For the past few years, prog legends Twelfth Night have been raiding their archives. Their cassette only release ‘Smiling At Grief’ has seen a much-loved expanded CD reissue, while their classic live albums ‘Live At The Target’ and ‘Live & Let Live: Live at The Marquee’ were afforded a wealth of bonuses on thoughtfully created deluxe sets.
Tag Archives: prog
Watch ‘Merry Christmas’, the new video from Big Big Train
It’s been a long journey for Big Big Train. From early gigs and their first proper album ‘Goodbye To The Age of Steam’, the elusive ‘Bard’, work with vocalist Sean Filkins and beyond, their first decade or so was about constant growth and change. While often recording great material, it seemed the band just couldn’t settle. With the release of ‘The Underfall Yard’ and the addition of vocalist David Longdon to their ranks, the band’s fortunes changed.
Camel tour dates! ‘Moonmadness’ to be played in full!
Given Andrew Latimer’s intermittent approach to work over the past decade or so, a rare sighting of Camel is always something to rejoice. In September 2018, Camel fans have reason to be very excited when the band will embark on a short run of dates and the live set will include their 1976 masterpiece ‘Moonmadness’ played in full. The full list of dates and other details can be found in the press release below.
DIG DEEPER – In Central European Time
Taking cues from late 60s psych and various trippy Americana bands from more recent times, Norway’s Dig Deeper are a curious hybrid of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pink Floyd, Richmond Fontaine and a half remembered garage band from eons past. ‘In Central European Time’, the band’s third full length release, often plays like a dark road movie for the head and should appeal to fans of the aforementioned, possibly even those familiar with fellow Scandinavians The Bloakes, Trevor & The Joneses and King Black Acid.
WORLD TRADE – Unify
Mixing prog, pop and AOR, the first album by World Trade is somewhat of a cult classic. Showcasing Billy Sherwood’s multi-layered sound, the record is essential listening for fans of ‘Images of Forever’ by Cannata, ‘90125’ era Yes and ‘Hold Your Fire’ era Rush. Given it’s technical approach and sophisticated choruses, it’s no wonder Billy became a member of the Yes family tree a short time later. Six years on, a second World Trade album appeared, but ‘Euphoria’ seemed to not quite match expectations. Maybe it’s because both Guy Allison and Bruce Gowdy had founded AOR band Unruly Child with Marcie Free in the interim and had other interests; maybe it was just a difficult second record. The record, while enjoyable, lacked the focus of the debut and re-used tracks that Sherwood had previously demoed with Chris Squire alongside other material.
With Sherwood having other projects taking his time and also taking on the unenviable position of full time bassist with the ever-touring Yes in 2015, and with Gowdy and Allison having commitments with Unruly Child, it seemed we’d heard the last of World Trade…and then a third album appeared somewhat unexpectedly on Frontiers Records in 2017.