Tonight's show was different from the previous three in that I wanted to explore a small number of progressive rock songs that stretched to near and over 20 minutes. The reason for this was to, in some ways (and I know this is bordering on an oxymoron) for the respective artists to display the simplistic complexities that run through these extended pieces. It's not exactly new or a secret, but it's good to know that the recent and new generations of progrockers have the ability, skill and artistry to pull it off. More important to us, they have the desire to do it. And I think these tracks indicate prog is in capable hands - literally and figuratively.
Why One Short of a Long? Well, there was room enough to squeeze in a track I promised in last week's show that I would play - Airbag from Norway, and Colours from their new album, Identity.
Funnily enough I had already prepared the show for this week last Friday, but when progheads started talking about a new exciting band called Astra from the USA who had a new album which was gathering heat, I picked up on a group who took their style of music back to the late 60's and borrowed a few textures and time signatures from some of the psychedelic bands of old, and brushed them off with something new and refreshing. That was worth having on the show. So why not look for other bands with songs reaching over into the far distant horizon?
What I didn't expect with just a few songs was the time it took to prepare the show! I couldn't leave well enough alone with introducing the songs and such. Nope. Instead I created a new intro that paid homage to the name of this show and the album, Close To the Edge. Not just the album name - it was also based on the opening stanza of music with the same title. You know how it starts. We hear the sound of water and birdsong, and it builds up in crescendo as the Roger Dean gatefold cover opens to reveal we're at the edge of the world, and we're seeing small islands bordering deep, plunging chasms where water tulmults down into the mists.....
I hope I've done the intro some justiceto that theme. Time will tell. It was fun though!
PLAYLIST
| Colours | 8.07 | Airbag | Identity |
| Boatsman's Vision | 23.12 | Martigan | Vision |
| Other Half Of The Sky | 31.44 | Moon Safari | Blomljud |
| Ancient Afternoon of an Unknown Town | 25.05 | Ezra Winston | Ancient Afternoons |
| The Wanderer | 21.15 | Galleon | Mind Over Matter |
| Ouroborus | 17.23 | Astra | The Weirding |
I'll see you at the edge...
No comments:
Post a Comment