For many progressive rock fans, the German band Nektar hit their grand slam with the 1973 concept album Remember The Future – essentially one song spread across two album sides. The band’s 1974 follow-up, Down To Earth, takes a wacked-out circus as its theme; Nektar tighten the song structures and create another prog-rock classic.
The vintage Nektar sound is all over: chiming guitar chords (“Show Me The Way”), lilting harmonies (“Early Morning Clown”), perfect melodies (“Little Boy”), in-your-face-bass (“Astral Man”) and a wonderful sense of play (“Nelly The Elephant” and “Fidgety Queen”). Look for the Eclectic Discs reissue, which includes six alternate versions of Down To Earth songs and outtakes.
In the liner notes, Nektar guitarist and lead vocalist Roye Albrighton writes, “Down To Earth is Nektar’s Magical Mystery Tour…”
For whatever reason progressive rock has never established a foothold in Ireland. Just across the Irish Sea, in neighboring England, progressive rock flourished in the 1970s so much that entire “schools” of prog were born. Maybe it was the political climate of the land that kept the often fantasy-themed explorations of prog from finding roots in Ireland. While English bands such as Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were traversing imagined landscapes and worlds, Ireland’s Rory Gallagher’s feet were planted firmly on the ground, playing meat-and-potatoes blues-rock for his country men and women. But there was a void… until now.
Dead Heroes Club are Ireland’s answers to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and Fish-led Marillion. The Derry-based quartet- Liam Campbell (vocals and keyboards), Gerry McGerigal (guitars), Wilson Graham (bass) and Michael Gallagher (drums) – take musical cues from the past and marry them to Campbell’s lyrics that ask many questions about the state of today’s world. The music is engaging and melodic and the six songs fly by, even the 15-minute-plus title track, at a clip that had me grabbing the remote for a replay – then another. Dead Heroes Club reign in the long solos and expositions for passages that strengthen the song, and that’s what makes A Time Of Shadows so successful. In a sense, the arrangements are almost spartan, leaving plenty of space for Campbell’s words and delivery to make maximum impact.
Campbell’s words are often charged by the seemingly unstoppable conflicts that continue to spread plague-like across the globe. In “Gathering Of Crows,” he asserts “I guess I must’ve missed holy twist that says ‘death to the other side!’ Who gave these words to Muhammad’s verse or to the one who came to die? And who is it that insists ‘read into this… the path has been clearly laid’, To justify the wave that comes again in jihad or crusade? Is there a killer’s heart in your holy man?” Even under the weight of it all, Campbell and crew bring melody to the theme and make it beautiful. The poignant tribute to a fallen friend, “The Sleepers Are Waking (A Song For Tony Martin),” sparkles as guest vocalist Catherine McAtavey harmonizes with Campbell on the chorus and McGerigal adds chiming harmonics on acoustic guitar. I can’t single out one of the six tracks as a favorite – this is an album that should be heard as a whole and by as many fans of prog rock as possible.
Yes, Ireland has a progressive rock band of its own and one to be mentioned in the same breath as modern proggers Spock’s Beard, The Flower Kings, Glass Hammer and Porcupine Tree. I absolutely love this album – my favorite of 2009 and a strong contender for my Top 20 progressive rock albums of all time. In fact, I’m adding it to that list, which follows in no particular order:
Tightly Unwound is the seventh studio release from England’s The Pineapple Thief and their first release for Kscope/Snapper Records. Led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Bruce Soord, the quartet is rounded out by bassist John Sykes, drummer Keith Harrison and keyboardist Steve Kitch. After cultivating a following over nearly ten years, the band was encouraged by Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson to join with Kscope in order to bring their music to a wider audience. Kscope, home to other artists with “post-prog” tendencies is a perfect fit for Soord and company. Tightly Unwound is a clever amalgam of light, sometimes ornate, indie pop with lengthier pieces that build upon themselves and are obscurely structured in movements with well planned repetition of theme. This is music for which there is little comparison, but that may actually be pushing the boundaries of a developing movement.
Unwound begins with Soord’s sweet, whispery voice and simple chords for structure on “My Debt To You.” Eventually Soord is gently plucking and strumming his guitar, with bass and keyboards subtly adding form behind Soord’s ode to past generations. It’s an unassuming start to a record, but that is the genius of The Pineapple Thief. If you’re not willing to delve into the sound, Soord doesn’t need you along for the ride. This is a sentiment that he shares with some of the best prog-rock from the days of yore. Follow Nektar or Gentle Giant or even the deep cuts on Jethro Tull’s Aqualung and you’ll discover gold that is not apparent on the surface. Just as we’re not exactly sure what to expect of this record, Soord throws us a curveball on track two with “Shoot First.” The guitar and bass are heavier, the drums come out to play, and the keyboards shift to something more commonly found on a backing track for The Orb. The only constant is Soord’s mellow voice, as he’s switching back and forth between electric bash and acoustic drive. The plot thickens.
By the third cut, I was completely hooked. “Sinners” shows off the skills of Harrison as Soord strolls boldly into shoegazer country. His acoustic guitar underneath a simple and effective solo is what told me that this wasn’t a lost track from Chapterhouse. Soord’s fuzz and blur are not turned up to 11; you don’t have to lose your hearing to get what he’s on about. And after a build up using several turns of tune and phrase on the shorter pieces, the meat of the matter is then found on the disc’s longer pieces, “Different World” and “Too Much To Lose.” The former tops out over 10 minutes and allows Soord to expand on the elements he’s merely toyed with earlier on. He lulls us into a state of calm with long stretches of guitar strumming and sampled, chirping birds before using his electric guitar for effect and tone variation. The band is pushing us along in a heavier direction before everything drops out in favor of singular notes from Kitch’s piano and a lush string arrangement. Soord’s acoustic strum then brings us back for more brilliant fills from Harrison and Soord’s splendid electric work. His voice rises above the mix and is at its most beautiful. Then, at over 15 minutes in length, the disc’s closer “Too Much To Lose” takes a different direction entirely and allows Soord to play with stopping rhythms, distorted and echoed vocals, chilling mellotron and a spectral electric guitar line. The pace is very slow for the most part, but each band member is given an opportunity to showoff their strengths in a lengthy voiceless midsection. Nothing feels like it’s jamming for jamming’s sake, but more like a well crafted novella with an extremely tight plot.
The Pineapple Thief have been rather prolific in recent years, as if they’re picking up on a vibe from their audience and are now feeding off of that energy. They already have another two EPs scheduled for release in the wake of Unwound. The group is riding the crest of a wave in a prog rock revival. As the 1970s saw a rich culture of underground artists breaking down the doors to better musicianship and increased complexity of composition, the years to come will see The Pineapple Thief at the forefront of a reclamation to these same sensibilities.
For many prog-rock fans, the German band Nektar hit their grand slam with the 1973 concept album Remember The Future – essentially one song spread across two album sides. The band’s 1974 follow-up, Down To Earth, takes a wacked-out circus as its theme; Nektar tighten the song structures and hit another one over the fence.
The classic Nektar sound is all over: chiming guitar chords (“Show Me The Way”), lilting harmonies (“Early Morning Clown”), perfect melodies (“Little Boy”), in-your-face bass (“Astral Man”) and a wonderful sense of playfulness (“Nelly The Elephant” and “Fidgety Queen”). My reissue from Electic/Dream Nebula includes six alternate versions of Down To Earth songs and outtakes.
In the CD liner notes, Nektar guitarist and lead vocalist Roye Albrighton writes, “Down To Earth is Nektar’s Magical Mystery Tour…”
Mahogany Frog are a four-piece progressive rock outfit from Winnipeg, Manitoba, composed of Graham Epp (keyboards, guitars, trumpets), Jesse Warkentin (guitars, keyboards), Scott Ellenberger (bass, keyboards, percussion, trumpets) and J.P. Perron (drums, electronics). Mahogany Frog’s most recent release, DO5 (Moonjune Records), is their fifth, and served as my introduction to the band. DO5 features nine instrumental tracks with a range of sounds from vintage to modern. Expect plenty of tube-y keyboards, processed guitars, sound samples and energy. Although Mahogany Frog’s music is definitely experimental, it isn’t self-obsessed or pretentious. Most important, it’s highly listenable. One of this quartet’s particular strengths is melody, even as multiple layers of sound stream from their instruments, the songs have structure and stick-in-your head lyricism. That’s a neat trick.
The album opens with the short “G.M.F.T.P.O,” a blast of fierce guitar before venturing forth into the sonic explorations of “T-Tigers & Toasters,” whose beginning reminds me a bit of Gyorgi Ligeti’s groundbreaking music that was used for the soundtrack in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The song flows like a ripple that builds into a wave, with some gorgeous keyboards that go Canterbury before the guitars bust through, as if Neil Young’s Crazy Horse suddenly hit the scene, cresting the curl before crashing into shore.
“Last Stand At Fisher Farm” is a majestic piece, full of drama – sort of a new theme from an imaginary western – and one of the album’s highlights. “You’re Meshugah!” features some excellent drumming courtesy of Perron and recalls the heavier moments of early progressive acts such as Caravan, Nektar and Hatfield And The North; while “I Am Not Your Sugar” sounds like a Rush jam circa Caress Of Steel. “Demon Jigging Spoon” conjures up Tangerine Dream, Frank Zappa and Ozric Tentacles. These are all attempts to describe the band’s sound, but Mahogany Frog really have their own sound, thanks in part to the recording itself. DO5 is one of the most analog-sounding compact discs I’ve heard, with that indefinable warmth and coziness that turns vinyl lovers all glassy eyed. The album closer “Loveset,” may be my favorite of the bunch. I love the way it juxtaposes a lovely trumpet line against electronic loops and a wall of shimmering keyboard chords.
DO5 is a very impressive record with nary a wasted note or thought. It’s available for purchase at the Moonjune Web site. The video for “Lady XOC & Shield Jaguar,” below and one of the tunes from DO5, provides an excellent first-hand look at MH.
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