This Week's Listen

Fragile - Yes (1971)

This intriguing album is probably the most well-rounded album Yes ever produced, and it could easily be labeled one of the best progressive rock releases ever. The band uses a great blend of short and long tracks that really showcase the band's overall range. Shorter tracks like "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround" are probably the most well-known samples from the album, but the long player on the album, "Heart of the Sunrise," truly makes this album shine. Jon Anderson's vocals could not be any better, and Bill Bruford's drumming is top-notch, as usual. Legendary bassist Chris Squire is also in top form, giving many listeners a reason to place this album somewhere at the top of a "best bass albums ever" list (see his track "The Fish"). Steve Howe displays his unique guitar-playing style throughout the album, but my favorite bit is his solo composition "Mood for a Day," which is an emotional acoustic piece that is nothing less than absolutely peaceful. Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman does his thing, which is usually beyond complete comprehension.

A very solid album, and also a great introduction to the prog rock genre for any newcomers. Highly recommended.

Great video that really shows how awesomely bizarre these guys were:

This Week's Listen

Land of the Midnight Sun - Al Di Meola (1976)

One of my most-played fusion albums, Al Di Meola's first solo album is certainly one to remember. All of the material is quite original, and this album shows his level of depth and variety in playing. Di Meola is joined by a superb cast of guest musicians, including Stanely Clarke, Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, and an array of excellent drummers (Steve Gadd, Alphonse Mouzon, Lenny White). This album, along with his second "Elegant Gypsy," are absolute necessities from this Wizard's extensive discography.

This Week's Listen

Black Country - Black Country Communion (2010)


Just listened to this, and I have to say it is indeed quite awesome. The chemistry of this supergroup is simply great. Compared to other supergroups today, I'd say it stacks up to last year's Them Crooked Vultures, and absolutely annihilates Chickenfoot. So who's in the band and what do they play? This all-star lineup is one of the best I've seen, with Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) on bass and lead vocals, Joe Bonamassa (solo) on guitar and vocals, Jason Bonham (various sessions) on drums, and finally Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Planet X, solo) on keys. This extremely unique lineup cranks out a whopping 72 minutes of hard-edged blues-rock on this fantastic debut album. I'd say Joe truly shines the most here, producing dazzling solos that demonstrate his talent beyond his usual bluesy work. Hughes is also a highlight because not only is his bass-playing noticeably top-notch, but his voice is also in exceptional form, with possibly more energy and better tone in comparison to his '70s work. Bonham does his thing, which mainly consists of pounding those drums like a true veteran. His father would be proud. And finally, Derek's part in this band seems to have been drowned out by everyone else, but still, he definitely does not take away from the experience.

All in all, this is a very unique release, and anyone into classic '70s blues-rock will be sure to enjoy this. Highly recommended.

Today's Listen

Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado - Dave Matthews Band (2002)

This is one of many DMB live recordings, meaning it only scratches the surface of their massive catalog of music. However, it's a unique listen. It's a great set list, the band is in fine form, and they are joined by a few guests for certain songs, including The Lovely Ladies on backing vocals and Butch Taylor on keys. The set starts off with the epic "Don't Drink the Water," which in my opinion is one of the bands greatest achievements. Next up is sparkling version of "JTR," then the always fantastic "When the World Ends." Other highlights on disc 1 include "Bartender," "Everyday," and "If I Had It All." Disc 2 starts of with an awesome extended version of "Angel" which includes a heavy dose of The Lovely Ladies. I really think this song is now one of my favorite female-vocalist performances ever, which doesn't mean a whole lot since I don't listen to many female vocalists, but hey. The rest of disc 2 is great, featuring some of the bands best known songs like "Digging a Ditch," "Two Step," "Ants Marching," and one of my personal favorites, "Stay (Wasting Time)." Along with The Central Park Concert, this album is easily one of DMB's most essential live recordings, so go get it!

Today's Listen

Wood - Brian Bromberg (2002)

Brian Bromberg's rightly named album Wood features the bassist in stellar form playing his upright bass which happens to be a 300-year-old Matteo Guersam, crafted in Milan in the 18th century. Yes, it's an old instrument, but here it is obvious that it can still sound perfect when in the right hands. It's about 11 PM as I right this, and I must say it's the perfect hour to experience such an album. The album includes a few Bromberg originals as well as a bunch of covers, and all of them are fantastic. His solo bass take on the Beatles' "Come Together" is very interesting, as is his rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." Anyone interested in bass and/or straight-ahead jazz is strongly encouraged to get this.

Today's Listen

Lucifer's Friend - Lucifer's Friend (1971)

Great hard-rock/early-metal with high similarities to bands like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep with an occasional dash of Black Sabbath. Spooky name, spooky cover, and at times the music is a little eerie, but the overall product is a smokin' hot piece of metal. Although the music borders on progressive with its complex arrangements, it rocks really well the whole way through, propelled by darkly heavy guitar, sizzling organ work, and fantastic vocals that often match the talent of Ronnie James Dio. If you like early metal and/or Deep Purple, chances are you'll enjoy this too.

CHECK IT OUT

Today's Listen

Joyous Lake - Pat Martino

My friends, this is fusion. If you're new to the genre and are still unsure about what exactly makes a great fusion album, then this is your answer. This is the real deal. The album has it all, starting with Martino's virtuosic electric jazz guitar flourishes (check out the opener "Line Games"); on top of that, the band behind him (all virtually unknown session men) is in exceptional form. In terms of drums and bass, this is one of the pinnacle albums, and it certainly ranks in my top 5 best rhythm section albums. The keyboardist is also highly talented, and his parts are very dynamic as well, adding lots of beautiful electric piano and effects. Absolutely fantastic stuff, so get it if you can. Let me know if you can't find it anywhere because I bet you won't. If you like fusion at all this is a MUST HAVE!

Today's Listen

Irish Tour '74 - Rory Gallagher

Irish blues-guitarist Rory Gallagher is perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked guitarists of the '70s, but he truly ends up being one of the all-time greats in my book. This guy's ability is top-notch, and nearly all of his solos burn with fiery intensity. This album alone could put much of Eric Clapton's post-Layla work to shame, simply because of the innovation and versatility of Rory's guitar work. The band behind him is solid, and at times the keyboards remind me of The Doors. Aside from his guitar skills, it should be noted that Rory also has a great bluesy voice that often reminds me of a raspy George Thorogood. I highly recommend this album for anyone looking for a textbook definition of blues rock.

Today's Listen

ZZ Top's First Album - ZZ Top (1971)

This album rocks, like many of ZZ Top's albums; however, this one is often overlooked by many people because of their more commercially successful albums. The songs on this record are packed with bluesy solos, subtle sexual humor, and an overall bad-ass kind of feel. In other words, this a ZZ Top classic, and is a must-have for any fan of blues rock.

This Week's Top 5

The Top 5 Greatest Epics of All Time

In order to be considered an epic, the song must be very close to or over 20 minutes in length. It must show definitive structure throughout, and is not simply an extended "jam." The overall structure is very important, and should progress in stages (a unique opening, story, instrumental sections that compliment the content of the song, and a significant ending).The song's content should either explore a certain concept or tell a story.


1. "A Change of Seasons" - Dream Theater (1995)
Length: 23:09
Album: A Change of Seasons

In my opinion, this is the epic to end all epics. Instrumentally, we get some of the best classic Dream Theater material, plus the best vocals from James LaBrie ever recorded. The song is quite emotional, and it shifts through a number of different themes and atmospheres. The concept of the song is lightly based on the changing of the seasons, and the lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy in dedication to his mother who had just passed away. This song is the complete package, and it embodies everything an artist would strive to achieve in an epic piece.

2. "2112" - Rush (1975)
Length: 20:33
Album: 2112

Another masterpiece, and in my opinion the band's crowning achievement. With this song, Rush mastered the art crafting lengthy epics, and also salvaged their struggling career. The band is in top form; all three guys get plenty of room to show off their chops, and Geddy Lee's vocals are perfect. Overall, there's a lot of emotion and a lot of energy. The song has a futuristic concept, involving a man living in a world in the year 2062 being ruled by "The Priests of The Temple of Syrinx." This song is truly on of my favorite of all time.

3. "Thick as a Brick" - Jethro Tull (1972)
Length: 43:30
Album: Thick as a Brick

Yes, believe it or not, this is one song. It is an album in itself, yet it is a single song. The album catches the band in one of the best line-ups of their whole career, and the song has wonderful flow. The song received extremely positive critical praise, but this proved to be quite ironic. This album, and song, was originally conceived by band-leader Ian Anderson as a way to mock the prog rock genre. He despised being labeled as a progressive band, so he decided to spit in the faces of the prog-heads by making this album. No one had ever made a song that was the length of an entire record, and there's no doubt that it will go down in history as one of the crowning achievements of progressive rock music.

4. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" -Pink Floyd (1975)
Length: 25:54
Album: Wish You Were Here

Although this song is split into two pieces on the album, I believe it was only split because they couldn't fit the whole thing on one side of a record (I think the maximum length for one side was 25 minutes). So, in my mind I view it as a single piece. Everything about it is fantastic, from the wholesome bluesy guitar-playing from David Gillmore, to the silky, languid keyboard work from Rick Wright, to the legendarily powerful harmonized chorus. The song is magical, and I get goose-bumps every time I hear it. The song was written by the band in memory of their ex-bandmate Syd Barret, who was slowly mentally decaying.

5. "Karn Evil 9" - Emerson, Lake, & Palmer (1973)
Length: 29:38
Album: Brain Salad Surgery

Another crowning achievement for the progressive genre, this multi-suite epic was also forced to be split on two sides. The music ranges from prog rock with classic rock influence, to extremely jazzy instrumental sections, to absolute insanity. This is definitely one of the craziest songs ever, but it fills the listener with awe and wonder. The song is based on some futuristic concepts. Kieth Emerson's keyboard work is exceptional, and highly varied in sound. This could easily be the greatest keyboard performance ever, as it shows extreme difficulty.
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Soon I will be making an entire page dedicated to a complete list of the greatest epics of all time.

Today's Listen (Part 2)

Frank Zappa - Roxy & Elsewhere (1974)

This album has been my favorite live Zappa album for a long time. It's quirky, complex, and highly entertaining. However, I'll let it be known that it would probably be a difficult listen to anyone who is unfamiliar with Zappa's ambitious live style. Like most of his music, it's chalk-full of humorous parts ("Dummy Up," "Cheepnis") and insane instrumental workouts ("Pygmy Twylyte," "Echidna's Arf (Of You)/Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?") that keep the listener quite mentally engaged with the performance. The band behind him is in exceptional form; the combination of Chester Thompson on drums and Ruth Underwood on percussion results in some of the most complex drumming I've ever heard. Napoleon Murphy Brock has the duty of lead vocals, and I must say I enjoy any Zappa record he his on because his voice is so distinctively awesome. Anybody who wants to experience some music that is really out of this world, check out this recording.

There's nothing from this album on YouTube, but you can listen to "Pygmy Twylyte" by clicking here. http://www.progarchives.com/mp3.asp?id=455

Today's Listen

Tal Wilkenfeld - Transformation (2007)


Tal Wilkenfeld is a very young, but extremely gifted fusion bassist hailing from Australia, and she composed and performed this album after just 3 years of playing bass. She has received a lot of respect in the jazz world, performing with the likes of Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea. I have Jeff Beck's Live at Ronnie Scott's, during which she is also in stellar form. On this album though, she gets much more room to stretch out, and at times I find myself forgetting that she is the bassist because she often deliver solos that are nearly in the league of Jaco Pastorius himself. The band with her is also in good form, and the music itself turns out to be much more on the jazz side of the fusion spectrum. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in bass.



This next video is from the Jeff Beck dvd. Tal gets a really nice solo at about 90 seconds into the song.

Today's Listen

Ozric Tentacles - Erpland (1990)


This music is insane, and it's exactly what I've been craving. To me, it's a meeting of musical spirits, in the sense that these guys combine numerous styles and sounds to make one hell of a mind-blowing instrumental experience. The music has many layers, and I'll try to describe it: start off with a top-notch group of fusion musicians (a kickin' rhythm section, with a very forward bass presence, crafty guitar), add a heavy dose keyboard/synthesizer effects, and continue rotating between different genre themes (rock, world, ambient, jazz, dance). This all culminates into a brand of music that I have never heard of, nor could I imagine. Many parts are quite trippy and spacey, which allows your imagination to take control. For added emphasis, there are no vocals (always a treat for me), so it's very easy to get caught in a trance during the spacey sections, but only until there's a shift in sound that sends you plummeting back to full awareness. To sum it all up, it's a blissful journey.

I've been looking through their extensive discography, and it's evident that these guys make very similar recordings. Find their best few albums and you have all you need.

Today's Listen (Part 2)

Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time (1975)


A few years ago I tried to listen to this, and to be honest it was really difficult, and I didn't like it at all. Since then, my ears have been exposed to a great deal of progressive rock, so this time around I understood this album much more. It falls into the category of psychadelic/space-rock, drawing its influences from from bands like Pink Floyd, The Soft Machine, and Yes. The music is injected with heavy doses of synthesizer effects, which allows the listener to seemingly float through some very spacey soundscapes. The band explores numerous moods throughout their songs, ranging from quiet swirling spacey sections to hard rockin' spacey sections. There's a lot of keyboard effects used, but there's also a number of other brass, wind, and string instruments used as well, which end up making for some pretty trippy arrangements. Highly recommended.

Today's Listen

I know comedy albums aren't exactly music, but I think it should be well known that Jim Gaffigan's work is hilarious. I like his stuff a lot because I share so many of the same feelings he expresses, especially when it comes to food. And I'll let it be known, he talks a lot about food, ranging from bacon, to hot-pockets, to spray cheese, etc. He uses his voice in a variety of clever vocal tones to really set the scene of whatever he's talking about. I have his two most recent recordings Beyond the Pale (2006) and King Baby (2009), and both are very funny, but if you had to pick just one I would suggest the latter.

Today's Listen

Dream Theater - Awake (1994)

Dream Theater's second studio album is nothing short of a masterpiece. I have listened to this many times, and with each listen its power continues to grow. Although the album tends to lean more to the metal side of things, it's still highly progressive. The three-song suite "A Mind Beside Itself" is the best highlight on the album, containing the nearly 7-minute roller-coaster instrumental opener, "Erotomania," which segues into the epic "Voices," and finishes with soft, emotional acoustic ending "The Silent Man." Mike Portnoy is in stellar form throughout (check out the odd-time-signature opening beat on "6:00"), and John Petrucci slings killer riffs with one hand (check out "The Mirror" and "Lie") and screaming solos with the other ("Erotomania," "Voices," "Scarred"). James LaBrie also delivers some of his most sensational vocals ever recorded. The album is a must have for any fan, and is a good place to start off for new listeners.

Today's Listen (which led to a binge)

BLACK SABBATH

Usually I just talk about one album per day, but for the past few days I've been playing an enormous amount of Black Sabbath, so I couldn't pick just one of them. These 6 albums are based off of the original band lineup of Ozzy Osborne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitars), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums). In my opinion, these guys were the true pioneers of heavy metal; the two components that make this abundantly clear are Ozzy, who today is still known by many as "the Prince of Darkness," and Iommi, who is nearly unanimously hailed as the greatest metal guitarist of all time. MTV named Sabbath as the greatest metal band of all time, and VH1 ranked them as the 2nd greatest band of all time, just behind Led Zeppelin.

All of these albums have roughly the same kind of sound to them because after all, they were essentially creating a genre. But don't let that dissuade you, for what we have here is some remarkable material. The music is very heavy, driven by Iommi's extremely sludgy, pummeling riffs. That, in combination with the often bleak, gloomy atmosphere, and the desperate, wailing cries from Ozzy, makes for a very dark and doom-ridden soundscape. But hey, their name is Black Sabbath isn't it? Despite the darkness of the music, it's never depressing, in fact it's quite gripping, and a lot of times quite energizing. You can truly feel the groove to many of the riffs, and it's easy to become mesmerized by Iommi's firey solos, which are crafted with grace, versatility, and an emotion that is strongly connected to the evil world down below. Every now and then, the band does come up for some air and spits out a song that sounds more like the era's stereotypical radio-friendly rock song, which isn't a bad thing at all.

The music is heavy metal at heart, but it shows that there is some progressive learning because many of the songs are often very complex in terms of structure and sound (specifically, the album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath demonstrates a lot of this, and even has a special guest appearance from Rick Wakeman on one track); these guys rarely stick to the boring verse, chorus, verse, chorus monotony. The band shifts through multiple tones and time signatures in most songs, and almost always leaves room for some nice soloing. Butler and Ward get a few brief moments of solo spotlight, whereas Iommi gets about as much space as he wants, but that's not to say that the bass and drums are not existent. Butler's bass is a very crucial force in the band, and it often drives the songs hand-in-hand with the guitar. The bass work is about as original and creative as it could get for a heavy metal outfit. Bill Ward is fantastic on the drums, and provides countless rhythms that are simply fascinating. The drums are usually high up in the mix, but never more so than on Paranoid. To put it short, these musicians are all masters at what they do, and they all played a very important role in pioneering a specific sound on each instrument for the heavy metal genre.

I could really go on forever about these guys, but for the sake of time I shall personally rank the albums based off of my own opinions. Keep in mind that all of these albums are important, if not fantastic.

Paranoid -1970
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - 1973
Master of Reality - 1971
Black Sabbath - 1970
Sabotage - 1975
Vol. 4 - 1972

Today's Listen

Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

This album came with high recommendation from a friend, for good reason. The music has a unique flavor because it falls somewhere between heavy metal and grungy alternative. Since I don't have much experience in the grunge genre, the vocals often remind me of Curt Cobain, but the band here rocks much harder than Nirvana, due to the metal influence. All of the songs here are good if not great. I had an immediate attachment to the album's opener "Them Bones" because it was featured in Guitar Hero 2, and I recall loving to play it. Highlights include "Rain When I Die," "Down in a Hole," "Rooster," and "Would?" I've only listened to the album once through, but I can already tell I'll be playing it many more times to come.

Today's Listen

Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (2009)

This is the band's ninth studio album, and it continues their streak of highly complex progressive metal. Often seen as one of their weaker albums to date, I could not help but agree for a long time. Today, however, I decided to throw on this album while I was working out in my basement and it sounded fantastic. It's definitely an underrated performance for these truly fantastic musicians, and I feel stupid for overlooking it for so long. The album contains some of the band's most technical compositions, and would be an extremely difficult listen for anyone new to metal. Drummer Mike Portnoy gives an all-star performance as usual, and delivers one of his most insane rhythms on "Constant Motion." The albums epic "In the Presence of Enemies" is split into two parts, and it demonstrates the band's ability to make metal as progressive as possible. "The Dark Eternal Night" is a nice showcase of the band flexing their muscles of technical musicianship. This album should be a great listen to any fan of heavy metal.

This Week's Top 5

Alternative Rock Albums



1. Foo Fighters - There is Nothing Left to Lose

Plain and simple, this album is by far my favorite Alt-rock album. Foo Fighters in general is just one of those bands that defines the genre, and this album is their crowning achievement, despite their most recent albums. This is just one of those rarities when every track is great, if not fantastic.

2. Green Day - International Superhits

Under normal circumstances, I would never dare to include a compilation album in a list of albums that define a genre. However, this album is by no means your everyday greatest hits album. They manage to squeeze 21 tracks onto this disc, and I must say they're all superb. The spirit of Green Day is very accurately portrayed on this superb compilation.


3. Pearl Jam - Ten

This was the band's debut album, and today it still remains their best album. Another record that defines the genre, with vocals from Eddy Vedder that absolutely reek of Alt-rock spirit. What makes this album special for me is the fact that it oozes with classic rock influence, and the album simply rocks from start to finish.


4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik

When RHCP released this album, they were already rock veterans, and it shows in the best of ways. Here they refined their sound, with Anthony Kiedas singing as energetic as ever, John F. plays some of his best guitar licks to date, and the rhythm section of Flea and Chad Smith could not be any more funky. In short, it's a perfect record from on of the most important bands of the '90s.


5. U2 - Achtung Baby!

U2 had already achieved great commercial success from their famed albums The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire, but here they propel themselves into the '90s with a record that would push them to truly legendary status. If you don't believe me, go listen to "Mysterious Ways" or almost any track from the album. And to those who have an abnormal hatred for Bono, do me a favor and go screw yourself, because you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Today's Listen

Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey (2009)

This album is from a relatively new and unknown alt-rock trio from London. It has a really bad-ass sound to it throughout. Female bassist Emma Richardson shares lead-vocal duties with guitarist Russell Marsden, but don't be discouraged by it. The duo's vocals are surprisingly similar, which results in some very cool harmonies in many of their songs. Drummer Matt Hayward fulfills his job nicely, providing an excellent beat to all the songs, except for a couple solo acoustic moments. The band's sound could be described as bluesy garage rock that often recalls bands like The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and even some moments that make me think Fleetwood Mac. I highly recommend this release to any fan of rock music.

Today's Listen

Virgil Donati - Just Add Water (1997)

I recently discovered drummer Virgil Donati through the band Planet X; if you want some music that will literally melt your mind, I suggest you check out their album Quantum. Donati, who recently received praise from drummer Mike Portnoy in an interview, really is fascinating. His drumming is insanely complex, which really makes for some fancy fusion. On this particular album, guitar-virtuoso Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech, Vital Tech Tones) and bassist Ric Fierabracci join Donati for the 45 minutes of magic on this record. What makes this album unique is the fact that the whole thing is an unrehearsed jam session; in my opinion, this is one of the best ways to make music. The quality of music on albums like this depends on the chemistry between each component of the band, and on this album it's clear that there's plenty of chemistry. As stated before, Donati is a wizard on the drum kit. Henderson's work is amazing, which is nothing new to my ears; the guy does things that would make Jeff Beck scratch his head. With these two musical giants already making such a big bang, how could they find a bassist that would keep up? Well, they dug up Fierabracci from somewhere, and boy was it a nice selection. Having never heard of him, I was pleasantly surprised about his performance. This man is a beast, to say the least. He does some stuff with a bass that I had no idea could be done. You really have to hear it to believe it, and even then, you will be flabbergasted. Overall, this is a great album for those who enjoy their fusion straight from the noodle factory.

There's no material from this album on youtube, however this is a nice solo of his. He does some wild things in the second half of it: