Prog Rock Wednesdays (Page 23 of 24)

That was great and the blind guy was great on the organ and the sax.  Different and really good. Thank you for listing them they were great, enjoyable listing to them.     

Nightwish    "Ghost Love Score"    Helsinki, Finland, 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YODCM26JXOY

This is what happens when metal & classical mix, and the result is both dramatic and satisfying. This was the final performance featuring the amazing Tarja Turunen on vocals, who was suddenly and strangely dismissed by an open letter following the concert. In the letter, the band members cited numerous personality differences and tensions, and were very frank in their criticism of her. Apparently, the open letter was written so that their many fans would know why this was happening, because on stage she is an amazing performer. Since that time, they've tried both Floor Jensen and Anette Olzon as her replacement. Although capable singers in their own right, neither truly have Tarja's power and control ... so it's fitting that the DVD for this concert was called "End of an Era". I recommend this one be cranked up for full effect ... enjoy!

Genesis    "Dodo / Lurker"    Birmingham, England, 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TB6e4IbPZQ

The "Three Sides Live" double-live album was released in 1982, and this video was shot at one of the several concerts which made up the entire track listing. Guitarist Steve Hackett had left the group in late-1977, and from that point they took a decidedly Pop Music turn from their Prog Rock roots. That move filled concerts and sold albums, but fans of their previous material (like me) were terribly disappointed in the new Genesis. Once in a while, however, they uncorked a couple of winners, and these are two of them. With Chester Thompson firmly entrenched behind the drum kit, that left Phil Collins free to sing lead vocals. Various guitarists accompanied them for studio / touring work, but none of them (IMHO) were ever of the calibre that Steve Hackett was. This footage is from the laser disc release, in the pre-DVD era.

I can remember hearing this one on the radio when it was first recorded. At one time he was still playing drums and also singing. TF this was a great choice . Thank you.     

Riverside    "Saturate Me"    Gdansk, Poland, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvMuA6wEUfM

Here's another installment from Poland's Riverside, featuring the late Piotr Grudzinki (1975 - 2016) on guitar. Piotr died just a few weeks shy of his 41st birthday, and had / has a huge fan following both in his native Warsaw and beyond. "Quidam" guitarist Maciej Meller has been touring with them since 2017. They released their first album without Piotr last Fall (September, 2018), with bassist Mariuz Duda doing the guitar work in studio. Their music shows distinct metal influences, along with the composition and instrumentation elements that slide them seamlessly into the Prog Rock genre. This song is from their 2015 album "Love, Fear and the Time Machine".

Steven Wilson    "Refuge"    Royal Albert Hall, London, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ9qSA6JYgo

I've had a lot of Wilson's work up in the last couple of months, and have been gorging on a fairly steady diet of his music. This one is powerfully emotional, and reflects Wilson's philosophy on his "To The Bone" album, intending to reduce the musical complexity a bit, and to emphasize the the message content more. "Refuge" addresses the plight of refugees fleeing a violent homeland, only to find further heartache and despair where they thought they might find refuge. Wilson's vocal performance in this one is as good as I've heard him, and I find myself humming it on a regular basis. The dual guitar solos between Wilson and Alex Hutchings - backed by Craig Blundell's thundering drum riffs - is simply mind-blowing. Lot's to like here, and I hope it moves you like it does me.

Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)    "Impressioni di Settembre"    Giugo, Italy, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omjsZp5UfnA

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull once proclaimed PFM (Marconi's Award-Winning Bakery) as the best prog band in Italy, and the combination of their talents and on-stage passion really underscore that remark. Formed in 1970 out of Milan, Italy, they have enjoyed international success and a substantial global following. Their odd name was borrowed from a bakery in the small town of Chiari, under protest that it was too long. Their answer was that if it was hard to remember, it would be just as hard to forget! "Impressions of September" is from the first of their 33 albums to date ... enjoy!

Glad you enjoyed them, CG ... not sure why drummer Franz Di Cioccio has his tongue hanging out most of the time, but it obviously helps him drum better. The whole group presents their work with an enormous amount of passion, which really engages the audience.     

An unusual sound and a very good one. Great choice with then too.  It was clear the  people their were going crazy with the sound.     

This is a wonderful choice. Anyone who thinks they can hear this on any where else is wrong. It is so good and anyone else should listen to this one is is great and different.     

Thank-you, CG & Peatle ...

It's an enjoyable weekly experience to dig out a few rarities for both this and the Flying Fingers feature. The whole inspiration for this was from a fellow-Chordian (Badeye) who started the "Friday Blues Fix" back in 2009. CG has since taken up the mantle (Thanks!) but the idea of weekly features was his idea, and provides (as Peatle says) more reasons for regular visitors to Chordie.

A few years ago, we had some other Chordians try to maintain a daily feature on other open days of the week, but the time commitment can be difficult so they fizzled. Whether or not anyone listens or comments, I simply find this therapeutic to hunt down peripheral music which rarely makes it in the mainstream, because there is indeed soooo much out there. I co-hosted an on-campus radio program back in the 70's called "No Disco", so this is more or less a resurrection of what Shawn & I were trying to do then.

Glad you enjoy it!