I don’t’ really review CDs / DVDs these days, but I did quite a lot of them in the past. Here, then, is an archive of them! You might find something cool to listen to! The material reviewed will not always be “progressive rock”, but will hopefully inspire you to check it out. By definition, what I reviewed, I like.
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: Circulus: Clocks are Like People Month Reviewed: September 2006 Format: CD Buy: Well, this album is quite the discovery! To the unprepared, it may even sound a tad bonkers. However, give it a few spins and is charms begin to sink in. Sounding not unlike a cross …
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 …
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: Kayak: Merlin – Bard of the Unseen Month Reviewed: February 2004 Format: DVD Buy: This double concert DVD took some finding, but it sure was worth it! This set features the full concert version of the bands last studio album, 45 minutes of greatest hits and a …
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: Pink Floyd: the Final Cut Month Reviewed: May 2004 Format: CD Buy: This is one of those albums you either love or hate. As for me, I love it! This new re-master sounds fabulous and the single only When the Tigers Broke Free fits into the running …
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: Morrissey: You are the Quarry Month Reviewed: July 2004 Format: CD Buy: Morrissey’s latest solo album is by far his best yet. In terms of sound and production, it is top notch: punchy and powerful. Vocally, he is in excellent form and delivers an outstanding performance. The …
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: 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: Pain of Salvation: Be Month Reviewed: October 2004 Format: CD Buy: Buy this album!!!!! Fantastic to the nth degree, this is truly one of the most progressive and awe-inspiring albums I have heard in a long time. Seriously heavy going and requires a good few spins to …
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: 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: 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: 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: Quidam: the Time Beneath the Sky Month Reviewed: July 2002 Format: CD Buy: Quidam release their latest album (their 3rd studio work) and it features 10 tracks, among which is a cover of Led Zeppelin‘s ‘No Quarter’. Apart from that track, all the others are sung in …
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: Porcupine Tree: Stars Die Month Reviewed: April 2002 Format: CD Buy: Stars Die is a double CD of the bands best work for the Delirium Records label in the period 1991-1997. It comes in a nice box with a rather excellent 36 page booklet packed with interviews, …
Artist / Title: Camel: a Nod and a Wink Month Reviewed: August 2002 Format: CD Buy: Well, what a surprise! This is the bands 30th anniversary release and, as such, is a compendium of all their styles. It sounds like a ‘classic’ album and all the songs (7 of them) …
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 …