It's Payback Time

I'm far from being a big American Idol fan let alone a fan at all. I'll tune into the show every now and then, mostly when my girlfriend urges me to tune in but otherwise I think the show is pretty terrible. Despite not watching the vote off show last night I did see the news while glancing over my shoulder to see a man holding a newspaper which had the headline "Simon Vows to Quit Idol of Sanjaya Wins." I was so happy to see that he made it through to the next round. For those who don't know Sanjaya is a contestant on American Idol who is a lackluster singer at best but has received the backing of various websites such as the infamous votefortheworst.com and even an endorsement from Howard Stern.

I'm personally ecstatic to see Sanjaya making it further and further in the competition at the expense of Simon being "appalled." The show which prides itself in the embarrassment of others is getting a taste of its own medicine. Simon and crew are not joking anyone when they say they're putting through the best contestants into these final big rounds. They knowingly put through people who don't quite cut it while sacrificing people who deserve it just for better ratings. Because Idol does this they're seeing the repercussions and should. I personally will be voting for Sanjaya each week just to make sure Simon and the whole American Idol crew get what they deserve. Lastly, I have heard rumours of the producers contemplating voting off Sanjaya themselves ignoring the vote count, and if it does come to this than the show will lose all credibility and should therefore change its name to "Fox Producers Idol."

8) Rush

To say this choice was hard is an understatement and ultimately in the end I chose Rush to fall under the number eight spot. Rush is a phenomenal band to say the least with incredible musical virtuosity. Without much doubt in anyones mind Neil Pert is one of the top drummers of all time and truly shows it off in Rush's work. Not only does Neil Pert show off his virtuous drumming skills but his ability to write unforgettable masterpieces being the primary song writer of the band. The tough thing for me with Rush is they don't really feel like an authentic Prog Rock band, instead a band that plays hard rock. However, albums like "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures" do have a bit more of a Prog touch than some of their earlier work. Now obviously Rush has to have Progressive elements to fall under this countdown, so what does make them important and relateable to the genre? The fact that they do have many long compositions as well as having very complex musical elements does bring in ties with the genre. Despite not having that true Prog sound they undoubtedly had an influence over the Progressive Metal genre influencing bands such as Dream Theater and Symphony X. The two albums which I stated earlier, "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures" are two of the greatest albums in the history of rock with historic songs like "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ," "Limelight," and "The Trees." One of the most unique ingredients of Rush is the voice of Geddy Lee which screeches in it's high ranges, and screeches is not necessarily a bad thing although has made them a bit less accessible for many. Whether Rush is truly a Prog Rock band or not can be left to debate but nobody can deny their influence over the Progressive Metal genre.

Essential Albums: "Moving Pictures" and "Hemispheres"

Number 8 on the Prog Countdown

Will probably be posted late tonight, believe it or not I am still torn about which band to put at number 8, currently the rest of the list is complete and set in stone but the number eight and seven spot are a toss up for me. Hopefully as the day progresses I will come to a conclusion, actually let me rephrase that, tonight I will most definitely come to a conclusion and post the number eight band!

Rock the Bells Information Released

This information is coming straight from the source.

The lineup is as follows:

Rage Against The Machine, The Wu-Tang Clan, Nas*, Cypress Hill, The Roots, Mos Def, EPMD, MF Doom*, Pharoahe Monch, FELT *, Sage Francis, Hieroglyphics*, Immortal Technique, Living Legends*, Blackalicious*, The Coup*, Murs*, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali*, Cage*, Mr. Lif*, Grouch & Eligh*, Hangar 18*, Blueprint* and Lucky I AM*, plus very special guests Public Enemy who celebrate their monumental 20-year anniversary.

I know some have been wondering about ticket prices which also have been announced today. Tickets for the New York Randall's Island event will be $82 which is just a regular general admission ticket. For the two shows in California the prices are $76. There are also VIP tickets to the event which will cost $156 for all shows and the VIP tickets include:

ACCESS TO VIP LOUNGE AND PARTY,
LIMITED EDITION FESTIVAL BACKPACK, SOUVENIR CREDENTIAL,
OFFICIAL FESTIVAL T-SHIRT, COMMEMORATIVE POSTER, ACCESS
TO FULL BAR AND AMENITIES AND 2 DRINK TICKETS.

I was personally hoping that the VIP tickets would include a special up close section because quite honestly I don't really want to see any of these bands/groups besides Rage, except maybe Public Enemy. Tickets are going on sale on March 31st at 10AM

www.rockthebells.net

9) The Mars Volta

The Mars Volta taking the nine spot may be a shock for most but in terms of progressive rock they are so incredibly revolutionary. The Mars Volta took two genres which were once thought as being complete opposites and somehow found a medium between the two and created Punk Prog. In the 70’s punks despised Prog Rock and all it stood for, they felt it was overproduced and far from being genuine. One famous memory in rock history is Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols sporting a shirt which had “I Hate Pink Floyd” written across the front. Naturally, The Mars Volta have done something innovative by bringing these two polar opposites together. Not only does their music sound raw but it sounds abstract and deep with pure emotion. One of the strongest focal points for The Volta is their majesty in musicianship, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is beyond phenomenal on guitar and Cedrix Bixler-Zavala’s vocals sound unfathomable with their intensely high range. With just three full length albums The Mars Volta have mastered the Prog Rock sound filling their albums with ambiance and dark mysterious noises amongst the roaring horns, guitars, and drums. Along with their punk and progressive sound they also have strong Latin influences, many of their songs contain both Spanish and English lyrics. Their first album “De-Loused in the Comatorium” was released in 2003 and immediately struck a chord with Prog Rock enthusiasts and from that album on they have fertilized themselves in the genre with two more strong releases staying true to the progressive sound. Many of their songs reach extremely long lengths such as “Cassandra Gemini” off of “Frances the Mute” which extends past thirty-two minutes with five different sections. The Mars Volta have an authentic progressive sound while keeping original. Because of their originality and their ability to link together two genres which have been in tension for the past forty years I have given them the nine spot.

Essential Albums: “Frances The Mute” and “De-Loused in the Comatorium”

10) Gentle Giant

And the countdown of the top ten progressive rock bands of all time begins. Unlike previous countdowns I’ve done I’ve decided I would shorten my write ups of each band, because I was really killing myself with past countdowns, especially the top ten bands of all time. Anyway, at number ten we have Gentle Giant, and I must say it was extremely tough for me to come to this conclusion, I’m still questioning myself on it but in my heart I feel it’s the right one. Gentle Giant came together in the late 60’s and was one of the pioneering bands of the progressive rock genre. Unfortunately for this immensely talented and unique band they never quite reached the major status that other Prog Rock bands reached such as Yes and Pink Floyd. Gentle Giant is one of the great bands under the art rock sub genre. For most, Gentle Giant is more than just difficult to understand and digest but with more and more listens the appreciation grows. Their sound is unlike any other band; they draw heavily from medieval music and their vocals sound strikingly similar to classical chamber music which is what sets Gentle Giant far away from any other band. I can’t emphasize enough the power and distinctiveness of Derek Shulman’s voice which will have you wondering if their music was made within the past one hundred years. The band explored the typical prog territories in terms of instruments with orchestral instruments such as oboes and horns as well as the typical prog instruments such as moogs and mellotrons. Despite the inability to reach commercial success they have a number of phenomenal albums that are a must have for any prog enthusiast such as “In a Glass House,” “Free Hand,” “Acquiring the Taste” and “Octopus.” The most accessible of all of these would definitely be “Free Hand” which I personally feel is their best album with depth, strong melodies, and catchy hooks. While Gentle Giant may not be remembered by even the biggest of music fanatics they will always have a place in the heart of each and every prog rock fan.

Essential Albums: "Free Hand" and "Acquiring the Taste"

News from The Zombies

On April 3rd you can expect a new live CD and DVD from Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone of The Zombies performing all their hits from "Time of the Season" to "A Rose for Emily." This live performance is called "Live At The Bloomsbury Theatre, London." In a timely fashion two American Idol contestants performed Zombie's hits "Time of the Season" and "She's Not There" making this a little more relevant than before. I saw Argent with Ringo and his All Star band and I must say Argent sounded great live, I was very impressed. Hopefully I will get a copy of this CD pretty soon to do a review of it because I must say I'm pretty excited for it.
Here is the tracklisting:

1. “Andorra”

2. “This Will Be Our Year”

3. “I Love You”

4. “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted”

5. “Mystified”

6. “A Rose For Emily”

7. “Beechwood Park”

8. “Time Of The Season”

9. “I Want To Fly”

10. “In My Mind A Miracle”

11. “Keep On Rolling”

12. “Hold Your Head Up”

13. “Sanctuary”

14. “Pleasure”

15. “Say You Don’t Mind”

16. “Misty Roses”

17. “I Don’t Believe In Miracles”

18. “Old & Wise”

19. “Care Of Cell 44”

20. “Indication”

21. “Tell Her No”

22. “She’s Not There”

23. “Just Out Of Reach”

24. “God Gave Rock ‘N Roll To You”

25. “Summertime”

Here is what the DVD will contain:

1. “Andorra”

2. “This Will Be Our Year”

3. “I Love You”

4. “Mystified”

5. “A Rose For Emily”

6. “Beechwood Park”

7. “Time Of The Season”

8. “I Want To Fly”

9. “Keep On Rolling”

10. “Hold Your Head Up”

11. “Sanctuary”

12. “Pleasure”

13. “Indication”

14. “Tell Her No”

15. “She’s Not There”

16. “God Gave Rock ‘N Roll To You”

It's About Time

There are some lines in Rock N Roll which completely define the genre and the attitude of its members. Patti Smith’s opening line to “Gloria” defines it better than possibly any other song, quote, or moment; “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.” That quote screams rebellion, a disconnection from society, and Rock N Roll! My first experience with Patti Smith was her version of “Hey Joe” on the “No Thanks” box set which contained a compilation of songs from the 70’s punk rebellion. The first time you hear her rendition of “Hey Joe” it will instantly send chills up your spine. Like “Gloria” it opens up with the poetic and rebellious rambling of shocking and striking lyrics:

Honey, the way you play guitar makes me feel so, makes me feel so masochistic. The way you go down low deep into the neck and I would do anything, and I would do anything and Patty Hearst, you're standing there in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army flag with your legs spread, I was wondering will you get it every night from a black revolutionary man and his women or whether you really did and now that you're on the run what goes on in your mind, your sisters they sit by the window, you know your mama doesn't sit and cry and your daddy, well you know what your daddy said, Patty, you know what your daddy said, Patty, he said, he said, he said, "Well, sixty days ago she was such a lovely child, now here she is with a gun in her hand."

When I first heard Patti Smith I knew I had to buy one of her full length albums and thus began my search for “Horses” which I would go out on the limb and say is the best album by a female artist. Tonight I finally saw her induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame which I have been patiently waiting for. It’s about time she was inducted because as I said before, her attitude and passion is what Rock N Roll is all about. Contrary to popular belief Rock N Roll is not about sex and drugs. It is about rebellion, passion, breaking free from social norms and letting loose and leaving all of your cares behind. Patti Smith fits into each and every one of those categories. Her lyrics were bitter and socially active; she pushed boundaries and shocked those who listened to her. Her appearance wasn’t that of a model, she went out without putting a brush in her hair and without wearing designer clothes. Her sound was raw and her stage appearance was like an animal, she ripped and tore her away across every inch of the stage and commanded your eyes and ears. I just wanted to say congratulations to Patti Smith for her induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame because she is Rock N Roll and for any kid wanting to know exactly what Rock is, all they need to do is pick up “Horses” and listen from beginning to end.

Progressive Rock Countdown It Is

Thanks to the help of David I am going to do the countdown of the top ten progressive rock bands of all time. For the next few days I'm going to spend time compiling the list to make sure I'm happy with what I see and probably by sometime next week I will post the number ten band on the list.

Just for a little insight on the countdown it may be a little tough to do because I'm sure some bands I'm going to put on the list people will say, "Is that really prog rock?" Well progressive rock is pretty hard to define as a genre because it's a very introspective genre which has no boundaries. For those who don't know much about prog rock it is defined by it's ambitious and sometimes pretentious sound which some criticize as being overproduced. Progressive rock clearly has roots in your typical rock and roll but also draws from classical music and jazz. Prog rock songs are often defined by being long and avant-garde and often split up into different sections like Yes' "And You and I" is split up into four different parts. Prog rock albums are often concept albums with particular themes running all the way through or the album conveying a story. So hopefully this list won't be too difficult to compile and I will being the countdown within the next few days. I wouldn't count on seeing the number ten band until after Wednesday because I will be very busy before then.

To Celebrate a New Frontier for Imagine Echoes

I have decided to go back to my old past time of the countdowns. For newer readers I have already did the top 10 Bands, Albums, and Solos of all time and right now I'm looking for something new. I have been fooling around with a few ideas, the one that is standing out the most is the top 10 albums of the 90's. The other isn't so much a countdown but I would go year by year starting from lets say 1964 or something and go all the way to 2006 and picking the best album of each year. I like both ideas, clearly one would take a little more work than the other but I'm up for either. Also if anyone else has a good idea of a countdown or something along those lines I would love to hear it. Hopefully with my own domain I'll have more incentives to post.

A Little Update

I just purchased my own domain name but still am having some problems with transferring this blog over to it so hopefully I'll get it up and running. If this blog is down the reason is probably because I'm trying to transfer it over. Also I just got back from my spring break so that would explain the reason for my absence and not replying to comments.

Also if by any chance anyone knows anything about transferring blogs over to custom domains I would really appreciate any help. I followed all the steps blogger listed but it still hasn't been working for me so hopefully things will be working a bit more smoothly.

Getting My Own Domain

I'm just announcing that I am going to try to get my own domain name and to transfer this blog over to it. Hopefully all works well.