Thursday, September 23, 2010
Statement issued by Greg Lake
Dear friends and fans all over the world.
Many of you may have seen recently that Keith and I were forced to cancel our tour of Japan due
to a serious medical problem discovered during a routine medical by Keith just after the High
Voltage Festival here in London. As a result of this Keith is currently in hospital recovering from
a series of operations which we are all hoping will bring him back to good health.
However, the type of surgery that Keith has undergone is major and it will take some
considerable time for him to fully recover. For this reason we have decided that it would be best
if we also cancel the European leg of the tour as well. Of course we do hope to reschedule both
the Japanese and the European legs of the tour at some point in the future, but we will only be
able to make this announcement a little further down the line once we see how quickly things are
progressing along.
During this past week Stewart, myself and all the members of Keith's family have been
supporting him wherever and however we can and I have to say that Keith has been extremely
brave. He was in intensive care for a number of days but I am pleased to hear that he is
apparently now back in his own room and starting to feel a little bit better. This of course is
really good news and I hope to be able to visit him tomorrow for the first time since the
operation.
I suppose that it goes without saying that both of us were terribly disappointed about not being
able to continue on with these tours right now as we were both really looking forward to seeing
everyone in Japan and throughout Europe, but this was an extremely serious situation which
could not be ignored or postponed so I hope everyone will understand that we would not have
taken such a decision unless it was absolutely necessary.
I am sure you would all want to wish Keith well and I will certainly do my best to pass on to him
any best wishes that you would like to convey by posting them on this website.If anyone would
like more detail about Keith's current state of recovery, etc. then please log on to his website at
www.keithemerson.com.
Thank you for your patience and understanding and I look forward to seeing you all in the not too
distant future. Greg Lake.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
It’s great to hear that Camel guitarist and founder, Andy Latimer, is up and about after some
major health issues. In October, Camel Productions will be releasing The Opening Farewell:
Live at the Catalyst, a DVD of Camel’s last tour in 2003. Latimer is also working on a follow-up
to 2002’s A Nod and a Wink, with no release date yet scheduled.
John Lennon's solo album catalog is being renovated for what would have been his 70th birthday
on October 9th. The reissue campaign is called Gimme Some Truth, after the blistering political
shakedown from 1971's Imagine album. Among the highlights is a "stripped down" version of
the Lennon/Ono 1980 Double Fantasy album and a proper remastering of 1972's Live In New
York City, featuring the legendary "missing" jams with Frank Zappa, now in a 2CD set. A bust of
Mr. Zappa has been donated from Lithuania to his home town of Baltimore, Maryland.
Eddie Jobson's (Roxy Music, U.K.) UKZ project releases their first live album in October. It
features the first ever
reunion with original U.K. Vocalist John Wetton, plus King Crimson's bassman Tony Levin and
legendary drummer, Simon Phillips. This would be the first time live, full band renditions of U.K.
Classics have been performed on stage since 1979. I can't wait for this one.
ELP founder Keith Emerson had to reschedule his Emerson/Lake duo tour, due to a medical
condition that he is currently recovering from. All October dates will be made up in
November/December. Feel better Emo!
California Guitar Trio releases Andromeda on October 12th and it is the first CGT record to
feature all original compositions and improvisations. They are best known for their instrumental
version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Psychedelic warlords, Ozric Tentacles will tour the U.K, Belgium, Netherlands and Israel in
October; Prominent guitar heroes rule the land in October/November with Jeff Beck visiting
Europe, Israel and South America; The East Coast gets Pat Metheny and his Orchestrion MIDI
system; Dixie Dreg founder, Steve Morse and his band, (Dave LaRue and Van Romaine) invade
NYC October 1-3 and finally Steve Hackett Electric Band tours the U.K. in November.
I am seeing the Australian Pink Floyd for the first time on 10/2, so look out for my review.
Later...Monday, April 26, 2010
Keith Emerson and Greg Lake At The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles 04/25/2010
In 1970 I bought the first Emerson, Lake & Palmer album and coupled with the previous years,
In The Court of The Crimson King, were the blueprints of the progressive rock movement that
had been instigated by the Beatles, orchestrated by the Moody Blues, powered by the virtuoso
power trio Cream, classicalized by the Nice and jazzed up by Traffic and Jethro Tull. After a
disastrous final 1978 album, Love Beach, ELP dissolved, briefly appeared in the 80s as Emerson,
Lake and (Cozy) Powell only to resurrect (with Carl Palmer) in the 1990's and now Emerson
and Lake are touring as a duo much in the spirit of the later-day "VH1 Storytellers" show.
I expected a truly acoustic show, but upon entering the beautifully renovated 2000 seat 1920s
movie house, the staging suggested a recording studio, with Emerson's electronic (with an
original Moog synthesizer) keyboards set up stage right and an Indian carpet, stool and monitors
for Lake on stage left. The rapturous applause as they came on stage was followed by a newly
arranged "From the Beginning" from 1972's Trilogy. The first real treat was a beautiful version
of "I Talk To The Wind" from the first Crimson album followed by a merging of "Take a Pebble"
and "Tarkus". Synthesizers and samplers are always being improved, but nothing has the
warmth of a grand piano, so Emerson's sampled piano sound was tinny at times, but the merge
was wonderful and the sound of the mighty Moog was awesome. Throughout the two sets, a
digital beat
accompanied certain faves of mine ("The Barbarian" and "Bitches Crystal") and Carl Palmer's
drumming was certainly missed, but the pieces were given new life, were beautifully played by
Emerson (albeit slower than his glory days) and Lake's voice sounded closer to his glory days as
opposed to the not so occasional vocal rasp of the 90s reunion.
The audience was made up of hard core progressives and when the duo opened up the floor to
questions, they were delivered eloquently and showed that this audience not only knew their
heroes collective musical catalog, but went out of their way to acknowledge ELP's significance in
their lives. The obvious question was asked first; what was the real story of Jimi Hendrix
forming a band with Emerson and Lake? The legend said that they (along with Palmer) would
call the band HELP and only Hendrix's death stopped the union. Mr. Lake said that he and Keith
were considering former Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell and Hendrix was also interested.
When the decision was made to go with ex-Atomic Rooster/Crazy World of Arthur Brown
drummer Palmer, the Mitchell/Hendrix idea fizzled away.
E&L ended their set with "Pirates" from 1977's Works, Vol. 1. While never a favorite of mine,
the new version increased my appreciation. As another reviewer recently remarked, it's tough
to rate a concert when you have expectations, especially about the set list. The best show I ever
saw was Yes In The Round 1978 and it was rated so high because of seat location and overall
performance and not because of their song choices. While I had hoped to hear "The Endless
Enigma" "Trilogy" or "Pictures At An Exhibition", E&L obviously enjoyed playing in the unusual
venue and their outstanding performance seemed as enjoyable for the musicians as it did for the
loyal and loving audience.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Comments We Receive
We have 40 video clips from our 1979-92 cable music shows loaded on YouTube for over two
years now and have almost 377,000 hits. The most popular interview is Robert Fripp, founder of
King Crimson, who most likely (up to that 1979 appearance) had never had a sit-down interview
on television at that time. This was our third show and the first with such a legendary figure.
We were novices at interviewing and it showed, particularly with such a intimidating little man,
who was pretty much responsible (along with Ian McDonald) for creating of 70s progressive
rock. He was rebelling against it at the time, both in his choice of "New Wave" clothing, artful
haircut and philosophical obsession with the world ending from a great flood in 1981. He had
little desire to discuss his past and turned in a masterful monologue of his beliefs and
motivations.
The comments we received run the gambit from making fun of how Aaron and I looked (like
"That 70s Show") to how inept we were, or how Fripp was this and that and Wetton is bitter and
Belew seems like such a nice guy! The entertaining part, of course, is the infighting between
commenter's who both insult and demean each others opinion. The saddest comments seem to
come from malcontents who just like to be nasty and confrontational, thinking that they are
"anonymous". If you read comments from any reader on any site that encourages such
participation know what I mean. Thankfully, the positive compliments we get far outweigh the
negative.
Among the best comments:
FRIPP Interview-: I like the way that the questions are actually meaningful and that Robert
Fripp actually contemplates them and then answers very appropriately. It's a big difference
from the interviews of today where it's like "So how does it feel to have a number one
album?" "oh it's great you know the fans have been a great support etc.
This is a brilliant interview and to anyone who has grasped the genius and wisdom of Fripp
beginning in the 70's........this interview is neither complicated nor irrelevant to the question
posed.
Listening to Robert Fripp's guitar will make your babies smarter.
The smartest thing you did was to let him talk without interjecting. Today's TV talking heads
could learn from you.
WETTON Interview-: rp, this is fantastic stuff. JW is a great, intelligent interviewee, an
obviously very bright guy, and it's a pleasure to have a show hosted by two interviewers who
actually LISTEN to their guest. Excellent.
Thanks to RPCURTISS! Better info in this series than 10 books on "progressive" music
combined. The inner workings of several important bands and the keys to understanding
where it went from there.
That was incredible!! Thanks. I watched the whole thing and it was superb. You should
unearth this show again!
Thank you very much! great questions and you let him fully answer each question. how
many bands like u.k. are around now? not nearly enough, methinks... well done!
Thank you so much for these interviews. I've been gathering info of King Crimson for years,
but didn't know that this even existed. Informed interviewers who established a "rapport"-->
honest interviewees = excellent interviews.
Thanks so much Ron and Aaron for posting this, you two are as interesting to listen to as
Wetton is...I hope that you are both still active in the entertainment industry, intelligent music
consumers recognize quality !!!
DI MEOLA Interview: Too many interviewers ask stupid and meaningless questions and are
only there to try and satisfy their own glorification. This session is great and Di Meola seems to
be enjoying the line of questioning.
Too bad you didn't have this show in Cincy in the late 70s when I was a teen. I would've been
hooked on this show. You did a nice job, considering the time and limitations of equipment, etc.
CARLTON Interview: These guys are the BEST interviewers I've ever seen, and have left us
with some absolutely priceless interviews with great artists. They're intelligent and just funny
enough to have the perfect blend.
The most critical comments were often the nastiest or were written by folks having no clue about
the music or that public access TV was primitive I honestly couldn't find any reasoned criticisms
that weren't just insults to Aaron and I personally or arguments between commenter's who
hated Asia and Wetton's commercial approach or thought Fripp was a blowhard or bald
comments about Phil Collins and Al Di Meola. It is heartening that 90% of the posts were
positive and from true fans that were as in awe of these progrock heroes as we were.
The most frequently asked question of all was what the theme music of The Boffomundo Show
was. The answer is Italy's Arti e Mestieri, from the album Giro di Valzer per Domani released in
1975. The bottom line to all this is that we have the opportunity to show these gems 30 years
later. It is music history and an invaluable study of the end of the progressive rock era
commented on by the brilliant musicians who embraced and nurtured it.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Genesis Inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame:
I am really on the fence on this one. As guitarist/bass player Michael Rutherford remarked
about "guitar-based American bands" having the edge in voting, he mentioned
"progressive-type" bands finally getting their due. I beg to differ. Would Genesis have been
inducted if they hadn't sold a ton of records that were so very commercial compared to their 70s
extended, virtuoso-based records? I think not. The list of omissions is frightening: King
Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and everyone's favorite slight, Rush. Are not
these bands less "rock" than either James Taylor, Michael Jackson, Madonna or Run DMC, who
have all been inducted? How can the Hall claim any credibility at all when they have honored so
many non-rock acts? Strangely, Miles Davis is there. Miles was a jazz artist and an idol of mine,
who created jazz-rock fusion, which is a cousin of progressive rock. What's up with that?
Maybe it's because he died. Jeff Beck, who, despite participation in the Yardbird's, was
recognized for his fusion-based instrumental albums of the 70s. Perhaps the connection with
Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page? Also, Pink Floyd, perhaps more "art-rock" than progressive with
it's HUGE record sales has been lauded, not too mention Frank Zappa, who was as un-
commercial as you could get. Maybe he got in because he died. Inconsistent crazy rules and
voting. With these few exceptions, the HOF is like the Grammy's, where record sales are the
root of their evil. If the artist sells and their music is popular and not "controversial" they get
recognized. Yes, ELP and Tull sold millions in the 70s and 80s and were once considered the
"mainstream". Wasn't rap once considered too out of the mainstream to be considered worthy,
let alone "rock" in any way? What Madonna music actually qualifies her induction? Can anyone
tell me? If the music actually expanded the boundaries of rock and is still "rocks", as prog does,
why the continuous slights? Perhaps the induction of Genesis will open the eyes of voters, who
have for too long had their head up their collective asses. I'm just sayin'...
Tuesday, March 03, 2010
Some random concert notes from this and last year:
I saw Al Di Meola last Friday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA. I was expecting
great things, as the 2008 Return to Forever show is in my permanent top five concerts list of all
time (I've seen 400 shows in over 40 years). I mistakenly assumed that this was to be all-
electric show, but it was primarily acoustic, with three electric numbers. Al's playing was
exemplary. Never better. Perhaps the finest guitarist on the planet. However, he delved into
World Music twenty years ago and IMHO, he lost his way. He adopted a one of the styles that
rival Pat Metheny indulges in and spent the two decades in that style with mixed results. No
sooner did I see the presence of an accordion player than I knew we were in trouble. Suffice it
to say, I am not fan of the sound of the accordion. Oh well. A few select solos and we'll be done
with it. Not for this performance. 98% of ALL the numbers featured duets between he and the
accordion player, who crooned with many of the tunes in an absolutely identical style to past and
present members of Metheny's group and was almost blatant. The other issues I had were the
saminess of these Latin tinged tunes, the distracting video films of Whirling Dervishes and Tango
dancers, not to mention the video shots of the band were at least a second delayed. The best
tune was from the 1977 "Elegant Gypsy" album, where Al's mighty electric drowned out any
participation from his accordion pal. The poorly miked backing band was a disappointment as
well. As amazingly Godhead as the RTF show was, this is the most flawed show I have seen in
many years. A shame.
With limited expectations I attended the Yes/Asia concert at Gibson (Universal) Amphitheatre
on 07/07/09. The interesting part was that guitarist Steve Howe, who is a member of both
bands, played both sets and he performed admirably, but certainly (since ABWH in 1989) in a
more subdued and methodical way. The recent history of Yes defections and illness is laid out in
past blog entries. Jon Anderson's replacement Benoit David (from a Canadian Yes tribute band)
not only sounds like Jon, but resembles him at age 30. Former keyboard play Rick Wakeman
recently remarked that Yes is not a "gigging" band and he fears that that's what they have
become. He isn't far from the truth. While it's always lovely to hear respectable renditions of
my favorite music played by my aging heroes, the show had the feel of a nostalgia show, so far
removed from the near-religious experience of Yes 1972-78 that it was a bit sad. They played
well enough, but tempered and unremarkable. Hearing "Machine Messiah" after 30 years was a
treat, but is difficult to play and wasn't always together. Benoit did a good job, but is obviously
not Jon Anderson, who is of course in poor health and estranged from his former mates.
Wakeman's son Oliver, played as the hired hand he is and has nowhere the talent or dexterity of
his father at that age. The Asia set was also not on par with it's 2006 reunion tour. Since that
time, both singer John Wetton and drummer Carl Palmer had heart issues, and it showed in the
low energy the band projected. It was a must to see this show given the setlist and new
members. I've always said that Yes should have retired after the 2004 40th anniversary tour.
This show hasn't changed my opinion.
Next up is Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, who perform an acoustic duet show in LA in April.
Keith was sidelined for a year or more with a nerve injury in his hand, not unlike old friend Phil
Collins, who essentially cannot play drums anymore. As the Stones once sang, "what a drag it is
to be old."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Whilst this blog had been inactive for most of the year, I want to take this timely opportunity to
thank all those who purchased product from Boffomundo Music and (hopefully) enjoyed our
collection of progrock videos over the last year Also, a HUGE thanks to friends and family, who,
as usual, have been loving and supportive in a sometimes difficult year.
Hail 2010, the beginning of the 2nd decade of the 21st century!
2 Deaths in the Boffomundo Family- Thursday, March 5, 2009
I woke up this morning to find an email from a fan who thanked me for posting videos of Fumio
Miyashta and wrote that "he was my uncle." Sadly, the leader of Japan's "answer to Pink
Floyd", the Far East Family Band passed away in 2003 of lung cancer. Fumio became part of the
Boffomundo family through our guru, Tony Harrington, (who also passed away in 2001 of
prostate cancer). Tony was A&R man for Atlantic Records in the 70s and had an import/export
business that dealt with Japan extensively.
When Aaron and I met Tony Harrington in 1979, he was owner and operator of All Ears Records,
a small record label that pressed US versions of Japanese prog LPs and was creator of the
"Manifestival of Progressive Music", the template for the various prog festivals around the
world. Tony thought the idea of a TV show that interviewed progressive rock musicians was a
good one and had many friends who appeared on the show. Tony also lent his "All Ears" name to
the Boffomundo Show and we had a wonderful year interviewing many of our heroes, all of
which are now seen on YouTube.
The Far East Family Band played the Troubadour in 1979 and Tony asked us if wanted multi-
instrumentalist and leader, Fumio Miyashta to perform live on our show. "Live?" we asked?
Public Access cable was in it's infancy and we produced our show in a room no bigger than a 2nd
bedroom in a small apartment. Fumio came to the studio on October 30, 1979 with a dozen or
more instruments! Our three chairs, All Ears Boffomundo poster and coffee table set would
never suffice! We had him set up the many keyboards and gongs in a way that he could play
comfortably and simply routed all the sound through one bookshelf speaker, which we placed on
a chair with one microphone in front of it! All we had was mono and mono it was! We
miraculously managed to get a decent mix and away we went! Remember, we had one hour to
produce a half an hour show. No editing, no inserts, live as can be and whatever happened
happened. Like the 50s Milton Berle television shows!
With the latest "Yes" cancellation, Bill Bruford's retirement from public performances and the
deaths of two Boffomundo alumni, my previous postings about the sicknesses and deaths of
many of my heroes is amplified. As Dr. Ron said, eat yer veggies, take a walk and lose the
cigarettes!
February 19, 2009 - In the Present Tour Cancelled
The “In The Present Tour,” featuring Yes’ Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White, is
cancelling the remaining scheduled shows. Click here to read a note from Alan to the fans.
Chris underwent surgery on his leg on February 11, 2009. The operation was successful and
Chris is on his way to a full recovery. However, Chris has been advised by his physician that he
needs a one month rest period, hence the reason for the cancellation of the rest of the tour dates.
As previously stated, Chris and the rest of the band wishes to apologize for any inconvenience
that this might have caused to their fans and hopes to see them again soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happy New Year to all. I have been watching Barack Obama being inaugurated the 44th
president of the United States. It's a new world everyone, so hang on to your hats. A new
sheriff is in town and that town is bigger than ever. Good luck to us!
ALSO: Bill Bruford retires from public performance
Posted by Sid: Monday, 26th January,2009
After 41 years of moving the percussive pulse in music and raising people's pulses in general,
Bill Bruford has announced his retirement from public performance, effective from January 1st
2009.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STEVE HOWE, CHRIS SQUIRE AND ALAN WHITE OF GROUNDBREAKING ROCK GROUP YES
UNITE FOR “IN THE PRESENT” U.S. TOUR
Members will be joined by Oliver Wakeman on keyboards and vocalist Benoit David to perform
the group’s classic repertoire in live spectacular
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2008—Albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic
Oceans and 90125 and singles such as “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “I’ve Seen
All Good People” are just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most
influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Now, the classic YES line-up of guitarist
Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour
starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers’
amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist
Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES’ Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec,
native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the
Internet.
With a remarkable 40-year career that has time and again redefined the boundaries of rock, YES
was formed in 1968 by Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, who shared a mutual interest in vocal
harmonies and classical music. With drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist
Tony Kaye, they became YES, earning a residency at the famed London venue The Marquee Club,
where they played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, releasing their self-titled debut
album in July 1969.
Guitarist Steve Howe, who went on to play in the popular prog-rock groups Asia and GTR and
continues releasing acclaimed solo albums and touring, brought an experimental cutting edge to
YES for their 1970’s The Yes Album, their first number one album in the UK. Drummer Alan
White, who had been hand-picked to play on John Lennon’s Imagine and George Harrison’s All
Things Must Pass, came aboard in 1972. YES then went on to conquer America and played at
some of the largest paid attendance concerts of all time including the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia
in 1976 to a crowd of over 130,000 people.
YES postponed plans for a 40th anniversary Close to the Edge and Back tour in June, when
vocalist Jon Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute
respiratory failure. Commented Squire: "This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because
as we all know, that would be impossible. With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so
that we can go out and honor the music of YES for the fans who have waited for the past four
years to see us perform."
A dominant force in rock music for more than four decades, YES has created some of rock’s most
enduring and compelling hits, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. The group has
defined music history with their dynamic instrumental contrasts and abstract lyrics. Their
symphonic use of sound and innovative musical styles continues to make them the most
successful progressive rock band in history and their amazing career continues to defy many of
their rock counterparts.
Return To Forever- Gibson Amphitheater, Friday, June 13, 2008
Unbelievable. Immaculate. Inspirational. These words are not strong enough to describe the
RTF show I saw last Friday. I have attended almost 400 shows in my time and this rates near
the top. Beginning with a pictorial tribute to Miles Davis and Joe Zawinul, the architects of fusion
jazz, to the intro of the band by Kareem Abdul Jabbar to the two sets of sublime instrumental
music, this is one of the concert high points of my life. The choice of material, the execution, the
seats and the sound were virtually flawless. Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny
White may be the greatest touring group of instrumental musicians on the planet.
The band performed two sets that featured RTF classics, "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy", "Senor
Mouse", "No Mystery", and Romantic Warriors "Sorceress", the title track, "Duel Of The Jester
And The Tyrant" and "Medieval Overture". The interplay of the musicians, which in a jazz
context reminds me of a Bill Bruford quote, "Everyone hates 'jazz' but it's the only word to
describe a musician who wants to say something fresh and react to what others are doing
around him." was telepathic. The staging allowed the musicians to feed off each other, both in
electric (the first set) and acoustic (most of the second set).
If I had to criticize anything it would be the length of the solo's, particularly Lenny White's drum
clinic, which seemed more like a drum lesson than an orchestrated solo (think Neil Peart). No
one can play the bass (either electric or acoustic) with more authority than Stanley Clarke and
his solo was masterful and while a bit too long was the highlight of the solo sets. Guitarist Al Di
Meola is transcendent. In other blog entries, I've bitched about "older" musicians (particularly
in Yes) being too slow and arranging the music an octave or two lower for the vocalists (Phil
Collins), as well as guitarists being more true to the original recording (slower and controlled,
particularly during solos), but Al is at the top of his game. The baby of the band at 53, he can
shred the electric fretboard or make love to the acoustic. Keyboardist and leader Chick Corea,
though, is the lord of the castle. Acoustic piano playing like a waterfall, synthesizers that layer,
color and bleep, the man creates a musical environment for the other players that is both open
and controlled, the goal of the movement that still lives and thrives through these four men: jazz
rock fusion.
There is hope for music and may the youngies that attended the show be willing and able to bring
it to a NEW level in the future.
What's Not New- June 11, 2008
With the cancellation of the Yes tour (due to lead singer Jon Anderson having suffered
respiratory failure) and the other health/death issues I have written about in the last few
months, everyday brings more evidence of my (and other late boomers) mortality. It's sad, yet
uplifting in a certain way to experience the passage of time through the demise of our heroes.
As the old rock warriors retire and die, I wish there was more NEW music by younger folks, who
didn't insist on simply copying their influences and not adding something fresh to it, in order to
create something NEW. Much of the music of the sixties and seventies was NEW and never done
before- even if they, at their own admission- mixed up the styles they were listening to: The
Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Yes, Roxy Music and so
many more that were so original, so individual, so non-corporate, and so very missing in today's
culture. So what if we dressed funny. That was new too. No one had dressed liked that and no
mainstream citizen had sported long hair for several centuries. Again, completely original. I
love that today's
guys have long hair. I have none, but loved it when I did. But it's a style, not a revolution. I
love that they start bands, but why do they all sound like Nirvana...still? Wake up, it's not 1991
anymore. We need more Bjorks and less Nickleback's.
New ideas and energy in rock music is required and it doesn't have to be progressive, just good.
I love that there are lot's of
women in pop music these days. I like Duffy, but isn't she a blond, non-alcoholic Amy
Winehouse? I like the group, Of
Montreal, because they sound like the Spiders from Mars. Not original. Musically, Radiohead is
close, but the whiny singing
ruins it for me. Sorry. Muse? Again, the singing. And if the Mars Volta could learn to write
actual melodies, they might
have something. I got the "Crossroads" DVD of guitar heroes led by Eric Clapton. The idea that
John Mayer was included was telling. He is a pop singer and matinée idol who pretends to be a
bluesman. Moderate talent, star billing. Derek Trucks,
the son of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks is a reincarnation of Duane Allman and
plays slide like no one I've
seen since. Original, no, but name a young slide player (besides the late Jeff Healey) who's
better. I'm sure there are
incredible musicians out there (just watch YouTube,) who have the talent to emulate their
heroes, now just create something fresh. Go back to the basics. Bo Diddley just died. He
created a percussive approach to guitar playing. He wasn't the most talented, or the fastest, but
what he created had never been done before.
Jazz remains the only bastion of good original music, since it involves improvisation, despite the
fact that jazz music itself hasn't progressed since John Coltrane circa 1967, and was way too
noncommercial to survive. Bill Bruford's Earthworks, while popular amongst aficionados, are
probably at the cutting edge of 21st century jazz and can't even get played on U.S. jazz radio!
Why? Because they're British! Everyone knows that only American's can play jazz. Right?
Bullshit.
In many ways, things are so much better for music fans, except for the music itself and the
insane ticket prices for concerts. You can buy trax for less than a buck and never leave your
bedroom. No need for the filler, just download the good ones! Concert ticket prices (like
everything else) are through the roof, but if you can't go, wait six months and the DVD with
better sound will be available. Today, a new band does not have to sell it's soul to the record
company. Just create your own video, put it on YouTube and if you get the smallest of breaks
(see OK GO) and good choreography, you're all set!
As the Byrd's once sang in "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N Roll Star" (McGuinn/Hillman)
So you want to be a rock 'n roll star
then listen now to what I say
Just get an electric guitar
and take some time and learn how to play
And when your hair's combed right and your pants fit tight
it's gonna be all right
Some things are forever, but drive and creativity need to move forward, or forgive me, progress
every now and then. Now is the time.
Yes says no tour as singer stricken
More health problems for our heroes:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British progressive-rock band Yes said on Wednesday it canceled its
upcoming 40th anniversary tour of North America because singer Jon Anderson has been
diagnosed with acute respiratory failure.
Anderson, 63, was hospitalized last month after a severe asthma attack, and doctors have told
him that he will jeopardize his health unless he rests for at least six months, according to a
statement. "I'd like everyone know how deeply disappointed I am by this turn of events,"
Anderson said. "I was looking forward to celebrating our music with the amazing family of Yes
fans once again; but as we all know, health must come before anything else."
The tour, the band's first trek through North America since 2004, was scheduled to begin on July
12 in Quebec City, and run through August 22 in Los Angeles. Anderson, the band's main lyricist,
and bass player Chris Squire are the only original members of the group, which has undergone
numerous personnel shifts since it launched to immediate critical acclaim in 1968. Its hit songs
included "Roundabout," "I've Seen All Good People" and the 1983 U.S. chart-topper "Owner of a
Lonely Heart."
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Rush- Nokia Theatre, Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I'm the first to admit that I came to appreciate Rush later than some. By the time I purchased
Permanent Waves in 1980, I
was a impressed and definitely a fan, and while a rabid concert-goer, I never bothered to see
them until 2002. No excuse, no reason. True, I had purchased the live albums and videos/DVDs
and were quite acquainted with them, but seeing them for the second time last Tuesday inspired
me to write this review/commentary.
Along with fellow 70s icons Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Rush is an inter- generational band. I
don't mean dads in their 40s and 50s dragging their kids along to see Boston or Journey, There
were Rush fanatics in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and I'm sure 60s as well. And women!
Women of all ages screaming at Geddy! Amazing. Generally, this kind of music is what my
friend Lee coined "men's rock", and women are there as "dates" or as "girlfriends" to make up
for the fact that you went to see Sting or John Mayer with them (and that was OK, it could have
been much worse). Drummer Neil Peart's intelligent and philosophical lyrics, while not unlike
Floyd (minus the bitterness), mesh easily with music that is equal parts heavy metal thunder and
melodic progressive.
The stage show is and has been categorized as legendary. All manner of light configurations,
lasers and five video screens featuring an array of animated films and quite innovative camera
angles of the band in all their glory. Too loud, though, or should I say too shrill. Alex Lifeson is a
wonderful guitar player, but he doesn't have the subtlety or grace of say, a Steve Howe (even in
various Rush acoustic moments) and the fact that the tone he uses is more metal than
progressive, I believe hampers the concert experience more than it should considering the
technological tricks that are available in concerts (like adding more bottom to the mix!)
Rush totally rock. Much more than Yes, Genesis and yes, more than King Crimson (who also
share inter-generational audiences, though in much fewer numbers). Neil Peart is one of our
greatest and most imaginative drummers and these guys have got the groove down. That hasn't
changed over the decades, even though Rush are in their mid-50s. Rush also has never stopped
making records, and their Snakes & Arrows album, like all their albums, contain some great
tunes and some filler. They also insist on playing more than a couple of new songs on each tour
and after almost thirty years of playing "Limelight" (which, by the way, was the opener and it
was bitchen!) they need the challenge and you have to hand it to them. They didn't do "Entre
Nous" from Permanent Waves this time out, so that was a bit of a disappointment, but
"Subdivisons" from Signals, "2112" (which made up for no "La Villa Strangiato") and "Mission"
from Hold Your Fire were the highlights for me. Peart's drum solo (on two kits, one acoustic,
one digital) was a revelation. Creating tunes on synth pads to improvise from and mixed in with
jazz bits featuring film collages with heroes Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Peart creates and
maintains the most entertaining "drum solo" in the business. DO NOT GO TO THE RESTROOM
DURING HIS SOLO! Hold it in, it's worth it.
Geddy Lee, whose birth name is Gary (his East European grandmother pronounced it Geddy) is
virtually ageless, alternating between brilliant bass playing, keyboard flourishes and running
around the stage like an emo-rocker. His voice is a bit lower, but he can pretty much hit the high
notes of his youth and was a joy to behold. Humor has always been a part of the band's
mystique and this sets them apart from the average serious progressive rock band with the
exception of
early and later Genesis. From the brilliant South Park bit featuring the boys as "Lil Rush" to the
many Three Stooges references to staged triple washing machines of the Vapor Trails tour and
the chicken rotisserie "amps" of Snakes & Arrows, Rush refuses to take itself too seriously and
maybe that, and the ageless music that makes it so attractive to fans of all ages.
Monday, April 28, 2008 @ 1:30PM
Random Notes (with apologises to Rolling Stone)
I had to dig to find this one. Phil Collins is "retiring"! I cannot believe how the British press
treats him! I never realized the venom. We in the US get our share of celebrity garbage, but the
UK, which is so much smaller and more music-oriented than us (probably because of the
Beatles), trash their pop-stars as we trash our movie stars. Phil has been (no pun intended!) a
megastar and when we interviewed him in '79, he was a scruffy drummer/singer in a
progressive cult band. We never realized that in a couple of years, his touch for writing
disposable pop songs would propel both he and Genesis in the rarefied (for a prog band) strata
of mainstream rock and pop stardom. It managed to removed me as a fan and when the Genesis
"reunion" tour took place last year, one view (and listen) on the "VH1 Honors", I knew that you
couldn't go home again. Whatever chance a reunion of the Lamb Lies Down line-up had is now
unlikely. I wish Phil had stuck to the drumming. His style was so innovative, especially with
Brand X, where he could really rock out. I'd place him in my top five drummers, along with Furio
Chirico (from Arti + Mestieri), Neal Peart (Rush), Rod Morgenstein (from Dixie Dregs) and Bill
Bruford. Then he opened his mouth and the drumming took a back seat. My other old fave, Yes,
has at least kept up appearances over the years, discarding their attempts at pop (Yes had one,
albiet huge hit single and album, while Genesis had several huge albums and sold many more
albums) and concentrated on the symphonic "standards" in concert.
Speaking of Yes, the re-designed Yesworld site has emerged and looks great! The new Asia
album, Phoenix, has made it to the top 100 of the Billboard charts. To read the comments and
reviews, one plain truth has been revealed. True Asia fans are those who were kids in the early
eighties and found the trite romantic notions John Wetton sang about fit their emerging
adulthood and the back-to-simplicity edict that Ronald Reagan came to exemplify. True Asia fans
are not progressive rock fans and therefore the band (smartly) stuck to it's original formula. I
hate to say this, but I think the first album, was better, mostly because there was (at least)
some uptempo songs. Certainly not prog, but quicker and catchier, like "Cutting it Fine". I saw
them live in '06 and they were pretty good, so I had my hopes that they may go a bit more
"proggy" on this album, but alas, no such luck. But as I said, Asia albums are not made for me.
And never were.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 @2:30PM
1974- The year of transition.
It's sad to say that until last week, I hadn't watched any of the old shows on YouTube in their
entirety So I watched the two favorites, Fripp and Wetton, and I started thinking about the last
King Crimson album of the 70s, the seminal Red album. It was released in 1974 and I pondered
the many end-time events in the world of progressive rock that signaled the musical change from
the complex to the simple: progressive rock into punk rock. And in rock radio the progressive to
the placid. The Red album was the first of three albums of original material by progrock leaders
released within weeks of each other in October/November, 1974. Red was the most metal,
heaviest and shrill of the three Crimson albums with Bruford and Wetton. While Red could have
been produced more "warmly" as Lark's Tongues in Aspic was, or as FM rock sounding Starless
and Bible Black, the stark nature of the production seemed intentional. "Red", the song, fused
the metal fusion of "21st Century Schizoid Man", while "Starless"starts out with the delicate
tunefulness of "Moonchild" and melts into a Bolero-like buildup that is a staple of the bands
repertoire to this day. John Wetton tells the story about why a song called "Starless" was not on
the album Starless and Bible Black on the '79 Boffomundo Show interview.
Red was followed by the last truly progressive Yes album, Relayer. This 3-track album was, to
many (including myself) the hardest album of the band's to digest. I am one who felt that Tales
was melodic and beautiful and is the pinnacle of progressive rock and reject all criticism. So
there! At first Relayer seems cold and unmelodic with "Sound Chaser" and "The Gates of
Delirium" featuring fusion jazz-like jams and extended solo electric guitar freakouts. But the
tranquil "To Be Over" and the other worldly "Soon, Oh Soon" coda to The Gates are among the
band's most beautiful. Compare the album covers and that will tell you. I would come to love it,
but it took some time, as did The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, by Genesis. This was the last
featuring Peter Gabriel, and while the music was masterful, the lyrics took some getting used to
(very un-prog-like) and the song nature of this double album made it initially harder to swallow,
following the smooth and professional sounding, Selling England by the Pound.
Meanwhile, in the world of Art Rock, 1974 saw Brian Eno leave Roxy Music, and with that, Bryan
Ferry began to fashion the band in a more direct, less kitschy way with the successful Country
Life. David Bowie released Diamond Dogs, his most decadent album to date and jumped on the
disco bandwagon in 1975 with Young Americans. Symbolically, 1974 will be remembered as
the year the Beatles REALLY broke up, with the dissolution of the Beatles, Inc., allowing them to
be finally legally separated from each other,
Music changed post-1974, and in the coming two years the album sales success of Peter
Frampton, Boston, Fleetwood Mac and others set the stage for more commercial and easier to
digest "product" in rock radio. Regardless of it's artistic freedom and progress, music was a
business and business was good and going to get better. Until 1979. More on 1979 later.
And with that, the experimentation in music that struck a chord with a generation and radio
programmers would be replaced by the plain, the predictable, the punky and the placid. God
save 1974.
Monday, March 17, 2008, 8:44AM
Rick Wakeman and YES
A statement from Rick's website:
"Throughout much of last year, e-mails and phone calls were held between Jon, Chris, Steve,
Alan and myself as to where we all felt the future for YES lay, and of course, there were
conflicting views in many areas! (Nothing new there, but very healthy of course). My major
concern was that of over-touring, which I felt YES had done since 2002 with far too many
shows, especially in America which for me diminished the "specialness" of the band. I also was
concerned for the health of the band, both as a whole and as individuals. It's a matter of public
record for instance, that Jon in particular really suffered during the last weeks of the previous
YES tour which was extremely worrying for us all.
Over the years, I have had my fair share of "narrow escapes" when it comes to health and I felt
that I simply could not do months and months of touring each year anymore and I expressed this
to the other guys from the outset. I'm absolutely fine at the moment, but want to stay that way,
so I suggested to the new management that we perhaps limited the shows we would do and
make each show something special, but this was rejected with the management feeling that
lengthy touring was the answer for the band.
It was therefore with an extremely heavy heart that I had to say to the guys that I could not be
part of a massive long term touring schedule as I did not feel it right for the band musically and
also for the band member's health. We are a democratic band and I accept that I was a sole
voice in this thinking.
Chris and I met up a few times and spoke about who I felt would be able to do a good job in the
keyboard department and I put forward just two names, my two eldest sons Adam and Oliver.
Adam, to be truthful, was not really a "contender" because he is fully committed to Ozzy and is
touring constantly. Oliver has worked with Steve of course on various recordings and so there
was already a rapport there. I was therefore very happy when Oliver told me that Steve had
called him.
I am sad of course not to be walking on stage with the guys on the upcoming tour, but like each
member of YES, I have developed a deep inner spiritual feeling that takes over your whole life,
and sadly witnessing too many friends around my age, (both musicians and people connected
with the business), either departing this world or having serious illness, has played an enormous
part in the very difficult decision I had to make.
I truly hope that this is not the end of the Classic Line-Up and that something very special may
happen in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I wish the guys, good health, great music
and much happiness."
Rick Wakeman - 14th March
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 2:40PM
The Yes Dilemma
I first got into Yes in January, 1972 when I bought the Fragile album. I had never heard
anything like it. I already was blown away by the first album by ELP and swooned over In the
Court of the Crimson King, earlier, in 1969, but something about the bass/drum interplay, the
space age keyboards, the unblues-like frantic guitar stylings and the guy (?) with the alto voice
that was completely unique and I fell in love. It was amazing then and still manages to blow my
mind on a regular basis. I saw them in '73, '74, '75, twice in '76, '77, second row for the "In the
Round" shows in '78 and '79. The 1978 show is the best concert I have ever seen in the 300
plus I have attended. Are Yes still alive? No word from them collectively since '04. Has it really
been over since 1979, when Anderson and Wakeman both left the band? Today, I read a posting
from a Yes blogger in the UK here. It announces that Oliver Wakeman, Rick's eldest son's, will
tour in his place! Rick has had health concerns for many years and didn't want to undertake a
world tour. No Wakeman again? Let's try and get this straight: he joined Yes for the first time in
1971, left in 1974; rejoined in 1976, left in 1979; again in 1996 and left again in '97; and again
in 2002 and now for the final time. Why bother? Well, this is Yes' 40th anniversary, but these
guys are approaching 60 and Jon Anderson is headed for 64. So what! Look at the Stones and
the Who. They are older and play much less complex music and they are certainly not as "fast"
as once upon a time, or as vocally sonic. I saw Yes with Wakeman in '02, '03 and '04. They
were good, very good, but not great. Why just very good? Age and stamina, I'm afraid.
It all started back in September, 1989, when I saw Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe at
the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the chance for Jon Anderson to resurrect the
personnel from Fragile and Close to the Edge (without Squire, however) and begin anew after
the 90125 years. My observation? Live, the band played considerably slower and more in line
with the original arrangements on the albums. How was the playing? Steve played much slower
but with more control and precision, Jon's voice was a tad lower, but still glorious, Bill was more
a rock drummer this time around (with his electronic kit) and Rick's chops were the most
impressive of the bunch. The performance was a kinder, gentler Yes. Their music has always
been complex and superior musicianship is required to get the job done, slower paced or frantic,
it was quite enjoyable, but tame. Sadly, the ABWH material, for the most part, was mediocre.
The 1991 Union tour was fun but the patching together of ABWH and "Yes West" albums into
one was a disaster.
The "Keys to Ascension" set contained live examples of the tamer approach, plus what I contend
is the best piece of music they have produced since "Awaken", the 19 minute opus, "That, That
is". Prototypical Yes music and arrangement augmented by some of Anderson's worst lyrics
(something about crack babies in heaven.) There was some hope, I thought. After Wakeman
left the band for the third time (for Jesus, as some contend), I continued to see Yes in the later
90's (after Anderson regrouped with Howe following the mediocre Talk album with Trevor
Rabin) with Russian import, Igor Khoroshev on keyboards and "Key's" producer, Billy Sherwood
on second guitar and vocals. The shows were similarly tame, but with some added freshness
with the new members, and the newer material, while lambasted by critics, contained several
cuts in the Billy Sherwood/Chris Squire written Open Your Eyes album that were very Yes-like
and leagues above any of the 90125/Big Generator stuff. During that tour they played "The
Revealing Science of God" and THAT in itself made it special.
Will I go see them again, maybe for the final time? It's a must! It's a commandment. Why? It's
the brilliant music. It's Yes, one of my personal Trinity (along with the Beatles and Cream)
Oliver Wakeman is as authentic as Jason Bonham is to Led Zeppelin, and will undoubtedly bring
new perspective to the old songs. Yes is still the most original sounding group I have ever
heard. Who knows? They may open with "Future Times/Rejoice", which they haven't played in
30 years. Or dig up "The Remembering" from the depths of the topographic ocean. The comfort
and excitement of hearing the finale from the "Firebird Suite" as the band comes on stage still
brings the goose bumps and that is something I cannot miss. My point? Parents, bring your
children and children, drag your parents. It may not be 1978 anymore, but seeing Yes perform
this complex, beautiful music for maybe the final time (or for the first time, for you youngies) is
essential, even for cynics like me who saw them at their peak. Remember, it's the music that
counts, not the age of the messengers.
Statement issued by Greg Lake
Dear friends and fans all over the world.
Many of you may have seen recently that Keith and I were forced to cancel our tour of Japan due
to a serious medical problem discovered during a routine medical by Keith just after the High
Voltage Festival here in London. As a result of this Keith is currently in hospital recovering from
a series of operations which we are all hoping will bring him back to good health.
However, the type of surgery that Keith has undergone is major and it will take some
considerable time for him to fully recover. For this reason we have decided that it would be best
if we also cancel the European leg of the tour as well. Of course we do hope to reschedule both
the Japanese and the European legs of the tour at some point in the future, but we will only be
able to make this announcement a little further down the line once we see how quickly things are
progressing along.
During this past week Stewart, myself and all the members of Keith's family have been
supporting him wherever and however we can and I have to say that Keith has been extremely
brave. He was in intensive care for a number of days but I am pleased to hear that he is
apparently now back in his own room and starting to feel a little bit better. This of course is
really good news and I hope to be able to visit him tomorrow for the first time since the
operation.
I suppose that it goes without saying that both of us were terribly disappointed about not being
able to continue on with these tours right now as we were both really looking forward to seeing
everyone in Japan and throughout Europe, but this was an extremely serious situation which
could not be ignored or postponed so I hope everyone will understand that we would not have
taken such a decision unless it was absolutely necessary.
I am sure you would all want to wish Keith well and I will certainly do my best to pass on to him
any best wishes that you would like to convey by posting them on this website.If anyone would
like more detail about Keith's current state of recovery, etc. then please log on to his website at
www.keithemerson.com.
Thank you for your patience and understanding and I look forward to seeing you all in the not too
distant future. Greg Lake.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
It’s great to hear that Camel guitarist and founder, Andy Latimer, is up and about after some
major health issues. In October, Camel Productions will be releasing The Opening Farewell:
Live at the Catalyst, a DVD of Camel’s last tour in 2003. Latimer is also working on a follow-up
to 2002’s A Nod and a Wink, with no release date yet scheduled.
John Lennon's solo album catalog is being renovated for what would have been his 70th birthday
on October 9th. The reissue campaign is called Gimme Some Truth, after the blistering political
shakedown from 1971's Imagine album. Among the highlights is a "stripped down" version of
the Lennon/Ono 1980 Double Fantasy album and a proper remastering of 1972's Live In New
York City, featuring the legendary "missing" jams with Frank Zappa, now in a 2CD set. A bust of
Mr. Zappa has been donated from Lithuania to his home town of Baltimore, Maryland.
Eddie Jobson's (Roxy Music, U.K.) UKZ project releases their first live album in October. It
features the first ever
reunion with original U.K. Vocalist John Wetton, plus King Crimson's bassman Tony Levin and
legendary drummer, Simon Phillips. This would be the first time live, full band renditions of U.K.
Classics have been performed on stage since 1979. I can't wait for this one.
ELP founder Keith Emerson had to reschedule his Emerson/Lake duo tour, due to a medical
condition that he is currently recovering from. All October dates will be made up in
November/December. Feel better Emo!
California Guitar Trio releases Andromeda on October 12th and it is the first CGT record to
feature all original compositions and improvisations. They are best known for their instrumental
version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Psychedelic warlords, Ozric Tentacles will tour the U.K, Belgium, Netherlands and Israel in
October; Prominent guitar heroes rule the land in October/November with Jeff Beck visiting
Europe, Israel and South America; The East Coast gets Pat Metheny and his Orchestrion MIDI
system; Dixie Dreg founder, Steve Morse and his band, (Dave LaRue and Van Romaine) invade
NYC October 1-3 and finally Steve Hackett Electric Band tours the U.K. in November.
I am seeing the Australian Pink Floyd for the first time on 10/2, so look out for my review.
Later...Monday, April 26, 2010
Keith Emerson and Greg Lake At The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles 04/25/2010
In 1970 I bought the first Emerson, Lake & Palmer album and coupled with the previous years,
In The Court of The Crimson King, were the blueprints of the progressive rock movement that
had been instigated by the Beatles, orchestrated by the Moody Blues, powered by the virtuoso
power trio Cream, classicalized by the Nice and jazzed up by Traffic and Jethro Tull. After a
disastrous final 1978 album, Love Beach, ELP dissolved, briefly appeared in the 80s as Emerson,
Lake and (Cozy) Powell only to resurrect (with Carl Palmer) in the 1990's and now Emerson
and Lake are touring as a duo much in the spirit of the later-day "VH1 Storytellers" show.
I expected a truly acoustic show, but upon entering the beautifully renovated 2000 seat 1920s
movie house, the staging suggested a recording studio, with Emerson's electronic (with an
original Moog synthesizer) keyboards set up stage right and an Indian carpet, stool and monitors
for Lake on stage left. The rapturous applause as they came on stage was followed by a newly
arranged "From the Beginning" from 1972's Trilogy. The first real treat was a beautiful version
of "I Talk To The Wind" from the first Crimson album followed by a merging of "Take a Pebble"
and "Tarkus". Synthesizers and samplers are always being improved, but nothing has the
warmth of a grand piano, so Emerson's sampled piano sound was tinny at times, but the merge
was wonderful and the sound of the mighty Moog was awesome. Throughout the two sets, a
digital beat
accompanied certain faves of mine ("The Barbarian" and "Bitches Crystal") and Carl Palmer's
drumming was certainly missed, but the pieces were given new life, were beautifully played by
Emerson (albeit slower than his glory days) and Lake's voice sounded closer to his glory days as
opposed to the not so occasional vocal rasp of the 90s reunion.
The audience was made up of hard core progressives and when the duo opened up the floor to
questions, they were delivered eloquently and showed that this audience not only knew their
heroes collective musical catalog, but went out of their way to acknowledge ELP's significance in
their lives. The obvious question was asked first; what was the real story of Jimi Hendrix
forming a band with Emerson and Lake? The legend said that they (along with Palmer) would
call the band HELP and only Hendrix's death stopped the union. Mr. Lake said that he and Keith
were considering former Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell and Hendrix was also interested.
When the decision was made to go with ex-Atomic Rooster/Crazy World of Arthur Brown
drummer Palmer, the Mitchell/Hendrix idea fizzled away.
E&L ended their set with "Pirates" from 1977's Works, Vol. 1. While never a favorite of mine,
the new version increased my appreciation. As another reviewer recently remarked, it's tough
to rate a concert when you have expectations, especially about the set list. The best show I ever
saw was Yes In The Round 1978 and it was rated so high because of seat location and overall
performance and not because of their song choices. While I had hoped to hear "The Endless
Enigma" "Trilogy" or "Pictures At An Exhibition", E&L obviously enjoyed playing in the unusual
venue and their outstanding performance seemed as enjoyable for the musicians as it did for the
loyal and loving audience.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Comments We Receive
We have 40 video clips from our 1979-92 cable music shows loaded on YouTube for over two
years now and have almost 377,000 hits. The most popular interview is Robert Fripp, founder of
King Crimson, who most likely (up to that 1979 appearance) had never had a sit-down interview
on television at that time. This was our third show and the first with such a legendary figure.
We were novices at interviewing and it showed, particularly with such a intimidating little man,
who was pretty much responsible (along with Ian McDonald) for creating of 70s progressive
rock. He was rebelling against it at the time, both in his choice of "New Wave" clothing, artful
haircut and philosophical obsession with the world ending from a great flood in 1981. He had
little desire to discuss his past and turned in a masterful monologue of his beliefs and
motivations.
The comments we received run the gambit from making fun of how Aaron and I looked (like
"That 70s Show") to how inept we were, or how Fripp was this and that and Wetton is bitter and
Belew seems like such a nice guy! The entertaining part, of course, is the infighting between
commenter's who both insult and demean each others opinion. The saddest comments seem to
come from malcontents who just like to be nasty and confrontational, thinking that they are
"anonymous". If you read comments from any reader on any site that encourages such
participation know what I mean. Thankfully, the positive compliments we get far outweigh the
negative.
Among the best comments:
FRIPP Interview-: I like the way that the questions are actually meaningful and that Robert
Fripp actually contemplates them and then answers very appropriately. It's a big difference
from the interviews of today where it's like "So how does it feel to have a number one
album?" "oh it's great you know the fans have been a great support etc.
This is a brilliant interview and to anyone who has grasped the genius and wisdom of Fripp
beginning in the 70's........this interview is neither complicated nor irrelevant to the question
posed.
Listening to Robert Fripp's guitar will make your babies smarter.
The smartest thing you did was to let him talk without interjecting. Today's TV talking heads
could learn from you.
WETTON Interview-: rp, this is fantastic stuff. JW is a great, intelligent interviewee, an
obviously very bright guy, and it's a pleasure to have a show hosted by two interviewers who
actually LISTEN to their guest. Excellent.
Thanks to RPCURTISS! Better info in this series than 10 books on "progressive" music
combined. The inner workings of several important bands and the keys to understanding
where it went from there.
That was incredible!! Thanks. I watched the whole thing and it was superb. You should
unearth this show again!
Thank you very much! great questions and you let him fully answer each question. how
many bands like u.k. are around now? not nearly enough, methinks... well done!
Thank you so much for these interviews. I've been gathering info of King Crimson for years,
but didn't know that this even existed. Informed interviewers who established a "rapport"-->
honest interviewees = excellent interviews.
Thanks so much Ron and Aaron for posting this, you two are as interesting to listen to as
Wetton is...I hope that you are both still active in the entertainment industry, intelligent music
consumers recognize quality !!!
DI MEOLA Interview: Too many interviewers ask stupid and meaningless questions and are
only there to try and satisfy their own glorification. This session is great and Di Meola seems to
be enjoying the line of questioning.
Too bad you didn't have this show in Cincy in the late 70s when I was a teen. I would've been
hooked on this show. You did a nice job, considering the time and limitations of equipment, etc.
CARLTON Interview: These guys are the BEST interviewers I've ever seen, and have left us
with some absolutely priceless interviews with great artists. They're intelligent and just funny
enough to have the perfect blend.
The most critical comments were often the nastiest or were written by folks having no clue about
the music or that public access TV was primitive I honestly couldn't find any reasoned criticisms
that weren't just insults to Aaron and I personally or arguments between commenter's who
hated Asia and Wetton's commercial approach or thought Fripp was a blowhard or bald
comments about Phil Collins and Al Di Meola. It is heartening that 90% of the posts were
positive and from true fans that were as in awe of these progrock heroes as we were.
The most frequently asked question of all was what the theme music of The Boffomundo Show
was. The answer is Italy's Arti e Mestieri, from the album Giro di Valzer per Domani released in
1975. The bottom line to all this is that we have the opportunity to show these gems 30 years
later. It is music history and an invaluable study of the end of the progressive rock era
commented on by the brilliant musicians who embraced and nurtured it.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Genesis Inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame:
I am really on the fence on this one. As guitarist/bass player Michael Rutherford remarked
about "guitar-based American bands" having the edge in voting, he mentioned
"progressive-type" bands finally getting their due. I beg to differ. Would Genesis have been
inducted if they hadn't sold a ton of records that were so very commercial compared to their 70s
extended, virtuoso-based records? I think not. The list of omissions is frightening: King
Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and everyone's favorite slight, Rush. Are not
these bands less "rock" than either James Taylor, Michael Jackson, Madonna or Run DMC, who
have all been inducted? How can the Hall claim any credibility at all when they have honored so
many non-rock acts? Strangely, Miles Davis is there. Miles was a jazz artist and an idol of mine,
who created jazz-rock fusion, which is a cousin of progressive rock. What's up with that?
Maybe it's because he died. Jeff Beck, who, despite participation in the Yardbird's, was
recognized for his fusion-based instrumental albums of the 70s. Perhaps the connection with
Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page? Also, Pink Floyd, perhaps more "art-rock" than progressive with
it's HUGE record sales has been lauded, not too mention Frank Zappa, who was as un-
commercial as you could get. Maybe he got in because he died. Inconsistent crazy rules and
voting. With these few exceptions, the HOF is like the Grammy's, where record sales are the
root of their evil. If the artist sells and their music is popular and not "controversial" they get
recognized. Yes, ELP and Tull sold millions in the 70s and 80s and were once considered the
"mainstream". Wasn't rap once considered too out of the mainstream to be considered worthy,
let alone "rock" in any way? What Madonna music actually qualifies her induction? Can anyone
tell me? If the music actually expanded the boundaries of rock and is still "rocks", as prog does,
why the continuous slights? Perhaps the induction of Genesis will open the eyes of voters, who
have for too long had their head up their collective asses. I'm just sayin'...
Tuesday, March 03, 2010
Some random concert notes from this and last year:
I saw Al Di Meola last Friday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA. I was expecting
great things, as the 2008 Return to Forever show is in my permanent top five concerts list of all
time (I've seen 400 shows in over 40 years). I mistakenly assumed that this was to be all-
electric show, but it was primarily acoustic, with three electric numbers. Al's playing was
exemplary. Never better. Perhaps the finest guitarist on the planet. However, he delved into
World Music twenty years ago and IMHO, he lost his way. He adopted a one of the styles that
rival Pat Metheny indulges in and spent the two decades in that style with mixed results. No
sooner did I see the presence of an accordion player than I knew we were in trouble. Suffice it
to say, I am not fan of the sound of the accordion. Oh well. A few select solos and we'll be done
with it. Not for this performance. 98% of ALL the numbers featured duets between he and the
accordion player, who crooned with many of the tunes in an absolutely identical style to past and
present members of Metheny's group and was almost blatant. The other issues I had were the
saminess of these Latin tinged tunes, the distracting video films of Whirling Dervishes and Tango
dancers, not to mention the video shots of the band were at least a second delayed. The best
tune was from the 1977 "Elegant Gypsy" album, where Al's mighty electric drowned out any
participation from his accordion pal. The poorly miked backing band was a disappointment as
well. As amazingly Godhead as the RTF show was, this is the most flawed show I have seen in
many years. A shame.
With limited expectations I attended the Yes/Asia concert at Gibson (Universal) Amphitheatre
on 07/07/09. The interesting part was that guitarist Steve Howe, who is a member of both
bands, played both sets and he performed admirably, but certainly (since ABWH in 1989) in a
more subdued and methodical way. The recent history of Yes defections and illness is laid out in
past blog entries. Jon Anderson's replacement Benoit David (from a Canadian Yes tribute band)
not only sounds like Jon, but resembles him at age 30. Former keyboard play Rick Wakeman
recently remarked that Yes is not a "gigging" band and he fears that that's what they have
become. He isn't far from the truth. While it's always lovely to hear respectable renditions of
my favorite music played by my aging heroes, the show had the feel of a nostalgia show, so far
removed from the near-religious experience of Yes 1972-78 that it was a bit sad. They played
well enough, but tempered and unremarkable. Hearing "Machine Messiah" after 30 years was a
treat, but is difficult to play and wasn't always together. Benoit did a good job, but is obviously
not Jon Anderson, who is of course in poor health and estranged from his former mates.
Wakeman's son Oliver, played as the hired hand he is and has nowhere the talent or dexterity of
his father at that age. The Asia set was also not on par with it's 2006 reunion tour. Since that
time, both singer John Wetton and drummer Carl Palmer had heart issues, and it showed in the
low energy the band projected. It was a must to see this show given the setlist and new
members. I've always said that Yes should have retired after the 2004 40th anniversary tour.
This show hasn't changed my opinion.
Next up is Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, who perform an acoustic duet show in LA in April.
Keith was sidelined for a year or more with a nerve injury in his hand, not unlike old friend Phil
Collins, who essentially cannot play drums anymore. As the Stones once sang, "what a drag it is
to be old."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Whilst this blog had been inactive for most of the year, I want to take this timely opportunity to
thank all those who purchased product from Boffomundo Music and (hopefully) enjoyed our
collection of progrock videos over the last year Also, a HUGE thanks to friends and family, who,
as usual, have been loving and supportive in a sometimes difficult year.
Hail 2010, the beginning of the 2nd decade of the 21st century!
2 Deaths in the Boffomundo Family- Thursday, March 5, 2009
I woke up this morning to find an email from a fan who thanked me for posting videos of Fumio
Miyashta and wrote that "he was my uncle." Sadly, the leader of Japan's "answer to Pink
Floyd", the Far East Family Band passed away in 2003 of lung cancer. Fumio became part of the
Boffomundo family through our guru, Tony Harrington, (who also passed away in 2001 of
prostate cancer). Tony was A&R man for Atlantic Records in the 70s and had an import/export
business that dealt with Japan extensively.
When Aaron and I met Tony Harrington in 1979, he was owner and operator of All Ears Records,
a small record label that pressed US versions of Japanese prog LPs and was creator of the
"Manifestival of Progressive Music", the template for the various prog festivals around the
world. Tony thought the idea of a TV show that interviewed progressive rock musicians was a
good one and had many friends who appeared on the show. Tony also lent his "All Ears" name to
the Boffomundo Show and we had a wonderful year interviewing many of our heroes, all of
which are now seen on YouTube.
The Far East Family Band played the Troubadour in 1979 and Tony asked us if wanted multi-
instrumentalist and leader, Fumio Miyashta to perform live on our show. "Live?" we asked?
Public Access cable was in it's infancy and we produced our show in a room no bigger than a 2nd
bedroom in a small apartment. Fumio came to the studio on October 30, 1979 with a dozen or
more instruments! Our three chairs, All Ears Boffomundo poster and coffee table set would
never suffice! We had him set up the many keyboards and gongs in a way that he could play
comfortably and simply routed all the sound through one bookshelf speaker, which we placed on
a chair with one microphone in front of it! All we had was mono and mono it was! We
miraculously managed to get a decent mix and away we went! Remember, we had one hour to
produce a half an hour show. No editing, no inserts, live as can be and whatever happened
happened. Like the 50s Milton Berle television shows!
With the latest "Yes" cancellation, Bill Bruford's retirement from public performances and the
deaths of two Boffomundo alumni, my previous postings about the sicknesses and deaths of
many of my heroes is amplified. As Dr. Ron said, eat yer veggies, take a walk and lose the
cigarettes!
February 19, 2009 - In the Present Tour Cancelled
The “In The Present Tour,” featuring Yes’ Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White, is
cancelling the remaining scheduled shows. Click here to read a note from Alan to the fans.
Chris underwent surgery on his leg on February 11, 2009. The operation was successful and
Chris is on his way to a full recovery. However, Chris has been advised by his physician that he
needs a one month rest period, hence the reason for the cancellation of the rest of the tour dates.
As previously stated, Chris and the rest of the band wishes to apologize for any inconvenience
that this might have caused to their fans and hopes to see them again soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happy New Year to all. I have been watching Barack Obama being inaugurated the 44th
president of the United States. It's a new world everyone, so hang on to your hats. A new
sheriff is in town and that town is bigger than ever. Good luck to us!
ALSO: Bill Bruford retires from public performance
Posted by Sid: Monday, 26th January,2009
After 41 years of moving the percussive pulse in music and raising people's pulses in general,
Bill Bruford has announced his retirement from public performance, effective from January 1st
2009.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STEVE HOWE, CHRIS SQUIRE AND ALAN WHITE OF GROUNDBREAKING ROCK GROUP YES
UNITE FOR “IN THE PRESENT” U.S. TOUR
Members will be joined by Oliver Wakeman on keyboards and vocalist Benoit David to perform
the group’s classic repertoire in live spectacular
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2008—Albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic
Oceans and 90125 and singles such as “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “I’ve Seen
All Good People” are just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most
influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Now, the classic YES line-up of guitarist
Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour
starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers’
amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist
Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES’ Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec,
native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the
Internet.
With a remarkable 40-year career that has time and again redefined the boundaries of rock, YES
was formed in 1968 by Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, who shared a mutual interest in vocal
harmonies and classical music. With drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist
Tony Kaye, they became YES, earning a residency at the famed London venue The Marquee Club,
where they played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, releasing their self-titled debut
album in July 1969.
Guitarist Steve Howe, who went on to play in the popular prog-rock groups Asia and GTR and
continues releasing acclaimed solo albums and touring, brought an experimental cutting edge to
YES for their 1970’s The Yes Album, their first number one album in the UK. Drummer Alan
White, who had been hand-picked to play on John Lennon’s Imagine and George Harrison’s All
Things Must Pass, came aboard in 1972. YES then went on to conquer America and played at
some of the largest paid attendance concerts of all time including the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia
in 1976 to a crowd of over 130,000 people.
YES postponed plans for a 40th anniversary Close to the Edge and Back tour in June, when
vocalist Jon Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute
respiratory failure. Commented Squire: "This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because
as we all know, that would be impossible. With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so
that we can go out and honor the music of YES for the fans who have waited for the past four
years to see us perform."
A dominant force in rock music for more than four decades, YES has created some of rock’s most
enduring and compelling hits, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. The group has
defined music history with their dynamic instrumental contrasts and abstract lyrics. Their
symphonic use of sound and innovative musical styles continues to make them the most
successful progressive rock band in history and their amazing career continues to defy many of
their rock counterparts.
Return To Forever- Gibson Amphitheater, Friday, June 13, 2008
Unbelievable. Immaculate. Inspirational. These words are not strong enough to describe the
RTF show I saw last Friday. I have attended almost 400 shows in my time and this rates near
the top. Beginning with a pictorial tribute to Miles Davis and Joe Zawinul, the architects of fusion
jazz, to the intro of the band by Kareem Abdul Jabbar to the two sets of sublime instrumental
music, this is one of the concert high points of my life. The choice of material, the execution, the
seats and the sound were virtually flawless. Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny
White may be the greatest touring group of instrumental musicians on the planet.
The band performed two sets that featured RTF classics, "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy", "Senor
Mouse", "No Mystery", and Romantic Warriors "Sorceress", the title track, "Duel Of The Jester
And The Tyrant" and "Medieval Overture". The interplay of the musicians, which in a jazz
context reminds me of a Bill Bruford quote, "Everyone hates 'jazz' but it's the only word to
describe a musician who wants to say something fresh and react to what others are doing
around him." was telepathic. The staging allowed the musicians to feed off each other, both in
electric (the first set) and acoustic (most of the second set).
If I had to criticize anything it would be the length of the solo's, particularly Lenny White's drum
clinic, which seemed more like a drum lesson than an orchestrated solo (think Neil Peart). No
one can play the bass (either electric or acoustic) with more authority than Stanley Clarke and
his solo was masterful and while a bit too long was the highlight of the solo sets. Guitarist Al Di
Meola is transcendent. In other blog entries, I've bitched about "older" musicians (particularly
in Yes) being too slow and arranging the music an octave or two lower for the vocalists (Phil
Collins), as well as guitarists being more true to the original recording (slower and controlled,
particularly during solos), but Al is at the top of his game. The baby of the band at 53, he can
shred the electric fretboard or make love to the acoustic. Keyboardist and leader Chick Corea,
though, is the lord of the castle. Acoustic piano playing like a waterfall, synthesizers that layer,
color and bleep, the man creates a musical environment for the other players that is both open
and controlled, the goal of the movement that still lives and thrives through these four men: jazz
rock fusion.
There is hope for music and may the youngies that attended the show be willing and able to bring
it to a NEW level in the future.
What's Not New- June 11, 2008
With the cancellation of the Yes tour (due to lead singer Jon Anderson having suffered
respiratory failure) and the other health/death issues I have written about in the last few
months, everyday brings more evidence of my (and other late boomers) mortality. It's sad, yet
uplifting in a certain way to experience the passage of time through the demise of our heroes.
As the old rock warriors retire and die, I wish there was more NEW music by younger folks, who
didn't insist on simply copying their influences and not adding something fresh to it, in order to
create something NEW. Much of the music of the sixties and seventies was NEW and never done
before- even if they, at their own admission- mixed up the styles they were listening to: The
Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Yes, Roxy Music and so
many more that were so original, so individual, so non-corporate, and so very missing in today's
culture. So what if we dressed funny. That was new too. No one had dressed liked that and no
mainstream citizen had sported long hair for several centuries. Again, completely original. I
love that today's
guys have long hair. I have none, but loved it when I did. But it's a style, not a revolution. I
love that they start bands, but why do they all sound like Nirvana...still? Wake up, it's not 1991
anymore. We need more Bjorks and less Nickleback's.
New ideas and energy in rock music is required and it doesn't have to be progressive, just good.
I love that there are lot's of
women in pop music these days. I like Duffy, but isn't she a blond, non-alcoholic Amy
Winehouse? I like the group, Of
Montreal, because they sound like the Spiders from Mars. Not original. Musically, Radiohead is
close, but the whiny singing
ruins it for me. Sorry. Muse? Again, the singing. And if the Mars Volta could learn to write
actual melodies, they might
have something. I got the "Crossroads" DVD of guitar heroes led by Eric Clapton. The idea that
John Mayer was included was telling. He is a pop singer and matinée idol who pretends to be a
bluesman. Moderate talent, star billing. Derek Trucks,
the son of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks is a reincarnation of Duane Allman and
plays slide like no one I've
seen since. Original, no, but name a young slide player (besides the late Jeff Healey) who's
better. I'm sure there are
incredible musicians out there (just watch YouTube,) who have the talent to emulate their
heroes, now just create something fresh. Go back to the basics. Bo Diddley just died. He
created a percussive approach to guitar playing. He wasn't the most talented, or the fastest, but
what he created had never been done before.
Jazz remains the only bastion of good original music, since it involves improvisation, despite the
fact that jazz music itself hasn't progressed since John Coltrane circa 1967, and was way too
noncommercial to survive. Bill Bruford's Earthworks, while popular amongst aficionados, are
probably at the cutting edge of 21st century jazz and can't even get played on U.S. jazz radio!
Why? Because they're British! Everyone knows that only American's can play jazz. Right?
Bullshit.
In many ways, things are so much better for music fans, except for the music itself and the
insane ticket prices for concerts. You can buy trax for less than a buck and never leave your
bedroom. No need for the filler, just download the good ones! Concert ticket prices (like
everything else) are through the roof, but if you can't go, wait six months and the DVD with
better sound will be available. Today, a new band does not have to sell it's soul to the record
company. Just create your own video, put it on YouTube and if you get the smallest of breaks
(see OK GO) and good choreography, you're all set!
As the Byrd's once sang in "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N Roll Star" (McGuinn/Hillman)
So you want to be a rock 'n roll star
then listen now to what I say
Just get an electric guitar
and take some time and learn how to play
And when your hair's combed right and your pants fit tight
it's gonna be all right
Some things are forever, but drive and creativity need to move forward, or forgive me, progress
every now and then. Now is the time.
Yes says no tour as singer stricken
More health problems for our heroes:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British progressive-rock band Yes said on Wednesday it canceled its
upcoming 40th anniversary tour of North America because singer Jon Anderson has been
diagnosed with acute respiratory failure.
Anderson, 63, was hospitalized last month after a severe asthma attack, and doctors have told
him that he will jeopardize his health unless he rests for at least six months, according to a
statement. "I'd like everyone know how deeply disappointed I am by this turn of events,"
Anderson said. "I was looking forward to celebrating our music with the amazing family of Yes
fans once again; but as we all know, health must come before anything else."
The tour, the band's first trek through North America since 2004, was scheduled to begin on July
12 in Quebec City, and run through August 22 in Los Angeles. Anderson, the band's main lyricist,
and bass player Chris Squire are the only original members of the group, which has undergone
numerous personnel shifts since it launched to immediate critical acclaim in 1968. Its hit songs
included "Roundabout," "I've Seen All Good People" and the 1983 U.S. chart-topper "Owner of a
Lonely Heart."
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Rush- Nokia Theatre, Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I'm the first to admit that I came to appreciate Rush later than some. By the time I purchased
Permanent Waves in 1980, I
was a impressed and definitely a fan, and while a rabid concert-goer, I never bothered to see
them until 2002. No excuse, no reason. True, I had purchased the live albums and videos/DVDs
and were quite acquainted with them, but seeing them for the second time last Tuesday inspired
me to write this review/commentary.
Along with fellow 70s icons Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Rush is an inter- generational band. I
don't mean dads in their 40s and 50s dragging their kids along to see Boston or Journey, There
were Rush fanatics in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and I'm sure 60s as well. And women!
Women of all ages screaming at Geddy! Amazing. Generally, this kind of music is what my
friend Lee coined "men's rock", and women are there as "dates" or as "girlfriends" to make up
for the fact that you went to see Sting or John Mayer with them (and that was OK, it could have
been much worse). Drummer Neil Peart's intelligent and philosophical lyrics, while not unlike
Floyd (minus the bitterness), mesh easily with music that is equal parts heavy metal thunder and
melodic progressive.
The stage show is and has been categorized as legendary. All manner of light configurations,
lasers and five video screens featuring an array of animated films and quite innovative camera
angles of the band in all their glory. Too loud, though, or should I say too shrill. Alex Lifeson is a
wonderful guitar player, but he doesn't have the subtlety or grace of say, a Steve Howe (even in
various Rush acoustic moments) and the fact that the tone he uses is more metal than
progressive, I believe hampers the concert experience more than it should considering the
technological tricks that are available in concerts (like adding more bottom to the mix!)
Rush totally rock. Much more than Yes, Genesis and yes, more than King Crimson (who also
share inter-generational audiences, though in much fewer numbers). Neil Peart is one of our
greatest and most imaginative drummers and these guys have got the groove down. That hasn't
changed over the decades, even though Rush are in their mid-50s. Rush also has never stopped
making records, and their Snakes & Arrows album, like all their albums, contain some great
tunes and some filler. They also insist on playing more than a couple of new songs on each tour
and after almost thirty years of playing "Limelight" (which, by the way, was the opener and it
was bitchen!) they need the challenge and you have to hand it to them. They didn't do "Entre
Nous" from Permanent Waves this time out, so that was a bit of a disappointment, but
"Subdivisons" from Signals, "2112" (which made up for no "La Villa Strangiato") and "Mission"
from Hold Your Fire were the highlights for me. Peart's drum solo (on two kits, one acoustic,
one digital) was a revelation. Creating tunes on synth pads to improvise from and mixed in with
jazz bits featuring film collages with heroes Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Peart creates and
maintains the most entertaining "drum solo" in the business. DO NOT GO TO THE RESTROOM
DURING HIS SOLO! Hold it in, it's worth it.
Geddy Lee, whose birth name is Gary (his East European grandmother pronounced it Geddy) is
virtually ageless, alternating between brilliant bass playing, keyboard flourishes and running
around the stage like an emo-rocker. His voice is a bit lower, but he can pretty much hit the high
notes of his youth and was a joy to behold. Humor has always been a part of the band's
mystique and this sets them apart from the average serious progressive rock band with the
exception of
early and later Genesis. From the brilliant South Park bit featuring the boys as "Lil Rush" to the
many Three Stooges references to staged triple washing machines of the Vapor Trails tour and
the chicken rotisserie "amps" of Snakes & Arrows, Rush refuses to take itself too seriously and
maybe that, and the ageless music that makes it so attractive to fans of all ages.
Monday, April 28, 2008 @ 1:30PM
Random Notes (with apologises to Rolling Stone)
I had to dig to find this one. Phil Collins is "retiring"! I cannot believe how the British press
treats him! I never realized the venom. We in the US get our share of celebrity garbage, but the
UK, which is so much smaller and more music-oriented than us (probably because of the
Beatles), trash their pop-stars as we trash our movie stars. Phil has been (no pun intended!) a
megastar and when we interviewed him in '79, he was a scruffy drummer/singer in a
progressive cult band. We never realized that in a couple of years, his touch for writing
disposable pop songs would propel both he and Genesis in the rarefied (for a prog band) strata
of mainstream rock and pop stardom. It managed to removed me as a fan and when the Genesis
"reunion" tour took place last year, one view (and listen) on the "VH1 Honors", I knew that you
couldn't go home again. Whatever chance a reunion of the Lamb Lies Down line-up had is now
unlikely. I wish Phil had stuck to the drumming. His style was so innovative, especially with
Brand X, where he could really rock out. I'd place him in my top five drummers, along with Furio
Chirico (from Arti + Mestieri), Neal Peart (Rush), Rod Morgenstein (from Dixie Dregs) and Bill
Bruford. Then he opened his mouth and the drumming took a back seat. My other old fave, Yes,
has at least kept up appearances over the years, discarding their attempts at pop (Yes had one,
albiet huge hit single and album, while Genesis had several huge albums and sold many more
albums) and concentrated on the symphonic "standards" in concert.
Speaking of Yes, the re-designed Yesworld site has emerged and looks great! The new Asia
album, Phoenix, has made it to the top 100 of the Billboard charts. To read the comments and
reviews, one plain truth has been revealed. True Asia fans are those who were kids in the early
eighties and found the trite romantic notions John Wetton sang about fit their emerging
adulthood and the back-to-simplicity edict that Ronald Reagan came to exemplify. True Asia fans
are not progressive rock fans and therefore the band (smartly) stuck to it's original formula. I
hate to say this, but I think the first album, was better, mostly because there was (at least)
some uptempo songs. Certainly not prog, but quicker and catchier, like "Cutting it Fine". I saw
them live in '06 and they were pretty good, so I had my hopes that they may go a bit more
"proggy" on this album, but alas, no such luck. But as I said, Asia albums are not made for me.
And never were.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 @2:30PM
1974- The year of transition.
It's sad to say that until last week, I hadn't watched any of the old shows on YouTube in their
entirety So I watched the two favorites, Fripp and Wetton, and I started thinking about the last
King Crimson album of the 70s, the seminal Red album. It was released in 1974 and I pondered
the many end-time events in the world of progressive rock that signaled the musical change from
the complex to the simple: progressive rock into punk rock. And in rock radio the progressive to
the placid. The Red album was the first of three albums of original material by progrock leaders
released within weeks of each other in October/November, 1974. Red was the most metal,
heaviest and shrill of the three Crimson albums with Bruford and Wetton. While Red could have
been produced more "warmly" as Lark's Tongues in Aspic was, or as FM rock sounding Starless
and Bible Black, the stark nature of the production seemed intentional. "Red", the song, fused
the metal fusion of "21st Century Schizoid Man", while "Starless"starts out with the delicate
tunefulness of "Moonchild" and melts into a Bolero-like buildup that is a staple of the bands
repertoire to this day. John Wetton tells the story about why a song called "Starless" was not on
the album Starless and Bible Black on the '79 Boffomundo Show interview.
Red was followed by the last truly progressive Yes album, Relayer. This 3-track album was, to
many (including myself) the hardest album of the band's to digest. I am one who felt that Tales
was melodic and beautiful and is the pinnacle of progressive rock and reject all criticism. So
there! At first Relayer seems cold and unmelodic with "Sound Chaser" and "The Gates of
Delirium" featuring fusion jazz-like jams and extended solo electric guitar freakouts. But the
tranquil "To Be Over" and the other worldly "Soon, Oh Soon" coda to The Gates are among the
band's most beautiful. Compare the album covers and that will tell you. I would come to love it,
but it took some time, as did The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, by Genesis. This was the last
featuring Peter Gabriel, and while the music was masterful, the lyrics took some getting used to
(very un-prog-like) and the song nature of this double album made it initially harder to swallow,
following the smooth and professional sounding, Selling England by the Pound.
Meanwhile, in the world of Art Rock, 1974 saw Brian Eno leave Roxy Music, and with that, Bryan
Ferry began to fashion the band in a more direct, less kitschy way with the successful Country
Life. David Bowie released Diamond Dogs, his most decadent album to date and jumped on the
disco bandwagon in 1975 with Young Americans. Symbolically, 1974 will be remembered as
the year the Beatles REALLY broke up, with the dissolution of the Beatles, Inc., allowing them to
be finally legally separated from each other,
Music changed post-1974, and in the coming two years the album sales success of Peter
Frampton, Boston, Fleetwood Mac and others set the stage for more commercial and easier to
digest "product" in rock radio. Regardless of it's artistic freedom and progress, music was a
business and business was good and going to get better. Until 1979. More on 1979 later.
And with that, the experimentation in music that struck a chord with a generation and radio
programmers would be replaced by the plain, the predictable, the punky and the placid. God
save 1974.
Monday, March 17, 2008, 8:44AM
Rick Wakeman and YES
A statement from Rick's website:
"Throughout much of last year, e-mails and phone calls were held between Jon, Chris, Steve,
Alan and myself as to where we all felt the future for YES lay, and of course, there were
conflicting views in many areas! (Nothing new there, but very healthy of course). My major
concern was that of over-touring, which I felt YES had done since 2002 with far too many
shows, especially in America which for me diminished the "specialness" of the band. I also was
concerned for the health of the band, both as a whole and as individuals. It's a matter of public
record for instance, that Jon in particular really suffered during the last weeks of the previous
YES tour which was extremely worrying for us all.
Over the years, I have had my fair share of "narrow escapes" when it comes to health and I felt
that I simply could not do months and months of touring each year anymore and I expressed this
to the other guys from the outset. I'm absolutely fine at the moment, but want to stay that way,
so I suggested to the new management that we perhaps limited the shows we would do and
make each show something special, but this was rejected with the management feeling that
lengthy touring was the answer for the band.
It was therefore with an extremely heavy heart that I had to say to the guys that I could not be
part of a massive long term touring schedule as I did not feel it right for the band musically and
also for the band member's health. We are a democratic band and I accept that I was a sole
voice in this thinking.
Chris and I met up a few times and spoke about who I felt would be able to do a good job in the
keyboard department and I put forward just two names, my two eldest sons Adam and Oliver.
Adam, to be truthful, was not really a "contender" because he is fully committed to Ozzy and is
touring constantly. Oliver has worked with Steve of course on various recordings and so there
was already a rapport there. I was therefore very happy when Oliver told me that Steve had
called him.
I am sad of course not to be walking on stage with the guys on the upcoming tour, but like each
member of YES, I have developed a deep inner spiritual feeling that takes over your whole life,
and sadly witnessing too many friends around my age, (both musicians and people connected
with the business), either departing this world or having serious illness, has played an enormous
part in the very difficult decision I had to make.
I truly hope that this is not the end of the Classic Line-Up and that something very special may
happen in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I wish the guys, good health, great music
and much happiness."
Rick Wakeman - 14th March
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 2:40PM
The Yes Dilemma
I first got into Yes in January, 1972 when I bought the Fragile album. I had never heard
anything like it. I already was blown away by the first album by ELP and swooned over In the
Court of the Crimson King, earlier, in 1969, but something about the bass/drum interplay, the
space age keyboards, the unblues-like frantic guitar stylings and the guy (?) with the alto voice
that was completely unique and I fell in love. It was amazing then and still manages to blow my
mind on a regular basis. I saw them in '73, '74, '75, twice in '76, '77, second row for the "In the
Round" shows in '78 and '79. The 1978 show is the best concert I have ever seen in the 300
plus I have attended. Are Yes still alive? No word from them collectively since '04. Has it really
been over since 1979, when Anderson and Wakeman both left the band? Today, I read a posting
from a Yes blogger in the UK here. It announces that Oliver Wakeman, Rick's eldest son's, will
tour in his place! Rick has had health concerns for many years and didn't want to undertake a
world tour. No Wakeman again? Let's try and get this straight: he joined Yes for the first time in
1971, left in 1974; rejoined in 1976, left in 1979; again in 1996 and left again in '97; and again
in 2002 and now for the final time. Why bother? Well, this is Yes' 40th anniversary, but these
guys are approaching 60 and Jon Anderson is headed for 64. So what! Look at the Stones and
the Who. They are older and play much less complex music and they are certainly not as "fast"
as once upon a time, or as vocally sonic. I saw Yes with Wakeman in '02, '03 and '04. They
were good, very good, but not great. Why just very good? Age and stamina, I'm afraid.
It all started back in September, 1989, when I saw Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe at
the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the chance for Jon Anderson to resurrect the
personnel from Fragile and Close to the Edge (without Squire, however) and begin anew after
the 90125 years. My observation? Live, the band played considerably slower and more in line
with the original arrangements on the albums. How was the playing? Steve played much slower
but with more control and precision, Jon's voice was a tad lower, but still glorious, Bill was more
a rock drummer this time around (with his electronic kit) and Rick's chops were the most
impressive of the bunch. The performance was a kinder, gentler Yes. Their music has always
been complex and superior musicianship is required to get the job done, slower paced or frantic,
it was quite enjoyable, but tame. Sadly, the ABWH material, for the most part, was mediocre.
The 1991 Union tour was fun but the patching together of ABWH and "Yes West" albums into
one was a disaster.
The "Keys to Ascension" set contained live examples of the tamer approach, plus what I contend
is the best piece of music they have produced since "Awaken", the 19 minute opus, "That, That
is". Prototypical Yes music and arrangement augmented by some of Anderson's worst lyrics
(something about crack babies in heaven.) There was some hope, I thought. After Wakeman
left the band for the third time (for Jesus, as some contend), I continued to see Yes in the later
90's (after Anderson regrouped with Howe following the mediocre Talk album with Trevor
Rabin) with Russian import, Igor Khoroshev on keyboards and "Key's" producer, Billy Sherwood
on second guitar and vocals. The shows were similarly tame, but with some added freshness
with the new members, and the newer material, while lambasted by critics, contained several
cuts in the Billy Sherwood/Chris Squire written Open Your Eyes album that were very Yes-like
and leagues above any of the 90125/Big Generator stuff. During that tour they played "The
Revealing Science of God" and THAT in itself made it special.
Will I go see them again, maybe for the final time? It's a must! It's a commandment. Why? It's
the brilliant music. It's Yes, one of my personal Trinity (along with the Beatles and Cream)
Oliver Wakeman is as authentic as Jason Bonham is to Led Zeppelin, and will undoubtedly bring
new perspective to the old songs. Yes is still the most original sounding group I have ever
heard. Who knows? They may open with "Future Times/Rejoice", which they haven't played in
30 years. Or dig up "The Remembering" from the depths of the topographic ocean. The comfort
and excitement of hearing the finale from the "Firebird Suite" as the band comes on stage still
brings the goose bumps and that is something I cannot miss. My point? Parents, bring your
children and children, drag your parents. It may not be 1978 anymore, but seeing Yes perform
this complex, beautiful music for maybe the final time (or for the first time, for you youngies) is
essential, even for cynics like me who saw them at their peak. Remember, it's the music that
counts, not the age of the messengers.
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