"a lavish and vibrant prog-rock"

I have to quote my dear friend Michael Hodgson above as his comment from the bio was dead on the mark. I'm rather stunned that this now nearly decade-old album did not catch fire and become a favorite with the vintage symphonic and vintage RPI fans of ProgArchives. Maybe it's the rather depressing album cover and band name. Perhaps the mix of geographic flavors---combining British and Italian prog influences---was a bit too British for the RPI crowd and a bit too Italian for the British crowd. Nah, probably neither. More likely it's just another case of a great gem flying under the radar of music fans with far too many choices tugging them to and fro. A nice problem to have, eh?

Michael gives the band's history in his bio on our artist page, but Disequazione is a band that goes way back to the early '80s when they were covering the classic English prog in live performances. But like so many other bands of similar modus operandi, they didn't get to record their own "song for the ages" until decades later. Progressiva Desolazione Urbana is an album that comes with a rather bleak appearance in cover image, in the band name, and even some of the titles, but the music is ironically far from bleak. What you'll hear musically sounds more like classic mid-late '70s symphonic from the likes of Rousseau, Novalis, Orme, and Camel to name just a few bands that popped into my head while writing this. Vintage keyboard sounds, highly melodic, tight Camelish jamming on guitars, bass, and drums, flutes, easygoing vocals, and unapologetically "proggy-pleasing" songwriting that seems determined not to offend the listener. Perhaps only fans of a more discordant harsh-rock could object to the approach.

That's not to say they don't rock---oh, they do rock. The opening of "Inutile" will pounce from your speakers boldly before dropping into a smooth groove with the pleasing variable of Italian vocals rather than English. (I love considering vocals just another musical instrument rather than a lyrical delivery device.) Soon comes an almost folky acoustic guitar section that builds with mellotron-sounding keys to the melodic guitar solo. No waiting for payoff on this album---this is more like instant prog-rock gratification. The beginning of "Il Vaso di Pandora" features Radi's stellar and emotive bass over acoustic guitar, very moody and cinematic. The title track is the star of the show, a grand three-part suite clocking in around 18 minutes. An epic piece filled with one creative escapade after another, the side-long track could fit as comfortably in 1976 as it does 40 years later upon release. The beguiling flute and acoustic guitar section is so lovely and is soon joined by smooth and melodic electric leads again.

This album has a bit of a nostalgic vibe for me as it seems to capture the sound that made me fall for progressive rock in the first place so long ago. I like that the production is somewhat relaxed and warm compared to a lot of new releases that can be so loud and digitally cold. This album is much more "crackling fireplace at ski lodge" than "mega-crisp stadium show on flatscreen" if you catch my drift. The only possible complaint one could lodge here is that the songwriting doesn't attempt to break new ground, that it leans too much into the classic sound, too comfortable for the listener. I don't feel that way, but I wouldn't be surprised if some do. I would heartily suggest giving yourself permission to kick back and enjoy a sound that doesn't come along often anymore, a gift from Prog Nirvana to you. The band still perform live and there was work on a second album, but covid and other issues resulted in delay. But should Progressiva Desolazione Urbana prove to be the one-and-only release from this band, they can be proud of an album that will eventually find its way to those who will adore it. Don't miss it!

Not to downplay the crisp and satiating production here, it's gratifying to see ROY HARPER return to stripped down and less glossy arrangements for this 1985 release on which the great JIMMY PAGE achieves almost equal billing. The result is a raw yet paradoxically atmospheric album, like "Stormcock" with a preeminent electric/acoustic guitarist, but more Gothic, particularly on the dazzling "Nineteen forty eight ish", "Hope", "Hangman" and "Twentieth Century Man". I think I hear where artists like PAUL BRETT and GORDON GILTRAP may have been influenced vocally and fretfully particularly in their later years. Apart from a few decent but somewhat underwhelming cuts, the album does suffer the affliction of repetition on "Elizabeth" and the weak "Advertisement", something previously unimaginable in the Harper repertoire, but this same tendency also succeeds vividly on "Hangman", so I shouldn't be overly critical or go for the jugula. A triumphant and ageless mid 1980s album.

The second Pink Floyd live release in less than ten years, Pulse is a marginal step above the overproduced Delicate Sound of Thunder. The recordings and performances have more room to breathe which is a welcome change of pace, and the cover art is very unique. However, like its predecessor, it struggles with a mixed bag of a setlist that suffers whenever the band tries to tackle anything from The Wall and forward. Gilmour as a vocalist can't match the rage and fury of Roger Waters, so when he tries to take on tracks like "Hey You" and "Run Like ****" they lose the paranoia and danger which makes them such powerful songs and just end up sounding way to sedate. There's also the major push of material from the lackluster Division Bell and Momentary Lapse of Reason albums. Understandable Gilmour wanted the focus to be what the current lineup of the band was accomplishing which some of it was pretty good, but those albums have never been amongst the Floyd's greatest work.

The big selling point for this album at the time was that it contained for the first time a full-album length performance of the iconic Dark Side of the Moon. And to their credit, they deliver a pretty decent facsimile of that classic album. Sure, it a bit glossier than the original 70s recording, but on the whole decent enough. However, with the trickling out of high-fidelity live tapes of the same material being performed by the Floyd in their original mid-70s peak by the definitive lineup on recent reissues of Dark Side and Wish You Were Here 5.0 One of my favorite live performances.

15 years on from his debut, Harper introduced the ROY HARPER BAND with "Work of Heart". It's curious that the band consists of musicians whose competence I am not qualified to question, but who, unlike many of his earlier collaborators, can hardly be said to challenge the man's pre-eminence over his domain.

This is even more unctuous than "The Unknown Soldier", an osterized emulsion of ideas that are perhaps not even half baked, and that would only pique musicologists who specialize in the 1980s come the 2050s, and heaven help them if this was somehow chosen as representative of this fellow's output. It's not that there was no good music in the 1980s, but, when it adhered to these formulae, many others did it better - why impart questionably poetic lessons when the whole point isn't to listen, and how would you even hope to dance to this?

In the middle of "Woman", we get an approximation of the 4th or 5th best track on the BUGGLES "The Age of Plastic". I suppose that isn't nothing. "I Still Care" and the closing suite are the best on offer here, but I wouldn't shoehorn them onto a best of compilation as presented. Supposedly many of these numbers received a rawer and more fan friendly treatment on the subsequent"Born in Captivity". Since that one is for only fans, I think I'll vault ahead to discern if any further work of this artiste advances his legacy.

Yes, thankfully, The Child is Father of the Man. Number One, the Chief salutes you.

Is history cyclical? Perhaps, but consideration of "Parasomnia" brings me back to the ending above of my 2/22/2009 review of "Octavarium."

Number One is my oldest son, now a successful, multi-store retail, district manager who recently had the good fortune to see Dream Theater on their fortieth anniversary tour. Finally, on Sunday, 3/23/25, we spoke regarding "Parasomnia,"agreeing that it is Dream Theater's best effort since 2002's "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence."

In the autumn of 2024 when the band gave us the preview of "Night Terror" from "Parasomnia," I joked with Number One that, depending on the 11/5/24 outcome of a major event in the "body politic" of the United States, I, too, might have "Night Terror . . . ." This outcome has, subsequently, also led to "Day Terror."

On a far more auspicious note, we have "Parasomnia." As we enter the album through "In The Arms of Morpheus," we are whisked away into a fitfully trancelike state that is relentless. "Night Terror" descends into "A Broken Man," which constricts into "Dead Asleep." The listener is on a "mechanical bull" of the Imagination that charges through "Midnight Messiah" to the alarm clock conclusion of "The Shadow Man Incident."

As a "concept album," "Parasomnia is not only a latter day "Metropolis Pt. 2?Scenes from a Memory," but also an "incarnation" of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." Although "Parasomnia" does not possess a relatively linear "quest romance motif" like that of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," it presents eight bewildering nighttime scenarios with a cumulative effect tantamount to the quest of Rael . . . .

Instrumentally, the album is superb. Throughout, there is the continuous dialogue between John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. James La Brie is most authoritative. In his return to the band, Mike Portnoy parallels the career of NFL great, Fran Tarkenton, who, beginning his career with the Minnesota Vikings and serving an intermediate tenure with the New York Giants, returned to the Vikings to complete his legendary status as quarterback.

And, then, there is John Myung: "L'Angelo Misterioso" of "Parasomnia." In response to the legendary lead guitar work Eric Clapton provided on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," George Harrison co-wrote and performed rhythm guitar on Cream's, "Badge," under the pseudonym, "L'Angelo Misterioso."

Myung's presence initially became noteworthy to me during Rudess and Petrucci's "dialogue"during "Night Terror" and Rudess' piano solo during the latter stages of "The Shadow Man Incident." With each listening, I have found Myung's bass to be fairly "high" in the mix, largely assuming the function of rhythm guitar. And, why not? With a drummer like Mike Portnoy, the music of "Parasomnia" opens up the full, rhythmic possibilities for Myung's six string bass. As a parallel, I would like to make reference to Greg Lake's eight string Alembic bass on "Fanfare for the Common Man."

There are, of course, other remarkable instrumental elements throughout this album. I would like to point out Petrucci's solo during "A Broken Man" in which he revisits the "Kansas-like" sound of "A Rite of Passage" from "Black Clouds and Silver Linings."Rudess delivers singular piano work during the remaining third or so of "The Shadow Man Incident,"supported by Myung's bass.

In mentioning Fran Tarkenton earlier, I must similarly say, in "Parasomnia," Dream Theater has sent "the ball" out of Wrigley Field and/or over the Green Monster in Fenway Park.

And, who among us would not want to "Bend the Clock?"

Largely experimental and occasionally provocative, 'Alpha Centauri', or the second studio album released by Tangerine Dream, is a 1971 album that bridges a supposed gap between krautrock and electronic music, seeing the German band led by Edgar Froese embarking on a space-themed odyssey developing in peculiar cosmic movements with the predominant use of organ and flute., eventually inspired by the experimental sounds of Pink Floyd's early psychedelic recordings, particularly 'A Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Ummagumma'. Froese and Co. had taken up that chilling cosmic soundscape-creation and elevated it to a hypnotic work where electronic instrumentation prevails and provides an often-ominous but always intriguing musical background as well as a fine space for improvisation, which is what this album is largely about.

And while the remains of the group's krautrock pedigree can still be heard, 'Alpha Centauri' is the first really significant step towards Tangerine Dream's magnificent exploration of texture, timbre, and ambience, all sheathed in cosmic reverence, making this a somewhat transitional recording. Here we have the organ-heavy 'Sunrise in the Third System', a fine tone-setter for the record, the skeletal and tender composition 'Fly and Collision of Comas Sola', which reveals a distant krautrock echo towards its ending, and the first massive movement of sound by Tangerine Dream, the 22-minute title track, a worthy anticipator of the musical form explored more thoroughly on 'Zeit'. Reissues of the album bring along fascinating bonus tracks like the ethereal 'Oszillator Planet Concert' and the rare and abrasive prog single 'Ultima Thule', developing in two parts. All this makes 'Alpha Centauri' incredibly interesting as well as an important piece of the Tangerine Dream puzzle, with its spacey sounds and structure-less experiments.

I was encouraged to try out Little Creatures after Talking Heads got an honorary mention on Progarchives and I will admit that the 2 singles this album generated were something I remember enjoying back in the 80s. I recall Talking Heads being talked about at the time as something a little different from the standard pop that dominated UK charts; however I never considered the singles different or special enough to take a punt on the rest of their music. Afterall I was still catching up on all the epic stuff I was too young to enjoy from the 70s and even that stuff was competing with all the metal and alternative rock that was appearing daily. So was it worth my effort to pull out this old vinyl recording, making a digital copy and whacking it onto my Sonos? In a word, Nope!

Let's be fair to Talking Heads, they were a little different from the pack and they had a quite refreshing approach to their music so I perfectly understand all those 80s music fans getting a little excited about this stuff. However, at the time this stuff was getting all popular I was discovering The Sisters of Mercy, Alien Sex Fiend and Marillion as well as catching up on AC/DC, Black Sabbath and The Scorpions - I know I was a musical schizophrenic but that's because I still didn't know that prog was my thing. So you can see why I didn't find time for Talking Heads or any other mildly interesting pop band. I do think we should see Talking Heads as sitting at the more sophisticated end of the pop spectrum as they competently produced consumable music that will probably still be with the original 80s fans - I bet they still play this stuff when they are alone!

So Little Creatures runs through 9 tracks that never escape from 4 time and don't seem to be interested in trying different structures even though there isn't such a strong reliance on vocal hooks as you might expect from pop music. Some songs like Television Man do have minor dalliances in something that is unexpected but it simply isn't enough to satisfy an ardent prog listener. The album is book-ended by those 2 singles And She Was.. and Road To Nowhere just to make sure you hear the whole thing (assuming you enjoy Road to Nowhere). Most of the tracks are forgettable enough and there isn't a vocal performance or musician that stands out enough to keep you listening. This whole thing is competent and a little different but it isn't anything else. The lyrics are quite original and despite some repetition I never get annoyed with them which makes it easy to continue listening even though I tend to switch off after a while.

There is some texture to the music but what this stuff really needs above all else, is a little more passion from the vocals because it really needs something more to grab you by the wotnots and force you to hear it out. For my own experience, after about a dozen spins I started to get bored with the singles (because they were already too familiar) which allowed me to dip into the other tracks. That's the point where I realized I was not going to get any more out of this experience and I decided to write this review and move on to something more rewarding.

In summary, Little Creatures is an ok 1980s pop album with an interesting style that made it stand out at the time but with hindsight it isn't anything special and it really doesn't have any business sitting in a progressive music collection. It is a statement on how music began to diversify again after those awful 80s years of synth pop but will only really be of interest to 80s pop fans. Let them have it I say.

Ominous Art Deco Sound

The architects of elegant and brutal chaos return with 'Goldstar', a work directly inspired by the vast monstrosity of their hometown New York. In just under 39 minutes, the trio builds a wall of sound that feels like Manhattan beneath skyscrapers warped by madness.

The album proves that avant-garde can be accessible without losing its edge, deploying their signature extreme metal with jazz elements and dissonant sections efficiently and concisely. The production is raw, one thanks the controlled maelstrom that so characterizes their style. The atmospheres are built with precision, and harsh textures and arrangements are integrated to enrich the final result. Furthermore, contributions from figures such as Dave Lombardo and Tomas Haake add interest to the album.

Despite its dense layers and evident complexity of execution, 'Goldstar' feels direct. Part of this is due to its length, which is long enough for the band to develop their approach without overwhelming the listener, something many of their contemporaries fail to grasp. Shorter pieces, such as "NEWYORKCITY" and "Goldstar" (for some reason, the latter giving me a mental image of the video game 'Fallout',) serve as effective transitions, ensuring a steady flow. In "Gomorrah Nouveaux", the phrase "High class, low life" encapsulates the band's critique of the decadence they find in their surroundings; they translate the combination of superficial luxury with deteriorating morality into music that is precise but, at times, could take more risks.

In the end, this album stands as a new sonic cathedral, built upon the crumbling foundations of the city that so inspires them. IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT remains consistent in its form, but too comfortable within its own limits. The execution and the idea are impeccable, but the lack of creative boldness leaves the feeling that they fell short of their own potential. It's a good album, although one that leaves the impression that they could have gone further if they had dared to challenge their own rules.

Music: 3 stars

Lyrics: 3 stars

Execution: 4 stars

Emotion: 2 stars

Production: 3 stars

Artwork: 3 stars

Average: 3

Definitely not Floyd's best, but its musical redemption from the "Final Cut" and "Momentary Lapse of Reason" not bad considering that by this point their top songwriter was long-gone and their second best was trying to sue them dry. Some of the songs are actually very good, and none are terrible - that aspect alone seperates this album from A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Marooned and Cluster One, both instrumental, feature some great guitar work from David Gilmour, and High Hopes and Lost For Words are solid lyrically as well as musically. But, as is always the case with the post-psychedelic Floyd, the music needs the sweet-and-sour balance of Gilmour and Waters to stand up. In this case it is Gilmour's blandness which rules the day, and while this is more accessible for most listeners than Roger Waters' whining, it doesn't make for a classic album. If you have all the work from Floyd's golden era and are looking to expand your collection, then this would be one place to start. But don't go judging the band on this release alone. 4.0 the quartet was done by this moment in time but make one last hoorah.

After the rushed "Crisis? What Crisis?", Supertramp returned to the studio to work on their 5th studio album. And boy did they work out something great here. It starts with the joyful, "Give a Little Bit," a song you've probably already heard before. "Lover Boy" is a Rick Davies classic. The lyrics here are truly fantastic, as they are still relevant over 40 years later. "Even in the Quietest Moments" is the best song on the album, it is still very pleasing and doesn't feel like a big step of quality. "Downstream" is a simple song. Just Rick and his piano. But that is what makes it so great. The lyrics, the chorus, the production, everything on this track is perfect. This song is very underrated. "Babaji" is a fun song. The ending is particularly infectious. Then we come to "From Now On." This song is the peak of the album. Rick's lyrics, John Helliwell's saxophone, and everything in between give this song a gentle, lifting touch. The outro has me singing throughout the rest of my day. What a brilliant, gentle song. "Fool's Overture" is a long trip of a song its one of their proggiest tracks. The audio clip going into the change of sound in the music is wonderful. We also get some of Roger Hodgson's best lyrics here. It's a great outro to such a great album. Overall, this album has many different styles of songs blended together into one tight, non-innocuous package. 4.5