Progressive Rock

One of the best know and best loved progressive rock groups appear on this compilation with a host of fellow prog rockers to create a uniquely compelling listening experience…

Over the past 20 years Australian progressive/alternative/underground rock of the early 1970s has taken on a huge cult collector following throughout the world. This is particularly so in Europe, where vast sums are paid for scarce original vinyl albums by such bands as Kahvas Jute, Galadriel, The Masters Apprentices, Fraternity, Blackfeather, Company Caine, Tamam Shud, Pirana, and New Zealand's Dragon - outfits which forged a distinctive Oz Rock sound that would eventually be embraced by an international mass audience.

The Finnish progressive rock appreciation and fan society Colossus has been making a rather good name for itself in recent years, ever since it started issuing a line of project releases back in 2000. In collaboration with the legendary French record label Musea, more than a dozen concepts have been conceived, executed and issued. The first of these projects was named "Tuonen Tytär", a double CD featuring tributes to various Finnish artists from the golden age of progressive rock. Come 2009 and the second instalment of this particular project,"Tuonen Tytär" is at hand, a massive 3 CD box set, and as customary with a Colossus project production, a large, informative booklet…

Famous among Progressive rock fans worldwide for being probably the classiest (and most complete) publication in this style, the Finnish magazine Colossus had the great idea to ask thirty bands of the whole world to illustrate the national Finnish epic: "Kalevala". It is made of old ballads and traditional songs, but is also part of a huge group of legends, which has inspired both J.R.R. Tolkien for his mythic "Lord Of The Rings" and composer Sibelius, among others. The idea that contributed to the creation of "Kalevala - A Finnish Progressive Rock Epic" was to use exclusively instruments of the Seventies, in order to obtain the "Aging" that the story needed. The result is absolutely stunning: three albums included in a box-set designed as beautifully as the famous Colossus covers. As for the music, the listener won't be disappointed! He'll be delighted to hear about four hours of sumptuous and rich (Vocal or instrumental) Progressive rock…

After addressing its national audience with the Kalevala project, the Finnish magazine Colossus turns towards Sweden, a bordering country, with Rökstenen. The recipe is already well-known: take a bunch of talented present outfits, lend them the repertoire of the greatest Swedish artists of Progressive rock of the Seventies (Kaipa, Blakkula, Dice, Atlas, Made In Sweden, Bo Hansson, Trettioriga Kriget, Samla Mammas Manna, Ragnarok…), add thick layers of vintage sounds, a touch of inspiration, mix around… This triple-CD collects the performances of The Samurai of Prog, Simon Says, Beardfish, Anima Morte, Echoes, Soniq Circus, Vanilla Project, Daal, Jerry Johansson and other bands.

Esperanto were an European progressive rock outfit of somewhat unusual origin. Belgian violinist Raymond Vincent, pianist and musicologist Bruno Libert, and a pair of Italo-Belgian brothers, bassist Gino Malisan and his brother drummer, Tony Malisan. The core of the band was Belgian but it was on a trip to England that the original Belgian unit found the remaining members that would give Esperanto their unique sound.
After experiencing success in his native Australia with the Twilights and later Axiom, Glenn Shorrock decided to travel to England in a bid for international success. He was struggling and finding little or no success in England. The Belgians got in touch with producer David Mackay who knew of Glenn Shorrock and bada-bing Esperanto had a lead vocalist…

Rick Wakeman spent much of the '80s and '90s recording instrumental albums that veered toward either classical or ambient, so 2003's Out There comes as a bit of a shock: it's an honest to goodness revival of the full-throttle prog rock Wakeman pursued on his solo albums in the '70s. A large part of this is due to his decision to form a full-fledged supporting rock band. Called the New English Rock Ensemble, they're a quintet led by Wakeman and featuring Damian Wilson on vocals, Ant Glynne on guitar, Lee Pomeroy on bass, and Tony Fernandez on drums and percussion.