What albums did you listen to today?...continued

Tonight's choices:

Ars Nova/Gerard – Keyboard Triangle
Finneus Gauge – One Inch of the Fall
Mostly Autumn – The Lords of the Rings
IQ - Frequency
Kotobel – Concerto for Piano and Electric Guitar
Mad Fellaz – 2
Steve Roach – Sigh of Ages
Magma – Hhai/Live

K2 – Book of the Dead - considered a pretty special Neo album, with Allan Holdsworth (U.K/Soft Machine, etc) on guitar...but damn the vocals are beyond dreary (and just ever so slightly flat in parts) and suck a lot of the energy out of the disc. The playing is pretty wonderful and reliably `proggy' though...

Gong - Radio Gnome Invisible vol 1 

Today, so far...

Nucleus - Solar Plexus Very nice album. Although I like Nucleus less funky and energetic than on this album, it all works out really well here. Dissonant electronic intro and outro are delicious touches.

Philip Glass - Music With Changing Parts Great music for working. It's Glass' first album, but, for me, he got everything I like about his music right here. Excellent album, I love it.

Matching Mole - Little Red Record An old favorite of mine, which I don't think I need to talk about other than repeating that it's superb!

Igor Stravinsky - Concerto in E-flat (Dumbarton Oaks)  One of my top Stravinsky pieces, this one has a special charm that not all too many compositions have. The last movement is especially intoxicating.

Rush - Permanent Waves - THE SPIRIT OF RADIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Honestly, this has to be my favourite Rush album. And The Spirit of Radio may very well be my favourite Canadian song, period. It defines rock. I don't think anyone else has ever written a song with so much raw, upbeat, resounding energy to it. And the production is top notch, too; the only thing that could possibly give away the fact that this came out in the early 80's is the fact that they're singing about enjoying listening to the radio.  

Saturday...

Sagichim wrote: Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: K2 – Book of the Dead - considered a pretty special Neo album, with Allan Holdsworth (U.K/Soft Machine, etc) on guitar...but damn the vocals are beyond dreary (and just ever so slightly flat in parts) and suck a lot of the energy out of the disc. The playing is pretty wonderful and reliably `proggy' though... Mike I actually really like that K2 album, it must have been one of my first Neo purchases long time ago, it was before I found out I don't like Neo so much... but this album is really good, not that I remember any note from it

You've probably got a pretty good one in your collection then, Sagi, because the playing (especialy Holdsworth's) takes it in further directions than the Neo style normally would. You can definitely hear traces of U.K in it here and there!

I first came across it in a local second hand store (well, local, but it's a fifteen minute drive from my place, so it sometimes still feels a bit `out of the way' to go to all the time! ), I looked at it and thought `I'm certain this is a pretty highly regarded prog disc', so when I got home I explored it further and decided I'd pick it up next time I'm down there if it's still there. Cut to several months of popping in out and out of the shop, completely fogetting to look for it again! But this shop had a 40th anniversary sale on the weekend with 20% off everything (with a sneaky tip-off for people on Facebook that it's also available on Friday), so I popped in before work, and I FINALLY remembered to look for it, and sure enough it was still there!

I do think it's (instrumentally) very good, but the vocals are just kind of draining. They're like one of the earlier Arena vocalists trying to imitate Peter Gabriel but without the actual range to pull it off. I also noticed the album completely comes alive when the singing stops! Still, no regrets, I didn't pay much for it at all.

ALotOfBottle wrote: ^Great list, David! Just over a month ago, I have attended an SBB gig here in Lublin and got to talk with Józef, the amazing keyboardist and bassist. He's also a great guy. How do you like Kobaia as to other Magma albums? On some days, I like it even more than Centigrades and MDK. However, all three have already been my #1 at one point or another and it changes everyday.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (what a cliched choice...)

I Giganti - Terra in Bocca