Porcupine Tree, Camel, Opeth, 21st Century Schizoid Band |
Really too many to make a list that doesn't omit alot of great bands, but here goes anyway:
Blast
Hamster Theatre
Pip Pyle's Bash
Uz Jsme Doma
Present
Univers Zero
Massacre (Frith/Laswell/Hayward)
Ruins
Scorch Trio
Bone Structure
Lucas Niggli Zoom
Good For Cows
Patrick Cress/Telepathy
Available Jelly
Tricolor
Tortoise
Trio AAB
Tarental
Alamaailman Vasarat
Gotta agree that Thinking Plague deserves mention. I've still got all the Anglagard discs (they're obviously really skilled) but after catching them at Nearfest i couldn't help thinking that Terje Rypdal eclipsed everything they've done on Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away recorded in 1974. |
I like Minimum Vital from France alot, but they can be a bit pompy. Happy Family (JP) has its moments. On the spacier side: Ozric Tentacles, DarXtar, and the Anubian Lights/Farflung/Pressurehed family.
Rwwear: Opeth? If death/prog is your thing, you might like Katatonia. Or Cynic... or Disharmonic Orchestra (post Expositionprophylaxe), or Death circa "Human". Of those, Disharmonic is the hidden gem.
Duane, been meaning to drop you a line. Good taste, as always. |
I've been way out of touch with whatever is going on these days with prog. rock but I have heard that one of my old favorites, Happy the Man, is due to release a new record after 20 something years. Anybody out there a Happy the Man fan? |
Uz jsme doma just released new album avalable on Tamizdat.com I wonder how is their music without Jindra saxophonist now. |
Xiekitchen, I've got "Crafty Hands" and like it quite a bit. Interesting to hear they're back together! Stanley Whittaker apeared on Ten Jinn's "As on a Darkling Plain" around '99, which I found to be a bit on the "pomp" side, but I like many tracks on it so guess I've gotta say it's pretty good. I've seen it for free on Ebay several times ; ) |
I have Damnation by Opeth which is more like Porcupine Tree since Steve Wilson produced it and also plays keyboards on some songs. I like Darxtar and Ozric also(check out their DVD) I saw HTM at Progfest in 2002, they were very good. |
I had "Orchid" by Opeth, but I never connected with it. It seemed like a transitional phase between black metal and something more goth and stylized. That's interesting to hear they've really moved far in the direction they have. That's "progressive" for you!
Thanks for the tip on the Ozric DVD, that's right up my alley. I didn't know they had one. I'm definitely going to check this out. Do you happen to have "Darker" by Darxtar (their 2nd)? |
No, I have Tombola. I like it. How is "Darker"?
Opeth has a DVD that will be released in feb, it's already out in the UK. It is getting great reviews on amazon.com.uk.
If you are/were a Crimson fan, 21st Century Schizoid Band are ex members of Crimson performing newly penned and older songs by their former group. They have a DVD "Live in Japan" that is very good. |
Impossible to find, that's why I asked ; ) Tombola is much more progressive than their older stuff. If you like Hawkwind, you would absolutely love "Daybreak", their 3rd release. "Sju", their 4th, is in between styles of classic spacerock a la Hawkwind and more progressive stuff like Tombola. It might be worth looking into if you like both.
I haven't gone into Crimson beyond "Lizard"... I heard part of Thraak or something like that and said, "whoa, missed my exit!" I like the psychedelic old stuff - I have the 1st three, with "Wake of Poseidon" being my favorite. |
If you like the early Crimson then, you would like 21st CS Band because they do the early stuff.
I like some of Hawkwind but not all. In the Hawkwind vein and beyond is a band called Omnia Opera that is quite good. I have Red Shift by them.
I like the DarXtar CD but it is not the best sounding thing I've heard as far as sound quality goes. I have been to their website, I guess I should go back and see what's new with them.
Have you heard Mr Quimby's Beard? It's real good psych. |
Cool - I'll have to add 21st to my list of bands to check out.
The DarXtar recording quality is usually horrible, no surprise there! Thanks for mentioning their website. For a couple years, all there was on the web about them was links to their old (even older than the "old" website they mentioned) website, which has been gone since the late 90's.
I just checked out the new one and it's nothing I've seen before.
As for Mr. Q's B., I ran across them on Jerry Kranitz' website, Aural Innovations (for all things space, talk to Jerry!) http://www.aural-innovations.com/ Great catalog, great guy.
I went to the record label page for Mr. Q's B. - they have several nice .MP3's you can legally download. Here's the link, in case you haven't been there: http://www.btinternet.com/~freakyfungi/mrquimbysbeard.htm
I really dig the track "Mossy". That's some groovy stuff! |
The best still playing? Camel is still the best - saw them live this year, and "A Nod and a Wink" is excellent; King Crimson - their new release "Power to Believe" is the best in a while, Porcupine Tree - except I'm not that wild about "In Absentia", Mostly Autumn, Gordian Knot, Chroma Key; OSI (which includes personnel from the previous 2), Tunnels, Bill Laswell (and most of what he's involved in), Steve Hackett, Flower Kings. Those are my favorites now.
Some that have produced good recordings in the mid-late 90's but I'm not sure are still recording include - Robert Wyatt, Bryan Eno, Marillian, Mike Oldfield, . . . oh, yea - Pink Floyd
I do still miss some of the 70's acts though - Caravan, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Man, Strawbs
that's the ones I could think of for now . . . |
The Strawbs are still around as well as Caravan. |
thanks - I just haven't seen any new recordings from the Strawbs, and what I've read about Caravan - they just aren't the same band - I have Battle of Hastings (1995) and though it's good, it's not in the same class as the 70's stuff. With Camel, and King Crimson - their newer releases are excellent . . . actually fantastic. |
For anyone who has an interest in the the Strawbs, there has been a real burst of activity from them (and related performers) in the last few years. The Acoustic Strawbs (Dave Cousins, Brian Willoughby, Dave Lambert) have toured extensively in the last several years- in 2001 they released the excellent "Baroque & Roll" on Witchwood Records. 2002 saw the release of "Hummigbird" by Rick Wakeman and Dave Cousins. Finally in 2003 the Strawbs released the full band studio album "Blue Angel."
In 2004 the full-band electric Strawbs (Dave Cousins, Brian Willoughby, Dave Lambert, Blue Weaver, Richard Hudson, John Ford; which is essentially the "Bursting at the Seams" line-up) will play in the US northest (dates/venues still pending). There will be a new full band studio recording and a DVD of a recent performance of the Acoustic Strawbs relesed as well. |
Go here if you want to discuss prog with some read die hard types. Some great old suff revisited and some incredible new stuff from all over the world.
http://www.progressiveears.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Enjoy,
Bob |
thanks for the update on the Strawbs - I'll be looking for them live - hopefully they'll make it to D.C.. I'll also look for the latest cd release. |
No release date has been established for the new electric band Strawbs studio album, in fact I don't believe that sessions have even started yet. That a new album is even contemplated at this time is remarkable given that "Blue Angel" was issued in 2003. I presume its release will coincide with the US tour of which the only confirmed date is July 11 at the NEARFEST in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For information on the Strawbs, go to their excellent website www.strawbspage.ndirect.co.uk |
As of yesterday, the Strawbs website has posted dates for the full electric band- additional dates are pending and will be posted in due course. |
Great - They're at the Birchmere in Alexandria July 8. I'll make it for sure. I saw Camel there this last summer.
thanks for the update. |
Here's a Strawbs update for all concerned.
NEARfest
NEARfest 2004 - Saturday & Sunday, July 10 & 11
Zoellner Arts Center at 420 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA
This year's features artists include
The Strawbs
Univers Zero
Mike Keneally Band
Planet X
Pallas
Metamorfosi
Yezda Urfa
Hidria Spacefolk
Richard Pinhas
Sean Malone
Tickets for NEARfest 2004 will go on sale Saturday, March 20th at 11:00 am
EST. Please visit the NEARfest website for further details. This year
NEARfest starts a new tradition with a Friday Night pre-show featuring The
Musical Box! You can purchase the seats at the time you buy your NEARfest
tickets!
And for you Strawbs fans wondering which line-up will be playing, it will be
a FULL reunion of the 5-man lineup that recorded the symphonic progressive
folk classics "Hero and Heroine" and "Ghosts":
Dave Cousins- vocals, guitar
Dave Lambert- vocals, guitar
John Hawken- keyboards, mellotrons
Rod Coombes- drums
Chas Cronk- bass |
