Kansas (USA)
Leftoverture, Point of Know Return,
Monolith,
Audio Visions; Vinyl Confessions; Drastic Measures
One of the great prog bands of all time, Kansas also topped the charts in America with classics like Dust in the Wind and Carry On Wayward Son in the late 70's. Kerry Livgren, the guitarist and main songwriter, and Dave Hope the bass player became Christians during the Monolith tour, and the three albums after that reflect that fact in many of the song lyrics. With Vinyl Confessions, Christian John Elefante came on board as the lead singer as well, and his CCM solo albums aren't bad either, although they are mostly pop. Unfortunately, Kansas was becoming less prog on each of those successive albums, but they are still classics. Before Audio Visions, Kerry was searching hard, and some of the songs on earlier albums point toward God as well. Carry On Wayward Son, Miracles Out of Nowhere, Dust in the Wind, On the Other Side, and others had powerful spiritual influences on a lot of people, so I include those albums. Monolith especially hints at Christ, although Kerry was actually delving into the cult of Urantia at the time, and I believe it is their most underrated album. Kansas was the premier American progressive rock band of the 70's, and Kerry is a genius. Leftoverture is one of the greatest albums of all time. Need I say more? See also Mastedon, Livgren, AD.
Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope rejoined the band in 2000, and they released a brand new progressive album for which Livgren wrote all the songs called Somewhere to Elsewhere. Kansas truly returns to form on their new album. Livgren adds the ingredients missing from the last 20 years with such epics as Icarus II, Distant Vision, and the incredible prog masterpiece Myriad, a song from the first Kansas album that is finally seeing the light of day, complete with new lyrics that proclaim that God can even be seen in the depth of mathematics. The long Hammond solo on the song reminds me of ELP's Tarkus. The Coming Dawn is a Dust in the Wind type classic, with sweeping, emotional lyrics about living your life so that what you do lasts forever. Mixed with the Leftoverture style classic songs are some blues-prog based tunes that really jam. Steve Walsh sounds surprisingly good on these songs, and Robbie Steinhardt and Billy Greer also share lead vocal duties. Kerry plays all the keyboards and most of the guitars. Run out and buy it today. Sound clips are available on the Magna Carta records web site. Unfortunately, Mr. Livgren will not be touring with the band as usual. {dt}
KDB3 (USA - FL)
Autobiograph
I get quite a few home recorded demo CD's in the mail from various people, some of which are ok, and most of which, frankly, suck or sound like 4-track demos. Recently I received a CD from Doug Bowers and his band KDB3 called Autobiograph that I thought was really quite exceptional. Its not purely prog, although a couple of songs definitely lean that way, but the guy is really talented. His songs have great hooks, melodies, and the playing is tasteful. And his lyrics are good, with a strong message as he shares his life testimony throughout the album. I've heard some rather poor attempts to tell stories put to lyrics, but Bowers doesn't fall into any of those traps. His lyrics are tasteful and unpredictable, with quite a bit of humor thrown in. Musically Autobiograph ranges from the early Elton John/Billy Joel realm to the Queen/Styx/Kansas/Pink Floyd comparisons. Doug's got a great voice, a little like Freddy Mercury or Ray Weston of Echolyn, very expressive. The vocals are out front in the mix, which gives it a pop feel like Supertramp, with creative musicianship intact. If you like keyboard driven 70's proggy pop rock music, done well, with a solid Christian message, I really recommend it. Its certainly better than 99% of the crap the CCM industry is putting out these days. I find myself listening to it quite a bit, which is a good sign of a quality album. KDB3's web page is at http://www.dougbowersmusic.com. Sample some full length mp3's and dig in. Try Dark side, which has a Kansas type feel, and Second Coming or He Knows, which sounds a little like Pink Floyd. Also check out Doug's prog band Ad Astra.
Keaggy, Phil (USA)
Emerging; The Master and the
Musician; Love Broke Thru; How The West Was One (live); Ph'lip Side; Play Thru
Me; Underground; The Wind and the Wheat; Getting Closer; Crimson and Blue; 220;
Acoustic Sketches; On the Fly
Phil is an amazing guitarist who has influenced such greats as Ty Tabor from King's X and even Eric Johnson. He started out with Glass Harp in the early 70's, touring with Hendrix and Yes. When he accepted the Lord after his mother's death in a car accident, he became God's minstrel. He left GH to go solo, and much of his early stuff is vintage 70's prog influenced rock. Songs like Time, Happy; Sounds, and others are progressive enough, and his instrumental albums The Master and the Musician and The Wind and the Wheat are phenomenal guitar records. His electric fret work still shines on his recent instrumental 220, as well as his critically acclaimed Crimson and Blue album (get the secular Blue version if you can find it for an extra 20 minute jam track). Phil is great, but some of his stuff is sappy, and you have to wade through it all to find the prog gems strewn throughout. The nastily produced home recording Underground, which never made it to CD as far as I know, probably has the most prog on it, a bunch of gnarly electric instrumentals tucked between sappy ballads to his kids and wedding songs. His newest instrumental album On the Fly contains some nice improvisational work. But prog fans should definately flock to pick up his Premium Jams album, which is chock full of Phil's electric improv jamming and pyrotechnics. And don't forget to check out the new Glass Harp live album Strings Attached. {dt}
King's X (USA - TX)
Out of the Silent Planet; Gretchen
Goes to Nebraska; Faith Hope Love; King's X
What do you get when you cross Rush with Sly and the Family Stone and The Beatles? Pioneers of progressive funky pop-metal, King's X influenced a multitude from Soundgarden to Pearl Jam, yet never made much of a splash on the charts themselves. Soaring vocal harmonies mixed with impeccable crunchy, drop- D tuned guitars, Bonham-ish drumming, and a 12 sting bass set them apart, and the first four albums kept their progressive heritage intact. C.S. Lewis influenced lyrics abound, and classics like Visions, Summerland, Moanjam, etc., will drop your jaw. Gretchen is by far their best album, followed closely by Faith Hope Love and Out of the Silent Planet. The self-titled album has some exceptionally strong tracks. The later stuff beginning with Dogman dabbled in more grunge and funk territories, as their producer changed, although the music totally rocked. The subtle spiritual messages found in their earlier work have toned down a bit over time.
Ear Candy and Tapehead were both solid releases, although not quite as satisfying as their first three or four records.
King's X really outdid themselves with their Metal Blade records release Please Come Home ...Mr. Bulbous, which was a return to form hearkening back to the creative songs and tight harmonies of the Gretchen era. There's not a clunker on it. The harmonies, creativity, and tight punchy playing combine to form one of the best modern rock albums ever. There are still prog elements to be found on that album, although not all their albums have that touch. The lyrics aren't quite as "spiritual" as in previous efforts, but the epic closer Move Me ("God wont you move me one more time..") is a great heartfelt prayer. If your tastes float from Prog to the Beatles to Metal to Modern rock ala Radiohead, this album will blow your mind. Highlight songs include Marshmallow Fields and Charlie Sheen.
Their album Manic Moonlight featured drum loops and more progressive creativity, but it didn't live up to Doug Pinnick's assertion that it would be "our next Gretchen." Most King's X fans couldn't get into it, and I admit I couldn't really either. The loops killed it for me.
Their album Black Like Sunday is a collection of mostly older songs from their pre-King's X days as Sneak Preview. The album has some great stuff on it, mixed with some sort of immature songs, as well as some of their most spiritually minded lyrics in a long time. Not their strongest album, it does contain several gems worth unearthing.
Ogre Tones
Ogre Tones is the King's X record many fans had been waiting for. Having been a big fan of these guys over the years, I was excited at the prospect of this record getting some attention in the music biz. Ogre Tones was certainly strong enough musically to get some airplay. Unfortunately, the state of radio does not help out real true artists, so its up to guys like me to spread the word. Featuring cool cover art and the production of Michael Wagener (Metallica, Alice Cooper, Extreme), the album jumps down your throat from the get-go with Alone, a driving rocker that sounds like Vintage X with crunchy guitars, screaming vocals, and their trademark Beatle-esque harmonies. You can download and watch the video at Inside Out America http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ . Beware, there are girls in bikinis in it, something different for this bands videos.
Stay is another tune that starts out heavy, with strong harmonies and a potent chorus, a plea for late-night companionship. Hurricane is really short, but it does have a nice hook and harmonies, if a bit repetitive. Ty Tabor's guitar solo is short but sweet. Fly, a guitar driven rocker, seems about the music business, as it takes a shot at fans and critics, all of which have been particularly harsh on this band over the years. Seems like everyone has opinions about King's X records. Of course they set themselves up for it a bit by producing some incredible records early in their career that are tough to live up to, so they are a bit sensitive about it. No worries with Ogre Tones though, their are no real clunkers on this album, even though many of the songs are very short. Half of them aren't even over 3 minutes long. It's almost as if the band is trying too hard to craft the perfect hit single. And hit singles abound, at least in my book. It's unfortunate that, short of a music industry miracle, most people never will get the chance to hear them. My only real beef with King's X is their hesitancy to show off their fantastic chops these days. They write some beautiful songs that have catchy choruses (like If, which would be a hit if enough people could hear it), but the prog rocker in me longs for more virtuosity in their tunes.
Bebop changes the tempo, and sounds like something off of Dogman. Wagener does a good job of wringing the best out of these guys. Even though several of the songs suffer from somewhat trite lyrics, they still come out sounding solid and meaningful. Bebop is a good example of that. Honestly is a Ty Tabor acoustic song, perhaps not as poignant as The Difference, but it is beautiful nonetheless. Open My Eyes kicks things back into gear with a heavier sound, although its really kind of a forgettable tune. Freedom is a song they recorded once before, and its a solid tune with a potent spiritual message. Get Away is a song to God, which unfortunately contains an f-bomb (Hey God, I watched the news today, why are your people so f**n mean?" ). It's not a bad song though, despite its apparent lack of reverence, asking God where he goes to get away from it all. Sooner or Later is one of the best tunes on the disc, and it features a nice extended noodling guitar jam at the end. Mudd is supposedly about Doug's uncle who didn't have a wrinkle on him well into his 80's, although it could be about Doug's good friend Dimebag Darrel who was fatally shot at a show last year. Its a great tune, reminiscent of some of the more powerful songs on Faith Hope Love, with strong vocal harmonies on the chorus. Bam is a throwaway tune featuring some old circus performer voice over type thing. The bonus track is a new version of Goldilocks, one of King's X classic tunes. All in all, this is a strong record, and King's X always has something new to offer, well worth a listen, even if the spiritual meat in their lyrics has been lacking of late. {dt}
Solo Stuff
Ty Tabor also shreds on his work with Platypus and the Jelly Jam, classic prog bands with members of the Dregs and Dream Theater, and his mellower-than King's X non-prog solo hard-pop album Moonflower Lane (or the web-only pre-release Naomi's Solar Pumpkin which I like even better). His solo album Safety is a more pop than prog. Doug Pinnick has released a solo album under the name Poundhound entitled Massive Grooves From the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Rock Music. It's pop-metal with a heavy vibe, and a low end that will massage your kidneys, and songs that stick in your head. You can find the official home page of King's X at: http://www.kingsxrocks.com or everything you need, including lots of songs at http://www.myspace.com/kingsx {dt}
King's X steps back into the limelight with their latest release from Inside Out Music, XV, which is their strongest album in some time. The songs are catchy, powerful, and well produced. The signature harmonies, crunchy guitars, and solid drumming that always defined them are here in spades, as are the spiritually minded lyrics that drew so many into their fold into the late 80's. Through personal struggles and life choices, over the last decade King's X lyrics have drifted a bit from championing faith, hope, and love, and toward a somewhat cynical view of faith that may have alienated a component of their earlier fan base (although they may have gained some new fans that were less spiritually minded). Now they come full circle and address their spirituality head on this powerful new album. "XV" was recorded and mixed in Nashville with famous produce Michael Wagener (Skid Row, Alice Cooper) at the helm, and the fine production values shine. The only real drawback is the days of the progressive opus are over for this band, who now stick to mostly safe territories musically, with short and sweet songs, although they pack much more creativity in than the average radio fare. However, Ty Tabor's classic blistering guitar solos are unfortunately few and far between, which is a bit of a bummer for us prog heads.
The album kicks off with Pray, which is a challenge to all those fans out there that may have complained about their change of spiritual direction that came on the heels of bassist and vocalist Doug Pinnick coming out as being gay. Since I know several gay people that hungrily pursue a relationship with God despite their orientation, that didn't really alarm me, but some fans didn't cut Doug much slack. Pray makes it clear - if you think you are better off than they are or closer to God than they are, then don't complain or criticize them, -- pray for them. That's about as real and upfront as it gets. Not only that, but the song rocks, and the chorus sticks with you. Things slow into a bluesier direction with Blue, which could really be a big radio hit if it got the right airplay - its very Lenny Kravitz-like. From there, one of Ty's best vocal songs ever carries you off. Repeating Myself is a classic, dreamy piece punctuated by Ty's acoustic guitar picking. This song is a highlight, spacy and esoteric, with lyrics that paint a picture of a lonely couple that is content in their own little dream worlds. Doug takes over the lead vocal duties again for Rocket Ship, which is a solid power-pop number with some crunchy guitars thrown in here and there. Julie sounds like Jerry Gaskill is singing, and its a departure that almost sounds like Tom Petty, which is an odd comparison for King's X. Definitely a better song than anything Tom could come up with, although its a bit short. The next tune is Alright, which I think was their first single released. Its a faster, heavier song that is perhaps a bit repetitive. The chorus "One day it's gonna be alright" is pretty generic, but the positive message behind the song rings home, and it is definitely catchy. Its another solid tune from an album that really doesn't have any clunkers. Broke is a really funky tune about personal debt and credit cards, and Doug once again channels the inner preacher latent inside him (he really was born to preach) to exhort the listener to put their hand on the record player and receive their freedom from materialism addiction with the help of the power of the Lord. Its a very moving song, and you can feel the spirit moving strongly. The next song is a Ty tune, and I usually like his tunes the best. Not this time though, as I just Want to Live is just too touchy feely self help let your sensitive side show and the words sound a bit like reading someone's recovery diary. "I am learning to cry again, I'm afraid but its wonderful" is just not something you really want to sing along too, although I certainly respect Ty's freedom to sing about whatever he wants. He does play a couple of tasty guitar licks on it though, and its not a bad song all in all. Next is far and away my favorite tune on the album, Move. This is one of those King's X songs that gets in your blood, and you can't get enough of it. The groove is perfect, and when the chorus kicks in, you really can't help but move. This time its Doug railing against close minded moral folks who try to force their ethical values on everyone around them. Beating someone over the head with morals never changed, them, and I seem to remember the bible saying something about not judging other people. In the lyrics, I hear Doug saying that he is moving forward in his personal relationship with God despite the fact that there are some people who do their religion in a way that can repulse the average man. "I'm going to move on and turn the light up, and spit out the disease, and I hope that love can survive God wars and system beliefs. " I can't disagree with that. It is really great song, and Doug brings things full circle with the struggles he' s been through, able to approach his faith in a new way. The next song is a Ty song, I Don't Know, where he basically apologizes for being too preachy with people in his life in the past. It seems he has realized he really doesn't have all the answers, as none of us truly do. But we do have lots of questions, but that's another story. "Please forgive me if I said anything to you that gave you the impression that I knew more than you." Its an honest statement that sounds like its is coming from someone that knows he is imperfect and human, and yet had come out of a place where he perhaps saw himself as being somewhat spiritually arrogant. While I don't think its that necessary to apologize for believing in something strongly enough to share about it, sometimes getting something off your chest and coming clean is a good thing, especially if you feel like you may have offended people. Stuck in the Middle has a blistering Ty solo, and seems to be about some of life's spiritual struggles. Go Tell Somebody is hugely rocking call for the listeners to spread the word on the music, baby! Finally they cut loose musically a bit, although the chorus is pretty simple. I can see that song being a concert closer here and there. Love and Rockets (Hell's Screaming) is a brooding song, referencing genocide and hell screaming for those who abuse children through war. It is sort of a departure from the band musically, but the song really grew on me the more I listened. No Lie closes the album out, a bonus track that sounds a bit more like a demo, but its actually a really great, poppy song that even the Beatles would be proud of.
The bottom line with the new King's X album is that is a great collection of rocking songs, full of the trademark King's X sound that made them a household name, at least among all the musicians I know. And I like what I hear, so I am hear to shout it from the rooftops. If you are a fan of King's X, or would like to be one, buy this new album. {dt}
Koinonia; Celebration; Frontline
What happens when a bunch of celebrated jazz studio musicians decide to put a band together with their Christian peers and let loose? Awesome jazz-rock fusion, that's what. These guys met playing for Keith Green, and they cut their chops playing for some of the best. Abraham Laboriel is a monster bassist, and he really lets loose, especially on the live Celebration album. Alex Acuna, a veteran percussionist from Weather Report, brings a latin flavor to this jazz/rock/fusion outfit. Add guitar great Hadley Hockensmith, Justo Almario, and Bill Maxwell, and you got yourselves an incredible jazz-rock fusion band. One highlights is their incredible cover version of Michael Omartian's Pilgrim's Progression live on Celebration. {dt}