Rock Music

As we sometimes do here, we’re going random today, but only in the 1970s. We’re going to let the RealPlayer bounce around the nearly 20,000 mp3s available from that decade, and – assuming it’s a tune that’s available and not an aesthetic crime – the sixth selection will be today’s featured record. So here we go. Mama Lion was a blues rock band that released two albums during the early years of the decade although the band is more likely remembered today for the identity of its lead singer. She was one Lynn Carey, Penthouse magazine’s Pet of the Month in December 1972, and she was depicted suckling a lion cub on the inside cover of the group first album, 1972’s Preserve Wildlife. The track we land on to start this morning’s trek is “Griffins” from the group’s second album, 1973’s Give It Everything I’ve Got. “With griffins as my saviors,” sings Carey over a Zepp-like backing, “I fly through burning skies. I need your love no longer . . .” Carey’s bio at Wikipedia suggests that there was more to her than physical beauty and that greater exploration of her later solo career could be rewarding, but that’s something for another day. This morning, we’ll leave Carey and the other members of Mama Lion to their griffins and move on. Despite my respect for her and her music, Ellen McIlwaine has been mentioned only a few times in this space during the past six years. A talented slide guitarist and an expressive singer, she’s recorded regularly but not frequently over the years, starting in 1972, when she formed Fear Itself, a psychedelic blues rock band that released a self-titled album. Her solo career also began that year with Honky Tonk Angel, which is where we find her haunting take on Traffic’s “Can’t Find My Way Home,” our second stop this morning. McIlwaine’s most recently listed credit is Mystic Bridge from 2006, on which she steps into Eastern-tinged jazz. Marking that for more exploration as well, we head on. About five years and maybe a thousand posts ago, I wrote about the New York Rock Ensemble and its 1970 album, Roll On. It was, I noted, the first album of straight-ahead rock recorded by the group that had started business as New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, which on its first two albums had played “rock music on classical instruments and classical music on rock instruments.” Roll On, I noted, got wildly mixed reviews, with the 1979 edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide offering the best, calling it a “tremendous rock & roll album,” and adding that “the band plays with good taste and fire.” We land on “Running Down the Highway,” which Rolling Stone said was one of the “top-notch” songs on the album. I have to concur this morning, but we can’t stay. Valdy is a Canadian folk rock musician who came to my attention in the mid-1990s through a flea market find of his Family Gathering album, a 1974 effort. According to Wikipedia, he’s a well-regarded and honored Canadian institution, and I have to respect that. But his work – and I have a few of his numerous albums on the mp3 shelves – leaves me unimpressed. It’s probably me and not him. In any case, our wanderings today bring us to “Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm” from Valdy’s 1972 album Country Man: “And I’ll say Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm, that’s not the way things oughta be. And I’ll say Mm-Mm-Mm-Mm excuse me, I’m on the outside being free.” Underwhelmed again, we head to the next tune. When A&M Records was beginning to promote Joe Cocker’s live Mad Dogs & Englishmen, studio versions of “The Letter” and of “Space Captain” were recorded in Los Angeles for a single release. In short order, the single was revised to offer the live versions of both tunes from the Mad Dogs album. The original single, with the studio versions of the tunes, was credited to Joe Cocker with Leon Russell and the Shelter People, with “the Shelter People” being the name Russell gave to the backing musicians he brought together for his second solo album, some of whom were part of the Mad Dogs tour. I wonder this morning if members

www.KISSArmySpain Here's Bruce Kulick and John Corabi In Pamplona, Spain last month.

www.taringa.netCheck out these classic photos of KISS in Mannheim, Germany in 1976.See photos HERE: www.taringa.net/posts/imagenes/15387196/Kiss-En-Mannheim-1976.html

Review by Il Tastiere — Darwin! What can be said about that hasn't been said a milion time? It's a classic progressive rockLP and milestone in RPI subgenere. This album re-enact the birth of the world and mankind,civilization, the war between science and church and even love. Everything is told in perfect DiGiacomo's Style and the attention to details in the arrangements is exquisite. There's no dead pointand there's no way you'll going to get bored by listening to this album. It is one of those perfectLP and the review could stop right here! But, let's get deep into it and let's see every aspect ofevery song.In the past I had the idea that L'Evoluzione was the perfect prog song, and for good reasons;beatuful lyrics and intro, a breathtaking middle part, adrenalinic solos, what more can you ask for?Everything is played perfectly and the music written by Giacomo and Vittorio Nocenzi is the best.This is probably their apotheosis and no wonder if this LP is considered their best. Probably thesolos are too rushed and undifined in some parts and they knew that probably knew it infact in the1991 remake they re-edited the solo and removed some of the weak parts. Though this little flaws thesong is perfect to me.Then we have La conquista della posizione eretta, another great song from this LP. Chaotic yetwell-executed! The drums are rageous and again both Vittorio and Gianni give us great examples oftheir talent at both the piano and sinthesiezers. The song ends with a beautiful Di Giacomo singing,talking about the first time the man stand stood by his two legs for the first time, marking thetransition from quadruped to biped and starting a new era for mankind.Next song is La danza dei grandi rettili, a very funky jazzy track, everything is calm, quiet andwell arranged! Just a nice track with smooth guitar, jazzy piano and synth solos. A good way forchilling out after the first two track. The title is a clear reference to dinosaurs who lived theearth, and that's a good way to... tribute them! Nice job!Then, oh boy, Cento mani e Cento occhi. Another great track which opens up with a synth intro, then,the hunt is on. In the beginning the song re-enact minutly an hunting scene and then the democraticshare with the community made by, of course, a hundred hands and a hundred eyes as the titlesuggest. The music again is fantastic, full of keyboard solos, tempo changes and other good stuff!Next track is 750,000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? A long title, but it sure has its point! The lyrics talksabout a love story in the prehistoric era: a man hide himself from a gorgeus woman and he has nocourage to talk to her because of his aspect; he is ugly, dirty and he thinks that surely she willescape only by seeing him. So he only hides in the shadows, watching her everytime and feeling aever growing sentiment that he can't express. This song has been very popoular by the years, firstbecause it was rare that a (nasty) progressive rock band like Banco made such a romantic platoniclove song and then because there was a clear influence of the italian "canzone" tradition making itthe perfect example of how new way of doing music could approach to the old form without twistingthe tradition. They just added something new to that language making it one of the most importantItalian song of all time and it's remember still today. If you name Banco to everyone who lived inthat period, even though they wasn't a great fan of the genere, they surely remember this song. Thesong is infact accessible to everyone who never approached the genere and satisfy both old and newlisteners. The piano accompain great part of the songs, the chords and the singing are simple andbeautiful and though its semplicity it remains a classic in Banco's repertory.Then it's time for miserere alla storia, very strange and different from all the other songs in theLP, but still an ok track. The real different is that the lyrics, if you can call so, are acted byGianni Nocenzi and it's probabl

Music isn’t a science — it breathes and moves, it adjusts to its surroundings. We know that everyone wants to figure this out as quickly as possible, but that’s not the way to take in music, and an album release like this one just shows more clearly than ever how unhealthy the state of music really is. We are literally trying to review albums — no, album leaks — within 24 hours. When it’s something with as much history, anticipation, and relevance as the new Daft Punk project, is that really how we want to handle it? From DJ Pangburn’s Random Access Criticism: The Internet Pundits Are Ruining Daft Punk, Music (Motherboard) Well, there’s no particular “way” to “take in music,” but more to the point we should probably just acknowledge the difference here between “reviewing albums” and having conversations about pop music. The Daft Punk meme was chatter-based, not writing-based (software vs. hardware to put a McLuhan gloss on it). For a time, anyway (until I burned out on it, which was inevitable), I enjoyed reading the insta-reaction response to the album on Twitter and Facebook. It’s high school writ large and writ fast: you buy a new record, you argue about said record with your pals (some of whom also bought the same record) the next day in the school yard. But no, I don’t confuse this with highly literate, considered opinion (most of which, frankly, has been fairly boring to read, though perhaps the meme-overload just killed that off).

Men in hats… Read this post in its entirety:QUAINTNESS OF THE RECENT PAST NO.32

Review by FragileKings — This album was sadly not what I had expected. It gets a fair bit of praise on this site and is said to be one of the two good albums the band did in the nineties. I really got into Saga earlier this year (2013) and I currently own 10 Saga CDs with another in the mail. So far each album (the first four, Generation 13, Full Circle to Marathon, Trust) have had some songs that I really liked, even Marathon which is my least favourite of the lot. I read the book of Saga's bio and was very interested in hearing "The Security of Illusion". But I was disappointed and surprised that I was.The opening instrumental is little more than entertainment music and people laughing. "Mind Over Matter" comes in with heavy guitar and quickly sets its pace as a rocker. My thoughts are that this could almost be Dream Theater without the progressive tendencies or a band inspired by late 80's Whitesnake. It's a good hard rock song and as Saga often include commercial-sounding music on their albums, I am not worried yet."Once is Never Enough" shows the classic Saga sound appearing in a 1993 context. Jim Gilmour's keyboards do their thing alongside Ian Crichton's fancy fretwork. The modern sound doesn't sound quite so modern though as I find myself thinking that this song could have been done a few years earlier and been up-to-date at that time.I am quite turned off by "Alone Again Tonight", an adult contemporary ballad that would be better suited on another band's album. The first time I heard it, I listened in hopes of finding something magical. The second time I heard it I felt compelled to skip it as either the song or the coffee I had just drunk was making my stomach literally feel uncomfortable. I kept my finger off the skip button though and concluded that Michael Saddler is one heck of a good singer. This song could have spent a week or two on the adult contemporary charts. But it's really not what I want to listen to.We're back to a hard rock number with "I'll Leave it in Your Hands" and by now I am imagining how Joe Lynn Turner or David Coverdale would sound singing this because it sounds like Whitesnake's late 80's commercial numbers or a band called Sunstorm that did an album with Joe Lynn Turner on vocals. This is like Swedish hair metal.The title track gives a bit of hope that Saga will make a return and it's not a bad song. If at least one more Saga-like song had shown up between this one and "Once is Never Enough" I might have had hopes for this album.But no. "Stand Up" is another synth-backed hard rock song and by now I am starting to see how Saga could be confused with an 80's hair band outfit that had a hit or two and faded out."Days Like These" is who singing? One of the brothers? It's not too bad but again another stadium rock number with a loud chorus. The instrumental "Voila!" at least gives Jim Gilmour a chance to do something because he's been mostly filling in the background until now. On the car stereo this sounds alright but in the earbuds it sounds too loudly overproduced. It's like this was supposed to be a rock out album and even the piano and synthesizer instrumental has to be loud."No Man's Land" is introduced by a tribal-like stadium rock drum pattern (Are ya ready for some football?!!!) but the steady 4/4 drumming that is on almost every song it seems comes in. I almost thought this might be an enjoyable song after the first listen but after the second time I changed my mind. The song concludes with more of the opening tracks sounds and music.I'm not sure what happened here. It sounds to me more like Mike and the brothers decided to try to do a hard rock album and were joined last minute by Gilmour and Negus who just filled in drum and synth tracks. It reminds me of "Seventh Star" by Black Sabbath (featuring Tony Iommi) which was supposed to be Iommi's solo project but was called Black Sabbath in order to sell more copies or the Cinema album that got changed to a Yes album because near th

Review by Kingsnake — This is the kind of prog music I really adore.The overall atmospheric vibe is very pleasing and I really enjoy the voice of Lukasz Gall from Millenium (another Polish band).The solos on guitar and saxophone are really outstanding and add a nice flavour to the music.The main man of this band is Kamil Konieczniak, and he plays keys, guitars and bassguitar. He's the composer and musical director. He adds spacey synths and really knows how to write good songs.Some may find the music a bit boring. But it's not meant to be a metal-album nor a heavy rock album. The key element of this band and this record is creating soundscapes and atmosphere.It's not 100% neoprog, because some of the music is really accessible. But as he said: it's the atmosphere that counts. And it works totally.You can compare some of the music to RPWL, Pink Floyd and even Tangerine Dream.

Review by Dark Nazgul — Satan's angels fly! It's been just 48 hours since my review, rather negative, of "The Great Leap". And I feel guilty.I feel guilty because although I am convinced that "The Great Leap" is not a memorable album, I have so much regard for this man and his band that I feel guilty anyway! And so now I try to redeem myself with the second album of this underground trilogy."Doomsday Afternoon", unlike its predecessor, is a masterpiece of modern progressive rock, and in my opinion the best album of 2007. It is probably the turning point in the career of Phideaux, the moment when the band decide to follow the path of progressive rock with great determination (as already made, but only in part, with "Chupacabras"). It is an album characterized by dark and apocalyptic sounds, also implemented through the use of a orchestral section of strings and horns, which help to give extreme solemnity to the songs. Great importance have keyboards, especially the Hammond organ and the synth. As always, Phideaux shows great sensitivity for acoustic music with beautiful piano and guitar parts. The arrangements are very elaborate but do not suffocate the harmonies: the result is a good balance between melody and experimentation, where finally is given to the voice of Valerie Gracious the space it deserves. Matthew Parmenter also participates, he occasionally sings and play violin. Regarding the tracks that make up the album, it is not correct to speak of "single" songs. All songs are linked by the plot, and some themes are repeated many times along the album. In practice, we are faced with a complex musical work that should be appreciated in its entirety. Anyway, here is a brief analysis of the individual tracks. Micro Softdeathstar :9/10. The beautiful initial notes of "Micro Softdeathstar" immediately set the tone that characterizes the entire album. The quiet introduction singed by Xavier is followed by the orchestra in a way that leaves stunned for majesty and elegance. Great changes of atmosphere and rhythm. When Valerie singing "I'm singing to the rain" in the end, the fan of progressive rock already feels at home. The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part One) : 9/10. Instrumental song that starts with another epic and catchy piano riff. Though I am not a big supporter of the synthesizers, I must admit that in this passage the use of this instrument is superb. The orchestra offers a new contribution. Candybrain : 8/10. Short song with acoustic guitar, flute and keyboards. The very first David Bowie comes to mind (it seems like "Space Oddity" or "The Man who sold the World"). The vocal harmonies are very beautiful. Phideaux is the lead singer here. Crumble : 10/10. Exceptional instrumental interlude. A gentle piano melody is played with the accompaniment of the hammond organ and then with choirs and orchestra. This beautiful melody will be reproduced in other parts of the album. The first four songs are all outstanding, with no weak point. The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part Two) : 7/10. It takes up the theme of the second track, as the title suggests, but this time with vocals (both by Valerie and Xavier). The song is more melodic in the first part; in the second half there are complicated arrangements with keyboards in evidence, and some reference to the sounds of Alan Parsons. Thank You For The Evil : 9/10. There is no orchestra here. It is the song that Pink Floyd have never recorded. The slow pace and the use of synth lead you to albums such as "Wish You Were Here" and "Animals". The song expresses a great sense of inevitability. One of the greatest moment of this brilliant work. A Wasteland Of Memories : 7/10. Taken in itself is not an important piece, but it works very well placed in the overall context of the album. The orchestra is under the spotlight again and the theme is taken from the middle section of Micro Softdeathstar. Crumble (Part Two) : 10/10. The most poignant song of the album, thanks to the wonderful in

Review by poslednijat_colobar — What a comeback after an extensive touring for about 8 years! Hard rock giants Deep Purple shatteredall the critics with Now What?!. It's an unique album with many facets. It's typical Deep Purplealbum, but on the other hand it's something else as well. It's hard rock, it's symphonic prog, it'sfunky, it's jazzy, it's Perfect Strangers, it's Purpendicular, it's Yes, ELP and Pink Floyd, butmost importantly - it's one of best and most balanced Deep Purple albums. The arrangements of thesongs are precise. The songwriting is highly compressed and full of ideas, developed in accurate,direct manner. That means to create progressive rock album with hard rock means of expression! The"conversations" between rhythm section (Paice and Glover), organ solos (Airey), guitar solos (Morse)and The Voice (Gillan) are highly addictive. Highly recommended album by one of greatest bands ever!Deserved 4,5 stars would be rounded up! Another gloden page in Deep Purple's extensive and brilliantcareer!