Hey Don't RUSH Me! (It's OK to like what you like and not like what you don't)

 

 

As readers of this blog should know, I really like a variety of different types of music, but progressive rock is a particular favorite of mine. And as a fan of progressive rock, there are several artists that we fans are just supposed to adore wholeheartedly, such as Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, etc. And while most of those 'big' names in Prog are among my very favorite artists, some are just not for me. For example, Rush is a prog band that I should like, they are excellent musicians that made complex, sophisticated progressive rock, but they just don't do anything for me. Not that I actively dislike them, I just don't connect with their music. It's OK, but just doesn't appeal to me that much. They have some very good songs, but overall, just not a band that I have much interest in. I grew up when they were making it big in the '70's, I heard all of their albums, at least up through the mid-80's, but never actually bought any of their albums, and can't really imagine putting on one of their albums for enjoyment. I am constantly hearing from fans how great they are, the best drummer, the best guitarist, best bassist, etc. Several years ago, after continually hearing that I just have to like Rush, I went back and re-listened through their catalog to see if maybe I just missed something years ago and would appreciate them more now. But no, they're still just not a band that appeals much to me. As I tried to identify why, it came down to several factors. But most importantly, just the overall sound and style of the band is something that I just don't care much for. Rush has a very distinctive style and sound, instantly recognizable, no other band sound quite like them, but it is just not a style I enjoy. First, Geddy Lee is not a good singer, his vocals, although you can get used to them, are just poor. And Alex Lifeson may be a great guitarist, but again, I just don't like his style of play, too grating. I will grant that Neil Peart is a superb drummer, but I wish I liked the songs he played on more. I can appreciate the band as artists, but I just don't really enjoy their music. King Crimson is another great legendary Prog band, highly acclaimed in Prog circles, but one that I don't really listen to much. Again, I can appreciate their importance to progressive rock music, and admire their musical skill, virtuosity, and trailblazing uniqueness, but I still just don't really connect that much with most of their music. It may be brilliant, but it's just not something that is very appealing to me.

Now, the point I want to make here is not to slam or disparage Rush (or King Crimson), but just to show that we all like different music for different reasons. Music is very subjective and highly emotional, and we all respond or are affected differently by different types and styles of music. Not so much that any one is 'better' than another, but they just affect us in different ways. I tend to be moved more by melody, harmony, and rhythm, which may be why Rush and King Crimson are not favorites, as they tend to be less melodic, and  may be why I have a real problem with most metal and metal-oriented styles. Some people will say that they like all kinds of music, but that most certainly is not true, as they may like some music within all styles or genres, but certainly not all, as we all have our own likes and preferences. So, I do like and enjoy a wide variety of different styles of music, from classical, jazz, folk, pop, rock, soul, funk, and everything in between, but there is also quite a lot of specific music, and quite popular music, that just doesn't appeal to me. I try to mostly talk just about the music that I really love and am most excited about, because there is so much great music out there that I want to share and enjoy. And I try not to bash or insult the music or artists I don't much care for, because I know that they may be loved and admired by a lot of people, and just because they do not excite me doesn't mean that their music is bad or not worth listening to, it is just not for me. People tend to be very quick to say that this or that band/artist 'sucks' or are worthless just because they don't care for their music. But that's not how it works. It's perfectly fine to criticize a music style you don't like or indicate why it doesn't appeal to you, but if others enjoy it, that's great, too. People listen to different kinds of music for a lot of different reasons, and it can affect people quite differently. Now I do like rating and ranking albums, as to my preferences and tastes, but that of course is just my personal opinion and how that music affects me, and as we all know, everybody seems to have differing opinions on what is truly the best, even among die-hard fans of any given band.

The other main point here is that it is quite OK to like what you like and not like what you don't. Everybody tends to find the music that most appeals to them to enjoy, and may not pay much attention to the rest. But that doesn't mean that everything else is worthless, it just may not be your thing, or maybe you just haven't heard it yet. Some music takes multiple listens before you can fully 'get' it. So, it is important to explore and try various kinds of music because you might find stuff you really like that you were not previously aware of. But once you've given an artist or style a listen and it just doesn't appeal to you, that's fine. You really can't like everything, and there is no point in trying to like everything just because someone else said it was good. So, by all means, fully enjoy your favorite music, but don't worry about the music you don't 'get' or just don't enjoy (or even actively despise). Most likely there's someone out there who just loves it and can't live without it. But please be sympathetic to others that may really enjoy that music you hate, it may mean a lot to them, so let them enjoy it, even if you don't.

In the posts on this blog, I have talked about many artists, both popular and lesser known, that I really like and enjoy, their music means a lot to me and I enjoy talking about them, sharing, and possibly exposing some others to great music they may not be aware of. But there are also many very popular bands and artists that I am just not much of a fan of, so I don't talk about them here. And its OK that I'm not a fan of Rush, or the Rolling Stones, or Black Sabbath, or even Led Zeppelin. There's so much great music out there, find what you really like, what makes you happy, but you don't have to like everything, or be dismissive of those that don't like the same music you do. Just enjoy!

  

Eighteen! And I Don't Know What I Want! (18 Years of BB Chronicles)

 

18 Years of BB Chronicles!

    Yes, it's that time again, we've made it through another year, and it's time to celebrate the 18th anniversary of this forsaken blog! That's right, it's been 18 years since I started this little musical outpost, and throughout its ups and downs, highs and lows, I am still here sporadically putting out my musical musings and commentary, and trying to help make some great and usually lesser known music heard by more people. And although 18 is just coming of age for humans, it's more like senior citizen/old age for internet blogs, so I guess that is something to celebrate. Now, I know the postings have been pretty slim and slow in coming in recent months, and I do apologize for that, but circumstances have conspired to make things difficult to get content ready for posting recently. But I will be working on that, and I hope to do much better moving forward. Also, I know that there are lots of dead links (more than there are live ones) on the music posts, which is hard to keep up with normally, due to sites crashing, going defunct, and links expiring, but I've also had issues with my computer crashing and files being unavailable, compounding reuploading difficulties. But I will work to fix those issues as much as possible. I do have much more I want to present and discuss here, so I will strive to present quality new stuff, and I hope there will continue to be new things of interest here for you. As has been the case over the past couple years or so, my content has shifted away from live concerts to more album rankings and new album reviews, as I just am not collecting live recordings any more, but I still may be posting some downloadable music content from time to time.  

    Anyway, once again, as I have each year at this time, I also want to take this time to thank and celebrate all the others out there who have made so much of this great music, and those that have made it freely available for others. So, to all the other bloggers, tapers, forum posters, and music fans out there, and most importantly, to all the great artists and musicians that have created and performed this wonderful music, and certainly to all that have stumbled upon these pages, find something of interest and hopefully come back again, I offer a huge and heartfelt Thank You. And again, I implore everyone to purchase all the official releases of your favorite artists, as well as, wherever possible, go see them live in concert. The music and commentary here serves to supplement, not replace, all of their officially released music. They are supported by fans like us. 

    So, I will continue to carry on here, pretty much as I have, and I hope there are things here that are of interest that will keep you coming back for more, and to always be excited about all the great music all around us. As always, thanks for your interest and support. Take care, it's a brutal world out there, and we need our music to make it through. 

New Album Roundup - Winter 2026 (Jan-Mar)

New Album Roundup - Winter 2026

Well, here we are, with the first 3 months of 2026 already behind us, winter is gone and springtime ahead. Although I haven't been posting to the blog over that time, I have been busy and listening to all the new music coming out. So, it's time once again to highlight some of the best new albums that have been released over the past 3 months (January-March 2026). I've listened to some 30+ new albums in these early months of 2026, and there have been many quite good ones, and a few that really stand out as something really special. Anyway, these are the albums that I think are notable and have liked the most thus far. 

Big Big Train - Woodcut

Have to lead-off with this, as Big Big Train is one of my favorite current bands, and they have done it again with this fantastic new release. Of course, BBT is a UK Prog band known for their beautiful pastoral melodies, soaring instrumental passages, evocative narratives, and sweeping majestic symphonic Prog, maintaining effective use of strings and horns, as well occasional bursts of heavier prog instrumental sections. BBT has now fully emerged from tragedy and turmoil earlier this decade with a new lineup that has evolved into perhaps their strongest ensemble thus far. And here, the band presents their first fully immersive concept album, 16 interrelated tracks (66 min. of music) that tell the story of a woodcarving artist, exploring the themes of creative obsession, struggle for recognition and the emotional highs and lows of the creative process. But, as always, it's the music that is most important here, and the songs play out in a wonderful sequence of beauty, style, and emotion from beginning to end, covering a variety of musical styles from beautiful melodic sections to thunderous, energetic rock. Vocals are superb throughout, led by Alberto Bravin, but each of the various vocalists in the band get their chance to shine on different songs. Overall, a wonderful cohesive album that is sure to remain among the very best albums of the year. Best Tracks: The Artist, Chimaera,  Cut and Run, The Sharpest Blade, Counting Stars. Rating: 4.5 stars.

Neal Morse Band - L.I.F.T.

The latest from prolific U.S. Progger Neal Morse is a return of the Neal Morse Band, and it is fantastic. Neal releases a lot of albums (35+ since 2000) in many forms and various collaborators, and with various degrees of success (ranging from ho-hum to the greatest Prog classics), but for me at least, his output with the Neal Morse Band has always been among his best albums, as this ensemble, with Eric Gillette (guitars), Bill Hubauer (keyboards), Randy George (bass), and Mike Portnoy (drums) joining Neal, brings out the best in them all. But after Mike Portnoy left to rejoin Dream Theater in 2024, the future of NMB was in doubt, yet here we have a new NMB album, their first since Innocence and Danger (2021) and 5th overall, and it is a joy from start to finish. It is a fully fleshed out concept album, with each song delivering a powerful punch, perfectly blending classic rock with great prog. The songs all work here and all fit together to make a most satisfying album experience, filled with great melodies and instrumental virtuosity. 13 songs (70 min. runtime), and although no epic-length tracks, there's still plenty of opportunities for proggy instrumental sections and for each band member to shine. Love this album, sure to be one of the best of the year, and best from Neal in many many years. If you've liked Neal's work in the past but haven't been impressed with his more recent albums, be sure to check this one out, as it is ranks up there with his best.  Best Tracks: Reaching, Carry You Again, Gravity's Grip, Fully Alive Part 2, Love All Along. Rating 4.5 stars

Spirergy - Whenever Forever

Third album from this UK Progressive rock outfit, which is a project of multi-instrumentalist Dave Allen, and it's a wonderful journey through 70's-style classic melodic symphonic prog. Nice blending of vocal and instrumental sections, and mix of guitars and keyboards as lead instruments. Best tracks tend to be the longer ones, where Dave gets a chance to really stretch out in extended instrumental sections. I particularly love the prevalent incorporation of acoustic instruments (piano, acoustic and 12-string guitars) amidst the electronics (electric guitars, synthesizers). Songs and styles are very reminiscent of the usual classic bands (Genesis, Yes, ELP, Rush, etc), and most reminds me of Starcastle, but also still forge their own way. Songs include a mix of shorter and longer tracks, including the epic-length (16 min) title track, and The vocals fall somewhere between Jon Anderson and Geddy Lee (for better or worst). Overall, a wonderful and very entertaining album that fans of classic Prog should definitely check out. Best Tracks: Carry Me Home, In the Small Hours, See it in Your Eyes, Whenever Forever. Rating: 4 stars 

Rope and Ladder - This Is Wild

2nd album from this Indie rock duo (Jay Clark and Ryan Dolen) from Boston, with a unique sound that I would call Power Folk or heavy folk-rock, in that their songs have somewhat of a Folk aesthetic, but are presented with a powerful, theatrical rock approach. Their songs are somewhat melancholic and uplifting at the same time. Often start off with mellow acoustic guitars before building to powerful anthemic and sometimes symphonic arrangements, and with beautiful vocals and harmonies throughout. But they also feature a variety of different styles, from the stark acoustic gloom of I Watched You Watch Him Die to the power blues of Holy Ghost, to the channeling of The Kinks in the delightful power pop title track, to the angelic Lemon Twigs-style harmonies of Still, and at other times resembling the symphonic Folk of Cloud Cult. Every song is a winner on this surprising and delightful album. Best Tracks: This is Wild, Grandfather, Fight or Flight, No Hard Feelings, Wasted on Me. Rating: 4 stars. 
  
The Dear Hunter - Sunya

This genre-defying U.S. alternative progressive pop band's much anticipated follow-up to their fantastic 2022 album, Antimai, is finally here. This concept album continues to flesh out the world presented in Antimai, featuring a similar sound palette, mixing in jazz, funk, soul textures to their unique sound. Whereas Antimai explored the physical and social structure of the city-state, Sunya ventures out beyond the city to the people and places of the outlying regions. Although not quite as sonically bold and dynamic as its predecessor, Sunya features rich and sumptuous soundscapes - there's a lot going on here - with complex, layered, and intricately detailed arrangements and instrumentation, creating lush and encompassing sonic landscapes. Once again, Casey Crescenzo's vocals, as well as the backing harmonies, are superb, with Casey's voice seeming to fit right in with whatever style of song they present. Wonderful songs throughout, from the opening Wastelands, Marauders, the most rockin' track, the 3-part heart of the album, The Glass Desert, with Glass Desert III showing a Tears for Fears-style lush pop, and concluding with the dreamy title track. A Great album, with the only complaint being that it is too short, just as the full ambiance seems to be in full swing, it's over, and we want more. Can't wait for the next phase and where they will take us next. Best tracks: Marauders, The Glass Desert I, II, III, Sunya. Rating 4.5 stars

Hallas - Panorama

This 4th album from Swedish prog band Hallas takes us back to the 70's. The first half of the album is a brilliant epic-length (21 min) early 70's style symphonic prog masterpiece, Above the Continuum, that is just sensational. It features everything you could want in a prog rock epic, from the gentle melodic sections to thunderous rocking, grand majestic themes, and instrumental acrobatics, with no lulls or lapses throughout its extended runtime. Takes you back to early 70's symphonic prog, and certainly with glimpses of the prog greats (Genesis, Yes, ELP, Moody Blues, etc.) abound, yet the overall style and sound is squarely their own on this masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic and sure to be among the very best epics of the year. However, for the second half of the album, they switch to 4 shorter songs and a more straight-forward 70's melodic hard rock style, driving rock with heavy riffs and catchy melodies. Still very well-done, but just not that special or interesting, at least for me. If whole album was as good as the first half, it would be one of the best of the year, but overall, still a very good album. Best Track: Above the Continuum. Rating: 3.5 stars

Legs on Wheels - Gobble

2nd album from this unique eclectic alternative progressive/art rock band from the U.K. that features a fun, energetic, all-over-the-place style, incorporating aspects of many different genres. As for what they sound like, imagine a mixture of early Split Enz (especially the vocals), XTC (quirky off-kilterness), Gentle Giant (for the progginess and complexity), and maybe some 10 cc and They Might Be Giants (for the silliness), something like that. Lyrics seem to be mostly nonsense, and the music features many odd time signatures, rhythms, and abrupt changes between sections, but still remains melodic. There's some musical magic here, and it mostly works. The album closer, Masteroid, is longer (11 min) and gives the band a chance to stretch out a bit more instrumentally, and also has some sections that resemble a more proggy Steely Dan, among other highlights. An album with lots of fun quirks and oddities. Best Tracks: Masteroid, Waiting for his Drowning, Centipede, Winner Winner. Rating: 3.5 stars

Motorpsycho - Gaia II Space Corps

Versatile and prolific prog band Motorpsycho is back and goes full-on Psych-Rock/Space rock with this latest release, with only occasional glimpses of their Prog influences (such as on The Oracle). They deliver a solid rockin' album of psychedelic hard rock propelled by repeating heavy guitar riffs, solid melodies, and soaring solos. They add some of their usual flair to the proceedings, but overall, they stick to the script of bringing back the sound of 70's psych rock with fun, jammy style for this album. Best Tracks: The Oracle, Gaia II Space Corp, TSMcR, The Great Stash Robbery.  Rating 3.5 stars

Major Parkinson - Valesa Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse!

Norwegian Prog pop/rock. I really wanted to love this quirky genre-defying band and their mix of jazz, pop, rock, funk, prog, and metal, as their no-holds-barred approach is similar to bands I love such as The Dear Hunter and Moron Police, but sadly, I just could not. Musically this is some really cool stuff with funky complex beats, rhythms, and intricate and inventive arrangements. There's a lot going on here. But the shouty, growly, talk-singing lead vocals and annoying lyrics are terrible, and greatly detract from every song. That plus the unevenness of the album (First half or so is great, second half plummets bad, especially the extended annoying metal nonsense of Karma Supernova and Maybelline) really weaken what could have been a great album. The album then bizarrely closes with a straightforward sweet pop song (Kiss Me Now) for a weak finish. If you can get past the poor vocals and couple weak tracks, there is a lot to like about this band and album, but given the weaknesses I can't score it as anything above a good rating. Best Tracks: Superdad, Father Superior, Showbiz, Viva the Apocalypse. Rating: 3 stars 

Tigran Hamasyan - Manifeste

Exceptionally talented Armenian jazz pianist and composer goes all out on this release with an ambitious, sprawling 14 track, 72 min, album that is stylistically all over the place, featuring interpretations of Armenian folk tunes and hymns, smooth jazz, jazz-rock fusion, freeform jazz, Prog and Prog-metal, and polyrhythm math-rock, and everything in between.  Mostly instrumental, but  lyric vocals on a couple tracks, and non-word vocalizations on several more. Best known for his staccato rhythms and intricately pulsing melody lines creating dynamic technically complex compositions. At times reminiscent of the melodic jazz of Pat Metheny Group, at others more freeform or avant jazz forms.  However, due to the vastly different style and tone of the varying tracks, the sprawling album becomes a somewhat uncomfortable listen, as one listener is not likely to fully appreciate all the different styles here (for example, I didn't care much for some of the slower hymn-like tunes). This is one of those albums where best to pull out your favorites in a playlist rather than listen straight through, but there is no denying the talent here. Best Tracks: Manifeste, Ultradance, Dardahan, War-time Poem, Prelude for All Seekers. Rating 3.5 stars

Perfect Beasts - Perfect Beasts

New hard rock band fronted by everywhere vocalist-guitarist John Mitchell (Karmakanic, Frost, It Bites, Kino, Arena, Lonely Robot, Asia) that features melodic hard rock and classic rock, with just a touch of Prog. The sound is dominated by heavy guitar riffs and catchy melodies and choruses, with Mitchell's soaring vocals the best part of it. There's some pretty good songs here (but also some duds), but i seems like they are trying a bit too hard to put a heavy hard rock edge to most of the songs that doesn't always blend well with the melodies. Some nice instrumental touches, overall, quite well done, but just not a style that resonates much with me. But if you're looking for some more tuneful hard rock, this might be for you. Best Tracks: Genie's Out the Bottle, Non-Stop to the Moon, On a Curve, Undertow. Rating: 3 stars

Hamasaari - Pictures

2nd album from this French Prog band features moody, atmospheric, melancholic modern Prog. Especially adept at juxtaposing lighter acoustic melodic sections with heavier, powerful, grungey, prog-metal passages, while maintaining a somber, haunting feel.  Best Tracks: Frames, Home, Our Head Spinning, Under the Trees. Rating: 3.5 stars

Plantoid  - Flare

2nd album from this eclectic UK Prog band follows-up their acclaimed debut, Terrapath, with their own distinctive brand of modern Prog. Although they have lots of interesting moods and sounds, for some reason it just doesn't work for me. The songs don't really go anywhere or amount to much. In this case, the lack of melody or cohesive structure undermines its effectiveness, and I just can't quite get into it. Rating: 2.5 stars

Quick Hits

Soft Machine - Thirteen
Legendary UK psychedelic Canterbury scene band that evolved into a premier Avant jazz-rock fusion band returns with more quality instrumental experimental improvisational jazz-rock. Rating: 3 stars

Gong - Bright Spirit
Another legendary UK psychedelic Canterbury scene band returns with their own trippy, spacey, middle-eastern influenced jazzy psychedelia, updated with some modern touches. Rating: 3 stars

Dina Ogon - Manniskobarn
Swedish indie pop-rock. Kind of like a mellow Swedish Fleetwood Mac. Nice, pleasant. Rating: 3 stars

Squeeze - Trixies
Veteran UK new wave pop band are back (after 9-yr gap) with this interesting concept album about the people in and around a local bar. Overall, some quite good songs, some unmemorable songs, in a variety of styles. A nice listen, but just never really soars. Rating: 3 stars

Weedpecker - V
Polish rock band delivers cool, compelling space-rock/psych-rock. Somewhat reminscent of Motorpsycho, but also with their own style and sound. Rating: 3 stars. 

Buck Meek - The Mirror
Solo album (his 4th) from Big Thief guitarist-backing vocalist Meek. Nice, basic lo-fi sound, but overall, the songs are a bit lackluster and underdeveloped, and Meek's meager vocals don't help. Just OK. Rating 2.5 stars.  

Melissa Etheridge - Rise

Solid album from this veteran American singer-songwriter. Shows she can still really rock and deliver powerful, emotional classic rock and Americana. Rating: 3 stars 

Angine de Poitrine - Vol II

Lastly, I feel I need to weigh on this outrageous French-Canadian duo who have become internet sensations with their wild circus costumes and look, and intricate microtonal math rock sounds. First, you have to admire how they have made themselves essential pop culture icons, and  I applaud their ability to bring attention and acclaim to what is basically a very esoteric musical form that normally would only be of interest to music theory nerds. However, it still is basically a novelty act, and one that would seem to have a quite short lifespan in the public eye. The act, both visually and musically, wears thin pretty fast. Musically, it is different and unique, at least for a while. It sounds kinda cool at first, but then grows tedious and repetitive. It's just not very sustainable. For me, the novelty didn't even last for the whole album (or even through whole songs, as each songs seems too long by at least half). It was a chore to make it through the entire album (I still haven't made it through an entire video). Despite all the complex microtonal flourishes and rhythms, the songs are basically monotonic drones with repetitive riffs and soloing over the top. Some have claimed this to be the future of music. No. Now, it may spur the next 'bad trend' of music, as people and bands rush out to buy microtonal guitars and experiment with them, with mostly dismal results, but other than that, it will likely remain just a curiosity. Perhaps when artists can incorporate microtonal techniques to create real musical compositions, then maybe that could lead somewhere, but this as it is, is just an interesting curiosity. And as an album, it is just OK. Rating: 2.5 stars 

BB’s Rating scale:

1 star – Terrible, torturous to have to listen to

1.5 stars - Poor, not worth your time

2 stars – Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall

2.5 stars – Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either

3 stars – Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often

3.5 stars – Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall

4 stars – Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again

4.5 stars – Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece 

5 stars – A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time

OK, so that's what I have for the first quarter of 2026. Some really good stuff in there. What did I miss? What were your favorite new albums so far in 2026? Let me know in the comments.

On the Way Back

 

 

Hey There! How you doing this winter? OK, I know, long time, no posts or activity here. Well, I intended to take some time off in January before getting back into things, but then that was extended, both through laziness and some technical issues. The personal computer I used for this blog (and many other things) melted down and became inoperable and it has taken awhile to get things back in order. That's also why several requests to fix broken download links have not been addressed, as I did not have access to the hard drive where all those files are located. I'm getting things worked out now, so should be able to get back up and running soon. But I have been keeping busy, and will have some things of note to post soon. Already lots of good new music released this year and much more coming. In the meantime, keep checking out past posts and downloads, and thanks for your continued support. Still under snow here, but Spring will be here soon!