The Fabulous Poodles - 1979-02-14 - The Bottom Line, New York, NY

The Fabulous Poodles
1979-02-14
The Bottom Line, New York, NY
FM Broadcast Recording, very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and MP3 (320 kbps) versions

OK, here's a show that I had been searching for for a very long time (since before I started this blog), one of the very few known Fabulous Poodles live show recordings. I have been fortunate enough to have and post other available FabPoo recordings, but had been unable to track down this one down, until a reader of the blog came forward to provide it to me (Much thanks, Stuart!). If you aren't familiar with The Fabulous Poodles, they were a great, but short-lived new wave/old school 70's UK band with a great style that combined an early 60's Who and Kinks sound with 50's kitsch and 70's new wave, and outrageously witty lyrics (See previous posts). I loved their unique sound and style, but they only made 3 albums before disbanding in 1980 (only 2 released in the U.S.). Their only U.S. Tour (in 1979) was marred by having all their instruments and equipment stolen within the first few days, and having to scrounge up borrowed and make-shift equipment the rest of the tour. But they carried on nonetheless. This show comes from a radio broadcast of their NY Bottom Line Show, shortly after their equipment issues, and, unfortunately, it does affect the show, as for the first few songs the amp for the violin (a very important component of their sound) is not working at all. They eventually are able to come up with an alternative fix for the rest of the show, but the early songs are without Bobby's trademark violin. So, again, this is one of the few full show recordings of The Poos, and despite the equipment issues, there are some great moments. BTW, The complete studio recordings of The Fabulous Poodles were recently reissued (2018) in a CD Box Set (Cherry Red Records, UK) that includes all the songs from their three albums as well as many other singles, unreleased tracks and demos, as Mirror Stars: The Complete Pye Recordings 1976-1980, and contains everything they ever recorded. It is a goldmine for Fabulous Poodles fans, and its modern day release shows that I certainly am not the only one who remembers and cherishes the music these guys created. Check 'em Out.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Suicide Bridge
3. Cherchez le Femme
4. Chicago Box Car
5. B Movies
6. Rum Baba Boogie
7. Oh Cheryl
8. Work Shy
9. Tit Photographer's Blues
10. Mirror Star
11. Roll Your Own
12. Twist and Shout
13. You Really Got Me
14. Mr. Mike
15. Bike Blood
16. DJ Talk
17. We'll Meet Again
18. DJ outro
Bonus Track:
19. Bionic Man/(From The Robert Klein show)

Tony de Meur – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Richie Robertson – Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Bobby Valentino – Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Bryn Burrows – Drum, Percussion

FLAC - Fabulous Poodles_1979-02-14_BottomLine,NY_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Fabulous Poodles_1979-02-14_BottomLine,NY_mp3.rar
Links updated (09/29/23)

Right Here for Eleven Years

One One and Still Not Done

It's time once again to recognize that another year has past and BB Chronicles is still steadfastly moving forward, perhaps at a snail's pace, but still going nonetheless. That's right, we have miraculously reached the 11th Anniversary of this little bloggy endeavor, and have survived long after many other of these types of things have come and gone. And I believe we've covered a whole lot in those 11 years. A whole lot of great music has been talked about and presented here over the years, of many different styles, all from artists that I personally enjoy very much, and hope that others will also enjoy. I try to present a variety of music that may be hard to find or not readily available elsewhere. I also try to provide some background and context to the music and artists, as well as my own commentary, rather than just unadorned music files, to give those new to these artists some perspective and history, to explore the music further. And I also have tried to keep these posts available as much as possible over time, thus pretty much everything that has been posted previously should still be available (with the exception of things that ran into copyright issues). I hope that what I have provided here has been useful and worthwhile, as well as musically satisfying, and I hope it has been something that you come back to often and have been introduced to some new music here that you really enjoy, to expand your musical horizons and enjoyment, and be a positive addition to your musical experience as well as your music collection.

And 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, which is not available for purchase anywhere, freely available to all who wish to download and enjoy it. I am only able to offer these downloads because others before me have made them available. So, to all the other bloggers, tapers, forum posters, and music fans that have collected these recordings and made them available over the internet, and most importantly, to all the great artists and musicians out there that have created and performed this wonderful music and allow these recordings to be freely exchanged, 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 here serves to supplement, not replace, all of their officially released music. They are supported by fans like us. 

So, having just finished what ended up being a yearlong featured look at Progressive Rock, I will now move on to various other things. First up will be some of the various items of interest I picked up over the past year but haven't had a chance to post yet (because didn't fit into the progressive rock theme), which includes some new finds from some old friends. But I will continue to feature many artists that may not have been immensely popular, but are fine musicians that deserve to be heard by a wider audience, or at least give some more people an opportunity to check them out. So, I will continue on with this endeavor, albeit at the relatively slow rate of 2-4 posts per month, and I hope that you will follow along and sample from it whenever you see something of interest. As always, I encourage feedback and discussion of anything mentioned or presented here. Let me know what you think of things and this wonderful music all around us. Thanks to all.

 

Knifeworld - 2018-02-07 - Cruise to the Edge, Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas

Knifeworld
February 7, 2018
Cruise To The Edge,
Colony Club, Royal Caribbean Brilliance Of The Seas
En Route from Costa Maya, Mexico to Tampa, FL
Audience Recording, very good quality (Lostbrook 2.0 Volume 240)

OK, to wrap up this extended look at Progressive Rock, we bring things right up to present day. In the 2000's and beyond, in addition to many of the old classic progressive rock bands continuing, re-forming, reuniting, or re-establishing themselves as live acts, several new bands continued to highlight and expand the traditions of progressive rock for new generations. New bands such as The Mars Volta, The Pineapple Thief, Gazpacho, and others, as well as bands featuring former musicians from other prog bands, such as Frost, Transatlantic, and Stick Men, continued taking progressive rock in new and different directions, while still featuring many of the familiar attributes associated with progressive rock. One of these newer bands, Knifeworld, made quite a splash at last year's Cruise to the Edge (which as I previously mentioned is a yearly Cruise event that features progressive rock acts, both old and new). Knifeworld was formed in 2009 by Multi-instrumentalist Kavus Torabi, a musician born in Iran, but raised in England. Torabi first envisioned Knifeworld as a solo project, with himself playing most of the instruments, but it developed into a full-fledged band, playing what has been called psychedelic, progressive, math rock (complex, atypical rythyms, melodies, etc.). They have released 3 albums and a few EPs, with their latest being Bottled Out of Eden (2016). Now, I have to admit that I had never heard of this band either, but thanks to the taper Lostbrook, who has been providing recordings from recent years of the Cruise to the Edge shows, we have this wonderful live recording from 2018. And even on a Cruise that year that featured great shows from prog veterans such as Yes, Steve Hackett, Carl Palmer, Marillion, Gong, and Focus, from what Lostbrook reported, Knifeworld was one of the most talked about and heralded bands that year.
 
Tracklist:
01 I Can Teach You How To Lose A Fight (5:40)
02 I Am Lost (7:20)
03 Feel The Sorcery (3:57)
04 Send Him Seaworthy (6:22)
05 The Wretched Fathoms (3:25)
06 High/Aflame (7:27)
07 The Prime Of Our Decline (7:01)
08 Destroy The World We Love (7:20)
09 Me To The Future Of You (9:30)

Kavus Torabi - guitars, vocals
Emmet Elvin - keyboards
Melanie Woods - vocals, tambourine, glockenspiel
Ben Woollacott - drums, percussion
Chloe Herrington - bassoon, alto saxophone, vocals
Charlie Cawood - bass
Oliver Sellwood - baritone saxophone
Josh Perl - alto saxophone, acoustic guitar, backing vocals


FLAC - Knifeworld_2018-02-07_Cruise to the Edge_FLAC.rar

Mp3 - Knifeworld_2018-02-07_Cruise to the Edge_mp3.rar
Links updated 09/26/21

So, this concludes this extended feature look at Progressive Rock. And although I posted only progressive rock-related shows for a full year on this blog, it seems I only scratched the surface of what progressive rock is all about. I didn't even get to dozens of bands I wanted to feature, including Van Der Graaf Generator, Eloy, Can, Triumvirat, Rare Bird, Happy The Man, etc., and I didn't get to the Jazz-influenced branch of Progressive rock (like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Brand X, Return to Forever, Traffic), or even the actual classsically-influenced bands (such as Renaissance, Gryphon), and many other aspects. But it is time to move on to other things. I know many that previously followed this blog were not thrilled with the recent emphasis on progressive rock, but hopefully, many of you learned some things and found some new music in here that you liked but had not known about before. For me, it was very worthwhile, and I actually learned quite a bit myself and found out about a bunch of bands I didn't know much about previously and found much new music to check out. So, I will move on to other things now, but will still occasionally feature progressive rock posts from time to time. So for fans, there is always more coming, and for non-fans, I'll get back to posting a variety of other types of great music. Thanks.

Spock's Beard - 1999-05-18 - Rochester, NY

Spock's Beard
1999-05-18
Penny Arcade, Rochester, NY
Soundboard recording, excellent quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Several new bands emerged in the 1990's that featured progressive rock aesthetics and approach, but also updated the classic sound in various ways for the nineties. These included bands such as Glass Hammer, The Flower Kings, Coheed and Cambria, Big Big Train, and Opeth. One of the best of these '90's versions of progressive rock was Spock's Beard. Formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards) and Alan (guitars) Morse, joined by Dave Meros (bass) and Nick D'Virgilio (drums), and a bit later by Ryo Okamato (keyboards). Spock's Beard are known for their intricate arrangements, multi-part vocal harmonies and use of counterpoint vocals, with notable influences from Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant. Their first album, The Light (1995) received rave reviews and immediate acclaim among progressive rock fans. Subsequent albums, Beware of Darkness (1996), Kindness of Strangers (1998), and Day For Night (1999) continued to build their reputation for being at the forefront of '90's progressive rock, culminating in V (2000), probably their most acclaimed album, followed by Snow (2002), their elaborate 2-disc concept album that was the Swan Song for founding member Neal Morse. With lead vocalist and principal songwriter Morse leaving shortly after the release of Snow, the band re-grouped with drummer Nick D'Virgilio taking over on lead vocals, and adopted a more collaborative approach to their songwriting. Although their next few albums were not as well-received as the Morse era albums, the band continued forward, with each subsequent album getting better, until they regained their stature among fans by their tenth album, X (2010), considered one of their best. Unfortunately, there were more personnel changes, with D'Virgilio leaving after X, and the band bringing in Ted Leonard on vocals and drummer Jimmy Keegan. The first new album with this lineup was Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep (2013), which received much acclaim among fans of the band. The band has continued on to the present releasing new albums in 2015 and 2018 (The Oblivion Particle and Noise Floor, respectively), as well as various compilations and live albums. 
Here is a great-sounding show from the Neal Morse era, 1999, on the Day For Night Tour. 



Tracklist:
cd1
1. Intro
2. Day for Night
3. Mouth of Madness
4. Skin
5. Gibberish
6. Go the Way You Go
7. Distance to the Sun
8. Crack the Big Sky
9. Ryo Solo
cd2
1. The Doorway
2. Walking on the Wind
3. Jam
4. June
5. Waste Away
6. Fire

Neal Morse - Lead vocals, keybaords, Guitar, synths
Alan Morse - Guitar, backing vocals
Ryo Okamoto - keyboards, backing vocals
Dave Meros - bass, backing vocals
Nick D'Virgilio - drums, backing vocals

FLAC - Spock's Beard_1999-05-18_RochetsterNY_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Spock's Beard_1999-05-18_RochetsterNY_mp3.rar

Marillion - 1986-01-08 - Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK

Marillion
1986-01-08
Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
Soundboard Recording, very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Moving on to some of the progressive bands that were not part of the original progressive era in the '70's but came later and kept the progressive flame burning through later years. In the 1980's, new bands such as Marillion, Saga, IQ, and Pendragon continued on in the progressive tradition, as several other bands, such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Porcupine Tree, moved into a heavier, more progressive metal sound. Here is Marillion, a British band that became popular in the mid-Eighties, with obvious influences and inspiration from Genesis, but who forged their own way forward, delivering a 1980's version of classic progressive rock. Their commercial breakthrough came with their third album, Misplaced Childhood (1985), which went to #1 in the UK, with multiple hit singles. Now exposed to a much wider audience, their next album, Clutching at Straws (1987), was also a big hit, receiving popular and critical acclaim. However, an excessive touring schedule and constant pressure from the band's management led to the departure of their charismatic lead singer, frontman, and lyricist, Fish, in 1988. The band continued with the addition of Steve Hogarth, who had a very different style from Fish, and thus the style and sound of the band also changed (somewhat more pop-oriented) from that point on. Although their next couple albums struggled to regain their previous success, they bounced back with their seminal concept album, Brave (1994), and through the subsequent years, although not as commercially successful, they have maintained a strong fanbase that has kept them going strong, right up to the present. They have released 18 studio albums (most recent, F.E.A.R. - 2016) and countless live albums. Here is a great-sounding show from the old days with Fish, on their Misplaced Childhood tour in 1986.This recording did not include all songs played, however, (other songs played included the Intro piece 'The Thieving Magpie', 'Punch and Judy', and 'Market Square Hero' as a closer), so I have added 'Market Square Hero' from another show that year at the end to recreate the natural end of the show.

Track List:
01 - Emerald Lies (intro)         
02 - Script For A Jester's Tear          
03 - Incubus
04 - Jigsaw
05 - The Web         
Misplaced Childhood (Full album)
  06 - Pseudo Silk Kimono         
  07 - Kayleigh          
  08 - Lavender
  09 - Bitter Suite
  10 - Heart Of Lothian
  11 - Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)
  12 - Lords Of The Backstage
  13 - Blind Curve
  14 - Childhood's End
  15 - White Feather
16 - Fugazi
17 - Market Square Hero - medley (From 1986-06-21 - Mannheim, Germany, FM)

The Band:
Fish: Vocals
Steve Rothery: Guitars
Mark Kelly: Keyboards
Pete Trewavas: Bass
Ian Mosley: Drums

FLAC - Marillion_1986-01-01_Hammersmith Odeon-London-UK_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Marillion_1986-01-01_Hammersmith Odeon-London-UK_mp3.rar

Links updated 9/26/21

Steve Hackett - 2018-12-09 - Acoustic Concert - Trading Boundaries, East Sussex, UK

Steve Hackett (and guests)
Acoustic Concert
2018-12-09
Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green, East Sussex, UK
Audience Recording (EBR), very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (320 kbps) versions

OK, to finish up this look at the career of guitarist Steve Hackett, and to bring things right up to present day, here is a unique intimate  show from last December (2018), where Steve and basically a chamber ensemble of Rob Townsend, Roger King, and John Hackett play an entire acoustic show at Trading Boundaries, the UK venue that is a restaurant, antiques showroom, and has in recent years become a haven for intimate concerts of progressive music.  This was such an interesting and unique show that I just had to include it here. But first, to catch us up on Steve, He continued to tour through most of 2018, through the U.S., South America, and Europe, Then in October played a series of shows in the UK with full Orchestra backing, and ending with a couple acoustic shows at Trading Boundaries in December. Somehow amidst all that touring, he also managed to record a new album, At The Edge of Light, which was released in January 2019.  The rest of 2019 looks to be just as eventful as well, starting with a couple of Cruise shows (see below for more info) in February, and the beginning of his 2019 tour, which will feature playing the entire Selling England By The Pound  album and celebration of 40th Anniversary of Spectral Mornings, and span through Europe, Scandinavia, USA, Canada, and the UK throughout the year. But the show presented here is very unique, not only in the intimate, informal coffeehouse atmosphere, but also in the style and setlist of the songs played. A wonderful experience and great recording of this unique event.

Tracklist:
Part1
1.  Event Intro
2.  Intro
3.  Unknown classical piece
4.  Intro
5.  ?->Tales Of the Riverbank
6.  Intro
7.  Skye Boat Song
8.  ?->Horizons
9.  Intro
10. Jacuzzi
11. Supper's Ready->After the Ordeal->Hairless Heart->Dm Inprov
12. Introduction of Nick Magnus
13. Hammer In the Sand
14. Intro
15. Jazz On A Summer's Night

Part2
1.  Intro
2.  House Of The Faun
3.  Intro
4.  Second Chance
5.  Rainbows
6.  Intro
7.  Poulanc->Whole Tone Improv->Red Flower->Priestess
8.  Introduction of Amanda Lehmann
9.  Memory Lane
10. Intro
11. Happy When It Rains
12. Intro
13. Ace Of Wands
14. Crowd
15. The Journey
16. Intro
17. Bacchus inc. Firth Of Fifth
18. Outro

Steve Hackett - Guitars, Harmonica, Vocals
Rob Townsend - Sax, woodwinds
Roger King - Keyboards
John Hackett - Flute
With Special Guests
Nick Magnus - keyboards
Amanda Lehmann - Guitar/vocals

FLAC - Steve Hackett_2018-12-09_Trading Boundaries(Acoustic)UK_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Steve Hackett_2018-12-09_Trading Boundaries(Acoustic)UK_mp3.rar

Cruise to the Edge: Another unique experience that Steve Hackett has participated in in recent years is the Cruise to the Edge, an actual voyage on a Cruse ship that features nearly round the clock live shows from a plethora of Progressive rock artists and acts, from classic bands such as Yes, Soft Machine, Brand X, PFM, and Steve Hackett, to newer and lesser-known bands carrying on the tradition of Progressive rock today. These Cruises have been conducted each year in February over the past several years, leaving from Tampa FL, traveling to Key West and Cozumel, and back, with a packed schedule of concerts every day. Billed as "The Greatest Prog Rock Vacation on Earth" (here is the Cruise website:cruisetotheedge.com). Fortunately, for all of us intrigued by this but who can't actually go on these Cruises, many audience recordings shows from the most recent Cruises (including 2014, 2017, 2018, and just out, 2019, thanks primarily to Lostbrook 2.0!). I don't have time or space to post them here, but they are available to download at the G101 Lossless Forum (just search for Lostbrook or Cruise to the Edge). Once again this year, Steve was part of the show, along with many great old and new bands worth checking out. Just shows how Progressive music is staying alive and vital right through today. 

Steve Hackett - 2015-09-15 - Cologne, Germany

Steve Hackett
2015-09-15
E-Werk, Cologne, Germany
Acolyte To Wolflight With Genesis Revisited - The Total Experience Tour
Audience recording, very good quality
Available in both lossles (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

More Steve Hackett! Following the enormously successful Genesis Revisited extended tour (2013-2014) and the release of another acclaimed solo album (Wolflight, 2015), for his next tour Steve wanted to highlight the 40th Anniversary of his first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte (1975) and feature his 40 years of albums up to his newest release, but he also wanted to continue the excitement that the Genesis Revisited shows captured (and by popular request and demand). So, Steve divided the shows into two  parts, the first featuring a retrospective of his solo career, with emphasis on his early albums (Voyage of the Acolyte and Spectral Mornings) and his latest album, Wolflight, and the second part was a continuation of the Genesis Revisited songs. But rather than play the same Genesis songs as in previous tours, he brought out a whole new assortment of classic Genesis, featuring several songs rarely ever heard live, including 2 great Foxtrot gems, 'Get 'em Out by Friday' and my personal favorite (and underrated masterpiece) 'Can-Utility and the Coastliners' and such tracks as 'The Hairless Heart' and the complete 'Cinema Show'. The only repeated songs from the previous tour was 'The Musical Box' and an encore of 'Firth of Fifth'. It made for a fantastic show. The tour title was a mouthful The "Acolyte to Wolflight with Genesis Revisited - The Total Experience Tour", but the show was even more packed, averaging nearly 3 hrs each night. And Steve did feature Acolyte, including 4 songs from that first album (as well as 3 from Spectral Mornings), but also highlighted his new album, with 5 songs from Wolflight for 2 sides to a magnificent show. The show featured here is from one of the very first dates of the tour and represented the best recording from the tour I could find. The tour went through the rest of 2015 and through most of 2016 as well. In 2017, Steve released his next solo album, The Night Siren. For the subsequent 2017 tour, Steve continued to do a mix of solo and Genesis songs, but now replacing the Wolflight tracks with the new Night Siren tracks, as well as once again adding some different Genesis tracks to the show. So, as packed as the 2015 show already is, I couldn't resist adding a couple bonus tracks from the 2017 tour, because he added a couple more Genesis rarely heard live tracks, 'One For the Vine' and the great 'Inside and Out', a Hackett composed song that was left off Wind and Wuthering and was relegated only to the EP Spot The Pigeon (1977). Hope you enjoy this wonderful show.
   
Tracklist:
Part 1 - Acolyte to Wolflight (Hackett solo catalog)
01 Spectral Mornings
02 Out Of The Body
03 Wolflight
04 Every Day
05 Love Song To A Vampire
06 The Wheel's Turning
07 The Steppes
08 Loving Sea
09 Star Of Sirius
10 Ace Of Wands
11 A Tower Struck Down
12 Clocks - The Angel Of Mons
13 Shadow Of The Hierophant

Part 2 - Genesis Revisited
14 Get 'em Out By Friday
15 Can-Utility And The Coastliners
16 After The Ordeal
17 The Cinema Show
18 Aisle Of Plenty
19 Hairless Heart
20 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
21 The Musical Box incl. Band Introduction
Encore
22 Icarus Ascending
23 Firth Of Fifth
Bonus Tracks (2017-09-22 - Ridgefield, CT)
24. One For the Vine
25. Inside and Out

Line-Up:
Steve Hackett - guitars/vocals
Roger King - keyboards
Gary O'Toole - drums, percussion and vocals
Rob Townsend - sax, flute and percussion
Roine Stolt - bass/12 string guitar
Nad Sylvan - vocals

FLAC - Steve Hackett_2015-09-15_Cologne,Germany_FLAC.part1.rar
             Steve Hackett_2015-09-15_Cologne,Germany_FLAC.part2.rar

mp3 - Steve Hackett_2015-09-15_Cologne,Germany_mp3.rar