The More You Live, The More You Love

Now that we are getting closer to the closing of the year, everywhere you can read the top 10 lists of the past year. Of course I could not resist, and created a top ten, which was presented on Facebook in the past days. But this was a compound list of progressive rock and other styles of music. 01. Comedy Of Errors - Disobey 02. Konchordat - The New Crusade 03. Florence And The Machine- Ceremonials 04. Mirrors - Lights And Offerings 05. Also Eden - Think Of The Children! 06. White Lies - Rituals 07. Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow 08. Thomas Dolby - A Map Of The Floating City 09. Pallas - XXV 10. Gotye - Making Mirrors Split this list in two and you get the progressive top ten: 01. Comedy Of Errors - Disobey 02. Konchordat - The New Crusade 03. Also Eden - Think Of The Children! 04. Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow 05. Pallas - XXV 06. Rush - Time Machine 07. Sean Filkins - War And Peace & Other Stories 08. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning 09. Yes - Fly From ...

Also Eden Think Of The Children! (Festival Music 201110) Those who love the Music of Aragon, Galahad and Marillion will be pleased with Think Of The Children!, the third album of Also Eden in five years. They used as much singers during that period, but with Rich Harding they seemed to have found the right frontman, but also new energy, a new sound and a new direction. The sensitive and emotional vocals of Harding sounds in between the, quiet, vocals of Stuart Nicholson (Galahad) and the, the fierce vocals of Les Dougan (Aragon). Simon Rogers sounds like a merge of John Poloyannis, Roy Keyworth and Steve Rothery. The keyboards of Ian Hodson are the essential background supplement, but when he loses himself, there are fierce musical battles with Rogers’ solo guitar. And with a strong and tight base presented by bassist Steve Dunn, who delivers some very nice bass loops now and then, and drummer Lee Nicholas, Also Eden makes a strong performance and a classic album is born. Certainly whe...

Nik Kershaw played the Boerderij in Zoetermeer on 28 November 2011. To be honest this concert, which featured most of the set seen in Mai 2009 at Zeche in Bochum, was so much better compared to that night in Germany one and a half years ago. It all started with the good sound, the good atmosphere and the good voice of Nik, who also got the laughers on his hand when introducing or explaining the songs. The keyboards were well balanced into the sound, and again the atmosphere on stage and in the crowd was marvelous. The opener Wide Boy made the standard of the evening. A good voice and well balanced instruments and a band that enjoyed to play for a crowd of 250. Already confinced of the crowd as a second in the setlist Nik threw in a new song called Enjoy The Ride. A nice uptempo song with the Kershaw trademark. During the concert two new ones would follow; You're The Best, a tribute to his wife, and Rock Of Ages, a song about growing older but still loving the music and the party....

WHITE WILLOW Terminal Twilight (Termo Records TERMOCD009) White Willow belongs, since the release of their debut album Ignis Fatuus, to a small select group of bands, which with every new release raises high expectations. With the return of Sylvia Skjellestad they should consider themself lucky, because she has a wonderful voice that fits with White Willow. The listener therefore is not disappointed. Besides vocally, musically this album sounds great, which strongly depends to the 70's prog with a mix of jazz rock, fusion and folk, where the reference goes from King Crimson to Weather Report and Genesis to Muse with surprising contributions of Tim Bowness, David Lindberg and Michael S. Judge. Bowness together with Jacob Holm-Lupo wrote the No-Man-like Kansas Regrets, which in the second part recalls the days of Nurcery Crime, complete with vintage keyboards and whistles. Leaves in Bed, dedicated to Tony Banks, again follows the pattern of Genesis and in Floor 67 White Willow follow...

Konchordat The New Cruisade (Konchordat Music KMCD1002) Konchordat for me is a new name, though it appears the group released an album called English Ghosts in 2009. Driving force behind the group is Steve Cork (bass, keyboards and bass pedals) who in Stuart Martin (vocals, guitar and keyboards) found a new partner in crime. Martin was one of guest guitarists on English Ghosts. On The New Crusade, they are assisted by Liam Green on drums. Listening to the six-track album, I can only conclude that the gentlemen put their ears to a listen to Magellan, IQ and It Bites and they have forged their style. Frequently the keyboards, usually in combination with the guitar playing the same melody, bring the magnum opus of It Bites, Once Around The World, in mind, while the very sudden breaks and heavy pounding work with bombastic bladder samples have a strong Magellan’s Magna Carta reminiscent. Throw in the symphonic sauce of IQ, especially in the spherical portions, and a new Konchordat i...

COMEDY OF ERRORS Disobey (Own release COE001; distributed by ACH Media) Comedy Of Errors is a band which was active in the late eigthies progressive rock scene. Founded in Glasgow the first incarnation released three democassettes, One Mini-Album and a CD in their five years excistence. The CD contained the demo 24 Hours and the Mini-Album and was released on the disputed Ugum label. After various line-up changes their progressive rock style changes to mainstream hardrock. In the early nineties it seems the band disappered from the stage, and only last year the first signs of a recarnation are mentioned with a possible release of Disobey,their first proper CD. During all those years keyboardplayer Jim Johnson kept writing music and finally found Joe Cairney (vocals) and Mark Spalding (bass, guitar), both members of the first line-up, available to record the album together. Besides them Bruce Levick plays the drums, and Hew Montgomery (Abel Ganz) plays bass on The Student Prince Part 1....

BOLUS Delayed Reaction (Bolus Music Group 884502881691) Bolus, what's in the name*, are a Canadian band from the surroundings of Toronto. Delayed Reaction is their second album on which Nick Karch (vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards) and Mat Keselman (drums, percussion, vocals and flute) are influenced on the second half of the seventies Genesis, Rush and Yes. Although it isn't strange to hear some influences of Dream Theater and Spock's Beard now and then. Such a references makes curious and I can tell you the listener won't be disappointed. From the first song Those Who Saved Us it is clear that Bolus put a lot of work in their compositions. Strong songs with a start and an end, with fluid and natural lines. The keyboards, mostly piano, hammond and mellotron are mainly used for support and in some songs are behind in the mix. THe guitar parts are very strong. From the acoustic Genesis sound in Outside, including flute parts, and the Steve Hackett alike solo in Push To...

Again it seems that this year musically is very strong. Surprisingly strong albums of old timers Pallas and Yes, a coming back album of the neoproggers Comedy Of Errors, a first solo album of the former singer of Big Big Train, Sean Filkins, the nice album Of Mirrors, a farewell live album of A-Ha and many more. Five months before the end of this year it brings me to the following top 10: 01. Comedy Of Errors - Disobey 02. Sean Filkins - War And Peace & Othere Stories 03. Yes - Fly From Here 04. Pallas - XXV 05. Kate Bush - Director's Cut 06. Mirrors - Lights And Offerings 07. Memories Of Machines - Warm Winter 08. Ultravox - Moments From Eden 09. A-Ha - Ending On A High Note - The Final Concert 10. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Liverpool

STEVE COCHRANE The Purest Of Designs (1998) (Spirit Compass Music SC103) 'My goal in life is to communicate a sense of optimism in our world - to project the image of a hero, not only as a character to be viewed, but also as a part of each of us, something to be experienced - the best within us. I try to create a musical picture of what should be and express the conviction that it is possible.' - Thus Steve Cochrane. With the Purest Of Designs this Canadian multi-instrumentelist releases what is already his third album, although he is still pretty much unknown in the Netherlands. His greatest inspiration comes from listening to the music of Rush, Renaissance, Mike Oldfield and Steve Hackett. After listening to this wonderful album I think I can include the Wind and Wuthering period of Genesis in this small list as well. Much of the atmosphere of the music harks back to this album, and several keyboard and guitar parts bring back to mind Wind And Wuthering. The opening track ...

NO-MAN FLOWERMOUTH (1994) (One Little Indian Records TPLP67CD) With Flowermouth No-Man delivers their first full CD, showing they’re still alive. With the signing of a contract to a large recordcompany, there was time and money enough for a full album, which in spite of the multi-instrumental talents of Steven Wilson contains a list of well-known guest musicians. Since Steven Wilson played as a guest role on their CD Beginning To Melt, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri (also a member of Porcupine Tree) are both involved. Robert Fripp and Mel Collins are well represented. The final result contains a clearly stamp of Fripp, who makes use of his flippertronics. Vocalist Tim Bowness sounds like Marc Almond, but keeps its vocals too monotonous. So the real fire work needs to come from Steven Wilson and the guest musicians. Especially notable is the link of balance the band has created from their equivocal past. He who knows No-Man specifically from the Exposure albums (then working und...

I like to start with a new item within my blog. As an editor of iO Pages I wrote a lot of reviews in the past. Besides iO Pages I also wrote for SI Magazine and the DPRP, although the later was for a short while. Since most of these reviews are in Dutch, I will translate them to English and place them on this blog. All reviews are from the period 1990 - 2005. The new ones I am already placing on this blog, although I am a bit behind. The "from the vault" review series will start with one of my next blog entries. So keep visiting for more prog reviews from the past and present.

Volume 24 01. Leisure Process - A Way You'll Never Be 02. Blue In Heaven - I Just Wanna 03. Peter Coyle - Yours the spirit That Soared 04. B-movie - Just An Echo 05. 3D - Nearer 06. Interview - The Adventurers 07. The Mood - Watching Hour 08. China Crisis - African And White (steve Proctor remix) 09. Wild Swans - 1982 10. H2O - Go On 11. The Man They Couldn't Hang - The Crest 12. Zerra One - The Domino Effect 13. Scary Thieves - Only Fascination 14. Brother Beyond - I Should Have Lied 15. Das Kabinette - The Cabinet 16. Transparent Illusion - Vortex 17. Bone Symphony - Everything I Say Is a Lie 18. Two Minds Crack - One Sky Above Us 19. Toyah - Brave New World

Over the past months I got some requests of reposting some compilations from the past. Because of my illnes I wasn't able to do it on earlier state, but here they finally are: Exposure: link The Unknown Beauty of the Eighties: Volume 10 The Unknown Beauty of the Eighties: Volume 15 Enjoy the music.

In The Wake Of The Moon is already the ninth album of the Swedish neoprog band Galleon in their 25th years of existence. Strong compositions with beautiful community singing, melodic music in which Ulf Hedlung Pettersson and Sven Larsson have the oppertunity to give their solo performance on keyboards and guitar. Göran Fors got a nice and good sounding voice and his bassplaying I strong while drummer Göran Johnsson controles everything. You can call Galleon a surpisingly very strong band, with a brought reference of bands, but surely their own sound, which makes them unique. The quality of the eight compositions is of a high standard. After the bombastic starters Stages and Wallflower and the instrumental Child’s Play the band slow down in the titletrack, a beautiful ballad with a strong Tangerine Dream ambience. The first part of War At Home, called Woodland Creatures, opens as an instrumental with mainly Hammond organ, after which the ambient Aftermath follows. Over the Hills And 3 F...

After a succesfull reunion tour in 2009 which resulted in the 2CD / DVD Return To Eden, Ultravox returned to the stage in 2010 to bring the tour to the European mainland, where they played the Paradiso as well. For this second leg of the tour they changed the setlist. In Germany they decided to play the Kraftwerk alike Mr. X in the German version, called Herr X a b-side of the Vienna 12” single. Together with the three other additions to the setlist they have been released on the Moments From Eden EP. All three songs, New Europeans, White China and Love’s Great Adventure, additions the fans had wanted to see the band put into the setlist, are more rock orientated, machine-made driving electronic tunes with power-melodies and strong delivery. For fans this release completes the whole setlist of the Return To Eden Tour and keeps the fire burning since the announcement earlier this year about the band working on new material for a late 2011 release. The release comes as a limited exclusiv...

It has been awhile since my last entry. I was knocked out for three months by a virus and hardly visited the internet that time. But slowly I am recovering and after founding this treasure in my mailbox the other day, it was time to return to my blog. Last year Mirrors was the support act for Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark during their European leg of their History Of Modern tour. The four guys impressed the public with their great electronic music with references to Gary Numan, old OMD, Kraftwerk, Old Human League, John Foxx and others. A great performance for such a young band who so much wanted to look like Kraftwerk on stage. During the tour they sold a special album Broken By Silence to keep the flame burning after the concert. And now there is Lights And Offerings, a full album of the quartet, which will keep the flame burning even higher and for much longer. It offers a mix of already known tracks with reletively new ones (not released so far), because all tracks were recorde...

After a hiatus of five years I was asked to return as an editor for the Dutch progressive rock magazine iO Pages. I decided to return back to the music which I hardly listened too for the past years, and see what it would do to me. It was quite a surprise to receive the new album of Pallas as a review copy, since their last studio album was released five years ago. So let me come straight to the point, I think for a lot of us it will be a strange experience to listen to an album of Pallas, where, for the first time in 25 years, Alan Reed is not the singer. Paul Mackie is the replacement, an Aberdeen local, who does a very good job. His voice sounds pleasant, and somehow the vocal arrangements with Graeme Murray are stronger than during the heydays with Alan Reed. It's a gamble, but it pays back very well. Without a doubt musically the album is as strong as you can expect from Pallas. In eleven songs the band returns to Atlantis, where after the optimistic celebratory ending of The ...