King Crimson, U.K., Asia, dead at 67

John Wetton, the smokey-voiced singer, songwriter and bassist for Asia, King Crimson, U.K. and other progressive-rock bands, has died at 67 from colon cancer.
King Crimson guitarist/leader Bob Fripp once called Wetton the best bassist of his generation.
Wetton also played with Roxy Music, Family, Uriah Heep, Wetton/Manzanera, Mogul Thrash and others.
My buddy Crabby has compiled some farewells to John from his colleagues Carl Palmer, Phil Manzanera, Geoff Downes and others. Radio will probably play some Asia hits as a farewell. Instead, I'd recommend hearing John's voice and bass on tracks like King Crimson's awesome "Starless" (or any mid-'70s Crimson album; their RED album would likely never have been finished without Wetton), "The Great Deceiver," "The Night Watch," "Easy Money," "Exiles," "Lament," or anything on KC's huge 4-CD GREAT DECEIVER/LIVE box set -- and on U.K.'s great "Time to Kill," "Mental Medication," or the "In the Dead of Night" suite off their first album.
And I still think somebody better get that oral history of Prog done before we lose someone else....

More new-to-me Prog

* Gordon Giltrap: Awakening, Robes and Crowns, from VISIONARY. Mildly New-Agey guitar-led Prog instrumental background music from English guitarist. "Awakening" has a flamenco-style feel to it, "Robes" is more pastoral. Nice, though the tunes aren't real distinctive. Clear production. Songs supposedly inspired by the works of William Blake.
* Gordon Giltrap: From the Four Winds, from VISIONARY. The production is stronger than the tunes. Again featuring keyboards by Rod Edwards, John G. Perry (from middle-period Caravan) on bass, Simon Phillips on drums, plus an orchestra. Unlike Giltrap's later PERILOUS JOURNEY, which seemed to highlight Edwards' keyboards, the focus here seems squarely on Giltrap's guitars.
* Gordon Giltrap: Lucifer's Cage, Revelation, from VISIONARY. "Lucifer's Cage" adds a wordless vocal at the end and picks up a little intensity. Overall, a really short side. Very pleasant and enjoyable. Nice work, though I'm not stunned by the tunes.
* Journey: Destiny, from DREAM AFTER DREAM. Opens with nice pastoral guitar and flute(?), then a thinly-mixed orchestra leaning way too far to the treble side. Then Steve Perry's airy vocals, sounding like he might have a lisp. But at least he's not looking at himself in the mirror. Then some airy choral vocals. Originally this was a high-priced Japanese import, the soundtrack for a Japanese love-story film. Then was released as a budget-priced album in America. Haven't heard this since about 1980. Doesn't sound like commercial Journey at all -- no rock progressions, no catchy choruses. For the first five minutes or so. Then the heavy bass kicks in ... and the excitement picks up. This sounds more like Journey.... Little bit of Neal Schon showing off on guitar, but it's all sparkly, glittery. Not bad, really. Clear high-tech production from Kevin Elson and the band. If you like Journey's album tracks "Daydream" and "People and Places," you'll probably like this.
* Journey: Snow Theme, from DREAM AFTER DREAM. This really does sound like soundtrack music. The orchestra takes over, except from solo passages from Gregg Rolie's piano. Pretty, but it doesn't do much.
* Journey: Sandcastles, from DREAM AFTER DREAM. Still moody, airy soundtrack music, with more light Perry vocals (though not as high-pitched as some he did on EVOLUTION), and added sax played by nobody in the band. Perry's vocals sound kind of tired, like he did on the first track. Not bad, but way light.
* Journey: A Few Coins, from DREAM AFTER DREAM. Lasts about 40 seconds.
* Bruford: Hell's Bells, from THE BRUFORD TAPES. No, not THAT "Hell's Bells." Have Bruford's best-of, but have never heard this, a concert recorded for a New York City radio station in 1979. At first the crowd is louder than the players, but they finally step it up, and Dave Stewart's (no, not THAT Dave Stewart) keyboards actually sound fairly normal and rock pretty good. Sounds a little like King Crimson with added keyboards, no surprise. Little keyboard phrases repeated over and over with minor variations -- you might almost call that a hook....
* Bruford: Sample and Hold, from THE BRUFORD TAPES. Now you can tell Bill Bruford's on here, you almost couldn't hear him on "Hell's Bells." Nobody else has that sort of boxy drum sound. Quick melodic shifts and moves, little phrases from Stewart's keyboards bounced around and elaborated on by the band. Nice, OK, very deft and athletic, not sure if the tunes ever quite grab and hold, but nice moves. Brief guitar freakouts by "the unknown" John Clark, who had a tough act to follow by having to replace Allan Holdsworth in this band. But a lot of talent on display here....
* Bruford: Fainting in Coils, from THE BRUFORD TAPES. Complex, Crimson-y, with some low-end, farty guitar and keyboards. I swear Allan Holdsworth is still playing guitar with this band.... And what is this mechanical, staccato keyboard-and-guitar riff? Thank Ghod they come out of that with more soaring guitar.... Then a silly fake-ending that gets the crowd off.
* Colosseum: The Kettle, from THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU. Noise from this late-'60s jazz-rock jam-band. Heavy. But they're better when nobody's singing. Hendrixy guitar from James Litherland. Where's the sax?
* Colosseum: Those Who Are About to Die Salute You. Dated organ-and-sax jam, SO 1968. Then the fuzz-guitar comes in. Guess you had to be there. Yeezus, their "Valentyne Suite" sounds WAY better than this. Gets a little more rhythmic and a little better later on, but still....
* Manfred Mann's Earth Band: Davy's on the Road Again, from WATCH. Written by Robbie Robertson of The Band and producer John Simon. Not bad, moves nicely, Manfred shows off on keybs in the middle, apparently was a good-sized hit single in England. OK. Why had I never heard this before?
* Manfred Mann's Earth Band: Martha's Madman, from WATCH. Good moody drama, builds nicely. Chris Thompson's vocals sure made a difference for the EB. And Mann's keybs, of course. Manfred has that ghostly keyboard sound down in the middle-section here. Would have made a good follow-up to "Blinded by the Light."
* Brand X: Why Should I Lend You Mine When You've Broken Yours Off Already?, from MOROCCAN ROLL. At first it's spacey noise, written by The Phil Collins. Twinkly keybs from Robin Lumley, the usual funky bass from Percy Jones. Gets airy-er and more atmospheric as it goes. Pretty and spacey, airy wordless vocals at the end set it off nicely. A kinda washy but very pleasant 11 minutes.
* Brand X: Hate Zone, from MOROCCAN ROLL. Starts with a drum solo, then some funky bass from Percy Jones and spacey guitar from John Goodsall. Lots of activity, lots going on here, not much in the way of melody, but funky and bouncy enough.
* Brand X: Collapsar, from MOROCCAN ROLL. Spacey keyboards, pleasant but short. Sounds like a work in progress. Fades out too soon.

The former home of Really Bad Prog

Hey, recent news got you down? Worried about the fate of the world? Thinking about emigrating to Canada? Need some laughs? Check out The Progressive Rock Hall of Infamy, here. If you're a big Prog fan, these guys are freaking hilarious. And even if you're not.
At their blog, you'll find hilarious (and REALLY long-winded) reviews of some of the worst Prog albums ever, their readers' choices for The Five Worst Prog Bands Ever (and the bloggers' 20 nominees for this ultimate dishonor), long reviews of obscure Prog albums no one's ever heard of, lots of hilarious cheap shots, and even reports of death threats the writers received for their reviews. Really great fun, and they're even from Seattle.
Only one problem -- they stopped writing in 2010. But don't let that stop you. Their blog shows clearly that being devoted to Prog is A Mission. And it's amazing how much crap they listened to in order to carry out a public service.
Plus they're funny as hell, besides.
Yes, they love King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator. Yes, they hate Yes. And ELP. And Styx. And Camel. Don't let this stop you. If you're a Prog fan, you need to check 'em out. And you can thank me after you finish laughing. That may take awhile....

Your daily birdcage-liner

It shouldn't be a surprise, and I'm sure someone's pointed it out way before me, but it's really pretty amazing how quickly the Internet has replaced the morning newspaper -- in just the way science-fiction writers predicted that computers would Totally Change Our Lives, years ago. These days if I'm too groggy even to try reading a real book, I can still pop open the laptop and suck up the latest news feeds.
Makes me wonder how I ever thought "published on the Internet" was a contradiction in terms.
Now, by the time I see a newspaper at work, I hardly ever look beyond the headlines. I've usually heard all the front-page stories on the radio or seen all the latest updates over the Internet.
Of course, newspapers can provide some DEPTH to the big stories -- or provide some opinions and humor with their columnists -- but thanks to blogs and all the people expressing opinions or joking around on-line, the Net's pretty-much got newspapers beat there, too.
So I wonder how long it'll be before all newspapers go on-line only, like the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER did, and NEWSWEEK magazine.
Probably not long.
I can't remember the last time I read something in a newspaper that really surprised me. Not in this 24-hour world, where you can get The Latest on your TV, smartphone, laptop, through texts, etc etc. Really pretty amazing. And addictive.
This past week I got back on Facebook after figuring it wasn't worth the trouble six months ago. And now that I've finally discovered (and figured out how to work) the SHARE button, I'm spending a few minutes each day trying to find OUTRAGEOUS news stories to share with my seven(?) Facebook followers worldwide.
It's addictive.
And luckily, outrageous news stories haven't been that hard to find lately.
It's pretty amazing, this multi-media behemoth we have all around us these days. Word about happenings spreads quicker than ever before, reactions come in faster, the hype builds up bigger. It's hard not to get carried away by all of it. Even if it would be better to sit back and take a breath and try to figure out what it all means.
I'm as guilty of this as anyone, and Ghod knows there's a lot to talk about these days. (Still haven't found any evidence that there are demonstrations and riots in Seattle EVERY DAY -- though it must sometimes SEEM like it, if you live there. If there's something to protest, Seattle people will hit the streets to do it. And there's been lots to protest, lately.)
...No deep thoughts here, just surprising to me that things have changed so quickly. Sometimes you get pushed into the High-Tech Space Age before you're even aware of it.
...By the way, have you re-read 1984 lately...?

"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"

There was always a push for More Gas. If you wanted to go cruisin' with Jay in the Impala, you had to pony up some cash for More Gas. Any girls who went riding around with Jay would be asked to contribute to the Gas Fund. I tossed in the lunch money I got from Mom and Dad. Jay dropped out after three days in high school, and had a job for a few weeks as a car-detailer, but after he quit that job it was a constant scramble for More Gas Money.
And there were other ways to get gas for the car....
During our aimless drives around west Boise, we started looking for gas cans. We'd grab jerry-cans off the sides of Jeeps or out of the backs of boats. If Jay found a car without a locking gas-cap on a dark side-street, he'd get out and try to siphon some gas out of it with his "Oklahoma credit card" -- a beat-up hunk of old garden hose. This was back when locking gas-caps were still pretty uncommon. I'm sure we boosted the sales of them through our efforts.
If the little needle was pointing to "E" on the gas gauge, sometimes we got more desperate. We'd cruise around looking for open garage doors, and would slow down while looking for gas cans to grab.
This may sound kind of desperate -- it actually wasn't that bad a time. The radio was always going, playing great '70s stuff like BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet," the J. Geils Band's "I Musta Got Lost," Eric Burdon's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Nina's School," Mike McGear's "Leave It," Wings's "Junior's Farm," various Al Green hits, and lots more. There were almost always girls around, who wanted to go cruising with the outlaw with the long black hair and the hot car. They were always charming, even if they were hanging all over my brother.
Sometimes Jay sent me to investigate the gas-can situation a little more closely. Hey, I had to do something -- I wasn't old enough to drive.
Cruising slowly through a subdivision, we spotted a five-gallon gas can sitting right at the front of a dark, open garage. There was only one light on in the house. Seemed pretty quiet here, so Jay sent me to grab the gas can. He rolled the car slowly down the street, saying he'd circle back to pick me up.
I tiptoed up across the lawn to the side of the garage, grabbed the gas-can by the handle on top, and lifted. And I started laughing uncontrollably when I realized how heavy it was. The can was FULL. This was going to make Jay so happy. I'd done something worthwhile, for once.
Turning away from the garage, I thought I heard a low growl behind me....
Laughing out loud, heavy gas can in hand, I ran across the front yard to the street. I couldn't stop laughing. Jay was gonna be so proud of me! Maybe he'd get off my back for awhile....
I didn't know it, but behind me lights were coming on in the house.
The street was empty as I made my way across the lawn, but suddenly the Impala pulled up in front of me with a SCREECH.
Jay was leaning across the front seat and opening the passenger-side door.
"GET IN THE CAR!!!" he yelled.
Laughing, the gas can clanging and sloshing against my legs, I climbed in the car and we screeched down the street.
We all screamed and laughed as Jay tore through the subdivision, much faster than usual. A few blocks away, he turned a corner, pulled over, shut off the car and turned off the headlights.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Ssssh," he said. "I'm listening for the sirens."
There weren't any.
"Jesus," he said, turning to me. "You scared the SHIT out of me. Right as I pulled up in front of the house, a light came on in the garage and some BIG GUY came out.... And there was a BIG DOG in the garage...."
I started laughing hysterically. "I didn't see any of that."
"I KNOW," he said. "You were just tip-toein' across the lawn like you were walkin' in the park, everything's cool ... ya fuckin' dumbass. But you done good."
That full five-gallon gas can would fuel cruising sessions for at least the next couple of nights.
Later on, things would get a lot uglier. Jay would stop coming home -- and when he did come home, when no one else was around, he'd steal money from our folks. Then he started breaking into our friends' houses, looking for more gas money....

Trump's biggest fans

I might be better able to handle Donald Trump, more willing to give him time to mess up on his own, if it weren't for some of his followers.
I used to rent a room from one, and I've met several more through my job. I went to a concert with one last fall -- before I realized he was a Trump-backer. Before that I thought he was just a rock and roll fan like me.
Some of these men -- and they're all aging middle- or lower-class white men -- are even more disconnected from Reality than Trump is. And they think he's going to be their savior.
All these men think there's something really wrong with America -- something that's been wrong for years. They look around and see minorities getting breaks they were never offered, getting help they never asked for, getting opportunities these men squandered when they were younger -- and they think that's wrong. They think Trump will help get them all the things they never had or were too lazy to go after. Trump will balance things out, give America back to real Americans.
Trump will make America great again. And put aging white men back in charge.
One of these guys came into work last night, threatening to run over protesters in Seattle if they get in his way when he's over there today. I told him nobody'd get in his way, he didn't need to worry. The only protests were a week ago, after the inauguration.
He said "There are protests every day in Seattle. People are setting fires and damaging businesses -- and the liberal Media LibTards won't cover it."
I called bullshit on this, asked him where he heard this. He said his brother lives in Seattle and sees this rioting happening EVERY DAY.
Now, Seattle-area media's pretty solid -- and I've never met a reporter who WOULDN'T cover a riot if there was one going on close by. So I don't know what to think, except that this guy's deranged. And so's his brother. Of course I could be wrong. And then I started wondering about how much I don't know and never hear....
This guy said he'd already talked to the Seattle Police about his intentions toward LibTard protesters. Well, at least the police know he's coming....
Back before the election, I had another guy come into the store late at night -- in his 60's, heavy, tired, grumpy, probably a little achey. While I was ringing up his purchase, he started announcing: "You know, Donald Trump's gonna make this country great again! He's gonna take us back to when things worked RIGHT! You know, like when kids could pray in schools!"
And I wanted to ask: What year was that? Because I started school in 1965, and we sure weren't praying then. And do you know any schoolkid who'd make a prayer any more complex than "Oh God, please let me pass this test"? Or maybe "God, please don't let me get bullied again today."
I wanted to engage with this guy, but I let it go -- because I could tell by his ANNOUNCING that he was just looking for someone to argue with.
My old roommate and I used to argue for HOURS about the world's problems, and about which political party could best help the country tackle them -- or whether either party made any difference, whether it was too late for ANYONE to rescue the country from its many difficulties.
If my old roommate could have been bothered to vote, he would have voted for Trump -- because Trump was in favor of all the things my roommate went on about: Put women back in their place (at home, in the kitchen), no more breaks for minorities and immigrants, too many people on food stamps, too many slackers getting free food and money when they've done nothing to earn it, women getting money and food stamps just for having kids, none of these slackers ever work, they should all be drug tested, etc. etc. etc.
You have no IDEA how wearying it got hearing this stuff day after day....
The guy who took me to the Tedeschi-Trucks Band concert last September (it was a present, because I notified him they were going to be back in Seattle) seemed like a rock fan just like me -- 10 years older than me, former drummer, played in bands when he was younger, partied heavily, slept around a lot, almost went to Woodstock. A big blues fan. He even still listened to Savoy Brown!
The concert was great -- but on the way home I got a 45-minute lecture about what's wrong with America and how Donald Trump's going to fix it. I didn't see this coming.
This guy was CONVINCED the Black Lives Matter people were going to kick down his door and take his guns away. SOON. And he wasn't going to let that happen -- in fact, he had a loaded pistol right there IN THE TRUCK, just in case someone messed with him.
He was POSITIVE that Trump was going to take us back to the glory days of Ronald Reagan, "back when you could feel proud to be an American." He knew Trump had the answers to all of our problems -- starting with establishing law and order above all, putting the slackers to work, and cutting off the border so those Mexicans stop taking real Americans' jobs.
I tried to be polite -- he'd taken me to the concert, and it would be an awfully long walk home. I didn't want to engage this guy, or offend him. But he kept hammering on that only the Republicans had the answers, and all the answers involved a sharp turn to the Right.
I suggested maybe if large groups of people could sit down and set aside their differences and TALK OVER our problems, maybe we could reach a consensus that would work for everyone....
"We don't have TIME for that!" he shouted. "Don't you know that blacks and Hispanics are already rioting in all the big cities...?"
Oh. I wanted to ask what happened to him -- what changed him. How he'd gone from the partying drummer who wanted to go to Woodstock, to this scared little old man who thought Black Lives Matter was going to break down his front door at any second. But I also didn't want to walk home.
We ended up shaking hands when he dropped me off, and I've only seen him a couple times since. He's had some health problems. The last time I saw him was just after the inauguration. "Trump's picks for Cabinet posts," he told me, "absolute cream of the crop. Best of the best. We are gonna get some work done."
Hey, I think a lot of things are wrong with this country. But I don't think we're going to fix it by putting guys like these in charge. Because they'll only fix it for themselves.