The traditional A-to-Z AotD feature takes a break this weak while I work through some new stuff. My lovely girlfriend indulged me in a trip to Paul's CDs while we were in downtown Pittsburgh for the Three Rivers Arts Festival (which was also worth the trip) this past weekend. I made quite a haul:
- Spectral Mornings (1979) and Defector (1980), by Steve Hackett complete my collection of his first four newly remastered albums. Although Spectral Mornings is generally rated higher, I think I like Defector better, if only because most of the choice Spectral cuts show up in better live versions, so the Defector stuff is "newer" to my ears.
- Recollection Harvest (2005), by Djam Karet (which, I found out, it Balinese for "elastic time") is actually two albums on one disc. Recollection Harvest is more melodic and heavier, while Indian Summer shows the bands more atmospheric side. I'm thinking that the tracks may work as well or better interspersed with one another, rather than segregated into their separate camps.
- The Sentinel (1984), by Pallas is one of the classic early neo-prog releases. It's a concept album having something to do with Atlantis, but I haven't really jumped into the lyrics, yet. The music is pretty good, tho' - a little heavier than similar era Marillion or IQ.
- XII (1986), by Twelfth Night is also known as "The Virgin Album," as it was the band's one major-label release. This was another of the early neo-prog bands, but I hear very little proggy stuff going on here, after a first listen, anyway.
- Live (2006), by Univers Zero was purely an impulse purchase (hell, they all were!) of the first (I think) live recording by the Belgian chamber prog outfit. Only barely made it to this one today, so not a whole lot to say at this point.
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