Classic Rock/Progressive Rock Review: Styx-Pieces of Eight-SACD Ltd. Numbered Ed.

Release Date: September 29, 2017

Label: Audio Fidelity

Website

Styx has always been one of my favorite bands, they still are and always will be. So, what is it like to be a lifetime fan of a band and you are still listening to their music? It holds some meaning for folks like myself. The music never sounds old or outdated and you are not expecting anything different…well sometimes it does happen. 

Consider this point, what is like for a music fan to hear the music they have been listening to for the last 30 to 40 years and suddenly it all sounds crisper, brighter, and clearer than ever before? Well, I can tell you it can be a revelatory experience to hear this music in the SACD format. 

The SACD release by Audio Fidelity last September of Pieces of Eight rocks and I heard things I have never heard before. This is what this format is intended to accomplish. I am here to tell you the job was well done (again) by Audio Fidelity. I am little late to the party but nevertheless I am reporting in to all of the respective lifetime rockers and audiophiles.

Pieces of Eight was a multiplatinum release and with good reason. The music offered radio friendly rock at the time and it was also a nod to the progressive elements of the band. The prog sounds came through loud and clear for this listener, however when I first heard it as a teenager I thought it just rocked. Which it did and still does, I just became older and more educated somewhere along the way.

Pieces of Eight is a very strong release right up there with the high echelon of prog rock releases like Grand Illusion but it rocked a bit harder. So, dare I say more metal this time around? It is there, all of it in its raging glory - rock, metal and prog. Anyone that liked to crank up the tunes can appreciate all of those genres coming together in an explosion of sound. 

That felt good to get all that off my chest and let y’all know how I really feel about this music. So, get yourself a copy before they run out again, even if you have all the other formats, you need to hear this SACD!

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

January 11, 2018

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Tracks: 
01. Great White Hope
02. I'm O.K.
03. Sing for the Day
04. The Message
05. Lords of the Ring
06. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
07. Queen of Spades
08. Renegade
09. Pieces of Eight
10. Aku-Aku

Prog Ensemble Tautologic Releases Re:Psychle An Album of Songs About Chicago

Chicago, IL - Tautologic will release Re:Psychle, a CD of songs inspired by real-life Chicagoans. Beginning in early 2018, Re:Psychle will be available through the band's own label - Turtle Down Music (http://www.turtledown.com) - and at Tautologic's live performances. The album will also be available as a download from Bandcamp, CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon.

Based in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Tautologic bandleader Ethan Sellers is an alumni of the University of Chicago. Written within blocks of the University and the Obama mansion, Sellers' songs for Re:Psychle document people he has met around the Chicago area.

Addiction and mental illness color many of their stories, and the lyrics open up windows on a host of topics - veterans' issues, tension between religious belief and a secular society, addiction, conspiracy theories, materialism, mental health, celebrity culture, and the need for re-connection with nature.

Says Ethan, “Re:Psychle is a multi-layered title. It's obviously a pun on 'recycle,' which is sort of a cheeky reference to the fact that the album took so long to come out that it might seem like we were recycling old material. 'Re:' also means 'about' - and it's about 'psychle,' which is a portmanteau of 'Psych' (from the Greek for breath, spirit, or soul, with modern connotations from the field of psychology) and cycle, both in the sense of things that repeat and the mode of transportation. Indeed, two songs on the album revolve around bicycles, including 'The Choirboy,' about an acquaintance who was convicted of robbing 10 banks in 7 states, using only a bicycle as his getaway vehicle.

“In the end, 'Re:Psychle' is about problems of the spirit that keep coming back.

“My goal with these songs was not to present a parade of local oddities, but to use real people's struggles to highlight issues with wider resonance.”

U.S. and European reviewers have compared Tautologic's songs to Genesis, Gentle Giant, Beatles, and Fairport Convention - and Re:Psychle will no doubt expand upon that impressive list of comparisons. In addition to Tautologic's potent 6-piece lineup, Sellers's arrangements for strings and woodwinds add musical color. Special guests include members of Grammy award-winning chamber group Eighth Blackbird and Grammy-nominated acid jazz band Liquid Soul.

Sellers engineered the recording at his own studio space in Hyde Park (Chicago, IL), with additional tracking taking place at Rax Trax Recording in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. The album was mixed in 2006 by Grammy-nominated producer Rick Barnes at Rax Trax and mastered in 2017 by Grammy-nominated engineer Randy LeRoy at Airshow Mastering. For the 11 years in between, Sellers postponed the album's release while starting a family and weathering the Recession as a professional musician, but the band continued to perform.

Jim DeRogatis of NPR's Sound Opinions radio show calls Tautologic's music “an impressively ambitious example of virtuosic musicianship and deft arrangements navigating myriad sounds and styles without ever losing that essential melodic thread or propulsive rock drive.”

In support of the band's new release, Tautologic will play several shows before heading back into the studio. They have a follow-up that's about 80% recorded.

Sellers concludes, “We seem to be at a turning point - politically, socially, economically, culturally, and economically. The price of repeating the same mistakes (recycling them, as it were) is getting very high. People who struggle at the margins are often 'canaries in the coal mine' - they can tell us how the everyday toxicity of modern life hurts the most sensitive of us. It's up to us as a society to listen to their stories - not simply dismiss them for their foibles - and work to make a liveable world for everyone.”

Purchase direct from Turtle Down Music: http://turtledown.com
Band site: http://www.tautologic.com
Album info, lyrics, credits, back-story, videos, etc.: http://repsychle.tautologic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tautologic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tautologic/playlists

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Innovative Guitarist Jon Durant Releases Solo Guitar Album "Parting Is"

Boston, MA - Following three acclaimed CDs with his group Burnt Belief, Jon Durant has returned with his first solo album since 2011's “Dance of the Shadow Planets.” Unlike his previous solo albums, however, “Parting Is” is a completely solo guitar album.

A deeply emotional and personal record, “Parting Is” takes the idea of a solo guitar album and transforms it into a stunning sonic landscape of texture and color. Many of the sounds on the album bear no relationship with traditional guitar, but there are no synthesizers employed at all. Everything is played by Jon Durant on guitars (with Durant also playing fretless bass on four pieces).

Durant commented: “In recent years, I have been spending a lot of time away from people and places I love very much. My two boys are out of the house, one graduated college and the other is a senior in college this year. We have a wonderful time when I get to see them, but then they go away and there is a bit of a pang as we part. Also, we have a second home on the other side of the country (Portland, OR) where I spend a fair bit of time, and is also where much of this album began. Frequently my wife will join me for a long weekend, and I will stay on for another week or so, and of course there's the sadness when we part. What is reflected in this music is the sweet sorrow that comes from this parting - recognizing that it's temporary but still longing for more time together.”

About the music, Durant stated: “On most days, one of the first things I do is grab a cup of tea or coffee, and begin to experiment with my guitar. The music that comes out is not done with any intention of becoming a composition, or a recording, but is rather more of a meditation. However, a friend heard a brief recording of one such piece and asked why I didn't record more of them. When I began to do so, I felt a pattern was emerging that might be worth exploring.

“Many pieces begin as loops that I would play a melodic lead over. I recorded several of these, then began to deconstruct the loops and record the various parts as separate components which could become less loop like and more dynamic and flowing. The track, 'Open Window' is a perfect example of how that played out.”

That track, “Open Window” also provides an opportunity to explore the unusual sound and textures that Durant creates. The primary guitar which began as a loop is an electric 12 string. From there, multiple electric 12 string parts were layered in a minimalistic way. The melodic guitar is a fretless electric guitar, and the low tones (which sound a bit like the old Moog Bass Pedals) are generated from the fretless guitar. Also, swirling around in the background are Jon's unique cloud guitar sounds, notes which hang in the air like clouds with no discernable beginnings or endings.

There are three solo cloud guitar pieces (“Clouds in Advance”, “Before the Rain Falls” and “Willamette Fog”) and two pieces which remained as a loop with lead guitar over the top. “The Room Where She Waits” is a loop of electric 12 String and the lead is fretless guitar. On “Evolve in Place”, the loop is an electric guitar with fretless guitar over the top.

Guitarist Jon Durant brings a unique sense of texture and melody to his instrument. His distinctive “cloud guitar” soundscapes and engaging lead work have graced numerous CD recordings and film soundtracks. As executive producer of Alchemy Records, he produces recordings for internationally acclaimed artists in his small home studio. Alongside Durant's six solo albums and three Burnt Belief records (with Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree), Alchemy has also released albums by artists Michael Manring, Gary Willis, Leni Stern/Wayne Krantz and others.

To Purchase Jon Durant's “Parting Is”:
https://www.amazon.com/Parting-Jon-Durant/dp/B077319LXV
https://burningshed.com

Video for Burnt Belief, “Ghosts Aquatic”:

Video for Burnt Belief, “Dissemble”:

Video for Burnt Belief, “Semazen”:

Jon Durant's official website: http://www.jondurant.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

"The Who and I" by Tony Klinger Box Set, Book and Memorabilia Now Available For Pre-Order

Pre-order Limited Edition Box Set Signed & Numbered by Tony Klinger at https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/the-who-and-i

London - Tony Klinger, renowned producer of The Who's “The Kids Are Alright” film, has started a PledgeMusic campaign for “The Who and I” Box Set, Book and Memorabilia. The Box Set contains Tony's new book “The Who and I,” an audio book / CD, reproduced memorabilia, and a reproduction of “The Kids Are Alright” press kit and photos!

“Angry management, crazy people, women jumping naked out of giant cakes, fireworks going off in your hand, trips to the Pleasure Chest, run ins with Steve McQueen, afternoon teas with Ringo Starr, drunken sessions with Rick Danko of The Band, hotels demanding money up front before we checked in, travelling, constantly travelling, all the while trying to juggle schedules, money and egos, that's what I remember from my time with the Who when I was making a film, 'The Kids Are Alright' with, for and about them.

“The packaging of 'The Who and I' project accurately and faithfully represents the flavour of our project and the time we originally created the film, 'The Kids Are Alright,' and that forms the central themes of this project.

“I want to tell this story because there are so many of us, you and me included, who love rock music and film, who should know what really goes on, and this book tells it like it is. 'The Who' are the icons of both the sight and sound of My Generation. They sounded and looked angry and it wasn't an act. 'The Who' were among those who invented Mod England, which forced the world look up and pay attention. Their energy demanded your focus, whether it was Townshend's duck walk borrowed with love from Chuck Berry, his skinny whirling arms bashing out the chords, or Roger Daltrey swinging his microphone, more a weapon as he marched to the beat punched out by the bass played with metronomic intensity by the Ox, John Entwistle or the only drummer I ever saw who could lead a melody line, the maniacal Keith Moon.

“And then when you got past the image there was the music, that brilliant, original and fantastic music. How could such sounds spring out of such chaos? The answer is that it's the chaos that creates those sounds, that environment which enables a different view, a special sideways on look at our world that is so dynamic, true and genuine that we all have to take notice.

“'The Who,' maybe more than any other group epitomise that special rock lifestyle of danger mixed with brilliance to create a bubble of such power that we all want to see and listen and share.

“'The Who and I' was originally known as 'Twilight of the Gods.' So I am qualified by dint of knowledge about the group. More especially I know the men who make up the band and the originals who no longer get to go on stage because they're playing bass and drums with the celestial choir.

“Like most of you I am a fan, I remained a fan despite sometimes wanting to wring their collective necks! It’s well known and I documented the fact that we didn’t always agree with each other, in fact it would be more accurate to report that we hardly ever did so.” - Tony Klinger

To pre-order Tony Klinger's “The Who and I”  Box Set, Book and Memorabilia: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/the-who-and-i

Also available “The Kids Are Alright” Film Screening and a one off original Tour Jacket!

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Gleb Kolyadin, The Virtuoso Iamthemorning Pianist, Releases His Debut Self-Titled Solo Album and Premieres First Track "The Best of Days" Feat. Steve Hogarth of Marillion

Debut features guest performers – Steve Hogarth, Gavin Harrison, Nick Beggs, Mick Moss, Jordan Rudess

Following the success of two highly-praised albums with Iamthemorning, Russian virtuoso pianist Gleb Kolyadin affirms his musical authority with his debut, self-titled album on Kscope, on 23rd February 2018.

The record features a staggering who's-who of performers, including: Gavin Harrison (King Crimson / Porcupine Tree) on drums; Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson) on bass; Theo Travis (Robert Fripp / Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson) on flute and saxophone; the unmistakable voice and lyrics of Steve Hogarth (Marillion) alongside Mick Moss (Antimatter); and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) on additional keys.

“Gleb is an extremely rare talent as a pianist and as a composer. His compositions are very inspiring as he breaks new ground on the instrument.” - Gavin Harrison (King Crimson / Porcupine Tree)

The first track to be revealed entitled “The Best Of Days” features the instantly recognizable vocals from Marillion's Steve Hogarth. On the collaboration Steve comments, “Gleb is a beautiful pianist and a great musician. I was invited to collaborate on his new solo album and my mind was made up as soon as I heard the music.”

Watch the lyric video for “The Best of Days” Featuring Steve Hogarth:

Gleb Kolyadin, Album of the Year winner with Iamthemorning for “Lighthouse” at the Progressive Music Awards 2016

“Gleb Kolyadin” is an emotive exploration of self-identity; a story of two parts with interweaving leitmotifs. The album's central concept weaves through an elaborate tonal and thematic structure, built around the extraordinary rhythm section of Gavin Harrison and Nick Beggs, which is accented at its focal points by guest appearances from Steve Hogarth, Jordan Rudess, Mick Moss and Theo Travis.

“The single greatest pianist I've ever met in my life.” - Daniel Cavanagh (Anathema)

The album is a collaborative piece with each musician recording their own parts separately, starting with Gleb recording himself on grand piano in Moscow Winter-Spring 2017 at the famed Mosfilm studio. The album was mixed and engineered by Vlad Avy, who also previously worked on the two Iamthemorning records. Gleb Kolyadin will be released on CD / LP and digitally and is now available to pre-order: http://smarturl.it/GLEB_KOLYADIN_ALBUM

“Gleb Kolyadin is a rare talent. A virtuoso classical pianist with tremendous compositional skills… believe you will find the listening experience quite breath taking.” - Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson)

“Gleb Kolyadin” Tracklisting
1 Insight [04:12]
2 Astral Architecture (featuring Mick Moss) [06:30]
3 White Dawn [02:33]
4 Kaleidoscope[05:52]
5 Eidolon [02:12]
6 Into The Void [01:46]
7 The Room [04:13]
8 Confluence (featuring Steve Hogarth) [10:22]
9 Constellation / The Bell[03:23]
10 Echo / Sigh / Strand [02:29]
11 Penrose Stairs[05:04]
12 Storyteller (featuring Jordan Rudess) [03:20]
13 The Best Of Days (featuring Steve Hogarth) [03:24]

Follow Gleb Kolyadin: https://www.facebook.com/iamthemorningpage/ ;

Kscope: 1st floor, 52 Lisson Street, London, UK NW1 5DF

Press inquiries (North America): Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Indo-Fusion Guitarist Rahul Mukerji's Debut Album "Ma De Re Sha" Receives Rave Reviews!

One of the most impressive albums of this year by Indo-Fusion guitarist Rahul Mukerji has been garnering enthusiastic reviews from the music press and fans alike worldwide! “Ma De Re Sha” was released in May 2017 and the response has been no less than astounding!

Says Rahul, “It has been an exhilarating experience seeing the positive reviews flood in and to see the album featured in prominent magazines and music outlets. I'm very grateful to the fans and people who helped make this album the success it has become.”

Rahul is a guitarist/musician based in Maryland, USA. Born in India, he has been performing live for over fifteen years. From dive bars and weddings, to crowds of thousands opening for the B-52s, he has had a varied performing career that has included gigs in Chicago, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., and India.

Rahul has been featured on a wide array of recordings. His original pieces were featured in the short indie film “Tokyo Confidential.” His music was also featured on international and national radio stations and his compositions have been featured in various fractal and traditional animations videos and used in the official score for the Fractal Forums web episodes.

Rahul was featured in various publications like Songlines magazine, Pipeline magazine, and in 2008 Guitar Player Magazine Editors' Picks. He is also a guest Guitar Instructor on the Shred Academy website. In addition to music, Rahul is also an accomplished visual artist and regularly exhibits his work in the Washington metropolitan area. From the traditional to the digital domain, Rahul utilizes a wide array of mediums such as wood engraving, spray painting, pencil sketching, and computer fractal renderings.

From the source inspiration, to the concept, writing, arrangement, and its actual making, this project is truly a reflection of unity in diversity. This world fusion rock guitar album brings together flavors of Indian music, Middle Eastern percussion, jazz, ambient, rock, and metal. The compositions and the arrangements were inspired by interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life, all filtered through the prism of Rahul's own multicultural upbringing between East and West. The actual making of the music involved coordination with musicians and mixing/mastering engineers living in the US, Germany, Spain, and France.



Here's what the press have been saying about Rahul Mukerji:

“His expressive guitar playing through 'Ma De Re Sha' demonstrates a dizzying range of technique and tone, while the compositions make a highly electrified fusion mix that borrows from Joe Satriani as much as John McLaughlin. These dynamic instrumental pieces stay most firmly rooted in rock mode, though it's an adeptly malleable one that always has room for exotic motifs. Mukerji's fretwork in any mode is fluid and buoyant enough to make his excitement contagious, and the result is an album happy to weave and blend all those elements until it's easy to forget they're so different at all.” - All About Jazz

“Indian born / Maryland-based guitarist Rahul Mukerji is making waves with his 2017 CD called 'Ma De Re Sha.' Rahul's music is very cinematic and his fleet fingered guitar work sounds influenced by masters such as Jeff Beck, Jan Akkerman and Al DiMeola.” - Pipeline Magazine

“Ambitious, varied and at times full of energy, 'Ma De Re Sha' has the feel of Indian cinematic music more so than Indian classical music.  And it is really good...the breadth of his interests and potential that makes this an exciting debut.” - Amardeep Dhillon, Songlines Magazine

“This cat can play. Many influences can be heard, but I want to give Mukerji more credit than that. He takes those influences, and in some cases, is an improvement over them. I highly recommend 'Ma De Re Sha' be listened to immediately and often thereafter.” - Walter Kolosky, Author and host of the Jazz Rocks Podcast

“...Perhaps the best parts of Mukerji’s playing are the emotional buoyancy and lightness of being that run through his writing and playing, even the heaviest parts. His melodies and grooves flow through the ears and leave behind a sense of bold and positive creativity. This makes him an emerging artist to contend with, one who should do well even beyond the guitar community. Buy this record tonight!” - Mike O’Cull, IndieBandGuru

“...a vertiginous mix of tasty colors. 'Ma De Re Sha' is a rapture throughout announcing the advent of a new force on the fusion scene.” - Dmitry M. Epstein, Let It Rock

“... twelve succinct tunes that showcase his compositions and chops, brilliant melodies and inventive arrangements, one foot in his Indian culture and the other foot firmly in American instrumental rock, drawing influences from both and freely superimposing them on each other...There's a lot of variety among these dozen cuts to absorb, all performed with impeccable power and precision.” - Peter Thelen, Exposé Online

“Mukerji combines powerful rock guitar hero licks with jazz-rock fusion, Middle Eastern beats and Indian music influences. He also uses a note bending technique that gives it a South Asian flavor and sets him apart from western guitar players.” - Progressive Rock Central

“Mukerji is an amazing guitarist and instrumentalist who is drawing comparisons to players as diverse and acclaimed as Joe Satriani, John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Steve Vai on his 13-track debut 'Ma De Re Sha.'” - Sights and Sounds of Note

“...an effective set with some impressive guitar playing” - Gary Hill, Music Street Journal 
 
“...a fusion album of the highest quality of musical excellence.” - Exclusive Magazine

To purchase Rahul Mukerji's “Ma De Re Sha”: 
https://rahulmukerji.bandcamp.com/
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RahulMukerji

For more information: http://www.mukerji.us

Video links: 
Youtube Channel Shortlink: https://goo.gl/GfCfj0
Album teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtlsgYBEBeI
FB page Shortlink: https://goo.gl/YYbPUe

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

New Book "Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to the Dark Side of the Moon" By Bill Kopp To Be Released February 15, 2018!

Asheville, NC - Available February 15, 2017 from Rowman & Littlefield Publishing: Bill Kopp's new book “Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to the Dark Side of the Moon.” In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Bill Kopp explores ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded themselves following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett's departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans.

“Reinventing Pink Floyd” follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, a general restlessness and—most importantly—a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality.

“Knowledgeable, well-informed, conscientious, and sensitive. Bill has written about what really matters. Bill's book is a great read, and well worth the price of admission.”— Jerry Shirley, drummer for Humble Pie

This exciting volume guides readers through the works of 1968 through 1973, highlighting key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd into their historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.

“Bill Kopp's excellent analysis of Pink Floyd's post-Syd, pre-arenas era performs a valuable service to the Floyd canon.”— Joel McIver, bestselling rock author

The book draws on archival interviews and reviews as well as many new and exclusive interviews with Peter Jenner, Ron Geesin, Steve Howe, Jerry Shirley, Davy O'List, Willie Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock and many others.

“Combining research into their classic albums and a wealth of little-known and unofficial recordings with astute and entertaining analysis, Kopp generates fresh insight into Pink Floyd's formative years. Even longtime fans of the band will be surprised and enlightened.”— Richie Unterberger, author of “Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll”

Bill Kopp is a lifelong music enthusiast, musician, collector, and music journalist. His writing has been featured in music magazines including Bass Guitar, Record Collector, Prog and Shindig! (all in Great Britain), as well as Billboard, Electronic Musician, Goldmine, Trouser Press, Ugly Things and more than a dozen alternative weekly newspapers. He is the Jazz Desk Editor and Prog Editor at BLURT online, and has written liner note essays for 20 albums, including titles by Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Larry Coryell, Edgar Winter, Rick Wakeman, The Ventures, Dave Mason and Iron Butterfly. He has interviewed several hundred musicians and music industry figures of note, and his musoscribe.com blog has features thousands of music reviews, essays, interviews and features.

“Reinventing Pink Floyd” will be available February 15 from independent bookstores and Amazon, but pre-ordering direct from the publisher saves 30%.

Author Bill Kopp is available now for interviews, and will be scheduling readings and book store appearances around the publishing date.

More information: 
http://www.reinventingpinkfloyd.com
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538108284

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com