Reinvestigating Supertramp's "Crime of the Century": Prog Review #27
Progressive ideas may not be the point of Supertramp, but the band uses those available options to turn half-finished song ideas into amazing compositions…. It's damn near perfect.
A recipe for Van Der Graaf Generator's "Pawn Hearts": Prog Review #26
Van Der Graaf Generator's Pawn Hearts is a peculiar dish - at once overly familiar and an acquired taste. Full of familiar and tired prog ingredients thrown together in a stew, Pawn Hearts retains a distinct, if somewhat confused, character.
Bugging Out to The Mars Volta's "Deloused in the Comatorium": Prog Review #25
"Now I'm Lost" keens Marcel Rodríguez-López on the chorus of Inertiatic ESP. I share his sentiment
The Harmonic Tremors of Magma's "Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh": Prog Review #24
There's a musical statement here: a garbled, manic, exuberant statement.
Podcast Review: Obscure with Michael Ian Black
Only faithful listeners to Obscure with Michael Ian Black can listen to a classic read aloud and hear it accompanied with uniquely thoughtful and entertaining commentary.
Tangential Musings on Tangerine Dream's "Phaedra": Prog Review #23
My wife says "it sounds like Blade Runner"
A Great Discovery in Rush's "2112": Prog Review #22
Though less impactful upon me than Foxtrot (1972), 2112 (1976) constitutes the prehistory of my love of prog.
Seeing Doubles in Camel's "Mirage": Prog Review #21
If I had discovered Camel in my teens or early 20s, they would probably be one of my favourite bands right now.
Munsch Ado About Nothing: “The Boy in the Drawer” as an Allegory for Tantrums
Munsch's stories very often grant children power and label adults as inconsistent, selfish, unreasonable, unhelpful, or incompetent. No wonder the books are so popular with kids.
King Crimson's "Larks' Tongue in Aspic" is an Acquired Taste: Prog Review #20
The album intrigues me for the same reason I don't love it: with the exception of "Exiles," all the songs promise more than they deliver.