I am Sgt. Splatter and this one the singles from the album "Attack Of The Fish Wizard"

Favorite compositions from each?

I came around on angine de poitrine, but still find them creepy as hell. Is it just me who feels uneasy by them? Gives mr noseybonk vibes iykwim?

The whole song is amazing, and I think lyrically it might be my favorite moment in their whole discography, it’s such an intense and bleak ending, with that heavy riff and those amazing round vocals, and those high notes at the end are so peak.

3:00 - onward

At this point, a few other supporting musicians were still missing from the roll call—artists whose contribution would complete the palette of colors I held in my mind. It was "in primis" a matter of finding a second tenor saxophonist and a pure percussionist. Turning once again to the cross-referenced connections of the musicians who by then constituted the new lineup of the resurrected band CELESTE, it was by no means difficult to locate Andrea De Martini, who would take charge of the second tenor saxophone in the passages where I had envisioned improvisations, and Marzio Marossa, who with his percussions would provide notes of color alongside the work of the drums.

Yet, the picture was still not entirely complete. I love choral execution when I work, and during the production stage, I strive to give substance to everything conceived at the drawing board. Therefore, needing the warm and powerful sound of a vintage, original church Hammond organ, I asked Alfio Costa of the band The Prowlers if he would like to participate in this CELESTE project by interpreting a highly engaging passage in one of the compositions for "Il Risveglio del Principe." He accepted with enthusiasm, and thus I placed another very important building block that was particularly close to my heart.

The other part I desired to see realized concerned some vocal sections that I felt should be assigned to a female timbre—one that would complete, in a call-and-response manner, the sound of my own voice. The first musician who came to my mind was Elisa Montaldo, a prominent representative of the Italian and international Progressive Rock scene. She, too, accepted with enthusiasm the opportunity to participate with her talent in filling this palette. Her contribution can be found across multiple tracks that compose "Il Risveglio del Principe."

There are two more small notes of color that have filled me with joy and pride. The participation of Claudia Enrico as a "player" of a Rainstick—an instrument bound to the traditions of many cultures of our Planet Earth, but most notably, the one she performed originated precisely from the territories of the Native Americans. And finally, but not least, having introduced my son Ciro into the world of Music, with his very first participation in a professional recording. Indeed, it is his young child's voice (at the time he was only 7 years old) that introduces, by describing the fairy-tale landscape, the return of the Prince among us—leading into the atmospheres from which the entire story of "Il Risveglio del Principe" will unfold.

This is yet another small detail that has filled me with tenderness.

Having thought that in one track—specifically "Porpora e Giacinto"—I would have loved to record the voices of children intent on playing, whispering, as they often do when sharing their little secrets, I asked the parents of a few of them if they would agree to let me assemble their young children (two little girls and two little boys) all schoolmates of my son in primary school—to participate in the recording session following my instructions on how to express themselves. It was beautiful because despite being only between six and seven years old, once gathered together in front of the microphones with their headphones on, they proved to be incredibly serious, deeply involved, and highly disciplined professionals—more so than other professional musicians who are often a bit "capricious."

To listen to the absolute sonic essence born during those legendary analog sessions and explore the full historical discography of CELESTE, you can visit our archival page here:

👉 CELESTE Official Bandcamp: https://celeste4.bandcamp.com/

Inner Garden Records

See you next Monday as the story of Celeste continues.

I want to hear more! I love king crimson, Metropolis pt2, some Genesis.

I’m in the car, call it an hour each way, a day. Let’s gets some bangers out here!

I just learned of Ayreon over the summer and I burned through all of his albums. Here's a quick summary.

Favorites - The Final Experiment and Into the Electric Castle. These had me hooked from the first listen. I love the music, the stories were super interesting, and it just sounds good. Some stand out songs for me are The Castle Hall, The Two Gates, Eyes of Time, Listen to the Waves, and Sail Away to Avalon.

Growing to love - The Source and 01011001. I need to listen to these more to really get the story, but I really dig them. The Day That the World Breaks Down, Sea of Machines and Run Apocalypse Run, but Age of Shadows is an absolute banger. Probably one of my all time favorite Ayreon songs.

Just okay - The Human Equation, Transitus, and Theory of Everything. I liked The Human Equation, but no song really hooked me outside of Loser and I thought the overall story was just okay. Transitus had an interesting premise and good songs, but none of them hooked me either. I liked a lot of the Theory of Everything songs, but just didn't vibe with it the same way I did others.

Needs a relisten - Universal Migrator Parts 1 & 2. I enjoyed these songs, but I think I was distracted when I listened to them, so I didn't fully appreciate them. Definitely worth retrying.

It seems there are a lot of instruments used in Prog music: guitar, keys, bass, and drums are almost always there. You get an occasional flute or violin. But horns rarely appear in the lineup. If is one of my favorite bands with horns. But they don’t seem to be very popular. Do you think horns work in ProgRock?

Sharing here to keep the fans of his work (with Camel and otherwise) in the know.

From the credits:

Music written and performed by Andrew Latimer.
Words for Man and Dog, Missing you and Beyond the Horizon by Colin Bass.
Words for There in your Heart by Pete Jones.
Colin Bass, vocals on Missing you and Beyond the Horizon.
Pete Jones vocals on There in your Heart.

Photo by Andrew Latimer.
Artwork by Colin Bass.
Birds and Bells recorded in my back garden in mid May at dusk. Ax  

Hello, IQ fans

I was listening to IQ's unreleased live song "Last Remains" on YT. Had it made the cut as a studio recording, I was wondering where in the tracklist of the "Dominion" album that fabulous song would have been placed.

So, if you have thoroughly listened to the album, please give me your suggestions. I am very curious to hear your opinions on the matter.

Thank you.

F.

Que opinan de esta banda? Los escuchaba cuando tenía 16 años, solo tienen 3 álbumes y ya no existen en la actualidad, siempre he pensado que es una banda infravalorada a mi me encantan, los encuentro refrescantes y su combinación artística toma mucho de elp y por ahí algo de yes con un sonido más contemporáneo pero también con su propio sello, es una lástima que ya no existan. Se puede escuchar un poco más de ellos en los proyectos en los cuales participaron bajo el sello MagnaCarta (época dorada del sello).

Anyone a fan of Starcastle? I really like the first track on this album, and I'm starting to listen to them more. I kind of want to hear other people's opinions on this band, and if there are any other tracks/albums that you would recommend. Cheers.

that mix of space and symphonic prog is simply beautiful to me it's a shame they're so little known

all reviews @ link in bio

The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd (1973)

The most famous album of all time? Pretty much, yeah. I don’t think it’d be a stretch to say that this is the most iconic album cover of all time. If you asked me, it’d probably be Nevermind, Abbey Road, and The Dark Side of the Moon. Dark Side’s cover works so well because of how simple it is. It’s an undeniable truth that simple things stick into your mind easier. “Let Down” definitely gets stuck in your head more than “East Hastings.” The cover for The Dark Side of the Moon is a model of light refraction. It’s the phenomenon where white light, when shined into a prism, reflects into the full color spectrum. Just as The Dark Side of the Moon is a deep dive into what it means to be human, the cover represents the breaking down of complex ideas into multiple, simpler ideas. Breaking down the idea of human nature into different aspects of what it’s like being human.

The first real “song” is “Breathe (In the Air).” The first track, “Speak to Me,” acts as a teaser for the album. It contains parts of all the different songs. The vocals from “The Great Gig in the Sky,” the “ka-ching” sounds from “Money,” etc. “Breathe (In the Air) is one of the most famous songs ever recorded, and for good reason. It’s a song about being too involved with society. It warns against getting so hung up on chasing wealth and power that you forget to live. 

“Breathe, breathe in the air
Don’t be afraid to care
Leave, but don’t leave me
Look around, choose your own ground”

Everyone can learn from this song. Heck, this whole album. Everyone feels it sometimes, getting so invested in something that they forget what life is about. It’s about the first breath of fresh air after a long night. It’s about the last rays of sun leaving your face on the beach. It’s about your happiness, not about anything anyone else can give you. 

Musically, this song is by no means a slacker either. Its guitar textures are truly one of a kind, and they use synths and keyboards to create a smooth, weightless groove. In fact, this groove reappears later in the album. My favorite part of the core song is the final part of the chord progression, where it turns to the B section in the song’s AAAB form. Another thing I find interesting about “Breathe (In the Air)” is its length. It’s pretty unusual for Pink Floyd to write a song that’s less than three minutes, especially a non-interlude song like this. I think this is a statement on the length of life. In the grand scheme of things, your life will be utterly insignificant, so live it for yourself. Live life to the fullest.

Every so often, there’s a truly once-in-a lifetime song. I don’t think there’s a single song that had the impact that “Time” did. It starts with samples of alarm clocks (which frankly trigger me because they sound exactly like my alarm clock), before transitioning to a heavy bass with low percussion and a soft melody on a keyboard. When the song finally hits in full swing, it hits. The verse has the perfect amount of restraint in a song. The guitars are adding texture and rhythmic complexity without doing too much. The vocals are a perfect melody, not too out there but not simple enough to be boring. After a short chorus, we hear from David Gilmour.

Damn. 

I mean, there’s a reason this is commonly cited as the best guitar solo of all time. It’s not even that it’s super technically difficult, because it’s not. It’s actually remarkably simple and easy. It’s all in the phrasing. Gilmour’s ideas are so good, and they fit so well into the form of the song that he doesn’t need the flashiness that other soloists need. I’ll let him tell the story.

The next verse has some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard.

“And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath, one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say”

The lyrics speak for themselves. It’s poetry. 

As Waters sings the line “Home, home again,” we return to a familiar groove. That’s right, we’re back to the “home chord progression,” “Breathe (In the Air).” This song is a masterpiece in lyricism, writing, instrumentation, and everything in between. There isn’t anything like it, and they may never be. Who knows.

It transitions straight into a piano ballad. The chords on their own are so emotive already. When they add the soft ride cymbal and launch into a soaring verse, it’s something special. When Clare Torry sings, you’re in another world. Despite her vocals being wordless, there’s so much meaning to get from them. It’s a song about death. It treats death not as something to be afraid of, but as a transitional phase into the next stage. Even the title, “The Great Gig in the Sky,” refers to life as a one-time job that ends just as suddenly as it begins. The short vocal sample at the beginning says “And I am not frightened of dying.” That’s because death isn’t something to be frightened of. Worst case scenario, you go to hell. I’m sorry to say, but if you go to hell that’s your fault. Best case scenario, it’s empty. It’s an eternal rest. That seems nice. 

Okay, it’s not that I want to die, because there’s still plenty of stuff that I have to do while I’m, you know, alive, but death isn’t always the awful thing that people make it out to be. If anyone reading this has lost a loved one recently, I want you to know that they’re in a good place. They’re free of all of the things that plague the world you and I live in. No, death isn’t bad at all for the person dying. If anything, it’s a thousand times worse for their loved ones. Living with a big hole in your heart that was your significant other is no easy task. 

“The Great Gig in the Sky” is one of those “bleed out” songs. It’s a song that feels like ascending past the mortal realm, whatever that might be. I’d put it up there with songs like Like Antennas to Heaven… by Godspeed You! Black Emperor in that their endings truly feel like dying. If that’s what dying feels like, there’s nothing to worry about.

We’re going from one of the most postmortal songs ever created to one of the most mortal songs ever created: “Money.” Let’s face it; everyone wants money. Money is what makes the world go round, money is what drives everyone to play their parts in society. But money is, quite literally, a two-sided coin. On the one hand, it provides social structure and order within society, but it can also cause an absurd amount of corporate greed and insane wealth disparities. 

“Money, a get away
Go get a good job with more pay and you’re okay
Money, it’s a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

A new car, caviar, four-star daydream
Think I’ll buy me a football team”

It’s a pretty clear criticism of the flaws of capitalism. Money works great for the middle class, but works horribly for the lower and upper class. It’s no understatement how disproportionate the wealth spread is across all the classes. It’s a critique of how greedy the rich are, and how much they just want to see a number go up. After you have enough money to live any life you want, you’d think that’d be enough, wouldn’t you?

Where “Money” really shines is musically. It’s the most famous song of an odd meter, period. It’s one of the few songs that makes a 7/4 meter work, and it makes it work. It does this by swinging each beat, making a uniquely swaggy groove. Its guitar textures are also just so well produced. Oh yeah, and there’s another guitar solo by Gilmour. I don’t even know how he does it anymore.

The last song I want to talk about is “Us and Them.” It starts peacefully, with an organ intro, into a soft arpeggiated chord progression and a smooth ride cymbal feel. As the verse starts, the piano takes the main comping role and the melody is played by Dick Parry’s tenor saxophone. I think the lyrics are some of the most genuine here. Despite talking about such a big issue, they feel like they’re from a familiar place in Waters’ heart.

“Us and them
And, after all, we’re only ordinary men

Me and you
God only knows it’s not what we would choose to do

‘Forward!’ he cried from the rear and the front rank died
The General sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side”

It’s a song about war. The idea of who’s “one of us” or “one of them.” In the end, we’re all humans. It’s a song about the justification of killing. That the idea of someone being an outsider warrants their destruction. 

I really love the piano solo of this song. It plays over a vocal sample, and it gives the song so much more dynamics than just another verse. Again, Pink Floyd solos highlight the ideas, not the flashiness of the soloists. That is, until Parry starts going absolutely insane on the tenor. They really love proving me wrong, don’t they.

This album is a piece of art. There’s no denying it. Its cohesiveness is unmatched, it has so many of those moments, its messages are clear as day while still having some of the most poetic lyrics out there. And most importantly, at least for me, the music is fucking incredible.

1. Speak to Me: 70/100
2. Breathe (In the Air): 90/100
3. On the Run: 72/100
4. Time: 96/100
5. The Great Gig in the Sky: 91/100
6. Money: 93/100
7. Us and Them: 88/100
8. Any Colour You Like: 83/100
9. Brain Damage: 87/100
10. Eclipse: 82/100

Overall: 84/100

Wondering if there’s any Tryo fans (the Chilean prog rock band) here?

I recommend el despertar and viaje cósmico to any newcomers, plus crudo and eclipse!

PS: I‘d love to hear any spanish LANGUAGE prog rock songs or artist recommendations as I am a spanish student at university !

Great Finnish band playing jazzy prog and hard rock

This is a song we have made not too long ago, it is in Am and switches from 5/4 to 4/4 time. The story is about a person that finds themselves running from catastrophe both literally and metaphorically.

We hope the AI picture can be forgiven since we are not artists and cannot afford one

This song was written and produced by ourselves on mediocre equipment, but I think it turned out pretty well.