The Way We Live wasn't a terribly commercial or compelling name for a rock band, and Tractor is a yet more awkward and less appealing moniker. Yet, for some reason, that's what the Way We Live changed their name to between the 1971 A Candle for Judith album (which turned out to be the only the Way We Live LP) and their 1972 follow-up, Tractor. Both albums are combined onto one CD on this 1994 reissue by See For Miles. A Candle for Judith was uneven, second-division, early-'70s British hippie rock, divided between lumpy, bluesy hard rock and far folkier, pastoral, acoustic-flavored musings.
PALLAS is, after MARILLION, and along with IQ and PENDRAGON, one of the most important acts of the Eighties Progressive rebirth. This is an energetic and magnificent neo progressive band in the style of IQ/MARILLION but with more edge. Their music is centered on melodic hooks, loud sound and great voice. "The Sentinel" brings a tint of pop in a still elaborate progressive spectrum. Scottish prog band PALLAS definitely have one of the longest gaps between albums on record. They released their first album, "The Sentinel" in 1984 and followed it up with "The Wedge" two years later. Their next album, "Beat the Drum" (72 minutes of music with epic accents, rock rhythms and style, and ballads full of feeling), did not show up for 13 years. Highly recommended to fans of neo Progressive style.
The first album by the '70s (i.e. Annie Haslam) version of Renaissance is a transitional work, rooted in more standard hard rock sounds (including psychedelia) than what followed. One can spot the difference, which may please some listeners and put others off, in the fairly heavy guitar sound of "Prologue," Rob Hendry's electric instrument playing both lead and rhythm parts prominently at various times behind Annie Haslam's soaring vocals and adjacent to John Tout's piano. "Kiev" may also startle some longtime fans, since Haslam doesn't handle the lead vocals, the male members' singing being much more prominent. The ethereal, flowingly lyrical "Sounds of the Sea" is the cut here that most resembles the music that the group became known for in the years ahead, and shows Haslam singing in the high register for which she would become famous.
Not long after the disintegration of Colosseum, Greenslade was born, with their inaugural self-titled album whetting the appetites of progressive rock fans worldwide. Dave Greenslade used the group to showcase his illustrious keyboard intricacies alongside Tony Reeves' bass guitar, Andrew McCulloch's predominant percussion work, and Dave Lawson's vocals, all of which made Greenslade a quintessential prog album. The attention almost never veers from David Greenslade's beautiful organ texturing, alternating between hard and delicate patterns while defining the album's pure progressive sound. Reeves' bass riffs are spatial and thorough, complimenting the keyboard runs when needed while falling in behind the music at the proper times.
Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. Led by founder member Andrew Latimer, they have produced 14 original studio albums, 14 singles plus numerous other compilation and live albums. The band's music combines elements taken from jazz, classical and Baroque music, blues and electronic music. Pressure Points: Live in Concert is a live album by progressive rock band Camel, released in 1984. A remastered version with six bonus tracks was released in 2009 as a double CD Set.
Dreams are an essential part of the musical world. Despite having been firmly involved in Sweden's highly fertile prog rock scene in the '70s, Roine Stolt (Kaipa, The Tangent, Transatlantic) was still harbouring dreams of maximum creative fulfilment when he arrived in the '90s, guitar in hand and a head full of sublime musical ideas. The end-result was a solo album, 'The Flower King', which struck such a resounding chord with a small but growing number of prog fans around the planet. It also proved to be one of a handful of albums that helped to kick-start and underpin a worldwide resurgence for adventurous, symphonic rock music that is still gaining momentum over two decades later. You can find the proof of what happened next within this lavish, generously proportioned box set containing the first half of The Flower Kings' extraordinary catalogue of immersive, immaculate studio albums…
Neo-space rock with a deeply dubbed rave twist, A Return to the Inner Experience was Sky Cries Mary's first full-length release following the reinvention of the band, and it steps out effortlessly from the frontiers established by the earlier EP. The twin vocals swoop and intertwine with ethereal intent, the band ebbs and flows, and two unstoppable forces meet near the center with heart-stopping power…
This excellent heavy prog album was released after Sir Lord Baltimore disbanded & involved the members of Sir Lord Baltimore & produced by Vinny Testa. The Bloody Mary album is in the same vein of Sir Lord Baltimore - perfect heavy progressive rock from USA. Fantastic vocals, swirling organ, fuzzy guitar and pounding drums.