How I ranked 2021's best releases:
How I ranked 2021's best releases:
The Prog Corner
Was it promised for 2021? Asking out of interest.Originally Posted by Zeuhlmate
I'm still spinning their debut, which certainly doesn't tire after a mere three years.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Honoured to be on your very cool list, Scot!!!
Monarch Trail is a band more Prog fans need to know. Wither Down is an exceptionally good record.
The Prog Corner
Scrotum Scissor would love this list!!
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
Thanks so much again, Scot!!!
He's a great guy but I think you're right!!! This is a "Symph Weenie" list, to be sure, and Scrotum Scissor has a slightly different take on things.
The Prog Corner
Bubbling under in random order:
* Isildurs Bane & Peter Hammill : In Disequilibrium (SE/UK) ***½
* Graig Fortnam: Ark (UK) ***½
* A Formal Horse : Meat Mallet (UK) ***½
* Rabbit Rabbit Radio : Rabbit Rabbit Radio, Vol. 4 - The Animal I Am (US) ***½
* Gojira: Fortitude (FR) ***½
* Stephen Thelen : Fractal Guitar 2 (CH) ***½
* Emma-Jean Thackray: Yellow (UK) ***½
* 3.2 : Third Impression (US) ***½
* Nik Bärtsch: Entendre (CH) ***½
* Diagonal: 4 (UK) ***½
* Yes: The Quest (UK, 2021) ***½
* Hans Zimmer: The Dune Sketchbook (DE) ***½
* Danny Elfman: Big Mess (US) ***½
* Saga : Symmetry (CA) ***½
* Fire! : Defeat (SE) ***½
* Leprous: Aphelion (NO) ***½
* The Holy Family : s/t (UK) ***½
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
I’ll likely do a year end review at some point.
I’m pretty sure Five Legged Dog—a sort of “best of,” all-acoustic album by Melvins—will be on top.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
Best Reissue of 2021:
The Devouring (Special Edition)
This and the 2020 reissue of Burning the Hard City/Suspension and Displacement are 3CDs, and so well done and bursting with re-worked and previously unreleased material, have nice and very interesting booklets, and are numbered, limited editions (500 each). What more could I want? To fondle them of course, and I just did!All self-respecting DK fans already have these. I'd guess there are still copies available, but not forever.
Is there any link for this so I could listen to it? I can't find anything.
Here are a couple of Youtube videos:
Both have quite a bit of talking, but these should give you at least some sense of the music.
Bill
NEW STUDIO
Bent Knee: Frosting
There are plenty of good moments on this album. It doesn't feel like the work of a band. When I can separate that out and skip the parts I dislike (hi, auto-tuning), then there's some good stuff here. Still, it's hard to believe that this is the same band that put out an album on Cuneiform a few years back.
Big Big Train: Common Ground
A solid album after the slight disappointment that was Grand Tour. I like the poppy-ish direction on some tunes. I really like the Rikard stamp on this one. Lots of good Hammond moments, and Rikard is a Hammond-lover. It is difficult to listen to this album for a very obvious reason.
Bisbaye: The Sense of an Ending
When music appears for which I have no frame of reference, digestion takes a while. This is great stuff.
black midi: Calvacade
I'm not in love with this one, but it's good. I'll keep spinning it. I think it'll grow on me.
Caravan: It's None of Your Business
Pyle doesn't have the same voice and don't expect another "Nine Feet," but this is a solid, well-played, musical album. Every Caravan fan should grab it.
Cobalt Chapel: Orange Synthetic
Honestly, if you shuffled songs from this one and the band's first, I couldn't tell which album is which. That's not a bad thing necessarily. They've got a sound, and they run with it. I'm ok with that (as you'll see).
Diagonal: 4
Didn't they already release this album? Wasn't it called Arc? Whatever. It's brilliant. Strong contender for album of the year for me.
Peter Hammill: In Translation
I do tend to like the more fleshed-out albums from PH, but this stripped-down nature of this one works.
Hawkwind: Somnia
An album that sounds more like Hawkwind's mid-90s trance freakouts. It's obviously Hawkwind but with less riffs and more SPACE. Good stuff. I hope they perform some of it live.
Iron Maiden: Senjutsu
Gallop, gallop, gallop. Critics: "Iron Maiden keeps making the same album." Polmico: "Remember the shitty IM albums that don't sound like IM? Remember how much they are shitty?" So, yes, please more of the same.
Jack O' the Clock: Leaving California
It took me a while to warm up to this one. Generally speaking, Jack O' the Clock is a rhythm section, percussion-first band for me. That's the first thing that I notice, and it gets me hooked. Here, the rhythm section seems intentionally scaled back. My in-road was not as obvious. I've warmed up to it mightily.
Ross Jennings: A Shadow of my Future Self
Haken front man's solo endeavor features some poppier moments, no crunchy guitars and is that a little bit of jazziness, too? I like it. It's very long, and I haven't spun it enough to say how it has landed. Jennings' voice is a big draw for me with Haken, so I'm happy to have this album. The song "Rocket Science" sounds like 1980s Yes.
Melvins: Five Legged Dog
This isn't some stupid trick. It's not "let's strip down our songs and show them that we write good music." This is Melvins minus the fuzz, not the intensity. The weirdness isn't sacrificed. I had hoped that Trevor Dunn would be the acoustic bass player here, but Steven McDonald (among the longest tenured Melvins bass-players and of Red Kross fame) does an excellent job plus you get three-part vocal harmonies with McDonald. I know I'm basically talking at myself with Melvins on this board; I don't care.
Motorpsycho: Kingdom of Oblivion
A solid Motorpsycho album. Lots of Black Sabbath-like riffs. A truly scary version of Hawkwind's "The Watcher."
PFM: I Dreamed of Electric Sheep
I really like this album. It's kind of in the same category as the new Caravan or Yes albums. Diminishing returns be damned!
Regal Worm: The Hideous Goblink
I can't really tell much of a difference between this and the last few Worm albums. That, as I've noted, doesn't bother me.
Ske: Insolubilla
Better than the first Ske album, but I'm still processing it.
Sperm Church: Merdeka Atau Mati
Trevor Dunn's weird noise album. A buddy got this for me. It's . . . noisy.
Robby Steinhardt: Not in Kansas Anymore
Some very fine moments. Not an album I'm going to listen to all the way through. Kansas fans should pick it up.
The Stranglers: Dark Matters
Yikes. Along with BBT and Steinhardt, here's another album by someone who is no longer with us. Holy shit, though, what an album to leave on. This best Stranglers album since the early 80s, and I like all the Stranglers albums (even the dodgy 10 and Coup de Grace). Classic Stranglers cynicism pervades the album, but there are moments of genuine sentimentality and looking-back-with-fondness-ness.
Tomahawk: Tonic Immobility
Pretty much what I expect from a Tomahawk album. Is it as good as the first two? No, but that hardly matters. Hopefully Patton can fully recover (he has been experiencing some health issues recently).
Steven Wilson: The Future Bites
I much prefer Wilson's embrace of techno-pop tendencies than Bent Knee's. I have a feeling this will be a one-off in SW's catalogue: an exploration and experiment that he is unlikely to continue (even if he has been leaning in this direction for a while). I like it, though I'm much more likely to grab earlier material (of some PT) when I want to hear SW songs.
Yes: The Quest
Hey! You guys got an Asia album in my peanut butter! I mean, I guess it's still peanut butter, and it's better than that peanut butter they made like seven years ago. I usually don't play this album when other people are around. I suppose it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
NEW LIVE, ARCHIVE LIVE, ARCHIVAL STUDIO
Affinity: s/t
All the recordings from this band. I am still processing it, but I like what I've heard thus far.
Can: Brighton 1975 and Stuttgart 1975
What stands up to me with both of these releases is how much ground Karoli covers. He is constantly solo-ing and hardly repeating himself. I need to reconsider how I view Can.
Caravan: Who Do We Think We Are
There is a lot here. I love this set.
Coltrane: A Love Supreme Live in Seattle
Worth it for Tyner's solo in Pursuance alone. Obviously the rest is good, too.
Dylan: Springtime in New York
I like this period from Dylan. No re-evaluation of the period or the music (unlike Trouble No More which has totally re-written how I feel about his evangelical period) but good stuff.
The Official Keith Emerson Tribute: Fanfare for the Uncommon Man
Great performances throughout. Not sure why Palmer doesn't hook up with Bonilla and make some ELP music.
Donald Fagen: The Nightfly Live
Strips away some of studio clinicality, but it's still clinical (I mean, it's Fagen).
Focus: Live in Rio
Nope. Bad sound, limp peformance. Nope. Shouldn't have gotten it.
Gong: Ungong 06
What surprised me most as how much stretching out the band does. This isn't "let's get on stage and give 'em the hits"; it's more like "let's see where we can take this."
Kansas: Point of No Return Live & Beyond
Better than the last live Kansas album. I mean, I'm guessing everyone knows what to expect ("let's get on stage and give 'em the hits").
King Crimson: Music Is our Friend
I was there. I was overcome with many feelings. I was also very drunk. Whoops. Good thing I've got this to fill in some of those gaps.
Magma: Eskahl 2020
I just can't warm up to this one. It's flat. It lacks the pulse and urgency of every other Magma live album. I hope it's the recording and not the new band members . . .
Melvins: Live Stream Obscene
A collection of tunes from Melvins live streams recorded during quarantine. Always good to hear Melvins music played live and by three (or sometimes four) guys.
Mr. Bungle: The Night They Came Home
Every bit as good as the studio album.
The Pineapple Thief: Nothing but the Truth
They just keep getting better. Adding Harrison was a turning point for this band (which Soord acknowledges in the liner notes).
Steely Dan: Northeast Corridor
There are a lot of moments where individual band members get to stretch out and solo. I could do without some of the melodica solos, though (why is that a thing that Fagen does?--you've got a stage full of world-class musicians).
Sun Ra: Lanquidity
I mean, it's Sun Ra.
Van Der Graaf Generator: Charisma Years
Fuck. Yeah. All of this. The live show from '76 has fundamentally re-written how I view the tunes they played. I will buy more of whatever they got.
Zappa: Zappa '88
It's nice to have a full show from this band, but I usually skip the covers. Disc one is classic Zappa.
Last edited by polmico; 01-02-2022 at 01:57 PM.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
These sets reinforced my general feelings about CAN; I’m always amazed at Jaki and Michael and the others seem to be there for these two to hang their greatness onto…
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
There are 2 records that really stood out for me,
The Guildmaster, The knight and the ghost, and also the new one from Mostly Autumn ,Graveyard star,.
The Guildmaster really blew me away.
My list, including stuff some will find Non Prog, but whatevs...
Best of 2021, in No Particular Order
Henry Threadgill Zooid-Poof
James Brandon Lewis-Jesup Wagon
Eivind Aarset-Phantasmagoria
Hedvig Mollestead Trio-Ding Dong, You’re Dead
Pat Metheny Side Eye NYC IV
Needlepoint-Walking Up That Valley
Lyle Workman-Uncommon Measures
Vijay Iyer-Uneasy
Kari Band with Friends -Live at Streaming
Dewa Budjana-Naurora
Kick The Cat-Gurgle
Black Midi-Cavalcade
John McLaughlin-Liberation Time
Anna Webber-Idiom
Marriage Material
Tohpati-Maru
Lyle Mays-Eberhard
Cameron Graves-Seven
William Parker-Mayan Space Station
Ghost Rhythms-Spectral Music
Sons of Kemet-Black to the Future
Muriel Grossman-Quiet Earth
Christian McBride’s Inside Straight Live a the Village Vanguard
Alex Malheiros -Tempos Futuros
Hafez Modirzadeh-Facets
Zappa ’88-The Last US Show
John Patitucci Trio
Sylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson-Searching For The Disappeared Hour
Steve Coleman Live at the Village Vanguard Volume 2 Mdw Ntr
Have to mention Coltrane Love Supreme Live in Seattle and Holdsworth Leverkusen 2010
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
My 2021 favorites, in no pertickler order (of what has been listened to so far):
Agusa -En Annan Varld
Massimo Mazzeo & Paolo Sommariva -Lo Spazio Tra Le Stelle
Ciccada -Harvest
Talea Jacta Meets Electric Moon -Sabotar
Angel Ontalva -Angel On A Tower
The Bevis Frond -Little Eden
Vesilinja -s/t
Hawkwind -Somnia
Ghost Rhythms -Spectral Music
Ske -Insolubilia
Craig Fortnam -Ark
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra -Migrants
Sierra Ferrell -Long Time Coming
Lifesigns -Altitude
Gruppo Autonomo Suonatori -Omnia Sunt Communia
Did these guys get a mention?
They litteraly kill when theu go all out.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
That GAS album needs to be heard by more people. It's pretty great!!!
The Prog Corner
A little prog, a little metal, a little hard rock, a little pop, a dash of post rock and a little mixture of em all was in my best of 2021...
In no order :
The Vintage Caravan - Monuments
delving - Hirschbrunnen
Mastodon - Hushed and Grim
Gojira - Fortitude
Motorpsycho - Kingdom of Oblivion
Four Stroke Baron - Classics
Ghosts Of Jupiter - Keepers of the Newborn Green
Green Lung - Black Harvest
King Buffalo - Acheron, The Burden of Restlessness
Black Country New Road - For the First Time
Aziola Cry - The Ironic Divide
Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic ll
A Formal Horse - Meat Mallet
Howling Giant - Alteration
black midi - Cavalcade
Mogwai - As the Love Continues
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
Is that streaming anywhere?
I love everything Narkopop and earlier, but couldn’t get past the high-pitched tinnitus like beep every few seconds. It’s too distracting. Rausch also had a similar beep, although less frequent. Interesting artistic choice to include…
^ Different artist.
That's a pretty impressive list Scott!
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
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