Count Felix Begs Flaming by Reviewing Asia

To the typical Prog Rock fan, the existence of the group Asia is a horror. When you've got such esteemed Prog Rock alumni in one place (Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, John Wetton, and Geoff Downes), one would be more than in their right to cringe at the result. Asia, sent to stores in 1982, ended up being a pop rock album, and shamelessly so? What happened?

Well, though the pressures of commercialization hit this "supergroup" (and many other classic prog groups in the 80's), you take what you can get. I'm not going to defend Asia, say it's comparable to Wish You Were Here or Thick as a Brick, nor will I say it's as enjoyable a piece of early 80's pop in the same way Thriller or Remain in Light. But its not that bad, all things considered. While "Only Time Will Tell" just eats at you with its pure levels of 80's cheese and insincerity, this same fist-pumping, arena rock vibe can be so bad its good on tracks like "Heat of the Moment" and "Sole Survivor". This does have a certain nostalgia to it, and while not so appealing to a prog rock fan, it's certainly decent pop music.

It seems to me the majority of this album's criticizim is about what it's not, and not for what it is. While I would have loved to see with turn into a prog rock album, it isn't, and it must be accepted. When I saw Yes in concert, Asia opened for them. Half the audience was there to see Asia, the other half Yes. Clearly, they were making a product for someone, that was well liked, and their opening act was nearly as good as Yes themselves (mostly due to Carl Palmer- the dude is incredible). I think it's in the best interest of the prog fans to leave Asia alone, and just not listen to it if so inclined.

Really, not that horrid. Even for a hardcore Prog fan like myself, it's still so bad it's good. Grade: C-.

Focus- Moving Waves

Today we take a trip to the Netherlands, home of the much loved symphonic prog group Focus. Known for their excellent guitarist Jan Akkerman and highly eccentric keyboardist/flautist Thjis van Leer, Moving Waves , their second album, was released in 1971 (with the title of Focus II in their homeland). The album also features Pierre van der Linden on drums and Cyril Havermans on Bass. Focus was a primarly instrumental group, and did a pleathora of styles over the years, in fact, none of their albums really has the same feel.

The album kicks off with the well known track "Hocus Pocus", which features yodeling prominently and became a trans-Atlantic radio hit with its epic guitar sections and drum fills changing after every chorus. It's a chaotic mess. This is contrasted with the brief acoustic guitar work "Le Clochard" right after it. The album includes three other small songs on its A side: "Janis", "Moving Waves", and the second instalment of their self title series of songs. "Moving Waves is notable for featuring some rare vocals on a Focus record, but it's not super exiting, while the other two have nice flute work. The B side is dedicated solely to the 22 and a half minute "Eruption", which is a heavy handed work of music. The keyboards dominate this one, and it ultimatley can't hold interest beyond the 8 minute mark.

Though it's got some duds, Moving Waves has a lot to offer. Akkerman's guitar performances are exquisite. Grade: B

Klause Schulze- X

I'm tackling a triple album for the first time ever. A member of Tangerine Dream in its earliest incarnation, then with Ash Ra Temple, Kaluse Schilze has some serious Prog Electronic chops before he made his solo debut in 1972. Just 6 years later he had hit his 10th. It's a semi-concept album, wherein six lengthy tracks are supposed to represent famous Germans. Most of the works run close to one half hour long, eons in the vinyl era.

The album begins with a work called "Friedrich Nietzsche" after the great philosopher. Like the implications of the man's work. the song is sterile. The high pitched twang of some keyboards leads the music along for 24 minutes of a ghoulish pace. There's some heavily distorted organic sounds (vocals and an orchestra) layered down deep within the music, and there is a lot of drum machine. Georg Trakl follows, and it is less creepy but just as minimalistic. Schulze really digs into the Berlin School of near ambient music. There are a couple of 10-14 minute pieces that contain some nice synth waving, but the true gem is the 29 minute "Ludwig II Von Bayern", one of the most incredible prog-electronic works of all time. It combines the orchestra with ARP synthsizers to go fll circle, enfusing the classical traditions with the fururisim that progressive rock truly embodies.

Scenic. Ethereal. Breathtaking. Too damn long. Grade: A-

Pink Floyd- Obscured by Clouds

Having previously worked with French Film Director Barbet Schroder, The Floyd made another for the film La Vallé. The 1972 soundtrack became their seventh studio album, and their last before really hitting it big with Dark Side. It is some of their least active and most droning work.

There is a continuous mood of air, space, and eternity over the album's tracks. There's not too much merriment, although the work does have some lighter moments. The duo of David Gilmour's guitar and Rick Wright's keyboards sets the main instrumental makeup of the record. In all honesty, this record may have the nicest vocal performances of any Pink Floyd record. Highlights include the wistful "Wot's.... Uh the Deal", and the rainy "Mudmen". The problem with this album is it lacks any sort of wow factor. It does competent prog rock, but it lacks the philosophical bent of later prog works to make a huge staying mark.

A dress rehersal for better days. Grade: B.

Jethro Tull- A Passion Play

After Thick as a Brick made a monumental statement, J-Tull fol owed it up with a second album long song in 1973's A Passion Play. With the Anderson/Barre/Hammond/Barlow/Evan lineup firmly in place, the group was at the height of their musical power. Another concept album, A Passion Play chronicles the journey of a man who is taken first to heaven, and then to hell, only to ultimately decide that the best place to live is the material earth.

Jethro Tull's medieval sounding chops are in full swing here, with abundant harpsichord, flute, and guitar sounds to give the album a true feeling of fantasy. Part one deals with the trip to heaven, while part two deals with hell. Neither really sounds that different, heaven at times menaces, and hell can show serenity. Like any good tale, there's lots of room to interpret the lyrics, and every prog fan will have an opinion. The real hero of the proceedings is John Evan, who's keyboard patterns (mostly ARP synths and grand piano) provide the main musical leitmotifs throughout the work.

There's a little catch, the work is cut in two by a little fairy-tale like turd called "The Hare who Lost his Spectacles". It breaks up the flow and is ridiculous beyond belief. Avoid it at all costs.


Fit for a minstrel, fit for a Prog Head. Grade: A

Tangerine Dream- Phaedra

Tangerine Dream started out making complete space music, and their first 4 record on the German Ohr label are all key. However, after DJ John Peel named their album Atem best import of the year in 1973, they switched to Mike Oldfield's new Virgin label. Here, they changed things up, adding a bit more melodic structure while continued that open, minimalistic feel. The result is 1974's Phaedra often hailed as one of the electronic genre's first masterpieces.

The record contains a 16 minute long title track, two 9-10 minute pieces, and wraps up with a 2:20 meletron flute. That title track has a very airy feel, using Meletron extensively. It slowly transitions between a number of melodic structures, never actively gripping the listener but merely showering sound through their mind in a light manner. The whole record speaks of this: gentle, docile, and ambient. All but a few little sprinkles of guitar chords is done on electronic instruments. The two mid length tracks, are also very pleasing. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strands of Nightmares" is soft and cloudlike, while "Movements of a Visionary", one of TD's most famous tracks, is more analog sounding, and conjures up images of water. The quickie "Sequent C" is a very sweet overlaying on the Meletron's Flute sound.

This was indeed the future of E-music. Phaedra came out the same year as Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and Brian Eno's debut album. These three set the new bar: no longer reserved for experiments, purely electronic music can have melody, and be enjoyable. A Progressive work in every sense of the word.

A fantastic indicator of things to come, Tangerine Dream had reached their peak which would last several albums longer. Grade: A

Catapilla- Catapilla

Ever wanted to know what happens when you mix prog, blues, and jazz? You get Catapilla. This 1971 debut album (first of two) came from a British conglomerate featuring Robert Calvert (Saxophone), Grahm Wilson (guitar), Dave Taylor (Bass), Malcolm Firth (Drums), Hugh Eaglestone (Saxophone), and the distinctive rasp of Anna Meek (Vocals). Though their albums had some critical success and influenced peers, commercial success eluded the group.

Things kick off with the steamy "Naked Death", which is driven by frenetic saxophone and drum work for 15+ minutes of work. The guitar is aggressive as hell, and Meek's vocals are totally deranged and very creepy. They grate the ears, and she's going to be one of those love them or hate them things. The wah-wahs and jamming get cumbersome after a while. The much shorter "Tumbleweed" comes after all the meandering, which is really nothing but a rather well done blues rock number. The following "Promises" then shifts over into a short Jazz fusion song. The saxophone led melody is very catchy, and this song transitions well between several movements. The 24 minute epic "Embryonic Fusion" takes up side B, and it spends a long time with a monotonous bass beat underlying some sax jamming. Afterwards it starts going into that jazz and blues hybrid, and it drags on way too long.

Quite a bit of musical motifs take place here. On one hand, Catapilla wants to be a bluesy jam band record. On the other, it wants to do jazz fusion. Both turn out well when isolated from each other on the two shorter songs, but when blended together the whole affair becomes a meandering mess. I do like Meek's vocal though, it's a really weird Janis Joplin type voice. She adds a shock factor to the record, which can pull it through some of its lows.

A stew of genres and ideas, dragging things out too long hampers the work. Grade: C+

Pell Mell- Marburg

I'm going to change things up a bit this week, with a German album that's far from Krautrock. Pell Mell was a band from the town of Marburg, Germany, and they titled their 1972 debut after their hometown. There were 4 more over the next decade, and then they disappeared into rarity, with only very limited availability for their albums. Members were Thomas Schmitt (vocals, violin, flute, Mellotron), Otto Pusch (piano, organ), Bruno Kniedmeijer (drums), Rudolf Schön (vocals, percussion, guitar), and Jörg Götzfried (bass).

The opening is called "The Clown and The Queen", with some guitar riffing and ARP keyboards getting aggressive right off the bat. Unfortunately, as soon as the vocalist comes in, he delivers a poor, forced performance. It's a shame, as the music is a pretty good fusion of ELP with blues rock guitar (and it works surprisingly.) The next track, "Moldau", actually samples Israel's national anthem for a few bars of flute music. Otherwise, it's a nice instrumental flute piece, nothing wrong there. "Friend" keeps things going, and it's really more of the beginning of this album. Bad vocal, great keyboards and guitar. There's a healthy mix of violin and flute too. Really, I have no need to write about the B side tracks "City Monster" and "Alone" as their more of the same.

Bleh. This album has many sources to draw upon, from blues to symphonic prog to classical to Israeli anthems. Sadly, they just don't work all that well. The album is well made, with a few cool passages, but lacks any reach out and grab you elements. Marburg meets the minimum, and is nothing more than that.

This one is alright, but remained obscure for a reason. Grade: C

Faust-Faust IV

Faust are a group of well known Krautrock eccentrics. Their style combined minimalism with rawness, displaying lots of fuzzy guitars and heavy rythym. Their first 3 albums were acclaimed by listeners, but sold piss poorly. With Rudolf Sonsa (Guitar, Keys, Vocals), Hans Joachim Irmler (organ), Jean-Hervé Péron (Bass), "Zappi" Diermaier (Drums), and Gunter Wüsthoff (sax, synths) this band of Germany's headed to England to record their 1973 Faust IV. The result is often considered one of the best Krautrock albums of all time.

The first track is and ode to their music, entitled "Krautrock". This song is the EMBODIMENT of minimalism, with a repeated guitar riff and keyboard for 7 whole minute before the drums even show up. Over it's 12 minute run, the track takes you into a trance like state and is one of the most enveloping works of music I've ever heard. Afterward is the humorous "The Sad Skinhead", which is a quick song that has a circus feel to it. The two contrast nicely. This is followed by the low key, "Jennifer". This song is a drone like trip, driven by the bass with a little guitar riff on top. After a while, it decays into noise. It's a strange part of this album, but one of it's highlights due to the spaciness.

Flip the album over, and we have an instrumental medley called "Just a Second" / "Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxième Tableau", with is sort of a funk-Krautrock, as unlikely as it sounds. Electronic bird sounds abound. Then there's the bouncing "Giggy Smile", which is irreverent, bass heavy, and every minimalistic. It's the best track on the album due to it's combination of the minimalism with accessibility. "Läuft...Heißt das es läuft oder es kommt bald...Läuft" follows, which is really a violin riff with some fake french on top. The weirdness of this album just keeps coming and coming, with the finale "It's a Bit of a Pain" capping things off as an accoutic ballad on this album of tangents. It's then subverted with an ear-destroying noise in the chorus.

Faust IV is quirky. Less avant garde than its predecessors, the album finds strength by making the strange accessible. There's groove, even dancebility, to many of the parts. Not many prog rock albums have that quality. It's got all sorts of twists and changes of mood, but what it lacks in consistency it makes up for in charm.

This album is a bit like that cool old man that lives next door. Grade: A

Can- Future Days

After several albums of all out weirdness, for the fifth effort, Krautrock kings Can took a drastic change in direction. They eschewed the avant garde and fuzzy elements of their music and made an ambient album. 1973's Future Days took the band's prior minimalism and made it the focal point of the music, Czukay, Karoli, Leibezit and Schmidt make their instruments recede into nothingness. Damo Sazuki features less prominently, and he would leave the group after the album to become a Jehovah's Witness.

The album fades in with some very distorted symbols for the title track. There is almost no formal instrumentation here, just some strange effects layered on each other and a wispy vocal. Can defiantly sees the future as a fairly sterile, orderly place. Afterward comes the aptly titled "Spray", with an ocean like feel conveyed via the washed out keyboards and rhythmically pounding drums. ?It's a bit more active, but it still has that empty and power full feel. Juxtaposed in the mix is the three minute (the rest are all 9+) little pop dity "Moonshake." It's a nonsensical song, and although it's not to bad, it kills the mood of the album. This should have been a single.

On the B side is the side-long suite "Bel Air", which has many shorter movements instead of one long one. It starts of similarly to the title track, with even matching maracas. Then all of a sudden the rhythm section seals the show, with some layered keys and guitar chords to liven the mix. All goes quiet for a heavily fuzzy middle, then farm sounds, and afterwards there's cycle back to the beginning. This is a far cry from their prior side longers, and even casual fans might enjoy this. Good background music/

This is one of the first ambient albums ever created. Ahead of its time in many ways, Future Days is one of a handful of blueprint albums for electronic music. With just light sprinklings of lyrics, guitar, and even formal keyboards, the sparseness is the entirety of the album's embodiment. That does make it difficult to get in to the record until several listens, but there's a lot on offer. Not quite a Tago Mago, though.

This album is like a cloud, an interesting and beautiful object that passes by with so little fanfare it barely goes noticed. Grade: B+

Pink Floyd- Meddle

Pink Floyd started out as a psychedelic rock band in the mid 60's, and remained so for a while. After their guiding light, Syd Barret, went insane and was replaced by guitarist David Gilmour, the group noddled around for a few years. While they made some good music, they lacked the focus and drive to make a really good album during that period. Everything changed for this 6th album, 1971's Meddle. Though there were hints of a change on the proir album, Atom Heart Mother, here the Floyd jumps with two feet into progressive rock and they don't look back.

The affair starts off with the six minute instrumental "One of These Days". It's all atmosphere, with distorted bass, fuzzy guitar, and lots of sound effects. This creates an awesome brooding effect, and rocks out more than most prog pieces. Also of note is the one line ultra-distorted vocal. The track is juxtaposed with " A Pillow of Winds", which is a soft acoustic guitar piece. It floats by, and isn't nearly as fun but is admitably quite enjoyable. The rest of the A side has mostly forgettable tracks with different influences: the folksy "Fearless" (well liked by many, but not my favorite), the jazzy "San Tropez" (fun, but not substantial), and the bluesy "Seamus" (terrible). However, the side long "Echoes" makes up for anything that those three songs lack. From the opening electric pulse, everything about this song is right. The music is so completely somber, and the emotion is what makes the track. It also is an early entry in Pink Floyd's existentialist catalogue, and the live version is even better.Very few pieces of Progressive Rock capture so much raw feeling with music. A classic.

The early Pink Floyd albums, especially their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, weren't at all bad. But most of those albums are just good, the kind of things that would be forgotten today if not for the later fame that the Floyd gained. Meddle is not like that. Led by Roger Waters, Pink Floyd took their roots and mixed them into a Prog Rock format, allowing them to really start reaching the post Barrett musical vision the group had. Though not a Dark Side, Wish, or Animals, the door was now open to high achievement.

The real Pink Floyd starts here. Grade: A-

Genesis- Selling England by the Pound

Coming off of Foxtrot, the classic genesis lineup had high expectations upon them. In 1973, the delivered. Selling England by the Pound, the group's 5th album, is widely considered not only their best but is a candidate for best Prog album of all time. It sports their particular style fantastically, and at close to a hour on one vinyl record, is a value deal.

The record commences with "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight." This is one of many medieval themed pieces that Genesis did, and it is reflected in the harpsichord like keyboards, bombastic grand piano, and subtle acoustic guitars. Though it starts of with quiet instrumentation a Gabriel dominating, it slowly builds up into a very active and intricate second half. It uses many quick musical phrases to keep the excitement going. Afterwards comes the pop-prog oddity "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)". It's very catchy, with some nice keyboard work, and also provided Genesis with a minor hit. Then comes the breathtaking "Firth of Fith", which in my opinion is the best Genesis song, and one of the best all time songs, ever. From the opening piano to the pounding drums to the subtle, barely there guitar for atmosphere, everything works so well. With not a wasted note, it is a bona-fide Progressive Rock masterpiece, showing every thing that is great about the genre. Side A closes with the very quiet and subtle "More Fool Me", with Phil Collins on his first Genesis Lead vocal. He sounds very high pitched and weak though, but not quite in Geddy Lee territory. There's almost no instruments, and although very understated, it's a very nice ballad.

That breather exists as a lull before the next 11 minute epic: "The Battle of Epping Forest". Although its a little bit duller than other parts of the album due to the over-reliance on the same musical patterns for sections of music rather than constant shifts, it's pretty good. Gabriel is the driving force, and Banks' keyboards are in top form. "After the Ordeal" is an instrumental in the same vain as "Battle", but with a guitar solo. Then yet another 11 minute track comes on called "The Cinema Show". Another long form, subtle piece, it ahs a healthy dose of flute over the keyboards, and that makes up a lot of the music. Medieval sounding, but the lyrical themes deal with other things. The work wraps up with "Aisle of Plenty", a reprise of parts of "Moonlit Knight".

Selling England by the Pound just feels right. Through all of the tracks there's so many musical phrases, patterns, measures, and dynamics that you'll find so many parts of it will stick with you. All of the instruments are great (especially keyboards), and Gabriel does his best work with the group here. You'll be hard pressed to find an album that's better than this one.

Symphonic Prog's codifying album, the one which hits all the switches and then makes something wonderful. Grade: A+

Curved Air- Second Album

Curved Air were a sympho prog group with a double hook: a violinist and a female vocalist. With Sonja Kristina (vocals), Darryl Way (Violin), Francis Monkman (Guitar, Keyboards), and Florian Pilkington-Miksa (Drums) constant for the first few albums, the bass spot rotated, here under Ian Eyre. On this 1971 Sophomore effort, the band attempted to deploy all these strengths. The result is baroque symphonic prog.

Things kick off with "Young Mother", a synthesizer heavy rocker. Kristina's vocals are mixed very loudly and dominate the proceedings. The violin also plays a large role in the melodic development of the music, with a strong classical feel. Afterwards comes "Back Street Luv (Sic)", which was a #4 hit in the UK and got Curved Air on Top of the Pops. This is a great example of how progressive rock can be accessible, with some complex interplay between the instruments, but a 4/4 beat and no wild experimentation. Again, this one is all Kristina's, with a powerful mezzo-soprano. Next up is the violin ballad "Jumbo", which is very serene and features no guitars. However, the instruments repeat the same short cycle over and over again, and Prog is not meant to be vocal driven. As a result, the song meanders. Next up is "You Know", a track with a strange mix of pop, prog, and Hendrix-esque guitar. If not phenomenal, it is at least interesting. This side of the record closes with the eerie "Puppets", a minimalistic piece with piano and a creepy vocal section.

On the flip side of the record, we have "Everdance", which slaps you in the face with energy after "Puppets". It's very frenzied, with crazy percussion and violin work. This is much more progressive than anything on side A (due to Monkman writing, rather than some mix of the other members.) Up next is "Bright Summer's Day '68", which is similar but with more vocal parts and with a harpsichord thrown in for good measure. The final track is the 12 and a half minute "Piece of Mind", which fuses all of the instruments together into a constant thunder to back up Kristina on the vocals. The work feels brooding, and in the middle it suddenly speeds up and goes insane. A very interesting progressive rock song.

Second Album is almost a great record. It's got a phenomenal vocalist, a swirl of ideas, and a good variety of pieces to chose from. Yet, in comparison to a lot of other albums in the genre, it just don't have quite as much staying power. Still, it uses what it's got very well, and over repeated listens it endears itself to the listener, especially side B. This is a good introduction to the work of Curved Air and defiantly an album worth having.

This is a progressive rock fruit salad: everything is separable from the others, but taken together they really shine out. Grade: B+

Camel- The Snow Goose

After Mirage, the classic Camel lineup of Laitimer, Feurgeson, Bardens, and Ward wanted to tackle their most ambitious project yet. The Snow Goose is based on the novel of the same name by Paul Gallico, a romance novel set in world war two that's evidently very popular in Britain. However, the band decided to make a completely instrumental work. In essence, it's a rock opera without a spoken story (a rock ballet, perhaps?), leaving the listener to be absorbed by Barden's Keyboards and Laitimer's guitars and flute.

With 16 small tracks, it would be pointless to try and do my usual by-the-song style review for The Snow Goose. This album has a very beautiful, serene feel to it. From the opening of "The Great Marsh" forward, this album if planted firmly in the steamy, ethereal keyboards from Pete Bardens. With warm Hammonds and icy grand pianos, the emotional depth of the work is firmly planted here. The flute work here is also great, especially on "Rhayader", layering on further emotion. The guitar stays mostly in the background, but when they come out the action is wonderfully advanced. Its often acoustic in nature. As for the rhythm section, they don't really get a whole lot to do.

This album is a textbook example of symphonic prog, with a good deal of classical influence while still managing to remain firmly in the rock camp. Packed with virtuoso playing and lots of heart, The Snow Goose offers a lot of stuff for the proghead to love. Try to find a live version online- it's a lot more aggressive and has it's own distinct feel!

Everything here blends together, and it's a great piece of symphonic prog work. Grade: A

Yes-Relayer

It's been ages since I've done a Yes album on here. Let's fix that. Due to the major personality clashes within the band, Rick Wakeman decided to leave Yes after the prior album, Tales from Topographic Oceans, leaving the much more permanent fixtures of Anderson, Howe, Squire, and White to find a new keyboardist. The lucky individual turned out to be Patrick Moraz, a Swiss keyboardist. In 1974, the band created Relayer, yet another album with all of those Yes touches, but with its own little quirks.

This album has a side-long epic on the A side, called "The Gates of Delirium." Anderson supplies lyrics with a lot clearer message than regular, and this track is clearly a war epic. The song starts out with a two minute keyboard workout. Moraz' style is a bit more modest than Wakeman's, but is just as good. Then the vocal comes in, and all of the Yes elements come together in good old fashion. Squire does the best at leaving an impression in here, but they keyboard Bridges do a fine job also. There are many movements during this song, and they all have a 4/4 or 6/4 time signature and similar chord structures, but the melody varies vastly. After about the 8:00 mark, Anderson stops, and the song goes into an instrumental powerhouse. Howe really does the shining here, and his ever adaptable guitar has one of a few career highs here. The style of this section is all about going for a massive wall of sound. At the 15 minute mark, everything screeches to a halt and becomes a slow, "after the battle" type song. This section was originally a separate song called "Soon." Anderson sings some sappy vocals, and it all draws to a close. While it ends with a whimper, the beginning sure is a bang.

Side B has pair of nine-minute tracks, starting with "Sound Chaser", which gets so crazy that it more or less lacks a time signature in parts off the song. The title is apt. The keyboard work here is terrific, and very frenzied. "Sound Chaser" also has a nice bouncy rhythm, and Howe has a very nice guitar solo. The finale is called "To Be Over". This song is much slower in tempo, and is very simplistic. It almost reminds me of a lullaby at parts. There's some tacky 70's production and touches. The musicians don't stand out, and overall this is just not all that good. It fails to live up to the other two tracks on this album.

Relayer is something of a schizophrenic record. Between the chaos of the beginnings of the record sides and the sereneness of the second portions, Relayer struggles to find that consistent grove that can be seen on Close to the Edge or Fragile. However, there is a lot to like here, with a variety of strong players (especially the underrated Moraz, who unfortunately was not a good live keyboardist), just doing what feels right at the time. Each ones gets their fair share of space, and takes their performances to a great level of proficiency. After this album, Yes went on a 3 year hiatus, and all the members released solo albums.

While not the best Yes album out there, Relayer has much to offer and is an album you should have in your Prog collection. Grade: B+

Arcadium- Breathe Awhile

Here we have a lost gem from the proto-prog era. Arcadium was a British psych/prog band, and besides a single that was included as bonus tracks, this 1969 album is their only piece of work. Its lineup consisted of Miguel Sergides (12-string guitar, vocals), Graham Best (bass, vocals), Allan Ellwood (organ, vocals), Robert Ellwood (lead guitar, vocals), and John Albert Parker (drums). Breathe Awhile straddles the fence between the heavy psychedelic rock bands like Cream or Spirit and a heavier version of symphonic prog.

Things kick off with the 11 minute "I'm On My Way". It starts out with twangy, airy guitars, before heading into a long section led by distorted guitar and keyboard effects. The whole thing is a little dizzy, but captures a fairly epic feel. The vocals don't come in until 6 minutes into the song, and they're pretty typical late 60's psychedelic rock fare. Overall, the song is addictive due to its trance-like beat. Next, "Poor Lady" provides the listener with an ahead of its time short-form Prog song. The bass beat is very catchy, and this stuff would rub off and become used by many prog bands like Birth Control and Magma in years to come. The last track on side A is "Walk on the Bad Side", which is a psychedelic jam. It's good stuff, and it's a sort of prog with no classical or jazz influences.

Continuing on, "Woman of a Thousand Years" is a quick psychedelic rock track. It's a bit forgettable. "Change Me" is similar to "Poor Lady", but not quite as memorable. Afterward, the pop-prog song "It Takes a Woman" makes a nice impression. This is the only track with standout drumming, and the guitar is also very strong. The album wraps up with "Birth, Life, and Death". This track is the most progressive on the album, with some a fusion feel, and many elements in common with the heavy prog bands from '70-'72. The guitar solos here remind me a bit of Wishbone Ash on a single guitar. This one appeases both psych ad prog fans, and is defiantly a grand finale for this record.

Breathe Awhile is a solid proto-prog album. It's got lots of progressive feel, especially in the keyboard sections. You can defiantly feel the impending transition to Prog going on here. However, the production quality on the album is rather poor, sounding too claustrophobic and fuzzy. Additionally, the averageness of many B-Side tracks hold the record down. Despite this, Arcadium does an admirable job, and this album is strong enough to warrant attention.

Psychedelic and Progressive rock are like two peas in a pod, and this album displays that very effectively with much to offer. Grade: B+

Chris Squire- Fish Out of Water

Between 1974 and 1977, Yes released no albums. Instead, all of their members put out solo albums. Bassist Chris Squire, unlike some of the others, would never produce another. However, this 1975 album is more than enough to rest a reputation on. The title comes from Squire's nickname, "Fish", and Bill Bruford handles the drums.

This one kicks off with "Hold Out your Hand". Right from the get-go, we're treated to Squire's signature bass style, over top of keyboards. His vocals are surprisingly good for someone who only sung backup to this point. The song has a prog-funk sort of feel, and that bass is what really makes it an excellent song. This segues into "You by my Side", a prog love song. Thought the lyrics are a bit tacky, under all the layers of bass and piano they're not very noticeable. The song gets very grand and fleshed out by and orchestra towards the end (most of this album's tracks feature it.) Up next is the epic "Silently Falling", which I can't quite find the words to describe stylistically, but I guess it's a bit like a darker sounding version of Yes' sound. Keyboards and flute feature prominently, and there are many cool vocal effects. There's also a time switch from 4/4 to 5/4. Absolutely Fantastic.

On the other side of the record is a peice called "Lucky Seven" in 7/8 time. With the whole darker mood and the addition of the saxophone, this track has a funky, urban feel to it. A fine song, and it couples well with the 14 minute climax, "Safe (Cannon Song)". This goes for a Phil Spector-ish wall of sound production wise, and everything from latin percussion to horns can be hard in the mix. This song is the only one on the album to feature regular guitar prominently, but the bass still dominates, and even solos on this track. Bruford's drumming adds a special touch as well.

I often wonder why this album has remained mostly a Yes fan collector's item. Everything about this thing is immaculate, from orchestral touches, the vocals, and time switches to the atmosphere and piano. Yet, Squire dominates this thing entirely with his bass guitar, his style truly unique in the world of music. This is one that just can not be missed, and is one of my favorite albums of all time.

If you like the bass guitar and you like Prog rock, this album will give you an orgasm. Grade: A+

Richard Vimal- Transparence

This is far and away the rarest album in my collection. I've tried to search the Internet for information on Richard Vimal, and there's almost nothing about him. He's from France, but that's about all I can get on his background. What I was able to dig up was that this is the first of 3 albums he put out, and the only one with vocals. Transperance was released in 1977, and is one of the many sonic, atmoshpereic electronic prog albums released during the mid to late 70's.

The first track is called "Intro + âme soeur" (Intro + Soul Mate). It kicks off with a gentle acoustic guitar melody accompanied by a background synthesizer, and then transfers into a soft vocal of a man serenading his soul mate. In a similar vein, "Metomorphoses" involves some synthesizers (I believe they're ARPs) under the guitar, this time as an instrumental. The whole feeling of the album is very open and fresh, like mountain air.This album has a particularly strong melodic patterns, some of which repeat them selves. Song three is "Joli papillon" (Joyous Butterfly), another ballad about paying attention between lovers. "Léa" is the next song, and it's more of the same. This time however, Vimal includes some grand piano along with the mix. "L'ange des terres brûlées" (The Angel of the burnt earth) is the next track, and it's got some cool wah-wah synth effects to make it rather ethereal. I've been unable to detect where the side break is, but I think this is the time.

Side two begins with "De l'autre côté du miroir" (The other side of the mirror), and it's a creepy instrumental piece with lots of minor chords, unlike the first half of the record. Afterwords, "Tu es douce comme un fruit" (You are sweet like a fruit) is another piano heavy ballad, this time featuring very little synths except buried deep in the mix. "La clef des songes" is the next one, and it has a dark aura also. This song's lyrics deal more with rejection than happiness in love. "De ce côté du miroir" (This side of the mirror" accompanies "De l'autre côté du miroir" and has the same basic melody. Everything wraps up with "Derrière moi " (Behind me), one last little upbeat love ballad to end on a sweet note. This song also is the only one on the album to feature violin.

Transperances doesn't feel like a prog album. With an abundance of simple love ballads (great for French learners like myself) and a light feel, it doesn't seem like it would leave an impression. However, it has just the right amount of chill and intrigue to be infectious, addictive, and enjoyable. The tracks aren't very different, but they blend into one beautiful sonic trip. This album was never re-issued, so your only options are trying to track down the hard-to find vinyl or downloading it (also difficult to find).

This album is a gentle lulluby, a kiss goodnight. Not your everyday progressive rock album, but still a fantastic addition to your Prog collection. Grade: A-

King Crimson- Larks' Tongues in Aspic

King Crimson is always best remembered for In the Court but right along side that masterpiece stands 1973's Larks Tongues in Aspic. By this time guitarist Robert Fripp was the sole remaining member of both the Original King Crimson and the most recent lineup. After mutating from Sympho-Prog to Jazz Prog, Fripp decided to reinvent King Crimson as a Hard Prog band. To do so, he recruited Bill Bruford of Yes (drums), John Wetton of Family (Bass/Vocals), David Cross (violin), and Jamie Muir (mixed percussion) to create the new sound. As with the prior member Peter Sinfield, lyricist Richard Palmer James is credited as a member but does not play on the album. The results of this experiment were something nearly as revolutionary as the first record.

The album starts out with the first of a two part instrumental Title Track, divided up into 13 and 7 minute segments. Marimba opens the album in a very low key and peaceful way, before a section of menacing violin takes over. Then, out of nowhere, one of the most bad ass riffs in rock music period drops on you like a brick, only to withdraw just as suddenly. From there, things go nuts with all kinds of percussion, guitar and bass riffs and assorted effects rapidly changing melody, harmony, tempo, chord, and timbre. This is pure musical chaos, and is strikingly beautiful. Then, it all calms down and fades away. "Book of Saturday", the next song, is a prog quickie, it's just a nice melodic rock song (with lyrics this time), calm after the storm of sorts. Afterwards, we have the great "Exiles", which revisits the Medieval themes seen on the In The Court and Lizard albums. This time, however, it is more subtle and soundtrack like, fleshed out wonderfully by Cross's violin. This piece is, in my opinion, the best of Crimson's entire career, which is a very big accomplishment.

Side B opens with "Easy Money", the last of the 3 tracks featuring Wetton singing. As you can probably guess, this song attacks money and greed in society. As far as the structure, it's not all that progressive, though its lack of a chorus means it's firmly not pop. The guitar dominates the instrumentation with some repeated riffs. Afterwards comes "The Talking Drum". If the album has a weak spot, this is it. While not bad, the endless percussive rhythms that are the entire song do get a little tiring sometimes. Last up is "Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Pt 2." This section has more structure than the first, but is just as insane and aggressive. Here, the guitar and drums just smash up everything in a barrage of notes.

Between the two parts of the title track, King Crimson mange to do so many different progressive things in the hard rock context it's incredible. Once again the leaders, this album is the first step towards the eventual rise of Prog Metal. In addition to that, there's some subtlety and melody that juxtapose and work wonderfully together. Larks' Tongues in Aspic is one of the most intelligent and creative prog albums I've ever heard, and to these ears it trumps even In the Court of the Crimson King by the thinnest of margins.

Overall, this is a phenomenal piece of experimentation and rhythm, and shows many of Prog's great extremes without sounding jumbled or overwrought. Do not miss this one. Grade: A+.

Sweet Smoke- Just a Poke

Although Sweet Smoke ended up as exiles in Germany, this band hailed from Brooklyn, and therefore is best considered an American Band. They started up as one of the 1967 slew of summer of love bands, and never really left the genre in their 7 years of existence. However, they did have a nice bit of Prog-Rock in their mix. With a lineup of Andrew Dershin (bass, percussion), Jay Dorfman (drums, percussion), Marvin Kaminowitz (lead guitar, vocals, percussion), and Michael Paris (saxophone, flute, alto recorder, vocals, percussion,) this group put out a nice slice of proto prog with their first of two albums, Just a Poke, in 1970.

This is one of those albums that just has two side long tracks, both 16:34 in length. Depending on whether you have the German Vinyl/CD or the USA/UK/French Vinyl, they are swapped in order. This review is for the former.

Side A's piece is called "Baby Night", which starts with a flute intro and typical psych-pop vocal. This track's defining feature is it's nice bass groove, as well as the extreme amounts of flute that is used. This creates a mood that's actually a bit reminiscent of Native American music, which is a rare move for prog, but a pleasant one. Later on there's some typical late 60's guitar jamming. Not the most complex of songs, this one meanders a bit, but it's got lots of good influences mixing together. A nice piece.

The other side of the record has "Silly Sally", which uses saxophone instead of flute. On here, they go for an ambitious combo of psych rock, prog rock, and jazz rock. The vocals are very much the latter, with a near scat like tone. The guitar plays the same riff over and over for a long part of this song, but it changes in volume. There's many drum solos, some with Latin percussion. Additionally, "Silly Sally" uses keyboards while "Baby Night" does not.

Overall, this album is unique yet somewhat mediocre. Prog Rock was new in 1970, and it's clear they don't really understand the genre and end up falling back on tried and true but somewhat stale psychedelic rock and jazz rock patterns. The saving graces here are the heavy use of woodwinds and the Native American feel on "Baby Night", which prove this album did have some serious creative drive. Still, I feel their other album, Darkness to Light, is the better package.

While it's not going to wow you, this is a great album to see the transition between the Psychedelic late 60's and Progressive early 70's at work. Grade: B-