SITE UPDATE: Almost 100 reviews!

Importing old reviews is going pretty well, although we encountered a delay over the last weekend. Even so, we are up to nearly 100 reviews of various awesome stuff. MORE TO COME.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight

"My favorite Marillion album."


This is Marillion's stunning album about the trials and tribulations of a life in the camera's eye and the price of fame. Lots of variety, but it never drifts away from the classic Hogarth-Marillion sound - that is, lush and atmospheric arrangements, swells of emotion, and of course, awesome guitar solos from Rothery. The band's command of its vast, ever-expanding musical vocabulary is so complete, and its sense of purpose so clear, that I've come to realize that Marillion is able to realize practically any direction it wishes to go.

Afraid of Sunlight is nothing like the to the grand, emotionally wrenching big-hearted rock of which mastered with Brave, and nothing like the pop-inflected Holidays In Eden. Afraid of Sunlight is minimalistic, heavy with keyboards, and relatively hookless. The album and introspective, atmospheric, moody, with progressions that are hard to grasp. But at the same time, it's instantly enjoyable. The album encapsulates the sensitivity and the beauty of Marillion better than ever. If I had to complain, it would be that the album is mostly lugubrious through and through, with no uplifting finale. Even Brave seemed to have a happy ending!

But whatever, right? This is Hogarth-Marillion's crowning achievement in terms of songwriting and musicality.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Brave

"Probably Marillion's most ambitious work."

It was fifteen months of work that led to the completion of this record, which is in many ways the most 'progressive' thing the band has done. It is the touching story of a disillusioned young girl who runs away from home, attempts suicide, gets picked up by the police, and learns a thing or two about life and love. The story is told through a non-linear approach with intermittent flashbacks establishing the shattered emotional state of the story's protagonist.

After dabbling with pop for Holidays In Eden, the band headed in a challenging art-rock direction for this release, the most challenging of the Marillion catalogue (from Fish or Hogarth eras). The album features several moments of subtle beauty, emotion tumult, and brash hard-rock (some of the more audacious Marillion songs are on this album). The production is subtle and the arrangements are richly textured. Brave's music is not complicated, but it is densely layered with myriad sounds (more so than any other Marillion album).

For this reason, the album is only truly appreciated at high volume levels or with headphones. For instance, the lengthy instrumental passage on the 12 minute "Goodbye to All That" appears meandering, but headphones reveal considerable depth and ingenuity in the composition. The band adds a quick note in the liner notes, "Play it loud and with the lights off." This is definitely a must (although a candle might be handy so you can read the lyrics - it will still preserve the mood). Even saying that, I think the dynamic range of this album is just too extreme. Some parts are so quiet as to be nearly inaudible if you are listening at a "regular" volume. That's annoying, but I don't think it's a fair criticism in and of itself, because Marillion wasn't intending this to be for casual listening. Basically, it means you can't really listen to this album in the car without a lot of fiddling with the volume.

This is a wonderful album. Certainly one of the better discs from the Hogarth days.

FILM REVIEW: Gladiator

"Well, there is a really cool chariot battle!"

Gladiator has somehow garnered adulation. It snagged the Oscar for Best Picture, which I find interesting but the Academy Awards have generally followed a logic I cannot grasp. It made lots of money, and collected a lot of critical acclaim. But even after watching it (twice), I steadfastly stick to my conclusion that Gladiator is not a great movie...not even a good one.

Gladiator holds promise for a heroic story with a liberal dosing of Classical-Era battles. In the end, I am left with a feeling that the film is a blatant retread of Braveheart and other more successful varieties of the "hero fighting for freedom and revenge" plot. Our hero, Maximus, spouts several turgid speeches that sound like Braveheart-lite, and his lack of emotional power render his recitations tepid and uninspiring. Maximus' forgettable dearth of emotionalized feeling when his family is mercilessly slaughtered is really pathetic. Crowe's entire role is too halfhearted (he won the Best Actor Oscar!), helped little by the cheesy script. Don't even get me started on the implicit affection between Maximus and the emperor's sister, which was so contrived as to be painful.

The battle scenes are ambitious in their orchestration, but ultimately they are filmed poorly thanks to erratic camera movement that forsake clarity or the exhilarating involvement of, say, Saving Private Ryan, where the chaos is internalized with the camera technique. Admittedly, the chariot battle is stunning, with its genuine sense of urgency that the filmmakers captured here. But why didn't they do it for the rest of the movie? It doesn't help that the different battles seem like disparate events unforgivingly adhered to an existing story line to add violent physical conflict. Like when he fights while surrounded by tigers, it doesn't seem cool or interesting, it just seems like they said, "It would be cool if there were TIGERS in this movie!" What Maximus is fighting for becomes unclear amidst the series of battles, which lack fiery emotional intensity that SHOULD be present when someone is fighting for freedom and revenege. One area that deserves accolade is the incredible sound. All around, you can hear arrows whiz by, the cacophony of clashing steel, and anguished screams. Very impressive!

And then comes the big kick in the face: the woeful anticlimax. I won't go into detail, but prepare to be disappointed. Suffice to say, Maximus becomes a martyr, but what did he accomplish? Bad, regurgitated speeches? Passionless action? Great work!

Gladiator may have been a better movie if it had been thirty minutes shorter, cut out the sordid insinuations of romance, and had more chariot battles. But when you're making a big Hollywood blockbuster, you've gotta have reams of dross (cheesiness, lame insinuated love interest) to guarantee it sells.

FILM REVIEW: Crash

"Well made, interesting premise -- but execution falls flat."

This movie always appealed to me because critics said it was "gross" and I like Cronenberg and James Spader. Crash has been derided for gratuitous sexuality and the lack of a conventional story arc. But beneath the "repelling" qualities is a compelling movie that sadly suffers from a few artistic excesses that hurt the experience. This film is definitely unusual and weirdly fascinating (and certainly disturbing at times). The amort color scheme (think noirish and dreamy) augments the passionless nature of the characters, who are deliberately acted with a lack of emotion, with sparse dialogue. The gloomy soundtrack is good as well. These qualities are all effective, as they accentuates the unhappy nature of the characters.

This is a strange, sad flick about a group of people who cannot experience pleasure, and find ways to vicariously heighten their zest by enjoying a unique fetish revolving around bloody car accidents. These neurotic people try and rationalize their woeful lives, but by the film's end it becomes clear that they cannot be truly liberated from their distressed condition. Note how the (many) sex scenes are not remotely titillating, because the characters engage them in such a torpid manner. Even the car accidents are calm little smashes. Thematically, the film asks what gives us pleasure, and where is the line between pleasure and pain?

While it's interesting to ponder, in the end I was left with more of a love-hate feeling. The film waxes the artsy elements a too much and feels boring and redundant. Beating a dead horse is no fun, and there's many scenes that just seem to repeat each other. There is a lack of development and causes me to lose interest. About half of it is genuinely effective, but the rest is plodding. I know that's the point, but I think some more attentive work could have made it more effective in the end.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Permanent Waves

"One of the best rock albums ever."

It is with Permanent Waves that Rush began to shed their progressive trappings and garner more interest beyond the steadfast progressive crowd. Geddy Lee began to sing at lower ranges, complexity was trimmed, but excellence was preserved. It is a precursor to Moving Pictures; a bridge between their recondite progressive rock days and their immersion in the mainstream. But while most transitional albums merit dismissal, Permanent Waves remains one of the band's best releases, accessible to the band's aficionados from their progressive era or their lush pop/rock days.

"Spirit of the Radio" and "Free Will," both recipients of lucrative radioplay, prove that songs can be commercially accessible without sacrifice. Neil Peart's superb lyrics lift "Spirit of the Radio" from a mere tribute to radio in Toronto to something markedly intelligent (he could always make something simple seem deep), and it features some of rock's most memorable guitar riffs. "Free Will" is an anthemic piece with inspiring individualist lyrics and an energizing solo by Lifeson.

Beyond the album's most recognizable songs, there's plenty of great material. "Entre Nous" is a love song with brains, all the better because it never uses the word love (all of the best love songs eschew the word, I find). "Different Strings," featuring some piano during the chorus, is a pretty song, and my favorite of the band's ballads. "Jacob's Ladder" is one of the band's most mysterious compositions. The stormy arrangement is dense, with swirls of synthesizers and fierce, chaotic riffs. The epic "Natural Science" is the closest thing to their previous epics, written in three movements and covering plenty of musical ground, from the enigmatic opening, to the futuristic-sounding mid-section, to the anthemic finale. It's as good as anything they ever wrote.

In the end, Permanent Waves is a rock milestone. A remarkable synthesis of progressive rock and commercial music, although there's nothing really commercial about it. Just great music, plain and simple.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - 2112

"Totally awesome rockin' prog and memorable sci-fi story of heroism."


2112 was an important album for Rush, because it combined with breadth of scope that they'd previously flirted with combined with tighter songcraft. Not to mention, absolutely memorable proto-prog-metal rockin' awesomeness. Up to this point, it was their best album. It was also their breakthrough record (well, comparatively speaking), and showed that lots of people would like a twenty minute epic if it was done so well.

2112 is NOT a concept album (a lot of people mistakenly label it as such). Anyone who says it is has the burden of showing how the title track is at all related to any of the other songs. Trust me, no such connection will be made unless you've hit the bong about 1000 times.

In any case, the big title track does tell a heroic story about one man who fights for individualism in a collective world. Ostensibly inspired by Ayn Rand's novella "Anthem," it uses a frightening sci-fi setting to tackle the good old debate of the individual vs. the collective. For the first time, the band writes an epic that seems about half as long as it really is, with inflections of driving riffery, soft acoustic moments, and virtuoso proficiency throughout. Reams of ear-catching riffs drench the "Overture," and the song progresses through its seven movements of rocking euphoria. This SOB is one of my favorite Rush songs ever, and it's the one that really got me turned onto the band.

The rest of the album is pretty good, but "2112" is what this disc is all about. A must own rock album.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Hold Your Fire

"Attack of the 80s Part III."

Sure, the unequivocal 80s pop sound is evident here, like synth-soaked songs, the vocal stylings, and whatever else. That's not inherently bad news, however. You see, unlike most progressive rock bands, Rush fared well when the 80s sucked them in (Yes or Genesis, on the other hand, were turned to crap by the 80s). There is nothing tremendously distinctive about the songs themselves, other than the fact that the writing is very high caliber all throughout. Hold Your Fire is similar in sound to Power Windows, but it rocks a little less and shines a bit more often from track to track. I can empathize with the prog rockers who were PO'ed when Rush went in a very commercial direction, because it can be frustrating when a band goes through radical changes. I dig this record though. Neil Peart maintains his reputation as rock's best lyricist, while Lee's continued flirtations with synthesizers yields some effective results. Some people say "Damn you, Lee, drop the keyboards and pick up your bass guitar!" Cripes, listen to the album! It's full of dexterous bass playing, and combined with Peart's drumming it rounds out one of the best rhythm sections around. I kind of feel sorry for Lifeson, who is one of rock's most original guitarists but whose role on this album is diluted (although he provides an awesome solo on "Mission" and some vital energy on "Force Ten" that make that song so great, and some great ambient chords on "Tai Shan"... and lots of other cool parts, so whatever). Although I've never really warmed up to "Turn the Page," I dig this album... and this is from an overweening progressive rock fan. So, I give Hold Your Fire 5 stars.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Holidays in Eden

"Marillion goes pop and does it well."

Call me crazy, but I sincerely enjoy Holidays In Eden. I won't deny that it's commercially directed, a bit streamlined, but when the quality of the music is this good, who cares? This may be one of the few glowing reviews from a Marillion fan, but it deserves it. It is still characterized by good old Marillion attributes (awesome guitar solos, ambient arrangements, and lots of emotion), but it's diluted a bit by the pop endeavor.

Highlights include hook-laden "Cover My Eyes," with Hogarth showing off his deft vocal acrobatics, "Splintering Heart," a dramatic piece of classic Hogarth-Marillion (it's even a bit "Fishy"), the peppy title cut, and the radio friendly triad "No One Can," "Dry Land," and "Waiting To Happen." My favorite song would be "The Party," the moving story of a young girl who attends her first party (of the drugs, drinking, and promiscuous variety), and loses an element of her innocence as a result. A generic little idea that's made markedly compelling thanks to interesting lyrics and sad, atmospheric music. The final song, "100 Nights," also proves absorbing when given the attention ('cause it doesn't grab you right away). Under-appreciated, but many great things are.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Hemispheres

"Awesome Rush."

Rush's days of progressive rock hit their zenith with Hemispheres. It was big, bold, pretentious, orchestral...and it rocked. The incredible piece, "Cygnus X-1 Book II," proved that the band had mastered the epic format. Written in six movements, tied together by thematic unity, and telling the story of the philosophical conflict between reason and passion, it is possibly their best epic. Here, the band combines classical music's sense of space and monumental scope with rock's raw power and energy. The mixture of loud and soft passages and crescendos do more than add to the dynamics of the arrangement, but also perform well in translating the emotion of the composition, which is important given the song's philosophical overtones. Eighteen minutes never went by so fast...which is complimentary. It takes considerable skill not to make an epic seem long, and even more to make it seem short. This is especially laudable in Rush's case, since they don't have the added dimension through an emphasis on keyboards that most progressive bands have.

Side 2 of the album features two short songs and a 10 minute instrumental. The short songs are stronger than most that have preceded this album. "Circumstances" is a classic short Rush song (they have so many!), characterized by Lee's trademark shriek (really high on this one!), tight riffs and a great melody. "The Trees" is another favorite. A forest is used as a metaphor for socio-economic issues. Corny? Nope, just really smart. The serene interlude complements the natural setting, with some inventive percussion from Peart. "La Villa Strangiato" is what the band called "an exercise in self-indulgence." Ten minutes of awesome instrumental virtuosity that affirms the skill of the band. They say it's pompous, but the song is good enough that non-musicians can still appreciate it. Lifeson's guitar solo here is one of the all-time best Rush moments.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory

"MY MAGIC SWORD!!!"

Now I'm the jerk who wrote the reviewderiding Rhapsody's exceedingly foreign vocals and cheesy lyrics. While I stand by that assessment, it was unfair for those characteristics to denigrate Dawn of Victory's rating. So this is meant to be a more "fair" review.

Rhapsody's story of fantasy adventure is something that generates emotional fuel. Even if the story is very generic, what counts is the feelings that come through. Metal bands these days are turgid and excessive in their negative attitudes, and Rhapsody's feeling of heroism is refreshing and pleasant. And, this is just my opinion, but I'd rather listen to songs about dragons and warriors than drinking beer, driving a truck, or having the hots for the girl at the office.

Rhapsody feels no embarrassment when tackling songcraft of this type. So it's the "good" kind of campiness. Because they are so enthusiastic about what they are doing, their energy is certainly infectious, aided by their excellent musicianship and Luca Turilli's incredible sense of melody. Many of these songs have the hooks of pop, but the energy and intensity of heavy metal. However, Rhapsody's inclusion of symphonic elements makes it something else entirely. Operatic choirs, REAL strings (not keyboards), among other things, all add credence to the band's style.

Unfortunately, the band seems to have lost some of its creativity since their previous release, Symphony of Enchanted Lands. SoEL is more creative, with greater ebbs and flows of diversity, and more interesting orchestral passages. While Dawn of Victory is still very good and has several great songs, they are more and more interchangeable with less emphasis on the orchestral side and a heavier lean towards the metal end. That's not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but doing so sacrifices an important factor of originality that they once possessed. Another drawback is the album becomes very homogenous sounding in the second half, whereas the first half has better songwriting and songs sound more variegated. Check out Symphony of Enchanted Lands before you check out this out.

A good album. It's cheesy, but that's part of what makes it great.

GUEST MUSIC REVIEW: Queensryche albums, post-Promised Land

Submitted by: ASTRO CHIMP


Astro Chimp, one of Lord Chimp's allies in the fight for justice, has provided Lord Chimp's Revenge with a comprehensive overview of all Queensryche's albums since Promised Land, which we regard as their last really great album. So is everything since then as bad as some people say? The answer is: probably not! Read on to find out more.

___________



I little while back I kinda ripped on Queensrcyhe, and I think I want to moderate that opinion a bit. Now, Queensrcyhe was clearly at their best up to Promised Land. But I think that if one gets over expecting them to be a progressive metal band (which they only really were on a couple of albums anyway), and just take them as being a hard rock/metal band that will always keep you on your toes, then there's been some good stuff since. I'm going to take the time to go through their albums since Promised Land, since many people have not given them much attention due to a more-or-less knee-jerk reaction.

Hear in the Now Frontier




Ok, this one is not that great, There's a couple of songs on it that are nice ("Sign of the Times", "Some People Fly"), but mostly it's blah. And not because it's not metal (remember, I'm disposing of the metal requirement here), but just because it's not very inspired. Maybe there's a few other decent songs in there, but I can never get through it from start to finish (although I do like those songs I mentioned).

Q2K




Well, I know this one gets a bad rap as being "Q2Gay", but I actually dig a fair amount of it. There are some blah songs, and some bad lyrics (typically the ones where Geoff lusts after his wife, which reappears in uncomfortable fashion at times on Dedicated to Chaos), but songs like "Liquid Sky" and "Falling Down" are decent rockers, When the Rain Comes is quite wicked, and "Right Side of My Mind" is a bonafide QR classic. Maybe it's the rock fan in me, but Q2Gay is not all that gay. I do listen all the way through from time to time and enjoy myself.


Tribe




I actually dug this one a lot when it first came out, although now I find it a bit depressing. It has DeGarmo back on it (although he didn't rejoin as a member), and it has some cool songs...but like I said, it's got an overall dark vibe and production that rather than setting a mood gets rather depressing at times. Still, not bad. Not great, but not terrible.


Mindcrime II




This one is actually quite wicked. It has the exact same sound as the first one (they went to great lengths to get the same equipment and relearn tunings, etc...and they did a good job). The one thing that is not so good, especially considering how the original built and built and built to an amazing end...is that there is a substantial section after the middle part, or a few songs, that is just kinda blah...not much happens musically, and I'm not sure what is going on story wise. The disc ends decently, but its the first half that really kicks ass. "I'm American", "Hostage", "One Foot in Hell", "Signs Say Go"...all kickass straight up metal tunes that fit well in a MC sequel. It would be an decent album for old school QR, but it's pretty wicked for new QR. Worth a listen, and goes good back to back with the original. Cannot come close to that original Perfect Masterpiece, though.


American Soldier




Ok, this one is actually wicked. Not like their old stuff (not much in the way of solos and stuff), but it is just wicked. Concept story about the affect of war on people from the view of actual military members and their families (interspersed with actual interviews that the band made), the album claims no bias whatsoever and just lets the people tell their story. Really awesome stuff that totally maintains the spirit of QR from the day, if not the sound. I think this on is really really good, even though it took me years to get around to picking it up.


Dedicated to Chaos






A strange one. The band is afflicted by some wish to be popular again, and is falling into the trap of saying 'people just listen to their iPods on shuffle, so there's no need to make a structured album' and 'groups like Lady Gaga are huge these days, which rely on rhythm rather than guitar riffs and solos, etc...', so that's the approach that we need to try (these are paraphrases, but are admissions that the band made on numerous occasions). There are actually some good songs on it. Get Started is a decent rocker to open up, even if the lyrics are a bit lame, Around the World is actually a sweet ballad that reflects the Beatles calls of "All you need is love" that is actually quite moving, and album closers "The Lie" and "Big Noize" have that QR spirit. And the album sounds great (really nice production). But most of he rest of the songs are kinda blah (I don't claim to know the middle songs very well yet), and some of the songs go back into the Geoff-trap of drooling over his wife...which is just awkward. Nothing wrong with being turned on by your wife...but man, keep it out of the lyrics, dude. Yeesh. I break this disc out every now and then, but its a case of tune in to the good stuff, tune out during most of it.

They're already working on their new one (prolific!), so hopefully Wilton has his way and they put guitar melodies and riffs back in...it doesn't have to be metal, just more inspired and less lame lyrics! There's so much fucked in the world now, socially and politically, that this should be QRs time to shine!!!

So yeah, as a rock fan I don't mind Q2K, MC2 is pretty wicked for about half of it, and I actually dig American Soldier a lot. Maybe also because I come from a family with lots of military service, my wife is in the military, I have a strong interest in military history, and have long considered joining (I know, that clashes hard with libertarian views...what can I say), but I don't think so...it's just a really cool album.

Anyway, thanks for reading my thoughts! Love QR.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - 90125

"Negative review from loudmouth prog fan with an arrogant opinion."

This should have never been a Yes album. Chris Squire and Alan White had the right idea when this project was started as a new band called "Cinema." Unfortunately, things got ugly when this turned into a Yes project. As such, this comes across as quite lame compared to Yes' glory days, when they were a band that was once known for their brilliance and their originality.

That said, it is not entirely fair to compare it to classic progressive rock albums. But even compared to any good intelligent pop music, 90125 is too cheesy for my tastes. The album waxes insipid lyrical subjects and corny keyboard sounds that gave 80's pop a bad name. The rocking songs have no hooks, and the ballads lack the beauty that made tracks like "Turn of the Century" so pleasant. Strictly on a basis of musicality, the album is average (thus banal) adult pop. I have to admit that a few of the tracks of moderate interest, like "Leave It" and "Changes," but the rest - even the 'classic' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is not enough redeeming material here to make anyone care.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Seasons End

"To lose, to gain..."

Marillion fans must have been freaked out when the band brought in Steve Hogarth to replace the idiosyncratic Fish. It seemed that the band was toast when Fish took off, taking his uniquely expressive voice and his amazing poetic faculty with him. His influence on early Marillion music was unquestionably big.

But Hogarth's first outing with the band collectively removed most fans' apprehensions. Although Hogarth lacked Fish's poetic abilities, he suited the band perfectly with his fine vocal abilities and remarkable emotional expression. The music is the classic neo-progressive stuff that the band does so well, and the band retains its ability to touch the listener in myriad ways. Hogarth-Marillion's lyrical subjects are less personal than Fish's, and tackle social issues (like "Easter," which implores for peace in Ireland, or the title track, which explores environmental spoliation in a pretty way), but they are emotionally intuitive nonetheless. The album is perfect if one disregards the rather trite "Hooks In You," a fairly standard pop song that represents the album's weakest moment (fortunately it's less than three minutes long). Rothery's solos are as elegant and emotive as ever, and Kelly's keyboards add an important layer of beauty to the songs.

There's song highlights aplenty. If you make a CDR without "Hooks In You," you get one of Marillion's best albums, from either era.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

"Mystical and beautiful."

I can imagine the time when this album first came out. Yes fans must have praised the album for its daring, its ingenuity, its LENGTH. Now I can imagine things ten years later, with rock critics ridiculing the album for everything from its mystic lyrics, pompous songwriting, indulgent musicianship... everything for which progressive rock has been derided. Even Yes' diehard fans have decidedly mixed feelings regarding this epic work. To them, it could be the pinnacle achievement of Yes' estimable career, or it could the be the most unnecessarily grandiloquent prog album EVER.

On occasion I've tried to empathize with those who dislike this album, thinking that perhaps their criticisms have some merit. Still, I can't get over the fact that this is truly excellent work. I think the music is simply sublime, many of the most wonderful passages that Yes ever recorded. Not as cohesive as the epics on "Close to the Edge" (still my favorite Yes album), but certainly more dynamic, it takes countless listens to fully appreciate. Even 25 years after its release, I'm still finding new elements to this richly absorbing work.

It's all anchored by that awesome rhythm section of Alan White's drums and Chris Squire's mammoth bass guitar, while Wakeman's lush synthesizers add ambiance and depth, and Steve Howe's guitar artistry is sophisticated and engaging. Jon Anderson's trippy lyrics and soulful, elf-ish singing are topnotch. Although the lyrics are mostly confusing, I believe their meanings are meant to be vague. They rely on surreal and romantic imagery to generate feeling in the listener in musical context. It doesn't really matter because the lyrics attain an emotional connection regardless of what they are actually about. I've always believed that Yes' individual elements are impressive, but less important than the unified result of their efforts.

The songs could enjoin a complete review for each one, as each song is brimming with depth and complexity. "The Revealing Science of God" is absolutely spellbinding. From the moment you hear the unmistakable thematic development in the vocal section at the beginning, you know it's going to be something great. A mostly placid epic that occasionally drives into fast-paced energy. Approaching the song's finale, this one climaxes with a mind-bending solo from Wakeman. Cryptic lyrics focused on metaphysical objective values (I think; who really knows?) are tied some of the group's best arrangements.

"The Remembering" is a standout for Rick Wakeman. There's moments of fierce swirling synths and mellotrons, and him and Howe alternately repeat the song's main theme on different instruments. Lots of memorable melodies here, and the song gets pretty intense at times (like the "Relayer" passages).

"The Ancient" is the most difficult song to appreciate. But it is the best song on this album. Its heavy focus on abstruse instrumentation bores many people. That alien guitar tone and the clattering percussion is an amazing combination! I'm a huge fan of music that implements Eastern influences, and this track is filled with them. The band shows incredible versatility in their endeavor to underscore the idiosyncratic beauties of these cultural influences. Towards the end of the song, Howe's acoustic wizardry is displayed. Awesome!

"Ritual" is a sprawling piece that is very symphonic at times. A lengthy instrumental passage opens this one, and just when you think the track is starting to meander, it gets back on track. This one never gets too pretentious, and it's beautifully melodic and excitingly played and arranged. At the 15-minute mark, there's this unforgettable orchestral interlude with devastating percussion and harrowing strings (synthed, of course). The ending is gorgeous, with clean electric guitar/piano interplay and Anderson's delicate vocals.

Like complex jazz, some of Yes' music is far too esoteric to be appreciated by everyone. That's perfectly fine. I don't consider myself intellectually superior to the many who have no taste for this admittedly convoluted work of music. Still, it moves me, it engrosses me, and it never bores me. It may not tap the conventional spirit of music, but to me, that's part of what makes it special. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Honestly, I think that 'prog fans' who don't like this album just don't have TRUE PROG LOVE in their hearts.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Close to the Edge

"A timeless prog masterpiece."

I think it's great that Yes fans have such diverse tastes when it comes to their favorite albums. This shows that the band appealed to many different people on many different levels. One thing that's common from fan to fan, however, is that most favorites come from the glory days, those between The Yes Album -- when their progressive leanings began to appear in earnest -- and Going For The One -- when they started toning down on the experimentation. The reason is simple: during these years, Yes produced some of the best and most important progressive rock albums ever.

I like or love all of these albums, but to me, Close To The Edge is a big notch above the others in terms of supreme quality. This is Yes at their zenith, as a unified band brimming with originality. I still listen to it frequently, proving that great music oversteps trends. This sucker is a true masterpiece.

"Close to the Edge" is one of the band's best and most cohesive epics. I also think it's the most difficult to describe. The instrumentation is so wonderfully eclectic, and yet the music works so well together. The effect is only comparable to an orchestra, where each section works with others, aspiring for the overall effect, not individual elements. The ultimate synergy. Howe's compelling guitars create a hypnotic effect, while Wakeman's sublime flourishes serve as both an symphonic backdrop and a commanding lead instrument. Bruford's unique jazzy drumming affixes the solid rhythm section, and Squire's low-end bass rumblings straddle the line between maintaining rhythm and functioning as another lead instrument. The cacophonous opening that sunders the serene nature sounds is wonderfully crazy, with time signatures only a supercomputer could notate correctly. The lovely middle section "I Get Up, I Get Down" is beautiful, with Wakeman's soaring organ bringing it to its climax, then segueing into his incredible keyboard solo. The song culminates as it returns to its main theme with uplifting vocal harmonies that never fail to give me goose bumps.

This masterful work brings side one to a close (irrelevant on CD, of course), but Yes keeps you riding on that musical high for the next two songs.

I don't consider "And You and I" a love song, but somehow it's very beautiful, almost romantic. There's something imaginatively lovely about lines like "And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning | And you and I reach over the sun to the river." The song begins with the simple charm of Howe's acoustic guitar and Anderson's folksy melodies. The song climaxes not once, but twice, as it goes through the two main themes. I think Anderson's delicate vocals are the highlight here. Awesome, awesome song.

"Siberian Khatru" is a cool tune. Some Eastern influences merge with gutsy rock n' roll, making for a snappy song that's remarkably catchy for such an in-depth piece. Lots of tight harmonies and intermittent melody shifts make this great song better.

Critics have called Yes' epics fragmented and meandering, but this is one album where that criticism fails. All the songs cohere intelligently, never meandering beyond the song's established musical themes. This album is absolutely perfect.

COMMENTARY: Objectivism

I received an email in response to my mini-review of Objectivism.

"CHRIS U", a guy with a physics background, writes:

Hmm, very interesting...I don't have a strong enough either philosophical or economic knowledge base to be able to discuss most of this (no time at the moment to read Mises since I've got to read engineering instead...but one day, and one day soon).

I always enjoy discussing Metaphysics in terms of proper Physics...I took a Metaphysics class (which was gay) with a few fellow Physics students, and we shot every theory the class was discussing out of the water with hard Physics. With the concept of Metaphysical realism, where reality is independent...I wonder about it on two grounds. Looking at in 'Quantum-mechanically', where everything exists as a superposition of all possibilities which is not collapsed to a result without observation, then definitely reality can be said not to exist without a consciousness to perceive it. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Well, until a consciousness measures the sound, it both does and does not, but more importantly until a consciousness measures the existence of the tree, it has both fallen and not fallen (and if you want to progress further it is both there and not there...). It gets a little weird when one expands beyond scientific measurement of electrons and protons and whatnot, but the thought experiments were, i.e. Schroedingers cat and all that. However, how about the fact that anybody measuring the wavelength of the color red, so long as they have established the axiomatic framework of logic and math, will always measure at as 700 nm? They would have at the start of existence, they will at the end...if dogs were smarter they would do the same...it is always the same. In that instance, does it not suggest that reality seems to exist in spit of consciousness or lack there of? If people all died out, so all consciousness was gone, and then robots or something (dumb ones, not Skynet robots) in a med lab found a frozen egg and sperm and recreated a person, and they managed once being born to measure the color red...they would find it being 700 nm...so what does that say about reality?

I'm not sure...I don't really know anything about rationalism, so I might be making an ass out of myself, but it's interesting to discuss! Although I didn't wish to do the actual work of a Physicist for a career, I find Physics to be immensely satisfying mentally...after all, it is determining the very clockwork of the universe! Wicked...

Hmm, now doesn't epistemological empiricism clash with my points about reality (the whole 'red' discussion)? How can perception color the hard sciences when they are based solidly on math and logic, and where measurements are never colored by perception, only by having made the measurement? It seems to me that if one has an actual grip on science, then the first two points of Objectivism clash.

The point about the limited state is interesting, because it always seems like there is a need for some for of a state (mainly, military), and that's a tough one to discuss for me without having read Rothbard's books yet. I know that I am getting more and more fed up with and sick of the state...and yet, I know from reading history that mad men exist. That mad men arise. Weather for lust of power, or religious fervor, or what have you...that evil people appear and will seek to conquer otherwise, seek empire, etc. etc. etc. It's always happened. If that happens in, say, a neighboring region, what does one do if there is no standing military? How does one stop themselves from being victimized and butchered? It seems to be a deep rooted part of human nature that I doubt will ever entirely go away. Will it matter if everyone is living in a free-market society if some religious nut grabs a hold of a pile of fanatical followers, makes a private army, butchers a bunch more people, etc.. and the whole thing snow balls? NOW, I am not advocating the US method of being a peacemaker, and roving the world kicking everyone's ass who doesn't think like them...but again what about defence? If one looks at WWII (and lets not look at the reasons going back the previous half century for the rise of Nazism and all that)...if you look at Poland, they were conquered on both sides by aggressive groups that simply wanted the territory. Having a standing army didn't help them much, no...but being nothing but a free market would not have helped at all. So it seems that it will only work if everyone in the world buys into free-market capitalism at the same time...

I could be making some stupid arguments there, and again I have not been able to yet read the foundation books of libertarianism...and I do truly love the idea, and the bits that I have read of Rothbard (and I watched a lecture as well) he seems fantastically inspiring. But I just wonder about all of that...what are your thoughts?

Thank you for writing. Honestly knowing physics and science is probably, in most cases, better than having a philosophical background when it comes to metaphysics, because at least you can formulate theories that are consistent with hard science, which is on stronger ground than most metaphysical bullshit. And really... what is science, if it is not something that tells us how things work, and what sort of things exist? That is what metaphysics tries to answer. It's not like the two need to be considered in complete separation without reference to one another. To do so, as a crappy metaphysician would be wont to do, would be foolish.

Your point about the wavelength of the color red is important and we can explore that a little further. The fact that reality has an objective reality independent of our individual consciousness does not mean that objective reality is independent of consciousness as such. I would not claim, as the subjective idealists do, the primacy of individual consciousnesses over the "real world." If, like you say, there were no conscious observers at all, then red would still be 700 nm, although practically speaking there would be no one to make that measurement. But if there were, that measurement would be the same for everyone.

I do not think I took care in my previous email to distinguish the two kinds of metaphysical realism and their relation to objective idealism.

I need to clarify two positions:

"Realism" - the view that reality is independent of consciousness.
"Idealism" - (in my nontechnical description) the "stuff" that is in reality is the same "stuff" that is our knowledge in our mind.

These are not, under this formulation, mutually exclusive positions. Properly understood, "objective idealism" is a form of realism. At its most basic level, all realism says is this: there is a reality beyond our individual consciousness, and that the object known is different from the individual mind or thought that knows it. This is fully compatible with objective idealism.

The point where these two positions diverge is when you use a more radical, specific form of metaphysical realism.

This form of realism says, described well by Josiah Royce: "whenever you know any object or being that is not yourself, your object is primarily and logically independent from knowledge. So, whether your knowledge comes or goes, is true or false, your object remains whatever it was." This was Rand's explicit view. It is very similar to Searle's "external realism", and others. It is not an uncommon philosophical position.

So, more radical realist must conclude the "3" I am thinking of is different somehow than the "3" in the three cats I am looking at. But if that is the case, then how is knowledge about the external world even possible at all? This sounds crazy, but this is the consequence of the "radical realist" view -- utter skepticism about knowledge.

On the radical realist theory, our ideas are absolutely independent of their supposed objects, and therefore not linked by any relation -- including causality. The idea has no true relation with its object, and the realist cannot consistently take his own ideas as having anything to do with external "independent" reality. The radical realist theory ends in self-contradiction. It basically makes knowledge about the external world impossible. But we know that knowledge of the external world is possible -- look at the progress of science. So the radical realist position cannot be correct.

Still, there is an "independent reality" beyond our individual consciousness, NO DOUBT. Only subjective idealism denies that an independent reality exists. Objective idealism does not. It merely says that the objects of our knowledge of the external world are the same "stuff" that can be "in" the mind, i.e. reality as such has to be "thinkable." Basically existence and consciousness are abstractions that cannot be understood unless they are basically the same "kind" of "stuff".

As for empiricism, it is easily shown to be self-contradictory. For the empirical thesis that "all knowledge comes from perception" is itself not a proposition that can be known by perception. So there must be some other grounds for justifying knowledge.

As for the limited state vs. anarchism, most arguments against anarchism take the form of "anarchism does not 'work'". If there is no government police or government military, "something bad will happen." But limited government doesn't "work" either. If something bad can happen and that means "X does not work," then any form of government, even strictly limited government, has the same problem. The question is, what would work better? And for that we must consider economic theory -- and economic theory tells us that free markets are always the most efficient way to allocate resources and serve consumers, whereas states are always inefficient. So the anarchist position does not depend on things being perfect, just that it is a) more moral and b) works better economically.

MUSIC REVIEW: Mullmuzzler - Keep It to Yourself

"Great vocals with lots of diverse tracks."

James LaBrie's excellent solo project shows that he's more than just a phenomenally talented singer, but he's decent songwriter as well. He has some Magna Carta fellow travelers joining him to help write some of the tunes, and of course Trent Gardner still struggles to write decent vocal melodies. With Dream Theater, LaBrie's songwriting is rather undervalued among his virtuoso peers, but here you really see another dimension of him.

LaBrie sounds excellent, visceral and strong and confident, far better than Dream Theater's Falling Into Infinity, which was released not-so-long before this. His emotional expression is also impeccable, which is one of the reasons I love Dream Theater so much. Nowhere is this more evident than on the nondescript ballads. Mullmuzzler's trips into the tunnel of love may have been awfully banal had the vocals not brought them up a few notches.

The impassioned opener "His Voice" shows the album's principal feel: melodic metal/rock with a progressive leaning. There's some great quirky moments, like the Zappa-esque "Beelzebubba," with its use of brass, and the audacious "As a Man Thinks," which features melody shifts aplenty, bombastic vocals, and thoughtful lyrics. The sentimental rocker "Guardian Angel" and the mini-epic "Shores of Avalon" are also highlights. Each song offers something different thanks to considerable variety and tight musicianship. Overall, a great disc for James LaBrie fans.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - To Venus and Back

"Good and/or great."

Tori Amos' studio work on this 2CD set is somewhat polarizing. With From The Choirgirl Hotel, Tori fleshed out her sound by adding denser arrangements with the rest of her band. With To Venus And Back, she sticks with this formula but meets with less success. Some of the songs feel overproduced, which handicaps the level of intimacy usually associated with her music. With Choirgirl this worked, but here the results are iffy. Tori doesn't cut loose with her voice as much, there's way less piano balladry, and some of the songs are a little 'ehhh'. However, the album does have its share of highlights. The ethereal, dreamy "Datura" is wonderfully enigmatic. It's to her credit that Tori somehow manages emotional expression with a fairly detached voice. Also, "Concertina," "1000 Oceans," "Bliss," and the provocative "Lust" are almost as good as anything she's ever put to record, I think. My problem is that sometimes she waxes the techno sound a bit too much.

But then we come to disc 2. The live album included is incredible. I've never seen her live, and I'll take for granted that this album is no replacement, but it's great for a live recording. It's full of revelatory moments as Tori radically rearranges many of her songs and boosts the energy level. For some reason, I don't like most live albums on my first listen, but this is my one exception. The haunting "Bells For Her" is entirely different on a piano that isn't all busted. I don't know where "Cooling" comes from, but it's an incredible showcase of Tori at her best: an emotionally intense piano ballad with utterly beautiful vocals. The violent "The Waitress" is extended by six or seven minutes, and it totally rocks. Overall, the setlist (you can see it above) is basically perfect, and Tori's onstage charisma is remarkable. The b-side "Purple People" is one of her best songs so that's good to hear. "Sugar", cut from Under the Pink if I remember correctly, is f'ing awesome.

The studio album is not her best, but the live album is one of the best things she's released. So really, the album on the whole rules.

MUSIC REVIEW: The Flower Kings - Flower Power

"Prog rock. Lots of it."

The obvious highlight of this 2CD set is the massive suite "Garden of Dreams." Normally, this would be enough to satisfy the material for one album, but the Flower Kings better the package with another 80 or so minutes of music. A great deal, at the very least.

The 60-minute epic "Garden of Dreams" is divided into eighteen parts, and they run the aural gamut with countless musical styles. Gothic orchestral moments, straight ahead crass rock n' roll, virtuoso insanity, even some light opera (!), and way more. The suite is easily faulted for a lack of focus...even after several listens you won't pick up any musical or lyrical themes tying it all together. It just seems to disjointed overall. Nonetheless, taking each part on its own, the bits are pretty good. Recall every progressive rock cliché in the world, and you'll see that "Garden of Dreams" exemplifies all of them. Whether that's good or bad is up to you. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more unity or natural 'flow' to give "Garden of Dreams" the feel of a cohesive song.

To many "Garden of Dreams" will be the highlight, but the rest of the album's material is good enough to capture one's attention. Disc 2's eclectic collection of tunes has a lot of great stuff, but I suspect that some people won't like everything that's offered. It's plain to see that the Flower Kings are a peppy bunch, going for positive, happy progressive music over the turgid drama of some other prog artists. The silly ballad "Magic Pie" is delightfully serene (completely weird lyrics though), "Deaf, Numb & Blind's" tempo changes and Eastern chord progressions are fun, while "Stupid Girl" features a great jam moment at the end of song. These are just some of the highlights. There are countless more, but I don't want to get carried away.

As with most prog bands, all of FK's musicians are very tight. Main songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Roine Stolt excels in the art of songcraft. He has a prog musician's knack for complexity and a pop producer's sense of melody. The album is brimming with catchy moments. Even though the lyrics are generic, even silly, in the context of the songs they work. One unique point about the Flower Kings is their use of two lead vocalists, Stolt and Hans Froberg. While Froberg is certainly the better singer, Stolt's vocal stylings are more suited to rock music, while Froberg's voice fits better for the mellower moments (like "Magic Pie" and part 8 of "Garden of Dreams"). I feel that this mix makes certain moments of the Flower Kings' music much more effective.

A good album, but it's very tough to take it all in...after all, there's a lot of material here. For those who love prog-style excesses, great playing, and catchy songs, The Flower Kings have your number. If you're trying this band out for the first time, I recommend starting with one of the band's shorter albums, like Space Revolver or maybe Retropolis. Or just go hardcore and check out my favorite of theirs, the other double-album Stardust We Are.

MUSIC REVIEW: Queensryche - Promised Land

"The last great Queensryche album."

Queensryche has evolved considerably over the past 20 years of their prolific careers. They've gone from fiery heavy metal in the days of their EP to the lush rock-opera of Operation: Mindcrime, to the sublime perfection of the commercially successful Empire, to their current status as a more-or-less generic rock band. In the middle of these last two phases comes Promised Land. Compared to the remarkable accessibility of Empire, Promised Land is a little more unusual, and difficult to appreciate. Living up to the amazing success and quality of Empire is nearly impossible, and I do not envy Promised Land for what it tried to do.

The problem lies in the fact that Promised Land's excellent songs are not as densely packed as those on Empire. Most of the songs are good, but not all the songs are excellent. There are moments of mediocrity that drag the album down from levels of excellence. The superlative production alleviates some of the boredom associated with the passable tracks, as do the thick wall-of-sound arrangements. However, interspersed amongst the middling pieces are some of the best tracks they've ever recorded, including some of the finest lyrics. The acoustic balladry of "Bridge" made for a lucrative single that deserved all its enjoined success. The sad, thoughtful "Out of Mind," the ominous "Lady Jane," and the hard rock trappings of "Disconnected" are all great. The true standouts are the stormy title track, with those monstrous arrangements and the harrowing tone, and the moving closer, "Someone Else?" The latter is the most un-Ryche song they've ever done, consisting only of piano and Geoff Tate's emotive vocals. The memorable piano lines, thoughtful lyrics and Tate's passion are what makes this one special. Tate even strains on a note...guess he's human after all! Without the songcraft to elevate it to pure greatness, the production helps.

A good Queensryche. Mostly great, even. Still, it can't touch the monolithic status of Mindcrime and Empire. In terms of songcraft, those albums are the band's best. But this is still awesome enough for you to care, and wish the band was still churning out this level of quality in its newer material.

MUSIC REVIEW: Iron Maiden - Live After Death

"Live heavy metal at its finest."

A live recording cannot capture the intensity of a heavy metal concert. Comparatively speaking, however, Live After Death does it better than any other live metal album. The raw sound quality belies the fact that this album was recorded in the mid-80s (it sounds better than 99% of all modern live metal recordings). Even better though, is the fact that this concert comes from a time when Iron Maiden, the quintessential metal band, was young and full of energy. I wasn't there, but I can tell that this show was a blast.

Song selection is perfect, encapsulating most of the band's best songs from their preceding studio albums, and each one is impeccably performed, often with greater intensity than the studio counterparts. The mini-epic "Powerslave" definitely gains something special when the crowd screams at Bruce's stylish entry. "Hallowed Be Thy Name"'s tempo is jacked up a bit and the song gains more intensity as a result. This version of "The Trooper" makes the studio version seem tepid in comparison. Then there's "Phantom of the Opera," which is simply incredible with Bruce's sinister intonations.

It's awesome. If you don't buy it, you suck.

MUSIC REVIEW: Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake

"Awesome."

Pain of Salvation is a breath of fresh air beyond the smog of Dream Theater clones. These days, when you pick up a progressive metal album, you can expect some hints of Dream Theaters Images And Words. Most new progmetal bands try so hard to impress that they somehow fail, but Pain of Salvation succeeds by offering a fresh approach. Their debut album, Entropia, was breathtakingly original, but the band's ostensible drive to experiment sometimes made for a disjointed record on the whole. One Hour by the Concrete Lake is -- in terms of songwriting -- the better of the two, but similarly delivers a powerful shot of originality.

In stark contrast to many other progressive metal bands, PoS' music is not presented in a way that the members are showcased as individual stunning musicians. It is their flair for dynamic and innovative composition that makes them progressive, not technique. They establish originality by weaving a plethora of styles and seamlessly shifting between them. This is strongly illustrated by how vocalist Daniel Gildenlow will switch from a vicious metal growl to a quiet, delicate voice with an appropriate musical accompaniment. Sound strange? Indeed, but it works. Over the course many listens, you come to understand the band's frequently switching demeanor, and you get a feel for the band's originality. It can be ruthlessly heavy at times, and can be wonderfully soft and melodic at others. The beautiful chorus of "Water," for instance, juxtaposed with those heavier moments, makes for an engaging listen.

One Hour is another concept album...err, theme album, I guess. It is based more on individual songs and less on the musical unity found in Entropia and their newest [Chimp Note: This review is old], The Perfect Element. There is no story, rather the album is tied together by three chapters making us aware of world issues such as war and environmental concerns. Daniel Gildenlow, the band's principal songwriter, generally works his ideas effectively into the lyrics, but a few overwrought moments border on being silly. For example, in the song "Water": "I never saw the relation | Between myself and world starvation." Dear god that's awful. Cheesy lines like this are impossible to ignore because of singer D. Gildenlow's habit for oversinging. I have seen reviews on the Internet that rip into Gildenlow's political beliefs expressed on this album. Really though, environmental destruction and violence in the third-world are serious problems. Although I disagree with Gildenlow's politics, the lyrics here work for me because Gildenlow presents them fairly evenhandedly. Still, he could use some economic lessons from the Austrian school, har har.

Despite that criticism, Gildenlow is probably the most impressive facet of Pain of Salvation's sound. He's a great singer, and he's improved HUGELY over Entropia. The reason is that he has much more control over his range. Still, he sometimes injects the songs with needless frills that hurt his performance. He often sings unnecessarily high and it just doesn't sound good. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Pilgrim," a lovely ballad (complete with cello), but hurt by the fact that he over-sing the refrain. More tasteful restraint would have benefited the song considerably.

Wow, I sure am critical. After all that, would you even believe me if I said Gildenlow is one of the most amazing singers I've heard? Hmm. It's great that he has refined his vocal stylings almost completely for the band's third album, The Perfect Element, and the fourth album, Remedy Lane.

This is a great CD for progressive metal fans. From the serene opening "Spirit of the Land," to the intense progmetal trappings of "Inside," from the gorgeous "Water" to the exciting thematic development in "Home," from the gloomy, intricate complexities of "Black Hills" to the outstanding "Inside Out," with its blinding piano riff and fervent guitar interplay, this disc has something for anyone who digs the genre...and maybe for someone who doesn't but wants something different.

MUSIC REVIEW: Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I

"Terrific, unique."

Pain of Salvation is one of progressive metal's most promising bands. While I consider myself a pretty big fan in general, I think The Perfect Element (Part I) is probably their most defining album. Entropia was extremely original and mostly solid, but much the album's is kind of all over the place (which works for me, but I like that kind of eclectic stuff). One Hour By The Concrete Lake was an improvement, with better production and songs overall, but it was, dare I say, a little more more "straightforward" progressive metal (relatively speaking, of course! this is no Dream Theater clone!) and it lacked the striking originality of Entropia. Clearly, there was a balance that could be achieved.

With The Perfect Element, PoS has refined their sound, synthesizing the remarkable uniqueness of Entropia and the stronger songcraft of One Hour. Gone are the sometimes awkward herky-jerky musical passages, the needlessly embellished vocals, and turgid lyrics. Here, everything works. No, it's not perfect. But it's damn good.

The band's nature is very eclectic, for they change musical bearing unpredictably. The first tract, "Used," best exemplifies this. It begins with the harrowing coupling of heavy guitars and synths, with vocalist Daniel Gildenlow's dark, fierce intonations. With the chorus, the song undergoes a complete change as it suddenly shifts into a harmonious melody with sharply contrasting "lighter" vocals. (Sound familiar, PoS fans? It's like "!" from Entropia, but better.) "Used" is a pretty extreme example, for the rest of the album is more cohesive from song to song, but the fundaments of this versatile approach remain intact. For those who are new to PoS, this might sound almost annoying. Let me aver that the polarizing course of the music is one of its greatest merits. Why? Because the they does it incredibly well. When a band can blend so many musical ideas so seamlessly and naturally, taking you from hell to heaven and back again, it's definitely stunning.

More so than any other Pain of Salvation record, this one has the most equal balance of strident heaviness and balladry. Soft piano leads, clean electric and acoustic guitars are used as often as heavy guitar riffery. This dichotomy may irk those who favor the aggression to ballads, but this album is best thought of as a whole (it is a concept album, after all). In that respect, the balanced qualities work well.

Daniel Gildenlow's vocals have improved much since One Hour By The Concrete Lake. He still reveals some weaknesses in the higher octaves, but he seems to have a better understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. He has also improved his lyricism. On previous albums they were almost too cheesy and, I don't know... blatant? But now they are mostly just plain good. The poetic aptitude he shows in conveying this deeply emotional story about childhood is pretty impressive. As for the concept itself, the specifics are obscure, but this ensures that a lot of time will be spent unraveling this intricate story. For those listeners who don't care much about the lyrics, the album can be enjoyed simply by riding on the dynamic musical waves...

The album's only fault is its production. The production is actually good overall, but PoS' sound contains myriad textures, many of which are difficult to dissect because the production splatters everything into a blob of keyboards and guitars that is difficult to distinguish if your sound system isn't at least somewhat formidable. The guitar tone often makes it difficult to distinguish individual notes. When Gildenlow sings softy with a dense background of instrumentation, his words can be unintelligible. Similarly, when multiple vocal lines are concurrently sung, making out individual words his needlessly hard. The production is imperfect, for certain, but in other ways the band has never sounded better. The keyboards in particular sound stronger, and the crunching guitars are more raucous, and the vocals are strikingly visceral.

In the end, the production doesn't detract from the listening experience too much, because it is so strong on the whole. Hopefully, The Perfect Element Part II will retain all of this one's merits and tweak the production.

(Final note: If you see this in a store, don't get apprehensive about the band's photo on the back. Sure, they look like Korn or some other "nu metal" band, but the looks are where the similarities end. Enjoy!)

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

"Opaque, confusing... beautiful and perfect."

Is this, the most difficult Tori Amos album, actually the best Tori Amos album? Concurrently seducing and frustrating, Boys For Pele is Tori Amos' easily most complex and enigmatic work. With her previous albums, Tori showed an unashamed pretentiousness in songwriting. Even so, she was consistently able to isolate and preserve the emotional element, making for stirring music that generated a throng of fervent fans. It was her alternately accessible yet eminently deep songs that people loved.

Boys For Pele isn't quite the same. It's confounding, confusing, and challenging. Here, the music is very experimental compared to what we expect, with traditional song structure generally often eschewed, and arrangements are highly varied. There are pianos and rock instruments, but also lots of harpsichords! Tori's idiosyncratic lyrics are complex and strange, heavy on puzzling imagery and surrealism. For many people, the album doesn't seem to work. The level of intimacy ascribed to Tori's previous work is awfully obscure, which may alienate some fans.

Fortunately, this album is worth the work to make it "stick." It is indeed intriguing, and its mystique implores exploration. Analysis reveals that the songs are deeper than they first appear; Tori has crammed enough peculiarities under the surface that it succeeds in making her relentless experimentation highly satisfying. Many moments positively shimmer with genius (particularly on the first two-thirds of the disc), and others are more subtle in their brilliance due to stylish quirks. But it's all good; there's not a single song I don't like. Some songs, like "Professional Widow", are just freakin' nuts. Tori also proves that sometimes all you need is a piano and a voice (and what a voice!) to create some of the most beautiful music around.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tara MacLean - Passenger

"Rather gorgeous vocals with a flat production."


Frequently compared to Sarah McLachlan (who I absolutely cannot stand at all), Tara MacLean is a way better singer and a better songwriter. MacLean's vocals are really quite beautiful, and when performing live she really belts it out and shows her chops. However, this studio album suffers from the lifeless production. The lack of vivacity in the arrangements (too many amort electronic rhythms) doesn't complement the simple charm of MacLean's expressive, ebullient, and clean vocal styling. With just acoustic guitar and drums in live performances, she has a lot more breathing room without some jack-wad producer trying to make her "cool" and "hip". On this album, while she's a lovely singer, it sounds like she's restrained, or holding back. One definitely gets the impression that the producer was putting too much emphasis on a stifling atmosphere. On the haunting slow-tempo tracks this a more tasteful choice, but this aural quality persists on the lively songs and it just bogs down the music. It may seem as if I'm lingering on this complaint. The production isn't TOO bad, it just frustrates me as a listener. The lyrics are decent, not that it's all that important to me anyway, and gives even this bitter listener a thing or two to ponder. Lots of charm in the vocals and songwriting, but the arrangements bring down the overall quality.

PSEUDO-BOOK REVIEW: Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged; The Virtue of Selfishness

As I was importing old Amazon reviews I came across a few reviews for Ayn Rand novels and philosophy books, specifically Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness.

These reviews were written by a younger, less sophisticated me from years bygone, back when I thought Objectivism as a philosophy was very flawed yet at least somewhat plausible. As time passed, I came to understand just how fundamentally flawed Objectivism really is.

So rather than reproduce these old reviews which fail to represent my current views, I will simply offer an overview of why Objectivism is totally unacceptable. But please note that this repudiation does not mean that I don't really like her novels. Atlas Shrugged, We the Living, and especially The Fountainhead are still great novels, whether you accept the underlying philosophy or not.

That said, for the philosophy itself I must emphasize that I am a harsh critic. Like I mentioned a moment ago, it seemed intuitively plausible to me when I didn't know any better, but ultimately I realized that its a tissue of all the most classically fallacious doctrines. You see, Ayn Rand is often said to be a "rationalist" and she talks a lot about the importance of man's ability to reason. But it is important to note that she is not: she is an empiricist to the bone. The entire backbone of her philosophy depends on a rather crude form of empiricism, one that had been satisfactorily refuted utterly by rationalist philosophers over the centuries in many incarnations. So if you accept rationalism, you basically have to reject Ayn Rand's philosophy by default.

Here are Objectivism's core principles in technical philosophical terms, and their explication:

1) Metaphysical realism - that reality exists independent from consciousness.
2) Epistemological empiricism - human beings beings attain knowledge of reality through perception.
3) Ethical egoism and/or eudaemonism - just actions are those where one pursues's one's own happiness ("virtue of selfishness" was one of her books).
4) Political Minarchism - the state should exist, and should provide only military, courts, and police. Everything else should be laissez-faire capitalism. Basically accepts the Hobbesian thesis about a Sovereign being required to ensure people will cooperate so mankind won't kill itself completely.

Now I don't accept any of this at all. I am firmly in the hardcore traditional libertarian-rationalist camp, which has, one way or another, refuted all these arguments long before Ayn Rand ever showed up to say she basically solved every philosophical issue after reading a couple of Aristotle books.

My response:

1) false. The basic argument is this -- If the rationalist thesis is correct, then Ayn Rand's crude form of realism cannot be correct. The rationalist thesis is correct that we attain objective knowledge about reality using our reason. Therefore crude metaphysical realism is false. Metaphysical idealism -- basically the idea that consciousness and matter are really the same 'stuff' -- is correct instead.

2) false - empiricism is ultimately contradictory, and rationalism is vindicated. Rationalism is correct about knowledge being attained by reason -- that is, the ability to grasp necessary connections.

3) false - the philosophical case against ethical egoism is pretty severe. Suffice to say rights are ultimately incompatible with this. I believe the Rothbardian/Hoppean (libertarian) theory of rights is correct. So ethical egoism is rejected.

4) false. As you may know, I am a libertarian-anarchist. The state, even Ayn Rand's ideal state that is limited to the role of protecting people's property (military, courts, police) must be rejected. This is because a) morally, the state depends on coercion to exist, and coercion is a rights violation, and b) economically I believe that Mises' socialist calculation argument ultimately applies to everything and anything the government does. So even military, courts, and police as functions of government cannot be justified on grounds of economic efficiency claims. The free market would provide better security and better judicial decision-making as a matter of economic law.

If you come from a substantially different philosophical viewpoint, however, you might not accept my criticism of Objectivism because you might not share my premises. In which case, I would say you are in error but I suppose I would need to elaborate with more than what I have offered in my little review-thing here.

If you think my assessment of Objectivism is mistake, contact me.

MUSIC REVIEW: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Love Beach

"Stomach-turningly bad."


Cripes, look at the cover! If that's not indicative of the album's quality, there's only one fact you need to know. The group only released this album because they owed it to their original record label. Still not convinced? Well, there's not much else to say, except that this atrocious record brings me dangerously close to vomiting whenever it plays. Hardcore ELP fans shouldn't even buy this to finish their collection. Stay far away from it. Keep other people away from it. Wear a big sign and stand in front of record stores. Save us all! So sad to think this is the same band that gave us a classic like Brain Salad Surgery. This is total garbage.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - When Day and Dream Unite

"The sensational (and underrated) debut."

The fact that Dream Theater's nucleus (guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, drummer Mike Portnoy, and keyboardist Kevin Moore) were able to produce an album like this in their very early 20s is astonishing. Implementing various influences, such as Rush, Iron Maiden, and Queensryche, Dream Theater became one of the torchbearers for the progressive metal movement. The instrumental faculty they display at this early stage in their careers in amazing, and their creativity is incredible. From the progressive metal trappings of "A Fortune in Lies" to the dazzling feat of virtuosity that is "Ytse Jam" to the grandiose, gorgeous epic "The Killing Hand," Dream Theater shows that they are a band with talent, brains, and ingenuity.

There's a slight element of 80s' cheese, especially with Charlie Dominici's vocal style and the amusing pop-metal banality of "Status Seeker," but it doesn't undermine the album's inherent quality. It's not like Warrant's "Cherry Pie" or some shit like that. Dominici's voice, however, lacks the skill, power, and emotion that Dream Theater's music necessitates. (He's not HORRIBLE, he just doesn't fit the music very well at all.) It's also unfortunate that the record's production can't complement the band's fervor. Terry Date is generally a fine producer, so I attribute the rotten production to the low budget with which this album was made.

If you're a Dream Theater fan, you owe it to yourself to own this one. It has some of their best songs (especially the phenomenal "The Killing Hand"), and you can gloss over the shortcomings with your love for this band. If you new to Dream Theater and looking for a place to start, then dear god DON'T BUY THIS ALBUM! The crappy production and iffy vocals may turn you off of the finest progressive metal band on the planet. Get Images and Words or Scenes from a Memory to start with instead. Those are good places to begin.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity

"Some of their strongest material, but a lot of their weakest as well."

Mike Portnoy says that the recording of Falling Into Infinity almost broke the band up. Pressures from their record company to make a commercially appealing album were teeming here, evidenced by some very commercial rock songs and some standard ballads. In interviews, the band expresses considerable displeasure with their work here, with only a few songs ("Lines in the Sand", "New Millennium", and "Just Let Me Breathe") making the band members happy.

I can see why the band regards this album contemptuously. There was obviously a lot of strain between the band and their label. At the same time, it's strange: even though the band was clearly being burdened, they churned out a pretty good record on the whole. It's not my favorite DT album; it's notably more commercial, the production isn't so hot, and LaBrie's singing seems to be lacking some energy. But it doesn't need to be "the best", because I still enjoy it, and there's some truly great moments that are easily among the best they've ever done.

The three epics are probably the best offerings here. First, we have "New Millennium", an energetic progressive rock piece with some weirdly cheesy lyrics. "Lines in the Sand", is a phenomenal 12 minute piece that feels extremely short. Petrucci's evocative and metaphorically rich lyrics shine here, as does his incredible slow tempo solo in the song's middle section. The album closer, "Trial of Tears", is thoroughly excellent. It's lyrically introspective though very straightforward, but musically it's highly engaging. Particularly excellent is the stunning instrumental section in the middle. Derek Sherinian's best contribution to the band is here in the form of an incredible keyboard solo that moves me every time I hear it.

The shorter tracks show more of a dichotomy of quality. "You Not Me" is an awfully generic rock song. The original version of the song (available on the "Hollow Years" CD single) is much, much better. (Desmond Child came in and messed with the original.) Still, I think that the song could have done well on radio. The band would have sold quite a few additional albums if this had been a single release. The chorus' melody is catchy and the lyrics have a good hook or two. The next song, "Peruvian Skies" compensates for that lapse of mediocrity. It has a "Black album"-era Metallica feel, starting slow, then upping the tempo and rocking through the remainder of the track. "Hollow Years" is a pretty ballad with classical guitar (hooray!), if slightly repetitive lyrically. "Burning My Soul" is a tad insipid, with embarrassing lyrics and uninteresting mid-tempo metal. The stunning instrumental "Hell's Kitchen" serves as more than a lengthy segue into "Lines in the Sand". It's slow and beautiful, with grandiosity surging with the ending. "Take Away My Pain" is a good, emotional ballad, but I think the production weighs it down (cuz it's a great live song). "Just Let Me Breathe" is a rocker with catchy riffs, but the lyrics are dumb and and it's too long. The best part about it is Sherinian's keyboard solo, which is probably that dude's best contribution during his time with the band. Good live song, as well. Few people seem to enjoy the ballad "Anna Lee", but I like it a lot. It's a touching song about child abuse or something, with a beautiful chorus and a fine main piano melody.

I don't enjoy FII as much as I used to, because the songs have more energy live. The album almost feels tired, as if the band was bored while recording it. That missing energy is captured in the live setting though. Still, I regard FII overall as an fine release from progressive metal's reigning band. But who knows...maybe I'm just more forgiving than other people. All I know is that everyone in Dream Theater is a tremendously gifted musician, and despite the difficulties they made an album that is still better than most progressive metal bands can make.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

"Emotionally intense, confessional music."

A heavy drug binge equipped Marillion frontman Fish with the lyrical ideas that would anchor the band's concept album, an artistically challenging little project. Misplaced Childhood gives rise to tales of painful childhood experiences, lost love, and rock star lavishness. Fish's brilliant deftness with acerbic poetry and his distinct voice, supported by a very accomplished group of musicians, produced a great, great album.

Typical of 80s "neo-prog", Misplaced Childhood features lush musicianship but without the grandiosity and sophistication of a "true" progressive rock band. Some prog rock fans find Marillion (and the genre) boring. But this album is challenging from a thematic standpoint, and musically it is engaging because it dexterously straddles the line between low-key prog and enterprising pop/rock. The result is an album that attains a remarkable element of accessibility, but concurrently it fairly repays the intensive time it demands for the album to truly sink in and expose its greatness. This album is seductive, musically and especially lyrically; the songs compels exploration. The sonic surfaces are stylishly sad, but it's infectious at the same time. The album ends with "White Feather," a song with a hopeful note. It leaves you feeling good.

To conclude simply, if you're a neo-prog fan or an intelligent rock fan, I recommend picking up Misplaced Childhood.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory

"A stunning tour-de-force -- the best prog metal album of all time."

In a time when most bands have stopped trying, Dream Theater continues to challenge themselves. Simply put, no band has Dream Theater's bombastic musical audacity...at least, no band with signed with a major record company. After nearly breaking up following the stressful recording of Falling Into Infinity, the band managed to convince their label to let them produce the record they wanted all along. As a result, the band has made their finest work.

Extrapolating the saga of Images And Words' "Metropolis Pt.1" is the stunning concept album Scenes From A Memory, an epic suite divided into twelve parts. The original concept was delightfully obscure and nebulous...almost mythical. The band has taken the concept and fleshed out the core ideas, producing a slightly unusual two-act murder mystery. Lyrically, the album sometimes comes across flat. Judging from earlier albums, we know Dream Theater can shine lyrically, but given the story approach, their diction is straightforward, generally lacking the profundity of their earlier lyrical work. In terms of writing, this is no Operation: Mindcrime. Nonetheless, the tale is reasonably compelling, with a striking revelatory moment when the listener unravels the mystery of the plot. Despite the sometimes prosaic style of writing, between the plot, story, and music, it's barely a fault.

Musically, the band seems to be going all out. The album begins with a tepid acoustic number "Regression" but then floors the listener with the stunning instrumental "Overture 1928." From there, the album's 77 minutes of music covers plenty of ground, from heartfelt piano ballads to eastern chord progressions, from furious assaults of shredding to synthed orchestral sections and a gospel choir. All the musicians make an impression, particularly on the insane instrumental, "The Dance of Eternity." This frenetic six-minute flurry of notes that changes time signatures every bar (with weird stuff like 19/16 and 15/8), swaps between piano and guitar leads, stuns with a mind-boggling bass solo, and a seamlessly incorporates a ragtime piano section. (Fans with keen ears will even pick up a section from "Metropolis Pt.1" played backwards.) Scenes From A Memory does an outstanding job establishing musical cohesion by intermittently using familiar riffs, both from this record and "Metropolis Pt.1". This is an important artistic choice as it forms continuity, and it is done with notable success here.

Special mention goes to Jordan Rudess, the band's new keyboardist, recruited after Petrucci and Portnoy worked with him on Liquid Tension Experiment. Whereas most keyboardists (in progmetal) do little other than offer a string synth and occasional solo to support the guitar, Rudess is the one of the more interesting and original keyboardist of the genre... he shares the spotlight with the guitar rather often. He exacts a perfect tone during solos, which eliminates the "cheese" sound often attributed to the instrument. He employs sitar samples, fairly genuine sounding orchestral synths, stunning piano, and other quirky sounds (like this strange trumpet thing on "Beyond This Life"). His technical brilliance is superlative...seriously one of the best keyboardists on the planet.

The album enjoins a gamut of emotional reactions from the listener. Particularly distinct are the emotions in the respectively heartbreaking and joyful ballads "Through Her Eyes" and "The Spirits Carries On" as well as the underscored anger and hopelessness in "Home" and "Finally Free." This is mainly attributable to vocalist James LaBrie's emotive performance. Compared to his earlier works, his vocals here are less high-key but very refined and expressive. I get uncontrollable chills whenever he sings the final section of "Through Her Eyes," or The Miracle's sinister soliloquy during "Home."

Finally, I will quickly address the accusation that Dream Theater cares more about showing off than writing good songs. This is absolutely untrue. As a metal band, they can be intense, but a solid melodic element is intact. Their solos are not masturbatory; they inject the songs with a high-point of emotion or intensity. Even moments of striking dissonance prove to be engaging.

I think it's understood by now that I regard this album with reams of deference. It's completely awesome. Buy it...it's astonishing. This was released in 1999, and to date there has never been a better progressive metal album.

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MUSIC REVIEW: The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are

"Solid album, less filler than you might expect."

Swedish prog rockers The Flower Kings are an accomplished group of musicians with influences deeply rooted in the 70s' progressive scene. The most prominent influences I hear are Yes, Genesis, and ELP, but there's lots more here. There are times when The Flower Kings veer dangerously close to aping their prestigious influences, but luckily they are skilled composers who can rely on their own imagination and less on the established conventions of the genre.

Stardust We Are is a monster of an album, spanning two discs for about 140 minutes of music. One might suspect that such an lengthy studio work would contain reams of filler material, but actually this is not the case. For the most part, Stardust We Are is a strong collection of songs. With a few tracks the album slips into mediocrity, but when the albums shines its demonstrates proggy excellence.

The energetic opener "In the Eyes of the World" is a good dose of solid progressive music, but it's far from the best this disc has to offer. "Church of Your Heart" is one of the most perfect epic prog ballads I've ever heard. The vocal melodies in the ten-minute ballad are completely engaging, with vocalists Roine Stolt and Hans Froberg trading leads to inject the most emotion into any given verse. After this, the album moves into instrumental territory. "Poor Mr. Rain's Ordinary Guitar" is a pleasant treat to some low-key acoustic wizardry from Roine. "The Man Who Walked With Kings" is an AWESOME, grandiose and uplifting instrumental that evokes an epic journey. "Circus Brimstone" is a crazy instrumental, whose dynamics are enough to provide plenty of steam for its 12 minute length. It's pretty wacky stuff. The first disc closes with "Compassion," where Roine Stolt reveals one of his less prominent influences, Pink Floyd. There's a very cool instrumental section at the end (pushing the song beyond the indicated length), which is like Floyd's "On the Run" taken to the next level. The mesmerizing synthesizers make for an engaging section.

The second disc is as strong as the first, even though some average songs drag it down. The quick little instrumental "Pipes of Peace," where the band introduces the recurring theme from the massive title track, is strictly pipe organ, and it has a soaring, stately sound. "The End of Innocence" is melancholy and quite frankly I find it a little boring, but the next track, "The Merrygoround" compensates for this. As the name implies, it is a light, happy song, completely enjoyable. "Don of the Universe" is another big instrumental, this time not as overtly quirky as "Circus Brimstone," but still laudable. "Different People" and "Kingdom of Lies" are merely average pop/rock songs. Not bad, but not too memorable. "If 28" is a nice piano-only track. No pompous musicianship here, it's just a nice, melodic song. "Ghost of the Red Cloud" is cool, and I dig the faint Celtic touch. After yet another mini-instrumental, the album moves into its 25-minute magnum opus, "Stardust We Are." Here we have three sections and myriad musical ideas seamlessly merged together, forming a big prog epic. Unfortunately, like most of the Flower Kings long songs, it's awfully random, without much unity. The first two sections, sung by Roine Stolt, are plainly his best vocal performances. Before the inspiriting final movement launches, Tomas Bodin performs an killer classical piano solo (I'm a piano nut). Froberg sings the final section, with lots of emotional power and showing that he is probably the better singer between Roine and himself. The soaring chorus comes close to giving me goose-bumps.

So out of 140 minutes of music, there's probably 20 minutes that fail to impress. If you want to get mathematical, that makes for about 86% great music, which is enough to qualify for a solid rating, in my book. Not to mention the fact that the album is a great value, costing only a little. That's like two great prog albums for the price of one. Not a bad deal by any standard.