Pattern-Seeking Animals arrived suddenly on the scene in July of last year when producer and writer John Boegehold teamed up with current and former members of Spocks Beard he had worked with in the past (Ted Leonard, Dave Meros and Jimmy Keegan) and delivered an eponymous debut album that was met with high praise from..
Script For A Bassist’s Tear: Pete Trewavas on the deluxe reissue of the classic Marillion debut album
The 1983 debut album from the Mad Marillos is the latest in the ongoing deluxe reissue series of the first eight albums for EMI, and it is a cracker of a set. Have a gander at the goodies included this time around: On the first disc, a sparkling new 2020 remix of the album -..
The Dame/IT – Old School House, Barnsley, 28 February 2020
I have a confession to make. I am not a prog rock fan. There, I have said it. Normally, such a statement would be a complete irrelevance - but there is a point and that is that good music crosses boundaries and bridges the gaps between like and dislike. Where others have failed, The Dame..
Renaissance – Turn Of The Cards (Expanded 2020 edition – Esoteric Antenna)
This isn't the first (and won't be the last) time I've rattled on about the Esoteric label and their powerhouse reissues of classic progressive rock titles, such as their new four-disc expanded edition of the triumphant Renaissance album Turn Of The Cards. Released in 1974 - squarely in the middle of their legendary run of..
Quel Che Disse Il Tuono – Il Velo Dei Riflessi (AMS Records)
...a positively delicious album brimming with the treasured hallmarks of the genre... There's just something about Italy. The depth and importance of Italian contributions to progressive music over the last fifty years is impossible to overestimate. The romance and tradition of the old world imbues the Italians' music with unparalleled richness and flavour that has..
Marko Hietala – Pyre Of The Black Heart (Nuclear Blast)
Marko Hietala, he of the long blonde locks and outlandish twin beards, is most known as the bass player and a (sometimes lead) vocalist with Finnish bands Nightwish and Tarot – the latter an outstanding band who were never as well known as they deserved to be. A true rock ‘n roll bass player with..
Derek Shulman: Un-boxing The Giant
For the majority of their career, Gentle Giant was that rarest of breeds: uniquely challenging, singularly unlike any other rock band, with no hit singles or radio airplay, or anything approaching 'danceable'. Yet they garnered and cultivated a fiercely loyal, almost ravenous core of fans and admirers. These listeners weren't content to settle for standard..
Watch Ian Anderson unveil the new Ballad Of Jethro Tull book
It’s Ian Anderson unveiling the marvelous Ballad of Jethro Tull, the official illustrated history of one of rock’s most influential acts. All 500 ‘Signature Edition’ copies are sold-out but fans can still order the ‘Classic Edition’ (£40 / $50) which features: 200+ page hardback Fully illustrated throughout More than 200 photographs MP4 download of two..
Marillion – Afraid Of Sunlight deluxe edition (Warner/Parlophone)
Ask ten Marillion fans what the band's best album is, and it's possible that you'll get ten different answers. By now, I think I've heard every one of their eighteen albums proclaimed to be the height of their mammoth career (even the sometimes maligned marillion.com, once staunchly championed to me in a concert lineup by..
Leprous – Pitfalls (Inside Out Music)
Fans cannot be fooled. Particularly the most loyal fans, who will see right through any insincere motivation behind a band's sudden shift in style or change of direction. Twenty years ago, when Scorpions made the bizarre decision to release a dance pop album titled Eye II Eye, their puzzled fan base collectively groaned and tossed..