The Master Bedroom

THE MASTER BEDROOM
A place to cool the engines, chill out or I suppose you could even sleep.

Ok if this is going to be another music room then I'm going to use it to present my second real love (no not Caroline Munro). I'm talking about progressive rock. Every one has their own idea about what is and isn't prog and I'm sure not everything on this page will appeal to the die hards but the progscape has widened in recent years and as the recent prog awards has shown it is more popular and less frowned at than ever.
As Bilbo Baggins says "It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
That is the feeling of hearing a prog masterpiece for the first time. The unpredictable nature of the journey. You look at the distance and hesitate to begin. Parts of it are easy going , some of it you don't enjoy and long to just have done with it. You can have emotional highs and lows but the pay off happens when everything just falls into place and makes sense and you arrive breathless at the end of the journey already planning your return trip.
PROG ON CHUMS

The Moody Blues

Possibly one of the first progressive rock albums was "Days of future passed" from 1967. The band were asked by their record company to produce a stereo demonstration album of Dvorjak's symphony number 9 but instead brought out a concept album about a typical working week. "Tuesday Afternoon" was released as the second single from the album after "Nights in white satin". The Moodys are still performing with members Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graham Edge appearing on the second annual Moody Blues Cruise.

Nightwish

Popular with emos, goths and metal heads alike, Nightwish were formed in Finland in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen as an experimental acoustic band but soon realised singer Tarja Turunen's operatic voice was too powerfull and so had to add metal elements to the band's sound.
New singer Annette Olzon joined in 2007 but parted ways this year leaving the band without a singer for their remaining tour dates. Enter Floor Jansen (seen in this video), singer with "After forever", "ReVamp","Star one" and "Ayreon" to fill the gap.

Steven Wilson

Seeing as he's only gone and won the best album category in this years Prog awards for "The raven that refused to sing (and other stories)", I thought I'd put the opening track played live from his new DVD.
A good old mish mash of prog styles featuring Kajagoogoo's Nick Beggs on bass. Don't let that put you off. This is simply awesome.

Prog on Chums.

Storm Corrosion

This is Storm Corrosion. A collaboration between Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson (left) and Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. If you've heard either of these bands then you may have some expectations before you click to watch. Well get rid of them cos this is unique. It's like being in a progressive musical bathtub and if you come out the other end (and don't fall asleep) you will feel strangely refreshed and totally chilled. The video is filmed in the style of Scandinavian puppet theatre and is quite haunting, dark, eerie, sinister and very good.
PROG ON CHUMS.

Aeon Zen

There's not much to say about Aeon Zen. Formed in 2008 and with only three albums released they've still got a long way to go when it comes to prog longevity ( prongevity ).
Their first album " A mind's portrait" in 2009 was heavily praised by classic rock magazine and Progression magazine labelled it best debut album of the year. October 2010 saw the release of their second album "Face of the unknown" which saw the band going from strength to strength with a fusion of styles as founder member Rich Hinks states "There's piano ballads, there's even an orchestral track (mixed in with heavier progressive rock and metal tracks). Vocally, there's everything ranging from operatic power metal style singing, all the way to death metal growling. Nothing is out of the question". Aeon Zen are about to release their third album "Enigma" in 2013.

IQ

Along with Marillion, Pendragon, Soltice and Pallas, IQ were responsible for the early re-boot of the prog rock movement known as neo-progressive by music critics at the time.

Finally in 2014 IQ have released a new album with some pretty strong material. This is the title track from the newly released Road of bones album.
PROG ON CHUMS

Dream Theater

Heavily influenced by Rush who had a harder edge to their prog sound, Dream Theater blends the experimental / classical side of prog with heavy metal and so along with bands like Fates Warning, Queensryche and others created progressive metal in the late 80s. Twelve albums and nearly 25 years later they are still going strong and giving some of the best live performances of any band around today.
This is taken from their brand new self titled studio album to be released Sept 2013.
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This is taken from the new DVD/Blue ray Live at Luna Park.

Needless to say I've put it on Santa's list.

Threshold

Threshold are on my definite wish to see list. Formed in 1988 they have released 9 studio albums with 3 different singers. Sadly Andrew "Mac" McDermott featured in this video died with kidney failure in 2011.
They have reformed with their original singer Damian Wilson who has sang with just about everyone. He has played the role of Jean Valjean in Les miserables, and is the front man for Maiden United ( an acoustic Iron Maiden supergroup ), Landmarq and Headspace to name but a few.
Threshold's latest album is "March of Progress" and I believe it's their best album to date.
PROG ON CHUMS

At long last we have a brand new video from Threshold.
Below is a little taste of Threshold as they sound on their new album which I've had on constant repeat since its release.
Love the vocal harmonies. Very reminiscent of Yes on certain tracks. PROG ON CHUMS.

Marillion

Fish or Hogarth? To me they are two different bands and I love both. At school I scrawled Fish lyrics all over my books even if I didn't Know exactly what they were about. However I don't think Marillion with Fish would have ever made it past the nineties. Steve Hogarth "H" joined in 1989 and 13 albums later Marillion are stronger than ever. Embracing the internet they encouraged their fans to pre-order and pay for albums still in production, something other bands are now only starting to do. This 18 minute epic is one of my favourites from 2004's Marbles album and tells the true story of ocean rower Don Allum who became the only man to have rowed the Atlantic solo in both directions. On one journey he was without fresh water for two weeks and survived on fish blood and small amounts of sea water. He was capsized and gashed in the head but still he rowed on in his QE3. A few years later his kidneys failed several times and eventually led to the fatal heart attack that killed him. Every school kid knows about the likes of Scott of the antarctic or sir Edmund Hillary but ask them about Don Allum.
In all this time only a plaque has been placed near the point where he landed on Achill Island, County Mayo in Ireland after the final voyage.
Play this loud with the lights off. PROG ON CHUMS

OK OK I realised I hadn't put any Fish era Marillion on here and its only fair so here's the Dalkeith giant himself Mr Derek William Dick with another 18 minute Marillion classic which originally only appeared as the b-side on the twelve inch version of their first single Market square heroes in 1982. This performance is from Hammersmith Odeon in April 83 when the line up was Fish (vocals), Rothery (guitar), Kelly (keyboards), Trewavas (bass) and Mick Pointer (drums).

Camel

Time for some vintage proggers now. Originally formed in 1971, Camel has had numerous line up changes with the only constant member and driving force being multi instrumentalist Andrew Latimer.
After Latimer's long term illness which resulted in him needing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant in 2007, they are now back on the road with a celebration of their 1975 "Snow Goose" album .
This is "Ice" from the 1979 album "I can see your house from here" It may send you into a cosy sleep. Beautiful!

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Jethro Tull

In October 1978 Jethro Tull became the first band to broadcast in concert from America to be shown live on British tv. This is one of the songs from that concert.
Thick as a brick is 40 years old this year and was Ian Anderson's response to music journalists who continuously and annoyingly labeled 1971's Aqualung as a concept album.
The idea was to" give them the mother of all concept albums" which he did with a single 44 minute piece of music (obviously you'd have to flip the record over) with all lyrics written by an 8 year old boy called Gerald Bostock (Anderson) as his winning entry in a poetry competition and the entire package lovingly wrapped in a copy of the St Cleve Chronicle newspaper. Unfortunately it was only us Brits that got the joke because of all the surreal comedy we were watching in those days.
Ian Anderson is still up on one leg and has this year released Thick as a Brick :2 What ever happened to Gerald Bostock? With a new 2012 edition of the paper but now also with website stcleve.com. How very prog is that?
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Caravan

Formed in 1968 Caravan are a truly English progressive sound from Canterbury and if you close your eyes you can almost taste the cucumber sandwiches and hear the cricket bats. This song is taken from their 1973 album "For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night".
Other album titles include "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" and " If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You".
The band are set to tour the UK to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the album “For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night" in January 2013.
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It Bites

It Bites were formed in 1982 in Egremont, Cumbria and had success in 1986 with their "Calling all the heroes" single.
With front man Francis Dunnery they produced 3 studio albums but parted company in 1990.
After several attempts to reform they signed up guitarist and singer / songwriter John Mitchel from Arena, Frost, Kino, The Urbane and the John Wetton band and have gone on to produce 2 more albums.
This track is taken from 2008 album "The tall ships" and was filmed funnily enough at Carlisle's art college.
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Genesis

Well theres not enough room on this page to say too much about prog giants Genesis but here goes.
Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips meet up at Charterhouse college and in the Easter hols of 1967 record a few demos on a tape and leave it in "old boy" Jonathan King's car. He likes it and invites them to record their first album "From Genesis to Revelation" which unfortunately gets put in the religious sections of record shops and becomes very hard to find. The following album "Trespass" proves more succesful but when it comes to touring Phillips finds he can't perform due to stage fright and leaves the band in 1970. Genesis set up auditions for a new guitarist and seeing as they've been unhappy with the drummers so far look for another. Enter Steve Hackett, self taught guitarist from Pimlico and Phil Collins child actor and drummer from Hounslow. To cut a very long story short, Genesis go on to become one of the most inventive progressive groups of the early 70s. Gabriel leaves in 75 and Collins steps up as singer and frontman. Hackett leaves in 77 and then there were three (in the studio anyway).

Every prog band has their own epic but none come even close to this. Suppers ready from 1972 album Foxtrot is nearly 23 minutes long and has 7 sections but don't ask what its about. In an interview Peter Gabriel summed up "Supper's Ready" as "a personal journey which ends up walking through scenes from Revelation in the bible" Nuff said.
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Yes

Sometimes Yes sound like they're barely holding it together and can be a real chore to listen to but then you get to the end and realize thats just how it was supposed to sound. Yes formed in 1968, have released 21 studio albums and had 17 different band members. " Awaken" is taken from the 1977 album "Going for the one " and is arguably the last great epic Yes track"
After 44 years they are still recording and touring with Chris Squire being the driving force behind the band. Recently Jon Anderson suffered a serious respiratory illness and was dropped in favour of Yes tribute band singer Benoit David who in turn was dropped for another tribute singer John Davison. As for the future of Yes, Squire has mentioned the possibility of 'Yes on Broadway' in 2013 to celebrate the band's 45th anniversary. Also Mar 2013 will see the Cruise to the Edge a 5-day cruise starting and finishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL, going via Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman, featuring live performances by Yes. Great if you can afford to live like prog royalty.
PROG ON CHUMS

PROG ON CHUMS

And what happens when you have 15 albums of material to get through and only a 2 - 3 hr concert to do it in? Why the medley of course. This one contains excerpts from mostly Gabriel's era with the band and is probably the one that hooked me as a Genesis fan. Love the full rich sound and the energy. They are still the best band I have ever seen live.
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Rush

Monsters of Canadian prog, Rush originally formed in 1968 in Toronto. In 1974 they released their debut self titled album but due to health issues drummer John Rutsey was replaced by Neil Peart who went on to be their chief lyricist on subjects ranging from sci-fi / fantasy to philosophy. With Geddy Lee on vocals bass and keyboards and Alex Lifeson on Guitar they have gone on to produce a staggering 19 studio albums and never seem to stop touring. Their latest album "Clockwork Angels" won the 2012 new album prize at the prog rock awards. Xanadu is taken from their 1977 album " A Farewell To Kings" and is here performed in Montreal for their 1981 live album "Exit Stage Left."
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Porcupine Tree

This is Porcupine Tree with frontman Steven Wilson performing "Trains" from their 2002 album "In Absentia".
Originally formed in 1987 as a hoax band inspired by the prog he was brought up on, Wilson and a friend decided to form a fictional legendary rock band named The Porcupine Tree. The two fabricated a detailed back-story including information on alleged band members and album titles, as well as a "colourful" history which purportedly included events such as a meeting at a 1970's rock festival and several trips in and out of prison. After buying some studio equipment Wilson began to write some music to "back up" the bands back story and produced a tape called "Tarquin's Seaweed Farm". This he followed up with "On The Sunday Of Life". As he became more ambitious he recruited Richard Barbieri of 80's group Japan and school friend Colin Edwin on bass. Now with Gavin Harrison on drums and John Wesley (on stage rhythm guitar) they have 10 albums under their belts and are far from being a joke band any more.

Pink Floyd

I always planned on arriving here but couldn't wait any longer. This is in my mind the very best version of Echoes from their sixth album 1971's Meddle and is taken from their "Live At Pompeii" concert video filmed in front of well no one in particular and I think it shows each member of the floyd doing what they do best, progging.
Formed in 1965 Floyd have had 14 studio albums of great quality with only one or two duff ideas thrown in. Obviously Dark Side Of The Moon is cited as their best work topping the Billboard chart for one week. It subsequently remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988 with an estimated 50 million copies sold but Meddle planted the seeds for that album and set them in the right direction.
PROG ON CHUMS

PROG ON CHUMS

Symphony X

And now a complete change of pace with some outstanding prog metal from Symphony X and the title track from their 2011 album Iconoclast about the rise of machines and technology and the ultimate demise of the human race.
Formed in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo Symphony X have produced eight studio albums with Iconoclast having the highest chart position and the most first-week sales in the band's history.
Unfortunately there is no video for this song so you'll just have to be content with the lyrics.
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Focus

Thijs Van Leer seen here with his chum entourage formed Focus in 1969 and Hocus Pocus from 1971 album Focus II aka Moving Waves became an international hit with guitar from Jan Akkerman and flute, yodelling, whistling, keyboards and nonsensicle singing by Van Leer. They have released 9 albums so far and are still touring with a new album coming out this year called Focus X ( Crossroads ) with art work by legendary Roger Dean.
This video was filmed for the old grey whistle test in the early 70's and shows Focus at their very best.
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Emerson, Lake and Palmer

One of the most popular but also probably short lived prog bands. E.L.P. were one of the first super groups formed from members of three successful bands, The Nice, King Crimson and Atomic Rooster and were signed to Atlantic records almost straight away because they could fill 20,000 seats before they even put out a record. With a heavy mix of hard rock, jazz and classical music they could be categorised as symphonic rock. This song shows them in the beginning from their self titled first album in 1970. By '73 they had released 5 albums and egos had grown just as fast. After headlining the California Jam festival in front of 200,000 paying fans in 1974 they were neck and neck with Led Zep as the highest grossing band of all time.
After taking a three year break to re-invent their music E.L.P. returned only to find they had lost touch with the music scene which was now focussed on disco and punk and after "Love Beach" a terrible album to fulfill their contracts they split in 1978. Eventually they came to represent everything the music press despised about prog.

Electric Light Orchestra

How can anyone say this band weren't prog? Well for a while they certainly were. Check out the size of the ufo stageshow they performed under during the '78 "Out Of The Blue" tour. And not forgetting the album art with gatefold full colour glossy space station exterior and interior, band poster, lyrics and press out and build cardboard model of the ship. ( I know cos I've still got mine. Unbuilt of course ). This is the opening track from the concert "Standing In The Rain" but if you fancy watching the whole thing then click here.
Out Of The Blue: Live At Wembley 1978
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Dont' worry theres still plenty more to come so keep checking back and you may just find one you'll like. PROG ON CHUMS.