0.720 Aleacion - same ($9.99)
Titles marked [co] have slots or holes punched in the case, or in some cases, just a hole punched in the barcode area of the traycard. Titles are arranged alphabetically with recent additions highlighted in yellow.
See our separate overstock list.
0.720 Aleacion - same ($9.99)This 1986 Mexican instrumental progressive album is an excellent one, featuring violin and flute and emphasizing pre-Hispanic Mexican music. Here is a RealAudio excerpt courtesy of Zoltan’s Progressive Rock Webpage. At Prog Archives you’ll find another audio sample as well as several in-depth reviews.
21st Century Schizoid Band - Live in Italy ($8.99)21st Century Schizoid Band was formed in 2002 by a group of mostly ex-King Crimson musicians from the early lineups, initially Michael Giles, Peter Giles, Ian McDonald, Mel Collins, and Jakko M Jakszyk. Michael left, replaced by Ian Wallace (who passed away in 2007). The initial aim was to play live the music from the King Crimson catalog that no longer featured in King Crimson’s live performances. Their repertoire also includes a few tracks from the members’ solo/duo albums and the odd new track.
The Live in Italy CD was recorded in March 2003 and includes the tracks Schizoid Intro, A Man A City, Let There Be Light, Court of the Crimson King, Ladies of the Road, Improv - Sailors Tale, Birdman, Epitaph, Catley’s Ashes (studio version).
Live in Japan was recorded in Tokyo in November 2002 and includes the tracks Schizoid Intro, A Man A City, Catfood, Let There Be Light, Progress, In the Court of the Crimson King, Formentera Lady, Ladies of the Road, I Talk to the Wind, Epitaph, Birdman, 21st Century Schizoid Man. Check our DVDs page for 21st Century Schizoid Band’s Live in Japan DVD.
Agent Cooper - Beginner’s Mind ($9.99) 
The self-titled 1999 debut from American band Agent Cooper was an excellent example of marrying progressive rock with modern pop/rock. Agent Cooper have a major league vocalist in Doug Busbee. With their follow-up Beginner’s Mind (2005), Agent Cooper pushed their sound in the direction of prog-metal, but the hallmarks of their earlier style are still present. Despite the heavier guitar, they can’t be confused with a metal band. Their music remains based on quality songwriting, and they lack the over-the-top, comic book aesthetic of most metal bands.
Ajalon - This Good Place ($5.99) Seattle’s Ajalon was ‘discovered’ by Rick Wakeman, who released Ajalon’s first album on his own indie label. Their music is very professional, most influenced by Yes but with an American style that also relates to Kansas, Ambrosia, and Glass Hammer, with tight harmony vocals. The shorter songs have elements of pop and AOR and are sometimes simply grand arrangements of acoustic folk ballads. The epic tracks are pure melodic progressive rock.
This Good Place (2009, 60-minutes) is their third, and a new high-water mark for the band. This is the classic American take on symphonic prog, executed with proficiency and class by seasoned musicians. Highlights include the instrumental Abstract Malady, on which Fred Schendel (Glass Hammer) guests, and the 19-minute Redemption.
Amaran’s Plight - Voice in the Light ($4.99) We’ll spare you the use of the term “supergroup” and just say that Amaran’s Plight is a new band comprising Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery), DC Cooper (Silent Force, Royal Hunt), Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard), and Kurt Barabas (Under The Sun). Michael Sadler (Saga) sings on two tracks. From that list of parent bands, one can get a good idea of the style on Voice in the Light (2007, 79-minutes), which is bombastic symphonic prog and prog-metal, in the style often associated with the Magna Carta label, Magellan included. Ayreon is another reference point. An excellent album, but clearly one with more appeal to the Dream Theater set than to fans of classic 70s prog.
Art in America - same ($6.99)An overlooked 1983 progressive pop/rock album from a trio of family members including a harp player. Eddie Offord produced and Steve Morse co-arranged the songs with the band (and contributed a guitar solo), while the session keyboardist was T Lavitz (The Dixie Dregs). This ends up in the vicinity of The Alan Parsons Project with some Genesis and Yes influences. This is the 1996 CD edition containing the original 9 tracks.
Art Rock Circus - Heaven’s Café Live ($9.99) 
Mantra Sunrise - same ($9.99) These are all related projects centered around the talents of guitarist and composer John Miner. If you’ll dig out your copy of Progression Magazine issue 46, you’ll find a feature article on Heaven’s Café and an interview with Miner. Heaven’s Café is a musical theater production that has been staged in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and Art Rock Circus is the progressive rock band providing the music for it. Probably because of the theatrical production, Heaven’s Café Live has been the label’s best seller, though here Art Rock Circus is a trio with no keyboards. It definitely has that rock opera style, and Miner’s guitar playing frequently recalls Roye Albrighton of Nektar, though Art Rock Circus is not as symphonic nor as clever as Nektar on Nektar’s better albums.
A Passage to Clear has some keys and female vocals throughout and a generally languid feel. The double-CD Tell a Vision is the most fully-realized of the Art Rock Circus CDs, with even more keys and several guest musicians. Mantra Sunrise was Miner’s band prior to Art Rock Circus, though it’s unclear when this CD was recorded – no dates appear on any of the CDs. Mantra Sunrise is also a predominantly languid album, fairly psychedelic, with male vocals that suggest Jim Morrison/The Doors. The 20-minute suite Land of Sprinagar may remind one of the first Nektar album. At times the production on these CDs is not exactly state-of-the-art, though that makes these CDs sound even more like the product of an early 1970s band. Most though not all of the music falls within the boundaries of progressive rock, and as mentioned, there is a degree of psychedelia as well. There is so much music here that it is difficult to summarize it, but there are extensive audio samples provided.
Autumn People - same ($11.99)This is the legit CD reissue of a hyper-obscure 1976 album by a guitar/keys/bass/drums quartet from Arizona. Little is known about the band. The music is progressive rock that, apart from a cheesy string synth, actually sounds several years earlier than 1976, with a hippy vibe and basement production, charming in its lack of pretension. There are elements of the American rural rock sound of the era. Collectors of rare early-70s prog will enjoy this.
Peter Banks - Reduction ($7.99) 
Reduction, recorded in 1997, is the fourth solo album from the original guitarist of Yes. It’s a wonderfully creative instrumental album of guitar and guitar synth embellished with loops and samples, certainly Banks’ most contemporary sounding album, and nothing like Yes. It’s a good showcase for the man’s talents and is very much a composer’s album rather than a pointless display of technique. Banks’ second, Instinct (1994), is also instrumental and displays those same qualities.
Barclay James Harvest - Nexus ($7.99)Barclay James Harvest are a British band who released their first album in 1970. They are known for creating a unique brand of soft symphonic pop. Following 1997’s River of Dreams, Barclay James Harvest’s last album as a trio, John Lees and Les Holroyd went their separate ways. For Nexus (1999), Lees teamed again with original BJH keyboardist Woolly Wolstenholme. Craig Fletcher and Kevin Whitehead from Woolly’s band Maestoso completed the lineup, so think of this version of BJH as Maestoso with John Lees. Half the album is new songs and (at the record company’s insistence) half remakes of classic BJH tracks. For prog fans, Woolly was the key to BJH being prog-worthy, so not so surprisingly, Nexus is the highest-rated, post-1978 (after XII) BJH studio album at Prog Archives; read the many reviews there.
Alfy Betz - Imaginary Orchestra ($7.99)Imaginary Orchestra, the debut CD by Al “Alfy” Betz, is a fine 74-minute CD consisting of two long suites of instrumental symphonic rock and classical, dominated by Betz’ grand piano. Other musicians add guitar and bass. The rock passages are stately and elegant rather than high-energy, leading some reviewers to describe this as ‘Enid-lite’. Here is a RealAudio excerpt from the track Allegro con Fuoco.
Caravan - Cool Water ($9.99)Cool Water contains songs recorded in 1977 for inclusion on the follow-up album to Better By Far but never used. They are all Pye Hastings songs. Pye found the 2" multitracks and had the songs mixed for this 1994 CD. The final four songs are from a different source and have lesser sound quality.
All Over You...Too contains classic Caravan songs re-recorded by the band in the late 1990s.
Celtus - Live 2000 ($9.99) Celtus are an Irish Celtic-pop ensemble consisting of John McManus on vocals, low whistle, bodhran & bass; Pat McManus on guitars, fiddle, bouzouki & backing vocals; and Dan Axtell on synthesizers and backing vocals. The songs are usually driven by programmed percussion. Live 2000 is a live greatest hits, the songs compiled from various concerts throughout that year, plus two bonus studio tracks. Celtus combine Irish folk and rock in a manner similar to later Clannad, though with excellent male vocals rather than female. Some songs feature the Celtic instruments prominently and other not so much. Celtus are much more about top-notch songwriting than Irish folk per se, and all the electronic textures and drum loops should keep the trad folkies away. Those into Karnataka and Iona may find much that they like here, as these guys are good!
Chain - Reconstruct ($8.99) Chain appears to be a German quintet, though their singer is probably American. Their band leader is Henning Pauly, also responsible for the Frameshift albums and who now resides in the U.S. Chain is a band that does play progressive metal at times, but there is so much pure prog rock on their albums that it would be unfair to saddle them with the prog-metal tag. Chain’s debut Reconstruct (2003) is notable not only for being 79-minutes long but for featuring lines from Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy throughout, and in fact the album is dedicated to Adams. It’s a powerful prog-rock/prog-metal blend that also strikes us as being very clever. Recommended especially to fans of Ayreon.
Demians - Mute ($7.99) Demians began as the project of Frenchman Nicolas Chapel, who you can call the French Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). Wilson himself consecrated the 2008 Demians debut Building an Empire thusly: “One of the most assured and accomplished debut albums I’ve ever heard, the textures and dynamics within the music are breathtaking. A must for everyone that appreciates the art of epic and ambitious 21st century rock music.” That quote probably tripled sales of the CD, but it was deserved. Mute (2010) is the second Demians album. Read reviews at Blistering and Sputnik Music.
Chris Dunnett - Higher Glyphics ($9.99) For a change of pace, this is instrumental Flamenco-influenced guitar music from a former prog rocker. On El Samuraichi, Dunnett also adds some keyboards and is assisted by a bassist, a violinist, and a percussionist. For his second CD Higher Glyphics, Dunnett takes the journey he began with El Samuraichi a bit further by adding choirs and Arabian voices to the mix, and marks Chris’s return to the electric guitar with a fiery solo on one track. The energy level is a bit higher on Higher Glyphics, with more percussion, so start there. Expecting to be bored by a couple more self-indulgent guitar albums, we were instead captivated. Dunnett, who can obviously play, puts his energy into melody and feel rather than speed and soloing.
Evolve IV - Decadent Light ($5.99) This is the 2008 debut CD by a Los Angeles progressive rock band whose lead guitarist Peter Matuchniak is British and was a member of the early 1980s neo-prog bands Mach One and Janysium. Kudos to you if you remember those bands -- Mach One managed only one vinyl release along with a couple cassettes, while their alter-ego Janysium had only two cassette releases. Evolve IV may not be the most progressive band on earth, but their songs combine catchiness and lush vocal harmonies with prog rock stylings and arty twists and turns. Evolve IV blend a number of different styles and influences, even an American sound vaguely resembling the Eagles. It’s a collection of songs that grows on you. Read the Jerry Lucky and DPRP reviews. “Intense, inventive and melodic, Decadent Light is a triple-threat tour-de-force of solid musicianship, strong songcraft and remarkable production quality. Highly recommended.” [Nick Tate, Progression] This is the ProgRock Records edition.
Fish - Yang ($6.99)Yin and Yang were companion compilation CDs spanning 1980-1995, but most of the songs were re-recorded. Yang includes four Marillion songs recorded by Fish’s band.
Focus - 8 ($9.99)Against all odds, a new Focus album appeared in 2002. The original Focus disbanded at the end of the 1970s with the departure of their famous guitarist Jan Akkerman. The story of this incarnation of Focus begins with three young musicians who decided to pay tribute to their idol and form a Focus tribute band called (of course) Hocus Pocus. After perfecting their cover versions, they invited keyboardist/flutist/madman Thijs Van Leer to a jam session. Thijs was not prepared for such devotion to the original group’s spirit, nor this high a quality level. The combined band was so good that Thijs jumped on the opportunity to reform Focus with fresh blood. And that’s exactly what Focus 8 is about. This is vintage Focus, played with enthusiasm, renewed vigor, and Van Leer’s unique sense of humor. And yodeling.
After several releases on the Kinesis label, Upper Level Open Space (1999) was released on the French Musea label and is now sale-priced. Details here.
Jack Foster III - JazzRaptor’s Secret ($4.99) Jack Foster III’s 2008 CD JazzRaptor’s Secret features Robert Berry on every track and Trent Gardner (Magellan) on all but two tracks. Ignore the word “jazz” in the title. This one is as good as contemporary American-style progressive rock gets. Think of Echolyn with some latter-day Yes stirred in and you’ll be very close. Many prog fans will pass on albums that are under an individual’s name while snapping up albums by, say, Magellan, though Magellan is no more and no less a band than Jack Foster III is. And this album sounds every bit as much like a band as Echolyn does. So at this stage, prog fans ignore Jack Foster III at their own peril. What else can we say, JazzRaptor’s Secret is really, really good!
Fraktal - Ask the Rabbit ($9.99) Fraktal is an Argentine quartet singing in English. Their 2005 debut Ask the Rabbit is in the Radiohead vein. With its pervading melancholic mood, it is also reminiscent of Porcupine Tree or Anekdoten’s Gravity, though Fraktal’s sound generally lacks symphonic elements. Their guitar-dominated sound is closer to that of Brazilians Violeta de Outono. Read the Proggnosis and DPRP reviews. There are videos and more reviews on Fraktal’s site. Mini-LP sleeve.
Ghost Circus - Cycles ($5.99) Ghost Circus is a collaboration between Dutch musician Ronald Wahle (guitars, keys, drums) and American Chris Brown (vocals, guitars, bass, keys). Cycles (2006, 56-minutes) is an intelligent and impressive debut with a full-band sound. It is melodic modern progressive rock with touches of prog-metal and sophisticated pop/alternative. Brown has a slightly gruff voice that is very much in-vogue, while the instrumental passages are unmistakably symphonic progressive. If you crossed Marillion’s Marbles with the Polish band Riverside, you’d probably end up pretty close to Ghost Circus.
Jim Gilmour - Great Escape ($4.99) Saga keyboardist Jim Gilmour’s 2005 solo album Great Escape simply goes for it, an unabashedly progressive rock album that shows off Gilmour’s keyboard chops but within great songs that include touches of jazz-rock and pop. These keyboards are exactly what had been missing from the Saga albums of the previous years, and Great Escape eclipses most if not all of the Saga albums in proginess. Gilmour is assisted by a guitarist and a female backing vocalist, while two drummers divide the drum duties. There are five instrumentals and five vocal tracks, with Gilmour doing a very respectable job on vocals, not surprising since he handles backing vocals and some lead vocals in Saga. Think of Eddie Jobson / Zinc - The Green Album but without the restraint that kept that album from being as good as it could have been. This cover is green too.
Grace - Gathering in the Wheat (2CD, $6.99) out-of-stock Superb progressive rock and progressive pop with a subtle folk influence, hard not to like these Brits. Poppy (1996) is Grace’s third album. Gathering in the Wheat is a 2CD live album recorded in 1997 that serves as an excellent retrospective covering all three of their studio albums. Read the DPRP review.
Gratto - Anakin Tumnus ($6.99) Gratto is a 2002 release from the Progressive Music Management label (Mythologic, Leger de Main, Andeavor, RH Factor, Jupiter). The Rodler brothers (the core of Leger de Main) handle guitars and drums here, but this album is the brainchild of a singer/keyboardist who calls himself Gratto. This album sounds like it could have come straight out of the 1970s. Dark, intricate, and energetic, there are elements of Van der Graaf, Genesis, and Yes, but the sound is perhaps closest to some of the obscure American 1970s prog bands such as Netherworld. There is also a touch of Echolyn. The album is on the short side (36:22) and consists of three long tracks. Read the reviews at Prog-Nose, Axiom of Choice and DPRP. The CD comes in a printed cardboard sleeve and counts as only one-half CD for shipping.
Steve Hackett - Guitar Noir ($8.99) out-of-stock [co]Bay of Kings (1983) is Steve’s first acoustic album, a beautiful work with help from John Hackett on flute and Nick Magnus on keys. This is the 2003 edition on InsideOut, which includes three bonus tracks plus additional mp3 tracks. Guitar Noir was released in 1993, one of Hackett’s full electric band, vocal albums. Check our British CDs page for more Hackett CDs.
Claire Hamill - Voices ($6.99)English vocalist Claire Hamill released her first album at the age of 17, toured the U.S. with Procol Harum and Jethro Tull in 1972, and has worked with Mike Oldfield. On her album Voices, from the 1980s, she multitracks her voice in a manner similar to Enya, though without as much supporting instrumentation. The basis of the sound is the layering of Claire’s voice to form cascades and textures of music, with some rhythmic accompaniment. The result is a beautiful and unique sound. The music featured in a BBC program called The Domesday Book. This is the Pickwick label edition.
Project Vector - Reality Show ($8.99) Immovable Mover (2003, 59-minutes) is the debut by an impressive one-man studio project from Michigan, the work of Dave Gastambide. The state of the art in music software and sample libraries is such that we should no longer be surprised at what can be achieved by a single talented musician working in a home studio. The music is vocal-heavy mainstream prog rock, most closely resembling Rush, Saga, or the more commercial side of post-1970s Yes, though Gastambide’s voice is in a lower range than either Geddy Lee or Jon Anderson. Fortunately, Gastambide’s voice is strong enough to carry the songs. The CD comes in a printed sleeve rather than a jewel box and counts as only one-half CD for shipping.
After a change of name to Project Vector, Gastambide’s 2005 release Reality Show is a huge step forward. Gastambide handles keyboards, programming, bass, and vocals. This blends the depth and complexity of progressive rock with modern sounds and approach. The songs are stronger and flow more naturally, and everything is more cohesive. If Rupert Hine had made an album in 2005, it might sound like Reality Show. For one thing, Hine’s and Gastambide’s voices and singing style are similar, but the marriage of complex rhythm tracks with great songwriting is also something at which they both excel. Perhaps a more progressive-minded Thomas Dolby is another good reference point, and yet there are Project Vector tracks that are unlike either of these artists. In any event, Immovable Mover represents Gastambide’s influences (mostly from the 1980s), while with Reality Show, Gastambide has found his voice.
Kayak - Classics ($6.99)14 track compilation from our favorite Dutch band, covering 1976-1981. It picks up after the band’s best two albums (their self-titled second and Royal Bed Bouncer), though it includes two live renditions of songs from those earlier, more progressive years. While it does favor some of their more accessible tracks, it’s still a decent overview, and Starlight Dancer and The Last Encore were still very good albums, while Merlin has its moments.
Kscope - Volume 1 ($3.99)The Kscope label’s first sampler CD comes in an attractive physical package and contains these tracks: The Pineapple Thief - Tightly Wound, Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul, No-Man - Truenorth (edit), Engineers - Brighter As We Fall, Anekdoten - Gravity, North Atlantic Oscillation - Drawing Maps from Memory, Richard Barbieri - Decay, Nosound - Kites, Anathema - Flying, and Steven Wilson - Harmony Korine.
Laserdogs - Frankenclown ($5.99)Laserdogs is largely the work of Greg Lounsberry, who on Frankenclown (2005) handles vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, bass, mandolin, and drum programming, with the assistance of a drummer on one track. Lounsberry says that he tried to avoid any sounds or effects that occurred after 1974, using mainly tremolo, Leslie, and Echoplex. The multi-tracked vocal harmonies are noteworthy. The result is a progressive rock/pop with an early 1970s sound that resembles Haze on their guitar-dominated tracks, especially since Lounsberry’s voice is so close to Paul McMahon’s. Or think of Phil Manzanera circa Listen Now and K-Scope teaming with Todd Rundgren. There is a sense of humor in the songs, one of which is 18-minutes long. CDBaby has audio samples.
The Rocket4357 Project is Lounsberry’s band circa 1998, with other musicians on guitar, bass and drums, and Lounsberry playing guitar-synth in lieu of keyboards. It’s a most enjoyable progressive rock album with some pop flavoring, with superb songwriting and excellent warm vocals, driven by electric & acoustic guitar and guitar synth. This is reminiscent of Phil Manzanera’s best works, with touches of later Marillion (one song is entitled Mr. Hogarth) and 1980s King Crimson. Seven tracks, the odd-numbered tracks are instrumentals. This one is a shrinkwrapped CD-R with the label thermally-printed directly on the disc and inkjet-printed graphics on photo paper. Short length (32-minutes), hence the low price. Click for streaming (lo-fi, mono) RealAudio excerpts from the tracks Mr. Hogarth and Flower Pot Hat.
Levellers - Levellers (3rd) ($4.99) [co]The Levellers are an English quintet playing Celtic folk-rock with the emphasis on the rock. Recorded in 1993, mostly at Real World Studios, this is the band’s third album. The Levellers sometimes get associated with punk, but that’s only because the singer’s English working class accent is sometimes apparent, otherwise there is little here besides the energy level that has much to do with punk. These guys can play their instruments. The fiddle and their full sound make them attractive to progressive rock fans, and they can write songs.
Manning - Anser’s Tree ($6.99) Guy Manning’s eighth album Anser’s Tree (2006, 64-minutes) may be the most electric and out-and-out progressive of the Manning albums to date. The album traces the history of one family told through the eyes of their last descendent, searching on the ‘last remaining hill’ to discover the secrets of his own past and uncover the universal patterns that surround us all. The other musicians this time include Laura Fowles (sax, vocals), Ian Fairbairn (fiddles), David Million (electric guitars), Andy Tillison (keys), and Stephen Dundon of Molly Bloom (flute). Flute is used more extensively on this album, which reinforces the Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull comparison in a number of places. Ed Unitsky again provides fabulous artwork. See our British page for more Manning CDs and more info.
Bob Margolis - Impetus ($7.99) This instrumental guitar CD is the third release from Baltimore/Washington-area guitarist Bob Margolis, and his best to date. Margolis is backed on most tracks by a bassist and drummer. Primarily in the jazz-rock vein, the disc opens with the dreamy urgency of the title track, followed by a rendition of Jeff Beck’s classic Freeway Jam. Impetus offers a wide array of guitar sounds, from fat, distorted electric tones and punchy Strat licks to silky nylon classical and steel-string acoustic colors. All the cuts display Margolis’ innate sense of melody and compositional prowess. A great admirer of Pat Metheny, Margolis avoids the pointless shredding of so many guitar albums, and so with the ample clean tones and acoustic textures, this is perfect Sunday morning fare.
Marillion - Happiness Is the Road Vol. 1: Essence ($9.99) 
Marillion and The Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room ($7.99)Marillion’s 15th studio album is actually a 110-minute double album split into two separate CDs. Happiness Is the Road Volume 1 is subtitled Essence while Volume 2 is subtitled The Hard Shoulder. Both contain all new material. A new creative streak of writing and producing music was captured in the studio and fans will not be disappointed. Read reviews here. We’ll just quote from the review in Classic Rock magazine: “They still sound like Marillion but, dare we say it, a better, bolder Marillion... All in all then, it’s beautifully rendered, touching and telling. Happy days.”
Beginning in the late 1990s, a string of increasingly dull albums caused many of Marillion’s original progressive fans to lose interest. But Marillion began a resurgence with Marbles (2004). This is the U.S. edition with the bonus video of Don’t Hurt Yourself.
Tales from the Engine Room contains interesting remixes of six songs from This Strange Engine in the electronica style. Prices have also been reduced on a couple of Marillion’s DVDs.
Mastermind - Angels of the Apocalypse ($7.99) Mastermind is an American heavy progressive band but, at least originally, not a metal band. They are very bombastic and ELP-like on the early albums, with Bill Berends’ guitar synth playing the role of Keith Emerson’s keyboards. Their debut Volume One is from 1987.
Mastermind changed their style on Excelsior! (1998), which is entirely instrumental and was the first to feature keyboardist Jens Johannson (Stratovarius). This is a superb album that adopts the Mahavishnu Orchestra fusion style while retaining some of Mastermind’s former melodic bombastic symphonic style. After that, Bill Berends must have decided that metal was where the money is, as Angels of the Apocalypse (2000, 70-minutes) changes style again. Mastermind added singer Lisa Bouchelle, and this album combines progressive rock, fusion, and metal. Mostly metal. Apparently drummer Rich Berends got a double pedal for Christmas because he uses it seemingly non-stop. Every song. Every bar. (There’s a reason drummers rarely use a double pedal outside of the metal genre...) The CD features a cover of ELP’s The Endless Enigma (12:18) as one of two bonus tracks. The double pedal intrudes even into this song. Someone please confiscate it.
Men of Lake - Music from the Land of Mountains, Lake and Wine ($11.99) Men of Lake are an Italian progressive band emphasizing a nostalgic style and vintage Hammond organ sound on their earlier albums such as Men of Lake (1991) and Out of the Water (1994), closer to British bands such as Cressida and Gracious than to the Italian symphonic bands. Music from the Land of Mountains, Lake and Wine (1998) is more adventurous and diverse than their previous albums, featuring wind instruments (sax, flute, brass) on some tracks. The organ sound is now accompanied by modern keyboards and there is more room for guitar.
Metaphor - Entertaining Thanatos ($9.99) Maybe all you need to know about this San Francisco-area band is that Metaphor spent two years as a classic-era Genesis tribute band. Their second CD Entertaining Thanatos (2004, 57-minutes) is a finely-crafted 1970s-style symphonic prog album with Genesis as the primary influence, replete with vintage keyboards (including Mellotron) and long dramatic tracks. Relative to their debut, the music incorporates a wider range of proggy influences (Gentle Giant, for one), expanding beyond the Genesis base. Fans of the Ad Infinitum CD especially should take note. Check here for the other Metaphor CDs.
Patrick Moraz - Future Memories DVD ($11.99)The Future Memories DVD (NTSC, all-region) contains the two television shows that were the source of the albums Future Memories I and II. The music was performed live for a Swiss TV program and recorded directly to tape as the program was broadcast. Future Memories I (37:00) is from 1979. Future Memories II (45:39) followed in 1982. In addition to upgraded keyboard technology, the second performance finds Moraz dressing up in costume for some of the pieces. In addition to the two complete performances, there is a 42-minute interview of Patrick filmed in 2006, discussing the two shows and discussing the possibility of a third Future Memories performance.
The In Princeton DVD (NTSC, all-region) is a live solo piano outing from Patrick Moraz. The concert took place at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey in 1995 and captures Patrick’s piano work perfectly. The performance includes a couple pieces from Patrick’s debut solo album The Story of i. This release was at one time available on VHS tape. This DVD adds the six-minute 1975 promo film made to accompany The Story of i. This footage has not been seen since the initial release of that album. The sound reproduction on the DVD has been personally overseen by Patrick and the picture quality has been noticeably improved. The Patrick Moraz CDs are here.
Musica d’Repuesto - aV abuC (Variaciones en la Cuerda Vol. 5) ($8.99)This is a very good, mostly-instrumental King Crimson style band from Cuba, also reminding one of the French band Tiemko at times. There are also touches of Present or Univers Zero. The album is a 53-minute collection of their best music, recorded in 1993. Read the review at Progressor.
Naranja Mecánica - 1993-1995 ($9.99)A surprisingly good album out of Cuba. Naranja Mecánica play a 1970s style progressive rock sounding closest to a mix of Jethro Tull and Banco, with influences of King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, and various other 70s Italian and South American bands. There are vocals in Spanish but instrumental passages dominate. In addition to the standard keys/guitars/bass/drums lineup, they use flute extensively. Read the reviews at Progressor and Tarkus.
Tom Newman - Ozymandias ($9.99) Tom Newman was a founding member of the psychedelic group July as well as engineer and producer on many albums by Mike Oldfield, including Tubular Bells. “From 1986, Tom Newman’s Ozymandias is something of a lost masterpiece. Featuring a variety of inspired settings incorporating neo-classical, ambient and rock motifs, Tom provides a musical backdrop for the powerful and much acclaimed work of Percy B. Shelley.” [Voiceprint] The album is instrumental save one track. The music often has a feel similar to Bo Hansson, also Mike Oldfield at his spaciest.
Oblivion Sun - Oblivion Sun ($9.99) Oblivion Sun is the continuation of Frank Wyatt and Stan Whitaker’s Pedal Giant Animals project. The band is headed up by Wyatt (keys, sax) and Whitaker (guitar, vocals), also the core of Happy the Man, with Chris Mack (Iluvatar, Puppet Show) on drums, bassist Dave DeMarco and keyboardist Bill Plummer. The music on their 2007 debut is close enough to Happy the Man that they could have slapped “HTM” on the cover, and only the other Happy the Man members would have complained.
Mike Oldfield - Heaven’s Open ($5.99)This is the edition released in 1996 on the Dutch Disky label. More Mike Oldfield CDs here.
Omni - El Vals de los Duendes ($9.99) out-of-stock Omni are an instrumental Spanish band who played at both Baja Prog 2001 and 2002. The music on their first CD Tras el Puente (2000) actually dates from 1990-1993, while their second CD El Vals de los Duendes (The Waltz of the Little Elves) is from 2002. On these first two CDs, Omni play 1970s Camel-style progressive rock, flowing and melodic, neither heavy nor demonstrative, with nods to various 1970s Spanish bands such as Iman or Iceberg plus a touch of Santana. Their star is Michael Starry, a very expressive and melodic guitarist a la Andy Latimer. Behind him are flute, sax, keys, rhythm guitar, bass and drums. While their studio albums can’t capture the energy of their live show, their CDs do recapture the spirit of 1970s Camel while adding some Spanish touches.
Ozric Tentacles - Pyramidion ($9.99) 
Ozric Tentacles - Curious Corn ($9.99)
Ozric Tentacles - Strangeitude ($9.99)Since they began in the mid-1980s, Ozric Tentacles have been the premier progressive psychedelic space-rock band. They have a large discography. Arborescence (1994) is the 1999 jewel box edition on Snapper. The rest are the digipack reissues on Snapper Classics: Strangeitude (1991), Live Underslunky (1992), Curious Corn (1997), Floating Seeds Remixed (1999), Swirly Termination (1998-2000), and Pyramidion (2001). Floating Seeds Remixed contains Ozrics tracks remixed by various people who do that sort of thing. An Ozrics discography is here. Check our British page for more Ozrics CDs. Check our DVDs page for Ozric Tentacles’ DVDs.
Pallas - Arrive Alive ($7.99) [co] Pallas is a Scottish band usually mentioned in the same breath as Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, and Twelfth Night as leaders of the 1980s progressive revival in the UK. Arrive Alive is the CD reissue of their 1981 first LP (which was live) plus bonus tracks, plus their later 3-track studio EP Paris is Burning. For no apparent reason, the CD omits the song Heart Attack from the Arrive Alive LP. After the shorter title track, the Arrive Alive LP consisted of epic progressive tracks that, while a bit rough, were Pallas’ best material aside from The Sentinel. These cutouts have a slot sawed through the jewel box spine. Check our DVDs page for Pallas’ DVDs.
Paul Panebianco - Sense of Self ($7.99)Composer/keyboardist/drummer Paul Panebianco’s 2005 first CD is an impressive instrumental work, a one-man show in which he multi-tracks keyboards and real drums. This is the type of music you don’t produce without at least some formal music education, an adventurous progressive rock with strong fusion and 20th century classical elements. It’s not for everyone, as it does have avant-garde aspects, a complex chordal vocabulary, quirky melodies, and rhythms that constantly twist and turn. Perhaps Univers Zero playing fusion? “Composer/keyboardist/drummer Paul Panebianco’s first CD is simply an amazing piece of instrumental work... The music Paul composes is a type of adventurous progressive rock with both fusion and modern classical elements along with some avant-garde aspects. It’s not something most listeners can digest in one sitting. Its complex, quirky melodies and ever-changing rhythms will have the avant-garde fan drooling over each song. I’d also recommend this to fans of the RIO movement as well as listeners who enjoy an adventurous musical journey.” [Prognaut]
Parallel or 90 Degrees - A Can of Worms: The Best of Po90 1996-2001 (2CD, $11.99) To finish the rather long subtitle of the A Can of Worms double-CD set: ...Plus Unreleased Recordings from 2002. Parallel or 90 Degrees (Po90 for short) was Andy Tillison’s band that evolved into The Tangent. The music of both bands is similar, and Po90 would probably be better known had the Cyclops label simply kept their albums in print longer than a couple years each. This 2CD set not only includes selections from the Po90 CDs released by Cyclops, there is an unreleased 2002 version of Blues for Lear with Roine Stolt, and 30 minutes of tracks from A Kick in the Teeth for Civic Pride, the 2002 album Po90 were working on that was put on hold in favor of The Tangent. It was usually easy to spot the Van der Graaf Generator influence in Po90 -- one of their CDs consisted entirely of Van der Graaf Generator and Peter Hammill covers -- but given this opportunity to look back on their work, one realizes that Po90 were one of the best and most important bands when it came to reinventing classic progressive rock along contemporary lines.
Perfume de Mujer - El Monólogo de él Carocol ($9.99)El Monólogo de él Carocol is the latest from this long-lived Cuban progressive band, recorded between 1997-2000, continuing their blend of progressive rock and avant-garde tendencies, mostly instrumental, with some decent vocals. Actually, if you ignore the 21-minute improv toward the end of the disc, most of this is no more ‘difficult’ than King Crimson or Gentle Giant, both of which are influences, but the level of originality here is very high. Perhaps surprisingly for a Cuban band, there’s very little here that could be called Latin, and the arrangements are as sophisticated as the best European prog bands. With a playing time of 70-minutes, there’s still an album’s worth of quality progressive rock here. The material on Pollos d’Granja (75-minutes) was recorded between 1995-1998 and uses Spanish vocals, violin, keyboards, guitars, bass and drums. Surprisingly good! Read the ProgressiveWorld.net review of Pollos d’Granja.
Progday 2001 (2CD, $9.99)This is a double-CD containing live recordings from the 7th annual Progday festival in North Carolina. The featured performers are Yeti, Sigmund Snopek III, The Muffins, Polydactyl, Azigza, and Ars Nova.
Puppet Show - The Tale of Woe ($4.99) It took a while after their 1998 debut Traumatized on the Kinesis label, but Puppet Show returned in 2007 with their 60-minute second CD The Tale of Woe. All the band members return, except the new Puppet Show drummer is Chris Mack (Iluvatar, Oblivion Sun). The recording quality has improved, and the album was mixed by Terry Brown of Rush fame. Otherwise the music will be familiar to fans of Traumatized. Puppet Show don’t play neo-prog and, except for a few spots, don’t play prog-metal. They just take the classic symphonic prog style and do it with the modern aesthetic: more aggressive, heavier, higher-energy. Mike Grimes’ keyboards are always at the center of things, favoring vintage sounds, and the instrumental passages are of considerable complexity. Worth the wait. Read the DPRP review. (It’s probably worth pointing out that the band’s name is most likely a Spinal Tap reference. Watch the movie, you’ll see it on a marquee.)
RC2 - Future Awaits ($4.99) RC2 are a progressive rock band originally from Venezuela. Following their self-titled 2003 debut CD, four of the five original members relocated to Barcelona, Spain in 2004, but the lyrics on RC2’s second CD Future Awaits (2008, 60-minutes) are in English. Looks like it was the guitarist who didn’t make the trip, and their new guitarist understands the difference between progressive rock and metal. As such, Future Awaits is a pure progressive rock album, with space in the mix and a balance between keys and guitar that bands with metal-minded guitarists rarely achieve. The compositions are more sophisticated as well, making this a big upgrade from their debut.
Renaissance - Songs from Renaissance Days ($7.99) out-of-stockSongs from Renaissance Days is a collection of previously unreleased studio tracks mostly from the 1980s, after the classic period of the band, when commercial pressures had effectively ended their golden age. At this point, Terry Sullivan and John Tout were gone, appearing here on only one 1979 song. Included are a new version of Northern Lights, a cover of Paul Simon’s America, and the very fine 8-minute track You which is in the classic Renaissance style. There are several other musicians playing on these tracks, including Peter Gosling and members of Gordon Giltrap’s band: Ian Mosely, Rod Edwards, and Bimbo Acock. This is the U.S. edition.
Ocean Gypsy (1997) was the second of two CDs by Michael Dunford’s Renaissance. With Annie Haslam living in the U.S., both she and Dunford used the name Renaissance at times, though neither version had any other Renaissance members participating. Dunford’s UK-based Renaissance featured singer Stephanie Adlington, who has more of a theatrical voice, and Betty Thatcher contributed to the lyrics. Ocean Gypsy has only a couple new songs, the rest being new arrangements of classic Renaissance songs.
Ring of Myth - Weeds ($9.99) Ring of Myth’s 1996 debut CD Unbound was released on the Kinesis label and is now mid-line priced. The follow-up Weeds (2005) was released on the Canadian Unicorn Digital label. See our dedicated Ring of Myth page for more information.
Rose Among Thorns - Highlites ($7.99)Rose Among Thorns was the 1990s band centered around singer Elaine Morgan, who has worked with The Albion Band, Fairport Convention, Alan Stivell, and more recently in Dar Ar Braz’ Heritage des Celtes. But Rose Among Thorns (hopefully not a reference to her band mates) is proggier as well as more ethereal, with Elaine’s beautiful voice backed by electric & acoustic guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. Jimmy Hastings and Ric Sanders make guest appearances on flute and violin, respectively. This 66-minute compilation includes 10 tracks from the Rose Among Thorns albums plus five tracks comprising The Cottage Demo Tapes.
Roswell Six - Terra Incognita: Beyond the Horizon ($4.99) Roswell Six is not so much a band as a brand name. The first Roswell Six CD Beyond the Horizon (2009, 73-minutes) is largely the work of Erik Norlander, keyboardist of Rocket Scientists and Lana Lane, with a number of albums under his own name. Norlander wrote all the music for this project, which also features singers James LaBrie, Michael Sadler, John Payne and Lana Lane; bassist Kurt Barabas (Under the Sun, Amaran’s Plight), violinist David Ragsdale (ex-Kansas), guitarists Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery, Amaran’s Plight) and Chris Brown (Ghost Circus), and drummer Chris Quirarte (Prymary). Martin Orford (ex-IQ) adds flute, Mike Alvarez cello. Beyond the Horizon is in the Ayreon style of bombastic prog and metal, meant to accompany a fantasy novel by author Kevin J. Anderson, who co-wrote the lyrics. Click the first mp3 icon above for reviews.
The Rub - Three Wishes ($8.99) Three Wishes (2002) is the debut CD by Northern Virginia’s The Rub, a band that includes three members of “The President’s Own”, the group of select U.S. Marine Corps musicians who play regularly at White House events and around the country. This CD melds two major styles. The first is the band Illusion (the original Renaissance); it’s questionable whether The Rub have actually heard Illusion, but the similarity is unmistakable. To this they add some of the jazz-inflected Steely Dan style circa Aja. Their sound is dominated by piano, excellent female and male vocals and intriguing vocal harmonies, plus electric & acoustic guitar, bass and drums, with the occasional use of sax, viola, and synths. Very accomplished for a debut, richly-textured and skillfully arranged, but then these are all experienced musicians.
Sandstone - Looking for Myself ($5.99) Looking for Myself is the 2006 debut by Sandstone, a young Polish melodic prog-metal quintet who use a lot of keyboards and are not overly heavy or metallic. They have a powerful vocalist singing in flawless English, and a bit of Riverside in their sound. Just six tracks span 55-minutes.
The Seasons of Wither - Under the Spell of a Sting Moon ($11.99)This 1998 CD is the only known output of this Greek band singing in English and playing dark, hallucinogenic progressive rock with classical influences. The only touch of metal here is on the first track, so you can tell how much those who classify this album as metal actually listened to. The music is primarily the Pink Floyd-influenced psychedelic progressive that the Greek prog bands all seem to have in common. The vocals are infrequent, not at all the focus. Not sure what a “sting moon” is though.
Dave Sinclair - Moon Over Man digipack ($11.99)This is the 2006 Eclectic Discs digipack reissue of Moon Over Man, recorded originally in 1976-1977 by ex-Caravan keyboardist Dave Sinclair after he left the band for the second time. Originally released on CD in 1993, this edition combines newly commissioned packaging, bonus tracks, and greatly enhanced sound quality. Moon Over Man is mostly performed by Sinclair himself (on drums as well as keyboards and occasional vocals) but features the contributions of two vocalists and several other musicians. The band that recorded this album morphed into the band The Polite Force. While Sinclair was known for writing Caravan’s long, keyboard-dominated suites, the music here shows many of the hallmarks of the song-oriented, progressive-pop side of Caravan. It is also influenced by the commercial music of the time (thankfully not punk), particularly some funky songs a la Quantum Jump, but always colored by Sinclair’s Englishness and prog rock background. It’s a worthwhile album for the Caravan fan and demonstrates that Pye Hasting wasn’t the only songwriter in the band. The five bonus tracks are alternate versions of album tracks and take the CD length up to 78-minutes. This CD is now deleted as with all CDs on the defunct Eclectic label.
Starcastle - Song of Times ($4.99) Starcastle was a very Yes-influenced American band of the mid-to-late 1970s and one of the best American progressive bands. They released three good albums during the 70s before bowing to record company pressure and finishing with the commercial Real to Reel (which even the band feels should never have been released). Song of Times is their 2007 comeback CD and includes all the original members: the late Gary Strater (bass, vocals), Matt Stewart (guitars, vocals), Steve Tassler (drums, vocals, keyboards), Herb Schildt (keyboards), Steve Hagler (guitar, vocals), and Terry Luttrell (vocals), alongside new lead vocalist Al Lewis (Alaska) and guitarist Bruce Botts. Keyboardist John O’Hara, the other half of Alaska, plays on three tracks. While Song of Times is not the equal of the first two Starcastle albums, it does recapture much of their classic sound, including the vocal harmonies. Overall it’s a little more direct than those first albums, but about as good as one could expect in a 2007 comeback album. Beautiful artwork throughout by Ed Unitsky. Gary, thanks for the parting gift. Read the Sea of Tranquility review.
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring ($7.99)Very simply, this is Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring arranged for electric guitar, electric bass, and drums/percussion by one John Ringer, who has chosen to keep his name fairly well hidden on the CD. Because of the limited instrumentation and the frequent use of a distorted rock guitar tone, this is not a symphonic work. It often sounds like a garage band version of Red-era King Crimson or of the earliest Yes lineup sans Tony Kaye. The basic sound palette was Ringer’s intent, and it is a worthwhile exercise and is well-executed.
The Tangent - Down and Out in Paris and London ($8.99)The Tangent are one of today’s top-tier progressive rock bands, centered on talented composer/keyboardist/singer Andy Tillison, also of the band Parallel or 90 Degrees (Po90). This is the jewel box edition of Down and Out in Paris and London (2009), The Tangent’s fifth studio CD, the name borrowed from the George Orwell novel, though the music and lyrics are not related to the novel. At this juncture, The Tangent consisted of Tillison, Guy Manning, Theo Travis, drummer Paul Burgess (Camel, 10cc) and bassist Jonathan Barrett (Po90). As Tillison notes: “For the first time since 2003, all the members of the Tangent are English. I think that’s an important thing, because one of the most defining things about The Tangent’s sound has been a certain ‘Englishness’ - an affinity with the roots of prog rock.” The CD concludes with the 13-minute The Canterbury Sequence Volume 2, this time sounding less like Caravan, more like Hatfield and the North, National Health, and Gilgamesh. Read the review at Bill’s Prog Blog.
Tangerine Dream - Architecture in Motion ($6.99)The Dream Mixes (1995) contains 67-minutes of Tangerine Dream tracks from the albums Tyranny of Beauty, Rockoon, and Turn of the Tides remixed by Jerome and Edgar Froese, plus four new tracks in a similar style. To quote the back panel, this album energizes the famous TD sound with an infectious beat. This is actually one of our very favorite wide-awake-listening Tangerine Dream albums. The rhythms are not the monotonous thump-thump of techno but rather tasteful rhythm patterns that change every few bars. Perhaps TD had listened to the high-energy EM of Mark Shreeve and Andy Pickford and thought they’d better not let these upstarts eclipse them.
Architecture in Motion (1999) is the soundtrack to the film What a Blast. This is the U.S. edition on Miramar. Read the ProgressiveWorld.net review.
John Tesh - Ironman Triathlon ($7.99)For those only familiar with John Tesh’s later, overly romantic output, his early material composed as soundtrack material for various television sports programs is actually kinda proggy. These are intense rock instrumentals suitable for workouts or driving, the only fault being that they can be a bit over the top in that regard. These two CDs are both from 1992. The first contains music composed for the Ironman Triathlon, while The Games contains music composed for the Barcelona Olympics. Tesh has a full band with him on both recordings, including a violinist.
The Third Ending - same ($5.99) This is the 2006 debut by a modern-sounding prog rock quartet from Tasmania (Australia). They have some similarities to Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater, but their style probably comes closest to Spock’s Beard, more the song-oriented side rather than the technical or flashy side of the Beard. There are some great pop hooks embedded in these tracks, and the occasional metal and grunge guitar is more than offset by richly-textured symphonic passages and open, acoustic guitar-driven songs. 54-minutes. Read the DPRP review.
Twelfth Night - Live from London DVD ($11.99)This DVD (NTSC, all-region) comes from the British television program Live from London and captures one of the most important neo-progressive bands near the height of the 1980s progressive rock revival in the UK. In March of 1984, Twelfth Night played three gigs over three weeks at London’s Marquee Club with new singer Andy Sears. For the third date in the series, the band was captured for Live from London. The film was eventually released after the broadcast as the Creepshow video in late 1984. The band performed excellently, as the Marquee had become almost a second home for the band. The songs performed are: The Ceiling Speaks, Human Being, We Are Sane, Fact and Fiction / The Poet Sniffs a Flower, Creepshow, Art and Illusion, Love Song. The Twelfth Night CDs are here.
Umphrey’s McGee - Mantis special ed. (2CD, $11.99) Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee are well-known in jam band circles, yet they are more of a progressive rock band than a jam band, with far more of a connection to King Crimson, The Dixie Dregs and Frank Zappa than to The Grateful Dead. Mantis (2009) is their most progressive album. Improvisation plays only a minor role, as it is mostly composed. Try to imagine Steely Dan as a progressive rock band and you’ll have a good idea of the sound of Umphrey’s McGee. They have the requisite rhythmic complexity, instrumental virtuosity, and flair for the dramatic. This is the 2CD edition released on the British Freeworld label. The second disc contains 7 live tracks plus 3 studio tracks taken from Safety in Numbers and Anchors Drops.
“Chicago’s finest progressive jam band concentrates on its progressive side with this sixth studio release, leaving behind the formless jams (see their Live at the Murat). Instead, they jump head-on into the old progressive rock style of Yes, King Crimson, and early Genesis, with gargantuan multi-part songs featuring seriously ambitious arrangements. As the lead single Made to Measure might suggest, their songwriting has progressed as much as their ambitions. In that sense, Mantis might arguably be the group’s most commercial effort even though, ironically, the band is challenging its fan base and risking commercial suicide. For pure prog rock bliss, check the super-catchy 7/8 time guitar-keyboard riff in Cemetery Walk.” [Prefix]
Under the Sun - Schematism ($4.99) 
Under the Sun is known for their 2000 debut on Magna Carta. They play an accessible, hard progressive rock that occupies the middle ground between Kansas and Rush. The 71-minute Schematism: On Stage With Under the Sun is a live album recorded at NEARfest 2001 and mixed by producer/engineer Brad Aaron (of Kansas fame). It includes the previously-unreleased 13-minute epic track Souljourner. The producer makes a point of how the album was mixed: “This recording is unlike any other stereo live disc you’ve heard before. The stereo imaging of the traditionally-recorded live setting has been reversed. This album is not one of those live CDs that puts you in the crowd, away from the stage. This CD is different. There is much more stereo detail here, all the detail of being onstage with the band.” Well, that goal could have been accomplished much more effectively in a surround format such as DVD-Audio or SACD. Nevertheless, this is a great sounding live recording and features original cover art by Kerry Livgren (Kansas). Note some of the audio clips for this album are in Ogg Vorbis format. If you don’t have a player for this format, the free Winamp will work.
Andreas Vollenweider & Friends - 25 Years Live: 1982-2007 (2CD, $9.99) Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider is one of the superstars in that marketing category known as ‘new age’, but he began before that term came into vogue, with his first album released in 1981. It’s fair to say that knowledgeable prog fans were tuned into Vollenweider before he became more broadly known. And in a genre not known for musicianship, Vollenweider is the real thing. He has usually toured with a full rock band lineup and sometimes a symphony orchestra, thus his live work is an excellent place for the uninitiated prog fan to start. This double-CD contains 33 songs, covers material from Vollenweider’s first 10 studio albums plus previously-unreleased songs, includes performances from many tours on several continents, and it would cost you more to buy it as a crappy digital download! Details on Vollenweider’s site.
Chad Wackerman - The View ($6.99)Ex-Zappa drummer Chad Wackerman’s 1993 CD The View is instrumental fusion in the Allan Holdsworth vein, not surprising given that Wackerman and Holdsworth are long-time collaborators, and Holdsworth is the guitarist on six of this album’s 13 tracks. Wackerman is among the elite of modern day drummers.
Rick Wakeman - Stella Bianca ($6.99) [co] This 1999 album is one of Wakeman’s best post-1970s albums, his second collaboration with singer Mario Fasciano. It blends Wakeman’s style with the Italian symphonic prog style. More Rick Wakeman CDs here.
Steve Walsh - Shadowman ($4.99) Steve Walsh is of course the voice of Kansas. Walsh originally released Shadowman in 2005. This 2008 edition adds two bonus tracks recorded in 2007 with most of the same musicians. Walsh sings and plays keys, Joel Kosche (Collective Soul) handles guitar and bass, and Joe Franco is the drummer. David Ragsdale guests on violin, while Michael Romeo of Symphony X adds orchestral arrangements using a sample library. Most of the music resembles the bluesy, hard rock side of Kansas, with symphonic keyboards and orchestral samples overlaid, and some prog-metal. Walsh’s voice is more whiskey-soaked now than in his younger days with Kansas, so it is well-suited to this type of material. Click the mp3 icon for lots of reviews in addition to audio samples. 63-minutes.
Wetton • Downes - Icon Live: Never in a Million Years ($8.99) John Wetton & Geoffrey Downes’ first Icon CD was released in 2005, foreshadowing the Asia (original lineup) reunion tour. The music was prog/pop/AOR in the Asia style but mellower and ballad-heavy, featuring Wetton’s unmistakable voice and lush orchestration from Downes’ layered keyboards. Never in a Million Years was recorded live during 2005/2006 following the first Icon album, with John Mitchell on guitars and Steve Christey on drums. It features songs from the first Asia album through the first Icon album including some from the 20-odd years in between.
Yes - Greatest Video Hits DVD ($8.99)This NTSC Region 1 DVD is a collection of Yes music videos spanning 1977-1987 (Going for the One through Big Generator) with two live tracks from 9012 Live. The videos are not the only attraction here, as the audio is Dolby Digital 5.1, currently the only way to hear these songs in surround. Furthermore, there is commentary from Yes members introducing each video. The songs are: Wondrous Stories, Don’t Kill the Whale, Madrigal, Tempus Fugit, Into the Lens, Hold On (live), Leave It, It Can Happen, Owner of a Lonely Heart, Rhythm of Love, Love Will Find a Way, I’ve Seen All Good People (live).
Yes - The Ladder ($7.99) [co]
The Ladder is Yes’s 1999 studio album, which is a respectable album, but much of Yes’s output from Union on sounds more like a Jon Anderson solo album than classic Yes.
House of Yes: Live from House of Blues was recorded during Yes’s 1999 tour and is the soundtrack to the DVD of the same name. It includes many Yes classics including Awaken, plus five songs from The Ladder. Not the first Yes live album most people would reach for, but a good price for a 2CD.
Friends and Relatives (Vol. 1) is a double-CD set consisting of some classic Yes material but mostly a compilation of tracks by Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Wakeman with Wakeman, Steve Howe, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, and Esquire.
Zen Rock and Roll - End of the Age ($5.99) End of the Age (2002) is the debut CD from Zen Rock and Roll, composed and recorded in the spirit of the British symphonic rock movement of the early 1970s. It reminds us a bit of the American band Netherworld, who were similarly inspired. There are just three long tracks spanning the album’s 45-minute length, but Zen Rock and Roll are able to sustain interest throughout the compositions, with plenty of twists and turns and good instrumental interplay, while themes are well developed and pleasant melodies recur. It’s full of Mellotron and flute and the usual symphonic goodies.