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Prog Britannia - Album Reviews

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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2023 at 09:34
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CROOKED MOUTH     Britain's got talent, but you'll find most of it right here on ProgArchives - not on TV. Crooked Mouth are a  Scottish band led by Ken Campbell, who says he's tired of quality prog playing second fiddle to the mindless pap we hear played on the radio every day. That's a sentiment we proggers can all agree on. Crooked Mouth perform music as a labour of love and to raise money for charity, and they say they're not out to make money, which is just as well, bearing in mind how hard it is for a virtually unknown band to make a living in the cut-throat music business these days. Confused 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2023 at 04:58
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CRAFT      A rare collectors item for fans of The Enid. When William Gilmour (no relation) and Martin Russell left the aforementioned band, they formed this one-album project. The First Signs were that this promising band could go far, but it was written in the stars that they were destined not to last. Confused

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2023 at 02:39
Symphonic Prog Britannia

COUSINS & CONRAD     Who's that with the oh-so-familiar warbling voice? Why, it's none other than skipper Dave Cousins of the Strawbs, sailing the High Seas together with able seaman Conny Conrad on guitars and keyboards. Smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2023 at 17:18
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CITIZEN CAIN      A Symphonic Neo Prog band who are so obscure to non-proggers that if you look them up on Wikipedia, it'll lead you straight to the door of Orson Welles' newspaper empire. Are they snakes in the grass or just Serpents in Camouflage? One things for sure, Citizen Cain are mighty fine Citizens of Hope and Glory in the magical realm of Neo Prog. You don't have to take my word for it though. Just take a look at band member "Cyrus" below, who looks like he's auditioning to be the new Albus Dumbledore in the next Harry Potter movie. Tongue 





Edited by Psychedelic Paul - September 07 2023 at 02:26
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Symphonic Prog Britannia

CHALCEDONY      Chalcedony is a form of quartz, and in common with the mineral, the four albums listed below are real gems. Eveshka Ghost (great name!) is the man behind the symphonic music of Chalcedony. Eveshka is the Mozart of Prog, having composed The Fantasy Sonata while he was still in short trousers at primary school, which must have made him the envy of his schoolmates, when most kids of that age can only aspire to be the school conker champion. Eveshka Ghost is certainly not lacking in musical inspiration, but he may have been lacking in imagination by naming his four albums Chapters One, II, III & IV, although a series of uninspired (or non-existent) album titles never did Peter Gabriel's career any harm. Smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2023 at 04:06
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CASINO      Symphonic Neo Prog duo Clive Nolan and Geoff Mann are upping the ante and scooping the jackpot with this superlative,  one-off album project. You can bet your bottom dollar that any  band Clive Nolan is involved with will be a surefire winner, and Casino are no exception. Thankfully, Clive Nolan's two bands - Arena and Pendragon - haven't taken the same path as Genesis. If you asked Clive Nolan to do a Pop album, that would be a bit like asking Van Gogh to churn out a few sunflower pictures for Athena. Tongue

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2023 at 00:10
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CAMEL       Camel emerged from Guildford like a Mirage with the release of their first album in 1973. The band have since gone on to become as legendary as the flight of The Snow Goose, with its annual long migration from Canada to Mexico. Their fourth album was a concept album, released at a time when the concept album was King. When record buyers listened to the final track on the album, Lunar Sea (Lunacy), they may have thought they were experiencing a temporary bout of Moonmadness, as the song played on endlessly, in what's known as the "terminal groove" effect. Camel's next critically acclaimed album had their loyal fanbase performing Rain Dances of delight and they were Breathless with anticipation for the follow-up album. Who can forget the stark image of the crucified astronaut on the cover of I Can See Your House from Here, where he's metaphorically Nude and alone in the endless depths of space. The Single Factor determining his fate is whether there's a spacecraft waiting nearby to come to the rescue, or whether he's doomed to drift endlessly through space like a Stationary Traveller, when all of his hopes will be crushed like Dust and Dreams in a Harbour of Tears. Camel had a return to form in 1999 with the release of their Rajaz album, which gave A Nod and a Wink towards their classic 1970's albums. Wink

 5 stars 1984: Camel - Pressure Points - Live in Concert - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5BFJgXr2uDDJTT-64OuQLvOo3oH47D2l
 4 stars 1991: Camel - Dust and Dreams - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHHd0iIl6M
 4 stars 1995: Camel - Harbour of Tears - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zrh-PzFdu8
 4 stars 2002: Camel - A Nod and a Wink - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3KNGtTa3WA

PETER BARDENS       The keyboard player with Camel throughout much of the seventies, Peter Bardens' long solo career stretches Further Than You Know. Smile

 5 stars 1970: Peter Bardens - The Answer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmyHE7zQoGE
 5 stars 1971: Peter Bardens - Peter Bardens
 4 stars 1979: Peter Bardens - Heart to Heart - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTmtbAugs14
 4 stars 1987: Peter Bardens - Seen One Earth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjg5hKus44
 4 stars 1988: Peter Bardens - Speed of Light - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqCrW4lVNhU
 4 stars 2002: Peter Bardens - The Art of Levitation


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 16 2024 at 06:45
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 21 2023 at 13:19
Symphonic Prog Britannia

CAAMORA       A band that's so good, I've featured them twice, having already included them here earlier under the Neo Prog banner. Caamora is an epic rock opera that Ayreon would be proud of... Caamora consists of Clive Nolan (the Grand Wizard of Neo Prog and member of Arena and Pendragon) and Polish songstress Agnieszka Swita, as well as special guest Christina Booth of Magenta.  The musical project is based on the classic novel "She" - a mysterious white African queen (Ayesha) who must be obeyed - penned by Victorian adventurer H. Rider Haggard. For a late-19th century novel, "She" was way ahead of its time, exploring themes of female dominance and authority a whole century before Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. Smile




Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 21 2023 at 13:21
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Symphonic Prog Britannia: A-Z Album Links


 5 stars 1984: Camel - Pressure Points - Live in Concert - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5BFJgXr2uDDJTT-64OuQLvOo3oH47D2l
 4 stars 1991: Camel - Dust and Dreams - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHHd0iIl6M
 4 stars 1995: Camel - Harbour of Tears - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zrh-PzFdu8
 4 stars 2002: Camel - A Nod and a Wink - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3KNGtTa3WA








 5 stars 1993: Cyan - For King and Country - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacxgQvJe8A   
 5 stars 1994: Cyan - Pictures from the Other Side - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aDaHGNq-7U  
 5 stars 2021: Cyan - For King and Country (Re-recording)


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - December 04 2023 at 05:09
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 21 2023 at 00:52
Symphonic Prog Britannia

BEGGARS OPERA       Beggars Opera are a Scottish Symphonic Prog band who've been around seemingly forever, or at least since the beginning of the prog era anyway. They formed in Glasgow in 1969 and released their first aptly-titled "Act One" album in 1970. They followed it up with five more albums in the proggy 1970's years:- "Waters of Change" (1971); "Pathfinder" (1972); "Get Your Dog Off Me" (1973); "Sagittary" (1974); & "Beggars Can't Be Choosers" (1975). They made a brief comeback in 1980 with the "Lifeline" album and then took a VERY long hiatus before returning with the "Close To My Heart" album in 2007. Their most recent album "Mrs. Caligari's Daughter" was released in 2012. Altogether, Beggars Opera have recorded fourteen studio albums throughout their long lifetime, although they've never quite made it to the "big league" despite their undoubted musical talent. The "Act One" album, reviewed here, was reissued on CD in 1997 with two bonus tracks added to the original five songs on the album. Let's have a listen to the album now and find out if beggars really CAN be choosers.

Opening the curtain on "Act One" comes "Poet and Peasant", a fast and furious fugue of supersonic Emersonian organ virtuosity. This booming and bombastic Baroque piece is very loosely based on the music of the obscure Austrian composer of light operas, Franz von Suppe. Light opera has NEVER sounded quite like this though. This is a wild and dynamic organ jamboree where traditional Classical music is thrown completely on its head and given a healthy burst of pompous and powerful Prog-Rock, in true "Roll Over Beethoven" fashion. The wonderfully expressive singer sounds like he's having a great time too with some magnificently over-the-top operatic vocals, in the style of David Byron of Uriah Heep. Hold on tight now because entering stage right is "Passaglia". Can you handle it as this is George Frideric Handel played as you've never heard him played before. Again, the keyboard player is going hell for leather on the Hammond organ with no let-up in the incredible pace. There's also a flambuoyant flourish of funky guitar in an exhilarating extended solo in the middle section. This powerfully percussive piece has all the unstoppable power and explosive energy of an Exocet missile, with you the listener as the target. The next song "Memory" is another rapid-fire machine gun delivery of sound with the dynamic duo of Hammond organist and wild guitar player battling it out together while the drummer pounds away relentlessly on percussion. Apparently, when Beggars Opera acted as the support band for the Tremeloes way back in 1970, they blew the Tremeloes off the stage, and it's easy to see why when you listen to this energetic high-voltage album. This explosive music has all the flash and thunder brilliance of a boxful of fireworks that's been accidentally set alight.

Side Two is occupied by two 12-minute-long suites. There's more manic musical mayhem with "Raymond's Road". It's a soaring and symphonic sonic blast of incredible intensity with the amplifiers turned all the way up to eleven. Is it Bach or is it Mozart? One thing's for sure, you've never heard Classical music played quite like this before. You may not have heard Symphonic Prog played quite like this before either. This is no Moonlight Sonata. This is more like Widor's Toccata on anabolic steroids. It's an adrenalin rush of rip-roaring organ-powered Rock and there's even a riotous rendition of the William Tell Overture thrown in for good measure too. Rossini would be rocking and rolling in his grave to this music. The breathtaking speed of the high-energy Hammond organist on this album is just phenomenal. You really have to hear it to believe it. We're charging ahead next with "Light Cavalry" and this cavalry aren't stopping for anyone. The band of musical brothers are charging ahead with all guns blazing in a storming symphony of sound. The music gallops along relentlessly at incredible pace in this canorous cavalcade. It's time to dismount now though as we've finally reached the end of the album. Phew! That was a blast!

It's Bach to the Future for this dynamic, classically-inspired blast of powerful Symphonic Prog. It's an album to put on your Chopin Liszt the next time you head Orff into town on Debussy, although you may have to Handel disappointment and come Bach empty-handed, as it's a case of Haydn seek with finding this rare album treasure in the record stores these days.

Look out for their amazing 2007 comeback album with Virginia Aurora Scott, where Beggars Opera sound like a different band altogether, which indeed they were by this time. Smile


 3 stars 1975: Beggars Opera - Beggars Can't Be Choosers - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lMbfEGEq18w-ANLjnXwNN8cfMkXqMcZcw
 3 stars 1980: Beggars Opera - Lifeline - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ePvJwiCLQk
 5 stars 2010: Beggars Opera - All Tomorrows Thinking - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_li9Vz5228HLFXWKXRpSNRnTfJM38BXrco 


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 21 2023 at 02:48
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 19 2023 at 04:14
Symphonic Prog Britannia

DAVID BEDFORD   (1937-2011) Broken Heart      The loneliness of the long-distance progger.... David Bedford was once a member of Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, as well as working with Mike Oldfield on The Orchestral Tubular Bells, but it's David's solo works that he's best-remembered for now. There's no need to go the whole marathon with David Bedford's seven albums though. Just check out The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which features narration by actor Robert Powell - who's still sometimes mistaken for Jesus Christ. Shocked

 2 stars 1972: David Bedford - Nurses Song with Elephants - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lXNAC8k6dR5FYRMoKk0r1k5d-ZCBTKR1M
 4 stars 1975: David Bedford - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lDSGlZikA8F3bhi3dq0vTvzlmNbMRjrTY
 3 stars 1977: David Bedford - Instructions for Angels - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lDYi8FOKEVBOt7wRS3DsuYiFHDKvYUO1o
 3 stars 1983: David Bedford - Star Clusters, Nebulae & Places in Devon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjzrvBUSJz8 



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 19 2023 at 06:55
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 12 2023 at 05:21
Symphonic Prog Britannia

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST      Barclay James Harvest are the featured artist today as we Once Again delve into the history of Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories. They're one of the few bands who've maintained the same core line-up over the years, consisting of John Lees (guitar), Les Holroyd (bass), Woolly Wolstenholme (keyboards) and Mel Pritchard (drums). Who can forget the cute picture of  Baby James Harvest poking his head out of a plant pot on their fourth album cover. Here at ProgArchives, Everyone is Everybody Else in the vast progosphere, where the classic albums of BJH appear like Time Honoured Ghosts. The eighth month of the year was October On the ancient Roman calendar, making it the perfect name for the eighth Barclay James Harvest album. The band took a short break, but weren't Gone to Earth for long before returning  with their best-selling album of all time in 1977. In the XII Kingdoms of Prog, Barclay James Harvest reigned supreme and the Eyes of the Universe were upon them again in 1982 for their Concert for the People in Berlin. This landmark gig for BJH preceded a Turn of the Tide in the Cold War when a Ring of Changes were on the way and the old Soviet leaders became Victims of Circumstance, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. For a brief moment in history, the world became a safer place with no more Face to Face Cold War confrontations between East and West with the ever-present threat of nuclear Armageddon hanging over the world. History didn't end in 1991 though, and in the prophetic words of Messrs Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Welcome to the Show that never ends, because there were new threats on the way in a new century. Caught in the Light of a beautifully clear morning on 11th September 2001, an airliner flew perilously low over New York City..... The River of Dreams would soon be shattered forever. Ouch

 4 stars 1970: Barclay James Harvest - Their First Album - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nFSIfNxs6gIBOTbbIPO1JWh2mwEyVbAIU
 5 stars 1971: Barclay James Harvest & Other Short Stories - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l7sqXxBX6jnIktjJObqPD6GFPPdJZrUn0
 4 stars 1972: Barclay James Harvest - Baby James Harvest - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k8dD4x9nW6_Ju8k4fWqoEflWLUgTZaswA
 4 stars 1974: Barclay James Harvest - Everyone is Everybody Else - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mCjiub0x7T8niJz1AsTxasRH4HNRqXRdk
 4 stars 1975: Barclay James Harvest - Time Honoured Ghosts - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_leiWJFRrHO1N9EVkZilqdkKpJ9MHhMQ3Q
 4 stars 1979: Barclay James Harvest - Eyes of the Universe - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mkQCE_CS4KRfbDHZN3InfqMcF3h0k1k8U
 4 stars 1981: Barclay James Harvest - Turn of the Tide -  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mmCu7zmMp0bEPRj4DwppY3kkM38oUolew
 5 stars 1982: Barclay James Harvest - Berlin: A Concert for the People - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kio5pd2F0ddkxjfb0IjzzMM-OtL2i_Kmo
 3 stars 1983: Barclay James Harvest - Ring of Changes - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kDSFg2np6VvahTK2tyX6EENdRzRUtsbIQ
 3 stars 1984: Barclay James Harvest - Victims of Circumstance - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mydkINhzpKx30cXSe9ymCQi2R-dMHEx4A
 4 stars 1990: Barclay James Harvest - Welcome to the Show - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nLlpK2fvl859Ilx9ORrPKfdYRJ_A517tc
 4 stars 1993: Barclay James Harvest - Caught in the Light - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_neYhLxswZR-65axpRUWF1wASUtQRbVQjo
 4 stars 1997: Barclay James Harvest - River of Dreams - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVPGzOHIIgz-bPr5ZullgVQtREMChQBMb
 5 stars 2004: Barclay James Harvest - Live: The Ultimate Anthology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5FjwTyqIHY&t=11s


 4 stars 1999: Barclay James Harvest Through the Eyes of John Lees - Nexus - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kAmeC36vZPFOmBhQGLzhmJFFW6IAsyy9k
 4 stars 2013: John Lees' Barclay James Harvest - North - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mFI67BUyEvgaqyFaLV188CMEwdsjqADM0
 4 stars 2018: John Lees' Barclay James Harvest - The 50th Anniversary Concert - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kX5HmaMi2fod1CFg0J4rBEOiMk9UCcBAE

 3 stars 2002: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Revolution Days - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqa4bZva1FI
 4 stars 2006: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Classic Meets Rock - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mbsg_xAdIkaz_ORiSusXDnGeVRFf8Lq2I
 3 stars 2016: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Retrospective - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mUMRNPrux1WA682Ki6n_mYk2tXs8eOPgk

 5 stars 2009: Woolly Wolstenholme & Maestoso - Uneasy Listening - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mS--foGRmQujWGvy2tpkDMUIjX9F_xwhQ


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 18 2023 at 04:46
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2023 at 01:02
Symphonic Prog Britannia

TONY BANKS      I have A Curious Feeling you're going to like Tony Banks' solo albums, no matter whether it's one of his Soundtracks such as The Wicked Lady, or one of his classical compositions such as Five, Six Pieces for Orchestra, or even Seven: A Suite for Orchestra. Tony Banks has never been "The Fugitive" from Genesis, having played on all fifteen of their studio albums, but he's Still managed to find the time for solo projects, as well as the Strictly Inc.. duo (with Wang Chung), ensuring he's managed to maintain a healthy Bankstatement over the years. Smile  

 4 stars 1983: Tony Banks - The Wicked Lady (soundtrack) - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEbA4hra8QBSFdWWtIF-pWfM
 3 stars 1995: Tony Banks & Wang Chung - Strictly Inc. - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mF5Ouqe2jNOBx24GWdarE8smLW3_3nVa0
 5 stars 2004: Tony Banks - Seven: A Suite for Orchestra - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYItEOl_weawg8Oo5_FgZAQ 
 5 stars 2012: Tony Banks - Six Pieces for Orchestra - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEZgaAG7-M7TKny5b6yJZ3zE


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 11 2023 at 11:35
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2023 at 13:55
Symphonic Prog Britannia

PETER BANKS (1947-2013) Broken Heart       The first guitarist with YES and also a member of The Syn (with Chris Squire), Empire and Flash. Described as "the architect of prog" by radio DJ and journalist Danny Baker, Peter Banks came up with the original name for YES, which was maybe not the most inspiring of band names, but it was a big improvement over Mabel Greer's Toyshop. Tongue 

 4 stars 1973: Peter Banks - Two Sides of Peter Banks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv9UoDYiV5c
 4 stars 1999: Peter Banks - The Roots of YES 1964-1968 - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mZotoOTn_HVX3SDY7SoWWaX_tAzMkRXkI
 5 stars 2018: Peter Banks - Be Well, Be Safe, Be Lucky: The Anthology - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kLwuSwKHW3vlDyyyw1sElO6M60ShCpHGE



THE SYN       The original band of Peter Banks and Chris Squire, so it'd be a Syn not to include them here. Smile

 3 stars 2021: The Syn - Flowerman: Rare Blooms from The Syn 1965-1969 - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mAut_B_yCLasMwB9FUDaovaFy_9vv6CEM


FLASH       A band formed by Peter Banks after he left YES, and the six Flash albums listed below prove they were no mere Flash-in-the-pan. Smile



EMPIRE       A Crossover Prog band with a heart full of Soul, led by the "architect of prog", Peter Banks,  and also featuring the gorgeous soulful vocals of foxy lady, Sydney Foxx.
Empire recorded three superb albums in the mid-1970's - imaginatively titled Mark I, Mark II & Mark III - which wouldn't see release until the mid-1990's, followed by a contemporary 2020 tribute album recorded in memory of Peter Banks (1947-2013), released under the band name, The New Empire. Think of YES with a soulful female vocalist instead of Jon Anderson and that's the sound of The New Empire. Heart Smile



YES         Peter Banks appeared on the first two YES albums, but Time and a Word has it that during the recording of the second album, there was a Magnification of tensions within the band with so many Fragile egos at stake. In the ensuing Drama, there was Talk of Peter Banks being unhappy with many of his guitar parts being orchestrated. He was reportedly Close to the Edge of quitting the band he loved, but he was asked to leave YES anyway, leaving him free to sail the Topographic Oceans alone in The Quest for perfection, where he would ultimately gain the Keys to AscensionBroken Heart



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - September 15 2023 at 01:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 07 2023 at 07:55
Symphonic Prog Britannia: A-Z Album Links

 4 stars 1973: Peter Banks - Two Sides of Peter Banks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv9UoDYiV5c
 4 stars 1999: Peter Banks - The Roots of YES 1964-1968 - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mZotoOTn_HVX3SDY7SoWWaX_tAzMkRXkI
 5 stars 2018: Peter Banks - Be Well, Be Safe, Be Lucky: The Anthology - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kLwuSwKHW3vlDyyyw1sElO6M60ShCpHGE


 4 stars 1983: Tony Banks - The Wicked Lady (soundtrack) - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEbA4hra8QBSFdWWtIF-pWfM
 3 stars 1995: Tony Banks & Wang Chung - Strictly Inc. - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mF5Ouqe2jNOBx24GWdarE8smLW3_3nVa0
 5 stars 2004: Tony Banks - Seven: A Suite for Orchestra - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYItEOl_weawg8Oo5_FgZAQ 
 5 stars 2012: Tony Banks - Six Pieces for Orchestra - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEZgaAG7-M7TKny5b6yJZ3zE

 4 stars 1970: Barclay James Harvest - Their First Album - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nFSIfNxs6gIBOTbbIPO1JWh2mwEyVbAIU
 5 stars 1971: Barclay James Harvest & Other Short Stories - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l7sqXxBX6jnIktjJObqPD6GFPPdJZrUn0
 4 stars 1972: Barclay James Harvest - Baby James Harvest - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k8dD4x9nW6_Ju8k4fWqoEflWLUgTZaswA
 4 stars 1974: Barclay James Harvest - Everyone is Everybody Else - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mCjiub0x7T8niJz1AsTxasRH4HNRqXRdk
 4 stars 1975: Barclay James Harvest - Time Honoured Ghosts - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_leiWJFRrHO1N9EVkZilqdkKpJ9MHhMQ3Q
 4 stars 1979: Barclay James Harvest - Eyes of the Universe - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mkQCE_CS4KRfbDHZN3InfqMcF3h0k1k8U
 4 stars 1981: Barclay James Harvest - Turn of the Tide -  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mmCu7zmMp0bEPRj4DwppY3kkM38oUolew
 5 stars 1982: Barclay James Harvest - Berlin: A Concert for the People - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kio5pd2F0ddkxjfb0IjzzMM-OtL2i_Kmo
 3 stars 1983: Barclay James Harvest - Ring of Changes - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kDSFg2np6VvahTK2tyX6EENdRzRUtsbIQ
 3 stars 1984: Barclay James Harvest -  Victims of Circumstance - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mydkINhzpKx30cXSe9ymCQi2R-dMHEx4A
 4 stars 1990: Barclay James Harvest - Welcome to the Show - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nLlpK2fvl859Ilx9ORrPKfdYRJ_A517tc
 4 stars 1993: Barclay James Harvest - Caught in the Light - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_neYhLxswZR-65axpRUWF1wASUtQRbVQjo
 4 stars 1997: Barclay James Harvest - River of Dreams - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVPGzOHIIgz-bPr5ZullgVQtREMChQBMb
 4 stars 1999: Barclay James Harvest Through the Eyes of John Lees - Nexus - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kAmeC36vZPFOmBhQGLzhmJFFW6IAsyy9k
 3 stars 2002: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Revolution Days - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqa4bZva1FI
 5 stars 2004: Barclay James Harvest - Live: The Ultimate Anthology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5FjwTyqIHY&t=11s
 4 stars 2006: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Classic Meets Rock - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mbsg_xAdIkaz_ORiSusXDnGeVRFf8Lq2I
 4 stars 2013: John Lees' Barclay James Harvest - North - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mFI67BUyEvgaqyFaLV188CMEwdsjqADM0
 3 stars 2016: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd - Retrospective - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mUMRNPrux1WA682Ki6n_mYk2tXs8eOPgk
 4 stars 2018: John Lees' Barclay James Harvest - The 50th Anniversary Concert - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kX5HmaMi2fod1CFg0J4rBEOiMk9UCcBAE

 2 stars 1972: David Bedford - Nurses Song with Elephants - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lXNAC8k6dR5FYRMoKk0r1k5d-ZCBTKR1M
 4 stars 1975: David Bedford - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lDSGlZikA8F3bhi3dq0vTvzlmNbMRjrTY
 3 stars 1977: David Bedford - Instructions for Angels - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lDYi8FOKEVBOt7wRS3DsuYiFHDKvYUO1o
 3 stars 1983: David Bedford - Star Clusters, Nebulae & Places in Devon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjzrvBUSJz8 

 3 stars 1975: Beggars Opera - Beggars Can't Be Choosers - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lMbfEGEq18w-ANLjnXwNN8cfMkXqMcZcw
 3 stars 1980: Beggars Opera - Lifeline - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ePvJwiCLQk
 5 stars 2010: Beggars Opera - All Tomorrows Thinking - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_li9Vz5228HLFXWKXRpSNRnTfJM38BXrco 



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 21 2023 at 02:50
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2023 at 11:51
Symphonic Prog Britannia

AUTUMN      There's a whole new world of music out there just waiting to be discovered in the vast topographic oceans of prog. Autumn are one of those bands who almost slipped the net, having recorded one amazing album back in 1977, but which then sunk without trace 20,000 leagues under the sea (How far is a league anyway!??) to the bottom of Davy Jones' locker. Now, thanks to being netted by the World Wide Web, this long-lost album treasure has re-emerged on the surface 22 years later in 1999 and we can all now enjoy it in the Autumn of our days. Smile

 4 stars 1977: Autumn - Oceanworld - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXf9nPYXpys


 


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 06 2023 at 11:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2023 at 07:25
Symphonic Prog Britannia

ASIA     A Prog-Rock supergroup with the original line-up featuring prog legends John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes & Carl Palmer. Asia were formed from the apparent break-up of three other prog bands, namely, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and YES, although none of the three bands ever really broke up - they just took a long extended break on the tropical island of Hiatus. Tongue

 5 stars 1983: Asia - Live at the Budokan, Tokyo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0KT9JgioEg
 4 stars 1990: Asia - Access All Areas: Live in Nottingham - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeXBtp5Kymc
 4 stars 2007: Asia - Fantasia: Live in Tokyo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hytNsWdL6BM
 4 stars 2014: Asia - Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lG160InK3t42Z3zzzHk4n3eHTCABc-eWg


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 06 2023 at 07:33
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 02 2023 at 06:35
Symphonic Prog Britannia

AQUAPLANAGE     A band who've gained a lot of traction from their close association with Fragile: a YES tribute band. Smile




Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 02 2023 at 06:35
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2023 at 23:44
Symphonic Prog Britannia

ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE     A short-lived band with a long-lived reputation. The eponymously titled ABWH album is often regarded as a YES album in all but name, but who's the mystery bassist filling Chris Squire's mighty boots? 
That's none other than Tony Levin of King Crimson fame. Smile



JON ANDERSON needs no introduction, but the longstanding frontman of YES deserves an introduction anyway, so here goes..... He was born in Accrington, Lancashire in 1944. Anderson was a member of his brother's band, The Warriors, during the mid-1960's and he joined YES bassist Chris Squire's band, Mabel Greer's Toyshop in 1968. They changed the name of the band to YES later that same year. He was the lead vocalist on all but one of the YES albums from the first self-titled album in 1969, through to the "Magnification" album in 2001. The only exception was the 1980 "Drama" album which featured Trevor Horn on vocal duties. Jon Anderson was also the frontman on the "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe" album, a YES album in all but name. He had a long-lasting musical partnership with Vangelis, recording four sophisticated albums of Electronica together as Jon & Vangelis:- "Short Stories" (1980); "The Friends of Mr Cairo" (1981); "Private Collection" (1983); & "Page of Life" (1991). He joined with fellow YES member Rick Wakeman in 2010 to record "The Living Tree" album. Jon Anderson's most recent collaboration was the "Better Late Than Never" (2015) album with Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings. This album, "Olias of Sunhillow" (1976), is the first of Jon's fifteen solo albums, with his latest album "1000 Hands: Chapter One", released as recently as 2019. His second album "Song of Seven" (1980) is also in the progressive mould, before he branched out into other avenues of music, such as regular Pop/Rock and New Age albums. "Olias of Sunhillow" is a concept album, recorded at a time when the concept album was King in the weird and wonderful world of Progressive Rock. The album tells the story of an alien race looking for a new world to colonise, following the destruction of their home planet in a volcanic catastrophe. Jon Anderson wrote all of the music and lyrics, and played all of the musical instruments featured on the album, so this really IS a solo album, in the true sense of the word. Let's don the flares, Afghan coat and platform shoes now as we travel back in time to those halcyon Prog-Rock days of the mid 1970's.

The album opens in dramatic style with the the sound of rumbling waves in the instrumental "Ocean Song". We then hear the exotic sound of a synth, which somehow conjures up images of the mystical East with its oriental vibe. This acts as a prelude to "Meeting (Garden Of Geda)", a buoyant and uplifting song that sounds like a more melodic and harmonic version of YES. The lyrics tell a story of a spacecraft embarking on a journey to escape a doomed planet:- "There stands Olias to outward to build a ship, Holding within all hope we retain, The frame will be so built to challenge the universe." ..... This is "YES lite" without the constant changes of tempo, sudden key changes and crashing chords that we've become so accustomed to over the years from classic YESSONGS. The "Olias of Sunhillow" album is still very much in Progressive Rock territory, but it's gentle and melodic Prog-Rock with a New Age oriental feel to it. Our journey across the universe continues now with "Dance Of Raynart, a beautiful instrumental number, featuring the gentle sound of a harp combined with mesmerizing keyboards. This leads us into "Olias (To Build the Moonglade), a passionately uplifting song full of optimism, as the alien colonists begin building their spaceship. Onwards now to the mysteriously titled 7-minute-long, three-piece suite,"Qoquaq �n Transic"/"Naon"/"Transic Tö". It's a gorgeous-sounding oriental instumental, opening to the sound of gently melodic swirling synths. This transposes into "Naon", a bright and breezy happy-clappy New Age chant, before returning to the redolent sound of the oriental synth in "Transic To". Our space colonists now embark on their journey across the universe with "Flight of the Moorglade", to close out Side One. This is an ebullient and uplifting song which is positively aglow with optimistic exuberance. Just take a look at these inspiring lyrics:- "The first to venture, First to gain, Exploring daylight, Clearer than the Talloplanic view." ..... No idea what the "Talloplanic view" is, but it sounds good and the joyfully intoxicating music is guaranteed to put you in jubilant mood and high spirits, without the aid of any alcoholic beverages.

We enter "Solid Space" now with the opening of Side Two. We're in full Symphonic Prog mode here with this rousing and restorative piece of music. It's a surging, tympanic and superlative song, bursting with glorious optimism. Okay, that's enough adjectives for now, so onwards we travel through space to "Moon Ra"/"Chords"/"Song of Search". Yes, it's another three-piece suite (no, not two armchairs & a sofa). "Moon Ra" is another New Age chant. If we weren't travelling through space, then this is the kind of jolly and vibrant song you might hear New Age revellers chanting as they dance around a tree (possibly naked) by the light of a silvery moon. This leads us onto "Chords", which, not surprisingly, is a song full of bright and uplifting, reverberating major chords to elevate the spirits up into the stratosphere and beyond. The three-piece suite concludes with "Song of Search", a hauntingly atmospheric piece of instrumental music to transport you to a higher plane of musical existence. This is soothing and sophisticated melodic prog that reaches the places that other prog-rock albums can only aspire to. We drift gently back to Earth now with the closing song on the album, "To the Runner", a joyous and jubilant hymnal melody. The music is all aglow with some positively inspirational and spiritual vibes. If only they played music in church as good as this, it might be enough to turn an atheist into a religious devotee!

You don't HAVE to be a YES fan to enjoy this album, because "Olias of Sunhillow" is a gently melodic and harmonic departure from the sound of YES, but if you ARE a fan of YES, then the familiar sound of Jon Anderson's voice may be enough to inspire you to go out and buy the album. It's still Progressive Rock, but it's Prog-Rock given a New Age oriental twist, in true Jon Anderson style. If I could choose just one word to describe the beautiful music contained within this marvellous album, it's Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!



 5 stars 1976: Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MdPa3vbmz8


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - December 04 2023 at 05:07
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2023 at 00:00
Symphonic Prog Britannia

AFTER THE FIRE     As a "Symphonic Prog" band, After the Fire quickly fizzle out like a damp squib, but as a New Wave band, they're firing on all cylinders. Smile


 3 stars 1982: After the Fire - Batteries Not Included - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLexoNUKqpjdaruzl7czolrp91A8spOe4q
 3 stars 2006: After the Fire - Live at Greenbelt....Plus - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3nvBsidfiL8kAtVZfY74vtAkOaWNiARM
 3 stars 2009: After the Fire - Radio Sessions 1979-1981 - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lL13vht3Z866IjxYw7Rl6skKyivCZlneY
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