Genesis were an essential part of the 70s prog scene. Along with Pink Floyd and King Crimson, their early catalogue is a complex one that, decades after its original release, just keeps giving. Their albums released between 1969-76, covering their most progressive tendencies are albums whereby it’s almost possible to hear something new, some subtle touch lurking in the back of complex arrangements, whenever listening – the bits that really strike chord changing, dependent on mood and surroundings.
Tag Archives: prog
THE BIG GENESIS POLL, Part One: The Prog Years
At Christmas 2014, the BBC broadcast an updated Genesis documentary ‘Together & Apart’. It had been some time since the previous feature length document of the band had been pieced together – 1992’s excellent ‘A History’ – and so, any focus on the much neglected Ray Wilson era and the ‘Calling All Stations’ album was anticipated by fans. As well as including interviews with the five members of the classic 70s era in the same room, this was to be event television for the Genesis fan.
Big Big Train to reissue ‘Bard’ as 5.1 deluxe edition
Having spent the first part of their career defining their sound and dealing with shifting line-ups, prog band Big Big Train struck on a winning formula with ‘The Difference Machine’ and ‘The Underfall Yard’, before cementing their popularity with the expansive double set ‘English Electric’.
First released as two separate albums and then a deluxe set, ‘English Electric’ saw the band gain a much bigger fan base and increased press coverage. For those who’ve discovered the band in more recent times, there’s one part of the BBT history that’s absent.
ANDREW DANSO – Fly EP
In 2011, Devin Townsend released his fourth “project” album, ‘Ghost’. A record heard by millions, it combined ambient-ish qualities with a mellow style that showed off a very relaxed side of the man who once gave us skull-crushing metal as frontman with Strapping Young Lad. Around the same time that those millions were getting (rightly) excited about Devin’s ‘Ghost’, somewhere in Northern Ireland, guitarist Andrew Danso had not long finished work on ‘f i n d’, a collection of largely instrumental soundscapes which appeared to share more than a few traits with Townsend’s record, but approached atmospheric music with an even spacier slant. The album, unsurprisingly, slipped under the radar of most of the people who really should’ve heard it, as is the plight of many an independent musician.
Rush ‘Fly By Night’ blu-ray audio disc coming soon
2014 began a comprehensive Rush reissue programme with a deluxe replica repressing of the band’s 1974 debut LP.
Rush fans will be pleased to note that 2015 is set to bring a whole host of Rush reissues, when their works between 1975-1988 get the heavyweight vinyl treatment, each with a download code. ‘Fly By Night’, ‘A Farewell To Kings’ and ‘Signals’ will also be released on blu ray audio disc.