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Each month (mostly!) I will review a CD / DVD. The material reviewed will not always be “progressive rock”, but will hopefully inspire you to check it out. By definition, what I review, I like.
Artist / Title: Ben Folds: Live Month Reviewed: November 2002 Format: CD Buy: Well, what can I say? This is a tremendous album – one of the best live releases I have ever heard. Yup, it really is that good. Initial purchasers note that you get a free 35 minute …
Artist / Title: Rufus Wainwright: Poses Month Reviewed: December 2004 Format: CD Buy: Wow! What a great album. Featuring 13 songs sung with a rare passion and delivery, this is terrific stuff. Hugely melodic, complex, yet simple at the same time, this album is one of those that rewards repeated …
Artist / Title: Magenta: Home Month Reviewed: November 2006 Format: CD Buy: I have enjoyed previous Magenta albums very much, but this one really hits the nail on the head: great playing throughout (some superb guitar solos!) and fabulous vocals from Christina make this a must buy for any rock …
Artist / Title: Dream Theater: Train of Thought Month Reviewed: December 2003 Format: CD Buy: On first hearing, I was very, very disappointed with this album. Sure, it is very heavy, lyrically and musically, but there seemed to be a complete lack of melody. However, spin it a few times …
Artist / Title: Spock’s Beard: Octane Month Reviewed: February 2005 Format: CD Buy: I have to say this is extremely impressive, though bound to disappoint fans of the bands previous prog output. This is a ROCK record, sometimes a very heavy rock record. However, the first 7 songs (A Flash …
Artist / Title: Dream Theater: Black Clouds and Silver Linings Month Reviewed: June 2009 Format: CD Buy: Let’s start by saying that this is quite possibly the best Dream Theater album yet! As you would expect, the instrumental prowess on display is extraordinary, but what saves it from being a …
Artist / Title: Suede: A New Morning Month Reviewed: December 2002 Format: CD Buy: Suede are one of those bands you either ‘get’ or don’t! This is their 6th album (I think) and, although not their best, it is still rather good. Standout track is the mesmerising ‘Astral Girl’. Pure …
Artist / Title: Francis Dunnery: the Gulley Flats Boys Month Reviewed: April 2005 Format: CD Buy: This is Francis Dunnery’s new album, a double, no less; though in truth it would all fit on one CD! Regardless, this is Francis’s mid-life crisis album and is full of pretty downbeat, looking …
Artist / Title: Diagonal: Diagonal Month Reviewed: September 2009 Format: CD Buy: I first heard of this band via a track on Classic Rock Prog Magazine. I loved it straight away and sought out the album. First things first, this is unashamedly retro, pulling in influences from Pink Floyd (early …
Artist / Title: Radiohead: Hail to the Thief Month Reviewed: July 2003 Format: CD Buy: Well, a new Radiohead album is upon us. Would it be all barking mad electronica or a return to guitar based rock? The answer is a little of both. In some respects this album is …
Artist / Title: Ben Folds: Songs for Silverman Month Reviewed: May 2005 Format: CD Buy: As will be obvious by now, I am a huge Ben Folds fan and the man returns with his first new album since the classic Rockin’ the Suburbs. First listen to this CD is not …
Artist / Title: Ben Folds: Rockin the Suburbs Month Reviewed: January 2002 Format: CD Buy: Apparently, Mr Folds has disbanded his three piece band ‘Ben Folds Five’ and gone solo! This is his first such release and is one of the best albums I have ever heard in any style …
Artist / Title: After Crying: Show Month Reviewed: August 2003 Format: CD Buy: After Crying are a Hungarian band mixing progressive rock with jazz and orchestral themes. In fact, they are the best band I have ever heard at seamlessly combining these elements without sounding clumsy or forced. Show is …
Artist / Title: Dream Theater: Octavarium Month Reviewed: August 2005 Format: CD Buy: I will begin by saying that I think this is the bands best album to date! Yep, even better than Scenes From a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Whether you like it heavy, complex, melodic, …
Artist / Title: Les Holroyd: Revolution Days Month Reviewed: May 2002 Format: CD Buy: This is, of course, billed as BJH featuring Les Holroyd! Regardless, this is still a solo effort from Les, accompanied by BJH drummer Mel Pritchard. Now, Les always wrote the more poppy/contemporary sounding numbers in the …
Artist / Title: Dream Theater: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence Month Reviewed: February 2002 Format: CD Buy: So, just how do you follow the classic that is ‘Scenes From A Memory’? Well, it looks like you follow it up with a double CD! Yep, that’s right. A double. DT’s new …
Artist / Title: Kalevala: a Finnish Progressive Rock Epic Month Reviewed: September 2003 Format: CD Buy: Famous among Progressive rock fans worldwide for being probably the classiest (and most complete) publication in this style, the Finnish magazine Colossus had the great idea to ask thirty (Yes, thirty !) bands of …
Artist / Title: Pendragon: Believe Month Reviewed: September 2005 Format: CD Buy: This is an interesting album, as it sounds exactly like you would expect a Pendragon album to sound like, yet it also sounds nothing like a Pendragon album! Altogether, this is a good thing, as the band have …
Artist / Title: Uriah Heep: The Magicians Birthday Month Reviewed: June 2002 Format: CD Buy: Yet another Uriah Heep live album!? Well, this one is a little different in that it re-unites the band with former stars Ken Hensley and John Lawton. And what a show the boys put on! …
Artist / Title: Francis Dunnery: Man Month Reviewed: March 2002 Format: CD Buy: Apparently, this album will only be available via the Internet, but don’t let that stop you from buying it! Having dropped the band format of his last album – the totally brilliant ‘Let’s Go Do What Happens’ …
Artist / Title: Spock’s Beard: Feel Euphoria Month Reviewed: October 2003 Format: CD Buy: As many of you reading this will know, SB parted company, or the other way round, with main songwriter and vocalist Neal Morse. Enter stage left the drummer! And what a great job he makes of …