Voice Mail is the second solo album by the English rock musician John Wetton. Initially released on 17 June 1994 in Japan only, it was re-released internationally as Battle Lines with the same musical content but different artwork. John Wetton was an English singer, bassist, and songwriter. He rose to fame with bands Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music and Uriah Heep. Following his period in Uriah Heep, Wetton formed U.K., and later — after a brief stint in Wishbone Ash — he was the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia, which proved to be his biggest commercial success.
One of rock's more elaborate, beguiling and strangely rewarding concept albums, this double-vinyl classic stars the ever-theatrical Peter Gabriel as Rael, a Puerto Rican street punk who descends into the New York underground to experience a series of surreal adventures. ("It seemed that prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete," Gabriel explained to his biographer.) Bassist Mike Rutherford, however, wanted to base the band's last album with Gabriel, who'd announced his intention to leave Genesis, on Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.
In many ways, the extravagance of this package equates the profligacy of the prog rock combo themselves. After all, how else but on a triple-LP collection could one hope to re-create (and/or contain) an adequate sampling of Yes' live presentation? Especially since their tunes typically clocked in in excess of ten minutes…
Whether on his own or with his Project, Alan Parsons vacillated between arch artiness and immaculate soft pop. With The Secret, his first album in 15 years, he veers decisively toward the former. The opening pomp of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" – which is indeed the Paul Dukas composition, here presented as a collaboration with Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett – is a bit misleading. While Parsons doesn't avoid other old-fashioned prog tropes – parts of Todd Cooper's lead vocals on "One Note Symphony" are delivered through a robotic effect – he certainly dresses these affectations in adult contemporary threads.
Welcome to P52, Prog magazine's second cover CD for 2017. You don't get much bigger than Steve Hackett, here with Hungarian jazz band Djabe, lending a new twist to Steve's own The Steppes. Or Oceans Of Slumber, who boldly take on the Moody Blues' Nights In White Satin in emphatic style. Or Japan/Porcupine Tree keysman Richard Barbieri, with new, jazz-flecked solo fare, and of course Touchstone and Ghost Community, who weigh in with some grand, melodic music. Elsewhere, the UK's Beatrix Players add melancholic beauty, and Multi Story complex intrigue. New Australian bands Anubis and Hemina show there's some exciting new music being made Down Under, and Jug Bundish do the same for Costa Rican prog.
2001 studio album for the Asia, U.K. vocalist, one of the classic voices of British rock music. Additional artists include Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald (King Crimson), Steve Hackett (Genesis), John Young (Asia/Qango), Martin Orford (IQ/Jadis) and John Mitchell (Arena). Tracks include, 'Heart of Darkness', 'No Ordinary Miracle' and 'Second Best'. Standard jewelcase. The album was originally released in 2000 in Japan under the title Welcome To Heaven with the bonus tracks but with a different cover.
An all-instrumental group that mixed prog metal and jazz fusion with the more ethereal sounds of King Crimson, Gordian Knot was the project of bassist/stick player/keyboardist Sean Malone with several collaborators including guitarist Trey Gunn of King Crimson and former Cynic drummer Sean Reinert. Gordian Knot also included guitarists Ron Jarzombek and Glenn Snelwar. As well as playing atmospheric and heavy progressive music, the group also experimented on their eponymous debut with Eastern-influenced pieces. Malone soon began working on a sequel with a whole new roster of prog rock guests, including former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford.
As the years go by, miracles become a rare commodity even to dream about , let alone witness, whether in politics (no messiahs anywhere!), in romance (a seemingly prehistoric concept) or in the arts (boring!!!!!). But , somehow in Progland (where fairytales often coalesce with legends), there is still the spark. Who would of ever imagined that this once-seminal band of the timeless Italian School of Progressive Music, after decades of poppish dirge (by opposition to their earlier monuments), would one day , 30 years later, deliver such a riveting recording!..