by TW on February 27, 2009
Former Japan/Rain Tree Crow and current Porcupine Tree keyboardist Richard Barbieri steps out with his second proper solo album Stranger Inside on K Scope Records. Although this is primarily Barbieri’s show, he is joined by Japan cohort, percussionist Steve Jansen with additional programming and arrangements as well as mixing duties. Porcupine Tree front man Steven [...]
by TW on February 25, 2009
Think you know your prog rock? Do you remember the details of every Pink Floyd, Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Marillion, ELP album? Well, play along with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, as they do battle in this prog trivia shootout, and see how you fare.
by TW on February 20, 2009
I remember as a teen, reading in the Guinness Book Of World Records, that Deep Purple set a new record, registering themselves as the loudest band on Earth – Purple’s live show in 1970 reportedly throwing out 110 decibels (thank you Marshall stacks!) of blistering sound at those brave enough to saunter front and center [...]
by TW on February 20, 2009
At the height of Deep Purple’s first wave of commercial success – thanks largely due to their remaking of Joe South’s “Hush” – bassist Nick Simper stepped away to play in Marsha Hunt’s band, whose members included keyboardist Rick Wakeman and guitarist Ged Peck. The stint with Hunt would be short-lived, though, and Simper soon [...]
by TW on February 19, 2009
It is my assertion that Rush hit their stride with 1980′s Permanent Waves, and rode that heady curl through the two following flawless albums Moving Pictures and Signals. After waiting and listening for more than 25 years for something akin to these classic albums, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart emerged from the murky [...]
by TW on February 17, 2009
For nearly 40 years, Stu Cook has been anchoring bands with his bass playing and harmony singing. From his time with the legendary Creedence Clearwater Revival to the country-tinged Southern Pacific to Cook’s current project with former Creedence drummer Doug Clifford titled Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Cook has remained an active and vital member on the [...]
by TW on February 16, 2009
One could forgive Keaton Simons if he chose to be a cynic. Like so many others in the music industry, Simons’ career has been marked by a series of starts and stops that makes many throw up their arms, pawn their guitars and look for a more reliable gig. But Simons has persevered, through a [...]
by TW on February 11, 2009
Do you remember your first math class? After being introduced to the wide world of numbers, you began learning that 1+1 = 2; 2+2 = 4; 2+3 = 5; 6 +3 = 9 and so on. As well, it didn’t matter if you wrote 2+3 or 3+2, the answer is still five. This is known [...]
by TW on February 11, 2009
Originally formed in 1972, Return To Forever are a musical powerhouse. Thirty-two years after the release of their last album Romantic Warrior, keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola, and drummer Lenny White decided to give it another go. The result is Returns, a double-disc set to be released March 17 by [...]
by TW on February 9, 2009
Madder Lake were a five-piece Australian outfit – Mick Fettes (vocals), Brenden Mason (lead guitar), Kerry McKenna (bass, synthesizers, vocals), John McKinnon (piano, organ, vocals) and Jack Kreemers (drums, congas, gong) – that made a big splash in their home country in the early 1970s. The band’s strengths were mixing progressive rock with the blues [...]