prog Archive
23 Oct 2019
For Example: A Look Back at ‘The Nice’ at 50
It’s unfortunate that when the Nice come up in conversation today, they’re too quickly summed up as “the band that Keith Emerson was in before ELP.” That’s a true enough […]
01 Oct 2019
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Fun: the Men and the Journey of RPWL
German keyboardist/vocalist Yogi Lang first encountered guitarist Karlheinz “Kalle” Wallner in 1988 when the latter was playing in a band called Incubus. Eventually renamed Violet District, the group released its […]
27 Sep 2019
Album Review: Moraz & Friends – Random Kingdom
In 1976, Swiss keyboard virtuoso Patrick Moraz released his debut solo album, The Story of I. In the midst of a successful run as keyboardist for Yes – he’s all […]
19 Sep 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2019, Part 1
Once again, it’s time for a passel of quick reviews. Twenty in all – ten today, as many tomorrow. All deserve a listen. Titles on vinyl are noted as such […]
10 Aug 2019
British Rock Nobility Convenes Onstage for “The Royal Affair”
Note: I’ve interviewed a bunch of these artists. Blue-highlighted hyperlinks will take you there. — bk In the concert business, package tours are nothing new; as far back as 1959, […]
09 Aug 2019
The Drive to 1981 Begins: A Look Back at Robert Fripp’s Masterful ‘Exposure’ (Part 2)
Continued from Part One … Fans of King Crimson’s Red receive a wonderful treat with “Breathless.” Though the specific players on each track aren’t noted, the song – very much […]
08 Aug 2019
The Drive to 1981 Begins: A Look Back at Robert Fripp’s Masterful ‘Exposure’ (Part 1)
Guitarist Robert Fripp has long been one of music’s most intriguing figures. Largely operating outside the pop mainstream (and, when he can, outside the traditional machinery of the music business […]
02 Jul 2019
Stranger by the Minute: Porcupine Tree’s ‘Stupid Dream’ at 20
Porcupine Tree began as a ruse; Steven Wilson concocted a backstory for a fictitious band. But the prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist crafted music to go with the legend, and thus the […]
07 Jun 2019
Ultimate Trip: Riverside Sets Sight on North America (Part Three)
Continued from Part Two… You mentioned Lunatic Soul. To date, you’ve done a very good job of keeping Lunatic Soul as a separate project distinct from Riverside. Do you ever […]
06 Jun 2019
Ultimate Trip: Riverside Sets Sight on North America (Part Two)
Continued from Part One… The first three Riverside albums are a trilogy, but recent releases don’t so much have that conceptual continuity. Is the idea of conceptually-linked releases something that […]