I wasn't entirely happy - and never would be with any record we'd make… is one of the many surprising quotes from Geddy Lee in his new autobiography My Effin' Life, one of the more riveting page-turners in recent memory when it comes to musician bios. For the obsessive Rush fan (is there any other..
Ozric Tentacles – Lotus Unfolding (Kscope)
I took the cup of White Rhino Tea from its saucer and peered inside. A tiny storm raged within, with little claps of thunder and lightning, and miniature ships tossed around in maelstroms on a sloshing tea-coloured sea. I raised the rim of the cup to my lips, and as I drank I was suddenly..
Peter Hammill – In a Foreign Town/Out of Water 2023 (Esoteric)
These songs are cast in a new light... or is it the same light but through a different window? Of all the musicians I'd be surprised to see reference Taylor Swift in their liner notes, Peter Hammill is at the absolute top of the list. Or he was, at least, until this morning when I..
Nektar – Remember the Future 50th Anniversary Box set (Esoteric)
Organs swirl, drums and bass lock sharply into hypnotic riffs, guitars crunch, squeal, and drift into wobbly, smoky dimensions. Paradise! Nektar are more likely to be found in record collections of the snowier-haired among us than thumping through the ear buds of the rising generation, but the string of psychedelic-tinged prog albums they recorded in..
Proud Peasant – Communion (Basement Avatar Records)
Nothing is off-limits for this ambitious, large-scale concept... Well, it's taken a while, but alongside autumn's arrival comes Communion, the sophomore album from Austin, Texas-based Xander Rapstine and his band of merry musicians collectively known as Proud Peasant. Their 2014 debut Flight has been a mainstay on my stereo system since its release (occasionally joined..
Wegferend – En Autremonde – Chapitre 2nd (Mors Ultima Ratio)
A lush, intoxicating escape into the realms of the exotic... Crisp acoustic guitar notes ring out tentatively as Gedin, the enchanting 10 minute opening track to Wegferend's dark folk album En Autremonde - Chapitre 2nd slowly bubbles to life, soon accented by the popping sound of derbouka and the warm, alluring voice of Alexia Cazaméa...
Barclay James Harvest – Baby James Harvest Deluxe edition (Esoteric)
It's never too late for a reappraisal of these dusty old gems... One of my favourite aspects of expanded boxed set reissues of dusty old albums is the simple act of reappraisal. Those of us with a collection of thousands and too little time on our hands can easily forget these ancient relics as they..
Headstone – Bad Habits/Headstone (Esoteric)
Dynamite 70s rock still highly listenable in 2023... My abiding question through numerous listens to the two newly-reissued albums from Headstone is: Why is this band so unknown? When mentioning them to my fellow music-worshipping peers, I've been met with quizzical responses and even occasional hints of disdain; as though to say 'They can't be..
Jethro Tull – The Broadsword and the Beast: The Monster Edition
Though not entirely unheard of, a rock band seldom grows so prolific that they enter the studio and produce three albums' worth of material at once. Rarer still is that they would shelve two-thirds of what they created, consigning the tapes to generations in dusty attics or trickling out the songs on various compilations over..
Marillion – Seasons End Deluxe edition (Parlophone)
The album that saw Marillion reborn, revitalized, and ultimately saved... What was once a brand new chapter in the chronicles of Marillion is now the tattered and yellowed pages of legend. It's been nearly 35 years since the final lineup change in the band's long history took place (and it was a big 'un). The..