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AN ASTONISHING BOX
I’m really enjoying the epic four-LP box set of Dream Theater’s concept album, The Astonishing. It has a ring of Duneinspired prog metal space opera all in 180g black vinyl housed in two gatefold jackets with inserts. Love the artwork inside and out. I don’t think I had the patience before to listen all the way through, but it finally connected with me.
Very enjoyable listen.
Paul Watson, via Facebook
THE NEW DAWN OF PROG
On Prog 145’s cover, you wrote:“90125: the blueprint for a new prog era?”I would argue that where Yes, Asia, Genesis, Floyd, etc. were going at that time, i.e. more commercial, gave rise to the new wave of prog bands like Marillion, Solstice, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon, etc. as a reaction to and against that commerciality, not an influence.
Surely they were listening more to, and playing closer [attention] to the earlier output of those bands because those big bands had abandoned it? Ozrics, Steven Wilson and a few others emerged from more the free festival side of things, didn’t they? Or maybe I’m getting the thrust of the assertion of last month’s lead article wrong?
Kit Robinson, via Facebook Given that many of the 80s bands you mention were already up and running by the turn of the decade, a reaction to the differing sounds of the 70s bands is unlikely, Kit. The headline referred more to Yes themselves, although also looking at the way progressive music would continue to evolve over the next 40 years. –Ed.
A QUESTION OF DELIVERY
I went to see The Flower Kings at Dingwalls in London with much anticipation and came away deflated. Goodness, what a whinefest!
Roine [Stolt] came on and his first words were to complain about the size of the stage. Now the venue has played host to some serious musicians who have coped well enough. Then each song was punctuated by the two guitarists’ complaints about the gear, stage sound, mixing desk and Brexit. The rest of the band were looking on with a‘FFS, get on with it!’expression. Apparently their gear was still in Belgium and they had to hire but surely a sound check is where you sort out those problems?
I recall a memorable gig in Ronnie Scott’s where Tribal Tech mentioned once that Lufthansa had lost some of their kit and then went on without further mention of it to play one of best gigs I have seen. Professionals.
The constant whini
