The Happiest Ever After

The past decade has seen the birth and evolution of so many progressive rock bands that it can be more than a little challenging to keep track of them all. And let’s face it, at this stage in the game it isn’t easy to come up with a band name that hasn’t been taken already. But occasionally a name is able to strike a blend of originality and absurdity such that it also sticks in one’s head and stands out from the rest…

Bruce Springsteen’s fifth album gushes forth with the fury of a burst dam, delivering torrents of despair, inspiration, heartbreak, and joy. The Ties That Bind: The River Collection expands the original 20-song double album to a 4xCD set.

Pink Floyd's supporting shows in 1980 and 1981 for Roger Waters' narcissistic, nihilistic epic The Wall are the stuff of rock & roll legend. Throughout the '70s, the band earned the reputation as one of the best live acts in rock & roll – and not just because they delivered musically but because they delivered a full-fledged show. They had model planes crashing into the stage, giant inflated pigs hovering around the arena and, of course, astonishing live shows. All of Floyd's showmanship culminated in The Wall, an album that wasn't only a story, it was designed to be a theatrical experience. And that's exactly what Floyd designed under the direction of Waters and with the assistance of such artisans as animator Gerald Scarfe and stage designers Mark Fisher and Jonathan Park.