Author Archives: alanjones

Album review: RICHARD SHINDELL – Careless

RICHARD SHINDELL - Careless

Continental Song City [Release date: 9.09.16] Richard Shindell is one of those enigmas whose talent is in reverse proportion to his commerciality. A native New Yorker now residing in Buenos Aries, he is a contemporary singer-songwriter of the highest order … Continue reading

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Quick plays: AMPHETAMIN, GADI CAPLAN, PREACHER

AMPHETAMIN - A Flood Of Strange Sensations

AMPHETAMIN – A Flood Of Strange Sensations There is so much good progressive rock coming out of France at the moment with bands such as Delain, Lazuli, Black Noodle Project and The Last Embrace well worth checking out. Also well … Continue reading

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Album review: KATATONIA – The Fall Of Hearts

KATATONIA - The Fall Of Hearts

Peaceville [Release date: 20.05.16] There are occasions aren’t there when only a quietly muttered ‘wow’ really does justice to whatever you’re experiencing at the time? There was a moment halfway through track 6, ‘Residual’, that I thought ‘I’m in the … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOE BONAMASSA – Cavern Club, Liverpool, 27 June 2016

The Best of 2016

Photo: David Munn I remember seeing Joe Bonamassa back in 2006 at the ‘Pacific Road’, a small venue in Birkenhead, England, and I recall thinking at the time, and I know it’s a cliche, but ‘greatness beckons here’. He absolutely … Continue reading

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Album review: BEN CRAVEN – Last Chance To Hear

BEN CRAVEN - Last Chance To Hear

Tuneleak Records   [Release date: 29.03.16] Ben Craven is an Australian multi-instrumentalist – self-described as a ‘cinematic progressive rock singer-songwriter’. ‘Last Chance To Hear’ is his third studio album to date following ‘Two False Idols’ in 2005 and 2011’s ‘Great … Continue reading

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Album review: RIKARD SJOBLOM – The Unbendable Sleep

RIKARD SJOBLOM - The Unbendable Sleep

Gungfly   [Release date: 10.02.16] Rikard Sjoblom, for the uninitiated, is the multi-instrumentalist frontman for Swedish avant-progressive rock darlings Beardfish. He was also the prime mover behind Gungfly, who briefly piqued interest from the music press a few years back and … Continue reading

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Album review: JADE VINE – Mind Of A Man

JADE VINE - Mind Of A Man

Self released – Release date: 26 February 2016 You know you’re onto a winner when the wife shouts from downstairs “What’s that you’re listening to? Sounds good” And she’s right – this is good. Very good. Jade Vine are a … Continue reading

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Album review: TONY PATTERSON – Equations Of Meaning

TONY PATTERSON - Equations Of Meaning

Esoteric Antenna  [Release Date: 26.02.16] It must be very difficult if your day job is vocalist for a Genesis tribute band to sound like anything other than said progressive rock Gods. But is this necessarily a bad thing? There is … Continue reading

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Album review: BRUCE SOORD – Bruce Soord

Bruce Soord

K-Scope   [Release date: 27 November 2015] The cries of “oh no, he’s doing a Steven Wilson on us” may have been the first reaction of progressive rock luminaries The Pineapple Thief’s legion of fans when hearing that said band’s … Continue reading

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Album review: KIAMA – Sign Of IV

Kiama - Sign Of IV

Tigermoth Records  [Release date: 02.02.16] Alongside Steven Wilson, Rob Reed must be one of the busiest men in the field of progressive rock at the moment. As well as his day job as leader and creative inspiration of the wonderful … Continue reading

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Album review: OLLOCS – Outer Edge

Ollocs - Outer Edge

Self released  [Release date: 24.10.15] Okay, let’s get the issue of the name out of the way first. Ollocs. What were they thinking of? Ollocs, whilst lending itself to a myriad of infantile jokes (I was thinking of giving it … Continue reading

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Album review: YUKA & CHRONOSHIP – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles

YUKA & CHRONOSHIP - The 3rd Planetary Chronicles

Cherry Red Records [Release date: 25.09.15] There are times aren’t there when all the planets align to produce something a bit special – er, no pun intended… Essentially the band of keyboard virtuoso Yuka Funakoshi, Yuka & Chronoship have been … Continue reading

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Album review: TANGERINE DREAM – Out Of This World (Vinyl Edition)

TANGERINE DREAM - Out Of This World

Invisible Hands Music [Release date (vinyl): 11.12.15] Released in memory of Edgar Froese, founding member of the legendary electronic rock pioneers Tangerine Dream who sadly passed away in January 2015, ‘Out Of This World’ is a compilation of the band’s … Continue reading

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Album review: THE SKYS – Journey Through The Skies

THE SKYS - Journey Through The Skies

Self-released  [Release date: 06.11.15] Following up The Skys’ 2012 release ‘Colours Of The Desert’ (which was excellent – with a few caveats), Lithuania’s finest return with ‘Journey Through The Skies’ which, in the same way as ‘Colours’, is another tremendous … Continue reading

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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Liverpool Philharmonic, 17 November 2015

THEA GILMORE - Liverpool Philharmonic, 17 November 2015

I have been following Thea Gilmore from the early days of her career when I heard her being championed by Bob Harris on his Radio 2 Saturday show back in the late nineties. I’ve seen her develop from a bile-spitting … Continue reading

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Gig review: Y&T – The Tivoli, Buckley, N. Wales – 8 November 2015

Y & T - The Tivoli, Buckley, 8 November 2015

The old Ferrero Rocher TV ads used to have the line “Why, Ambassador, you spoil us” – and this could certainly apply to the mighty Y&T playing at our little Tivoli venue in Buckley. The ‘Tiv’ as it’s colloquially known … Continue reading

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Album review: JOHN HACKETT – Another Life

JOHN HACKETT - Another Life

Esoteric Antenna Records   [Release date: 25.09.15] Although it must be difficult to carve yourself out a career when you are the sibling of a high-profile and much-revered performer, John Hackett has made more than a mere niche for himself … Continue reading

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Gig review: RIVERSIDE, SIXXIS, LION SHEPHERD – Ritz, Manchester, 22 October 2015

Riverside - Ritz, Manchester

With their superb new album, Love, Fear And The Time Machine to promote (check out my review), Riverside have been on tour since the end of August, taking in North, South and Central America as well as Europe. They rolled … Continue reading

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Gig review: IQ – The Met, Bury, 26 September 2015

 IQ - The Met, Bury, 26 September 2015

IQ have been at the forefront of home-grown progressive rock since the release of their debut album ‘Tales From The Lush Attic’ in 1983. They first came to my attention in 1989 (oh God, was it that long ago?) with … Continue reading

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Album review: THE TIRITH – Tales From The Tower

THE TIRITH - Tales From The Tower

Convergent Recordings  [Release date: 30.09.15] Ah but had this album been released in 1970 – it would have been up there with the finest progressive rock albums of the day and the band lauded by ‘Sounds’ and ‘New Musical Express’ … Continue reading

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Album review: THE LAST EMBRACE – The Winding Path

THE LAST EMBRACE - The Winding Path

Longfellow Deeds Records  -  [Release date: 20.04.15] Is there something in the water in France at present? For years our Gallic brothers have singularly failed to produce any progressive rock of any note, or at least any that registered on … Continue reading

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Album review: RIVERSIDE – Love, Fear And The Time Machine

RIVERSIDE - Love, Fear And The Time Machine

Inside Out Music [Release date: 04.09.15] From the opening strains of the twelve-minute opus ‘The Same River’ from the fabulous ‘Out Of Myself’ album in 2003, Riverside have been in the vanguard of the 21st century resurgence in progressive rock … Continue reading

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Album review: INNER ODYSSEY – Ascension

INNER ODYSSEY - Ascension

Self-released [Release date: 16.06.15] Over the years, Canada has produced relatively few bands that have made any sort of impact on the world of progressive rock. If you put to one side Rush, Saga and, from the very early days, … Continue reading

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Album review: RAINBURN – Canvas Of Silence

RAINBURN - Canvas Of Silence

Self released  [Release Date: 31.10.14] Progressive rock music has rarely been in ruder health than it is at present, with exceptional music arriving from all corners of the globe – both to rattle the cage of complacency of western Europe’s … Continue reading

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Album review: EXOVEX – Radio Silence

EXOVEX - Radio Silence

Self-released: www.dalesimmons.com  [Release date: March 2015] Greenville, South Carolina. Hardly a town known as a creative hub for progressive rock one wouldn’t have thought – but, something is stirring in downtown Greenville and all fans of the genre had better … Continue reading

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