Ken Baird (with Sue Fraser)
Orion
2000
private issue
Promotional CD from the artist

In a time when it seems to many that even in the progressive world there is very little new under the sun, along comes Ken Baird. For those of you wondering if there are any newer voices out there with anything interesting to say, Orion may be just the breath of fresh air you're looking for. The music on this album is beautiful, the lyrics are thoughtful and deep without ever sinking into the morass of intellectual ego stroking that seems so commonplace these days, and the voices of Ken and Sue are, in a word, great.

At first glance, this CD doesn't seem to really offer anything special. The packaging itself makes it obvious this isn't a major-label release, but don't let that sway you from your listening. Although appearing homemade, the booklet does contain lyrics, photos, and recording information, which is more than you get from a lot of major-label releases. The photos are very nicely done and it is obvious that a lot of time was spent making the cd and the booklet appear as professional as possible with the equipment available. The music itself, however, is where the real judgment should be made, and in this area "Orion" really delivers. The music itself sounds much like Baird’s website describes it, an "eclectic mix of progressive rock, Celtic folk and New Age." The instrumentation on Orion consists of just the basics: guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and piano. There is a decent pop sensibility in the way the music is written, and it is apparent that Ken knows a lot about how to craft a well structured song. Fairly straight-forward meters and chord progressions make it relatively accessible at first listen, and there is nothing very quirky, angular, or hard-edged on this album. Don't think it boring, though. You don't have to worry about being stuck in the same verse/chorus/bridge formula that pop (and unfortunately, a lot of "prog") consists of. There is where the true progressive nature of Ken Baird comes into focus. The structures of the songs differ, and while some of them are only three or four minutes in length, the title track comes in at almost thirteen minutes. Another song, "Shadow Walls," is nine minutes in length. Thankfully these longer songs don't achieve that length by just having elongated solo sections or endless repetition. It is easy to note that a lot of work was put into the arrangements of these songs, with the goal being good compositions, not merely long ones.

The Celtic/New Age sound comes in large part from the fact that the music is scaled-down, without the big powerhouses of dozens of keyboards and effects processors. The reliance on more acoustic instruments and lush vocals help give the album a back-to-the-basics feel of just making great music. The lyrics don't discuss huge mythological beasts, science fiction epics, or the Universal Explanation of All Things, but rather there is here a simpler, natural theme that runs through the album, with songs like "Dolphins" and "Fields," as well as photos showing Baird and Fraser outside in the woods. There is a sense of memory and loss to this album, helping to connect to the listener on more of a spiritual level than that of imagination or myth.

In a time when a lot of prog comes across as trying to out-power the other guys with wide, swooping keyboards and outlandish vocal arrangements consisting of choirs and screeching eunuchs, it's refreshing to note that it is still possible to make great progressive music by just sticking true to the real essences of music: good music, good vocals, good lyrics, and great song writing. — CH

Visit the Ken Baird website.

Gracious
This is... Gracious!!
Renaissance
1971
The Progressive Rock Used CD Shop

Nineteen seventy-one was a very long time ago. It was 30 years ago, but it might as well have been a hundred. Popular music has changed a lot since dinosaurs like Gracious walked the earth. No one makes music like this anymore. While the recordings of some of the top-tier, big name progressive bands of the early ‘70s have aged well and managed to sound somewhat cutting edge three decades later, others are buried in obscurity among layers of decades of discarded musical trends. Both of Gracious’ albums fall into this category. Many people would be quick to cast these relics off as trite, old fashioned music better left forgotten, but the inquisitive progger will likely find This... Gracious! a quaint, but precious artifact from progressive rock’s formative years.

Gracious formed in 1966. Nineteen seventy-one saw the release of only their second album, and by that time younger musicians had already digested what bands like Gracious were doing and were surpassing them. After only five years, Gracious was already being eclipsed in terms of progressiveness by more well known bands like Yes and King Crimson. Gracious was good at what it did, however, which was vaguely pastoral Mellotron rock with one foot on either side of the dividing line between the psychedelic ‘60s and the progressive ‘70s. The optimistic philosophies of the hippy movement of the late ‘60s leave their mark on much of this album, as dreamy, harmonized group vocals echo latter-period Beatles and folk groups like The Mommas and the Poppas.

The first side of the album is dedicated to “Super Nova,” a 25-minute suite based on a story about five astronauts who return to earth after many years in space, only to find that the earth has been destroyed by a super nova. While this end-of-the-world scenario is an ominous subject fit for more aggressive, more progressive bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer (think “Karn-Evil 9, Third Impression”), Gracious does their best to do the heavy, creepy thing at the beginning of the piece. The first couple of minutes of backwards cymbals and feedback would fit nicely on Tangerine Dream’s first two or three albums. The next few minutes offer heavy galloping rhythms and atypically harsh Mellotron. Singer Paul Davis adds some whiny, distorted vocals about the earth’s destruction. Then the band twists the story line as an excuse to get a bit syruppy in that late ‘60s kind of way with the sections titled “Say Goodbye to Love” and “Prepare to Meet Thy Maker.” As this early attempt at a side-long prog epic (actually it was too long to fit on one side of the original LP) draws nearer to its end, the energy level and most evidence of progressive characteristics slowly drain away, leaving little except some nice Mellotron backing to hold the interest of the average progressive rock enthusiast. By this time, it also becomes evident that this suite is really little more than four or five different songs and instrumentals that have been poorly strung together with nothing but a story line. Some of these songs are interesting, some are not.

Side two consists of four shorter, more commercial songs. It seems likely that side one was intended to appeal to the emerging progressive rock audience while side two was intended to be more commercial rock, possibly with the intent of earning the band radio air play. Ironically, side two is better in terms of compositional development and performance. “C.B.S.” is a nice rock track dominated by Martin Kitcat’s ample talent on keyboards. His style is in a similar vein as Nice-era Keith Emerson, mixing Mellotron riffs and melodies with bluesy organ with almost honky-tonk-ish piano.

“Once on a Windy Day” is one of the best pieces on the album. Acoustic guitar, delicate Mellotron flute melodies and nice vocal melodies create a dreamy, pastoral late-sixties folk vibe that will make even those too young to remember feel nostalgic.

Ironically, Gracious’ self-titled first album is more progressive and more successful. Those not familiar with Gracious should start with that album first. Listeners who like that album should also buy this album and shed a tear for yesterdays long gone by. — SH

Listen to an excerpt of “C.B.S.” from Gracious’ This is... Gracious!!.
MP3 format. Approx. 1 minute/500k

Noëtra
Définitivement Bleus
Musea
2001
promotional CD from Musea

Canterbury prog enthusiasts and Canterbury neophytes alike will find much reason to rejoice in a new release by this obscure French band. Previously, only one Noëtra album existed in the form of Neuf Songs, released in 1992. This archival CD unearths nearly 70 minutes of previously unheard music which is sure to elevate Noëtra’s place in progressive rock history.

All of the music on Définitivement Bleus was recorded between 1978 and 1982, and retains the vibe that the best progressive albums from this time period tend to display — one of a stylistically and technically advanced music built on the tradition of progressive rock’s first decade, but with enough hindsight and maturity to avoid the clichés and mistakes that had by that time helped to end the genre’s mainstream popularity. The result is intelligent, instrumental progressive rock that at times almost completely transcends the rock idiom, yet never goes completely into jazz or classical territory, though the influence of both is quite apparent. Canterbury bands such as National Health, Soft Machine and Hatfield & the North are the most obvious influences. Less so, but still audible, are the ghosts of King Crimson and the French/Belgian zeuhl axis, including Magma and Present. Composer Igor Stravinsky also looms large in the woodwind melodies of tracks like “Forfanterie” and “Qui est-il qui parle ainsi?” Good comparisons to many of the Cuneiform label’s less accessible bands could also be made.

Spartan production techniques and the widespread use of violin,various horns, woodwinds and dry, clean electric guitar tones contribute to an air of mellow, almost pastoral jazziness and simplicity. This simplicity is greatly deceiving, however, as the compositions are generally quite ambitious. Dedicated, focused listening is a must for fully enjoying this album, as the complex compositions combined with restrained playing make for an album that does not exactly grab the casual listener’s attention. This is definitely one of those albums that becomes more and more rewarding with each listen.

Possibly for this reason, one of the most immediately likable pieces on this album is one of the most aggressive ones. This is the vaguely Magma-esque ”Venise,” a repetitive, slowly building piece which relies on a throbbing, distorted bass guitar riff that would make Bernard Paganotti or Hugh Hopper smile. “Tintamarre” is also another attention grabber. Its slightly funky groove and uncharacteristically flashy spurts of guitar solos may remind one of late period Mahavishnu Orchestra circa Visions of the Emerald Beyond.

In contrast to these pieces is the album’s longest and most refined composition “Ephemérè.” Much of this piece is composed of long periods of delicate arpeggios for solo guitar. The effect is similar to that of Robert Fripp’s duet albums with the Police’s Andy Summers and perhaps the music of fellow French progressive band Philharmonie. Halfway through this 13-minute track, the rest of the band joins in on violin, drums and bass guitar. Even then, however, the music remains relatively introspective and quiet.

While it’s true that the influence of a wide variety of bands and composers may be found within the music on Définitivement Bleus Noëtra was a very unique band which incorporated all these disparate influences into an artistically strong and unified style of their own. This album is highly recommended to progressive rock enthusiasts who posses an elevated sense of good taste and the patience to wait for a classic album to unfold before their ears over many listens. — SH

Mark 1
Absolute Zero
Breathe
2001
promotional CD from the band

“Daybreak. Sometime in the future, but not too far from today. Our hero wakes up, crawls out of bed. For the first time — for the very first time — he takes a look around. Take a look around.” So begins a bizarre and exciting journey through Absolute Zero, a wold of temperature control, mind control and a four-foot-tall office supply thief named Oscar. From the first few seconds of this album, it is evident that Mark 1 is seeking to write a truly new chapter in the history of progressive rock, but only a few moments later, it is also evident that they are adept at integrating into their music certain key elements from progressive rock’s past. This may sound like promotional double talk, but it’s true. The result is one of the most enjoyable self-released new prog albums this writer has heard in a long time. The fact that it is from a very young American group is absolutely refreshing.

A good combination of youthful enthusiasm, skilled musicianship, willingness to experiment and a sense of humor keep the majority of this album interesting from start to finish. The influence of one major progressive rock icon from ages past is audible in the music of Mark 1. That icon is Genesis. Mark 1 has made it abundantly clear on Absolute Zero that Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is used as a blueprint for Absolute Zero. Like The Lamb, Absolute Zero is a concept album based on a single character lost in a strange, dreamlike world. He must escape by defeating the KryoKool Korporation in its efforts to control all of society. If the subtle similarities between the stories on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and Absolute Zero slip by the listener, Mark 1 hammers home the point in more obvious ways. Twists on familiar melodies and rhythms are appear more than once. The use of a deliciously rubbery sounding ARP Pro Soloist synthesizer, played very much in a style reminiscent of Tony Banks’ classically based technique, is also a clue. But the numerous sly lyrical references to “The Carpet Crawlers,” “Riding the Scree” and other Lamb songs absolutely confirm it. The fact that it is finally revealed that Absolute Zero’s main character is named John should not be lost on serious Lamb fans either. (Rael’s brother and alter-ego in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was also named John, implying that this story could be a type of sequel to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Though there is much evidence of Mark 1’s Genesis worship on Absolute Zero, Mark 1 are more than mere imitators who are rehashing 25-year-old ideas for the sake of maintaining prog’s heritage. Aside from the aforementioned ARP synth, Mark 1 has made little effort to create a vintage sound. Digital synths and modern, occasionally heavily distorted guitar and sound effects are used, but mostly subtly — not in such a way as to offend even the most Amish of analog die-hards among us. Also, in a move that might shock the average progger, Mark 1 has injected some decidedly disco influenced guitar rhythms into songs like “Again and Again” and “Oscar the Office Supply Thief.” This may seem a little unnerving at first, but repeated listening reveals that Mark 1 has successfully captured the one and only redeeming quality of disco — fun. It is this characteristic that makes this entire album a pleasure to listen to.

Absolute Zero is is a successful album almost entirely. There is little that could be considered filler material. The highest points include the nine-minute instrumental “Meltdown,” which serves as a refrain of the memorable melodies from each track on the album in reverse order. Also there is the transcendent “The Mind Eraser,” which makes dazzling use of lovely, intricate melodies played on both digital and analog synthesizers.

Oddly, this track also contains one of the lowest points of the album as well. The conversation between John and Dr. Dieter at the end is an annoying and poorly executed addendum that deflates the rest of the track’s glory. Also lackluster is the uneventful and predictably bluesy “Ultramodern Blues.”

This CD sounds professionally recorded and was mastered with the help of Roger Nichols (who has worked with Steely Dan and Frank Zappa), but it does suffer in a few places from an unfortunate technical problem which occurred on the group’s digital tape recorder. The result is an occasional shift in pitch that can be a little disorienting. This, however, is a minor flaw that does not detract too much from what is essentially a very worthwhile album.

Finally, Absolute Zero contains a relevant message of warning against the society in which corporations are allowed to trample on the rights and identities of individuals. The band does not take the message, themselves or their music so seriously that the album collapses under its own pretentious weight. The main goal here is good music, and Mark 1 has more than succeeded in this endeavor. — SH

Listen to an excerpt of “The Mind Eraser” from Mark 1’s Absolute Zero.
MP3 format. Approx. 1 minute/500k

Visit the Mark 1 website.

Roy Montgomery
Silver Wheel of Prayer
VHF Records
2001
Manifest Discs & Tapes, Charleston, SC

The release of a new album by Roy Montgomery is cause for thanksgiving among a small circle of devotees. For six years this low-profile New Zealander has quietly been releasing home-recorded instrumental solo albums that defy the conventional wisdom of what can be done with a basic four-track recorder. Using little more than a guitar, a few effects devices and recently, a Farfisa organ, Montgomery creates expansive, mesmerizing musical landscapes in which powerful emotions lurk just below the surface of what casual listeners might consider wallpaper music. Anyone familiar with music like the work of classic Tangerine Dream or the ambient excursions of Robert Fripp knows that seemingly static, low-key music can offer more than meets the eye for patient listeners who allow music to draw them in. Such is the music of Roy Montgomery.

Silver Wheel of Prayer is Montgomery’s sixth solo album released under his own name. (Other work which may be of interest to RoDU readers includes albums with Dadamah, Dissolve, Hash Jar Tempo and an EP with Flying Saucer Attack.) It shows an artist struggling to avoid stagnation, but falling short of early successes like Scenes From the South Island and the life-changing masterpiece Temple IV. While these two albums often show Montgomery creating mystifying multiple interwoven strata of ethereal melodies and chords, Silver Wheel of Prayer shows Montgomery still struggling to recover from a regression toward the four-chord riffery and simplified rhythms and melodies of his last album. Compositionally speaking The Silver Wheel of Prayer is a step back in the right direction, but a small one. Further experimentation with the Farfisa organ is more successful on this album, as in the case of “For the Intense,” in which Montgomery hypnotizes the listener with the same three or four notes tapped out in in varying rhythms for the better part of eight minutes. What’s not as welcome on this and one other track is the first-time-ever inclusion of a drum machine — and a bad sounding one at that.

Four of the seven tracks on Silver Wheel of Prayer come close to the eerie, ethereal musical soundscapes for which Montgomery is known. The first three tracks of the album are among these. “For the Imperiled,” “For the Disoriented” and “For the Mortified” are all variations on the same theme made up of a muted, mysterious three note melody. The second track adds a wandering organ melody, while the third adds some screechy guitar noises and what almost sounds like King Crimson’s David Cross detuning a Mellotron while playing it! (No keyboard instrument besides the Farfisa organ is mentioned in the liner notes, so it is a mystery what instrument is actually being used here.) The last piece on the album, “For a Small Blue Orb,” clocks in at over 16 minutes and is one of the best pieces on the CD. This piece perhaps more than any other recalls Montgomery’s earlier work with its trademark jangly, chorused guitar chord progressions and wandering melody lines. Unfortunately, this piece is also a fine example of what is lacking on the rest of this album. Compared to Montgomery’s first three albums, Silver Wheel of Prayer and its predecessor The Allegory of Hearing suffer from what could pass for a lack of effort in the area of fleshing out the compositions by way of overdubbing. What made Temple IV so amazing was that there were so many layers of melody going on all at once. It didn’t matter that the 12 and 14-minute pieces on that album changed very little throughout their duration, because the listener could always shift attention from one layer of melody to another. “For a Small Blue Orb,” is sparser by comparison, so 16 minutes of the same chord progression may become monotonous to some listeners.

Ultimately, what is missing most in The Silver Wheel of Prayer is raw emotion. Temple IV ebbed, flowed and at times positively seethed with emotions of wonder, regret, anger and sadness. Since then, Montgomery’s work appears to have lost a certain amount of intensity, perhaps due to more positive life changes that have occurred recently. Redirecting his artistic efforts toward more joyful music might yield a new direction and a resurgence in authentic emotion in his music.

While Silver Wheel of Prayer is not Montgomery’s best album, it is still recommended to existing Montgomery admirers. All others must hear Temple IV or Scenes from the South Island first. — SH

Listen to an excerpt of “For the Disoriented” from Roy Montgomery’s Silver Wheel of Prayer.
MP3 format. Approx. 1 minute/500k

Primitive Instinct
Belief
Hidden Charm
2000
Promotional CD from the band

Although Belief is the second full-length album by this UK trio, it is important to remember they have been around since the late 1980s. Perhaps that is why Belief doesn’t sound like a second-release effort. Usually it seems normal to look at a band’s early discography and think, “while there was some great music being put out at such-and-such a time by these guys, it is obvious that they have matured through time.” Think of Trespass. Think of Acquiring the Taste. Think of Saucerful of Secrets All three of these albums are second releases by bands that have gone on to achieve more than their share of success, and while these albums are considered good, if not very good, by the fans who adore them, it is possible to say that there is still something very undeveloped or “immature” about these albums. However, on Belief we see a band that is only putting out their second album, yet the level of musicianship and maturity on it is remarkably impressive.

It is important to note that this album really falls more comfortably into the usage of the word “progressive” that many proggers despise — the one that is used by most of the “outside” world to simply mean music that is new and fresh, in the same way that bands like REM and XTC were once considered “progressive.” If we compare them to the extremely progressive side — as occupied by bands like Magma or Henry Cow or anything of that sort — then they fall well short of that word. Neither, though, do they belong among the hordes of “modern rock” or “alternative” bands that have dominated the airwaves for the last decade. And while some might argue about their inclusion into these pages there is enough in this album to warrant it.

Belief never really strays far from the roots of rock. Solid four/four rhythms, easy chord structures and changes, definite song structures including verses, choruses, and bridges — these are all things that usually earn a quick sneer by the average listener of prog. However, Belief really uses these pop-oriented notions to show that much more can be made of these basics than just writing songs for teenagers to flirt to. There is a level of musicianship in this album that any young progger could aspire to. It is not always how complicated one can make the music, but how well you put together and play the music you do write, and Primitive Instinct show that they do this very well.

The first real song on this album, “Break on Through,” is a great example of this. It starts out with a heavy-ish guitar riff and all of the band playing together before things quiet down into the verse. Nick Sheridan’s vocals start here, and if you need a comparison of his voice, the only one that seems to fit is that of the singer from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, for those of you who remember. This song has all the aforementioned pop/rock elements of verse, chorus and definite sections, and yet this is something you would never hear on the radio. For one thing, there aren’t any lyrics about sex, the singer doesn’t feel that each song is a great way to brag about his accomplishments, his future plans to move out west and start an escort service, or just an excuse to talk about all the trivial aspects of his love life as long as they rhyme. To the contrary, he is actually trying to say something here, and if you were to take his lyrics out of the song and just say them, they would still carry significance. (Try that with Kid Rock or the Beastie Boys).

There is an intense passion to this album, and it shows on this first song. The guitar riff drives the tempo, and while there are softer sections where the guitar strums and the keyboards tend to take over, the drive is always there. The song clocks in at just over seven minutes, and it does this without feeling like it’s been that long. There are no solos in this song, there are no extended instrumental sections. There are no passages of flashiness, and yet Primitive Instinct have managed to do for seven minutes what most musicians today can’t even do in three — they have kept your attention, they have made you want to listen, and they have you hooked.

Although it may not be math rock, it may not contain weird instruments, and it may not be sung in a new language, Belief still fits more firmly in the domain of progressive rock than it does banished out to the highways of “mainstream” music. Primitive Instinct has managed something which is quite rare — they have written an album that contains all the elements of pop and rock music. They have combined those together using nothing really new or original, and they have come up with something completely their own. In the true sense of the word, this music is much more “progressive” than most of the Genesis look-alikes out there who play the complicated music of somebody else’s vision without adding anything new to it. While what they do is built upon the music of others, and the more mainstream music at that, Primitive Instinct have created something which is truly their own, and truly new — and really, isn’t that what “progressive” is? — CH

Visit the Primitive Instinct website.

Octopus
The Boat of Thoughts
SKY Records
1976

The Boat of Thoughts was recorded in 1976 on the SKY Records label. Octopus is comprised of five musicians: Pit Hensel (guitars), Werner Littau (keyboards), Jennifer Hensel (vocals), Frank Eule (Drums) and Claus D. Kniemeyer (Drums). The Boat of Thoughts is Octopus’s first of four albums and remains their finest recording.

This album has always been a favorite of mine, but it is hard to describe the type of music Octopus plays as they cross over many musical lines. To start, this band mixes the classic elements of progressive music with some straight ahead rock-and-roll with a little blues mixed in. There are six songs on the album which range from just over three minutes to nine minutes. Mellotron and organ are used throughout each song and are played with great emotion and intensity. Novalis or early Genesis comes to mind when describing the keyboard sound of this album. Many of the songs contain short synthesizer solos that play nicely with the many guitar solos. Speaking of guitar, Pit Hensel can play with the best of guitar players from this era. If you are a fan of the early material of fellow German band Eloy, you will love this album. The bass and drums are solid on The Boat of Thoughts but not spectacular. Their sound is more rock-and-roll than progressive.

Many people who have listened to any of the Octopus albums will most likely love or hate them based primarily on the vocals of Jennifer Hensel. I must admit it took me many listenings to get used to the vocals, as they are so different from the typical female singer in progressive music. Janis Joplin is the first thought in your mind when you hear Jennifer’s voice. She doesn’t have as rough of a voice, but the power and inflection are like that of Janis Joplin. Another drawback to Hensel’s singing is that some of the lyrics are a little goofy and this may put you off a bit. Luckily, the vocals represent a small portion of the music on the album.

Side two contains the best songs on the album. “We’re Losing Touch” and the title cut are the clear winners on the album. “We’re Losing Touch” has a fantastic Moog synthesizer solo followed by a smoking organ solo that just rips the vinyl off the album. “The Boat of Thoughts” is the longest track on the album clocking in at 8:58. This song begins with a melodic acoustic guitar followed by the vocals of Hensel and after a few seconds a piano melody plays counterpoint with the guitar. After a few minutes of this guitar/piano interchange the tempo changes to electric guitar and Hammond organ with some Mellotron mixed in. Mellotron is used to great effect towards the end of the song and climaxes with a nice guitar riff at the end of the song.

The Boat of Thoughts by Octopus deserves to be ranked high on the list of all time great Krautrock albums. This album has everything a lover of progressive music wants; great keyboard solos, searing guitar, multiple rhythm changes and most importantly, uniqueness. This album is highly recommended. — KP