Neil Young og Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi

Neil Young til høyre!

Musikeren Neil Young har mottatt de fleste priser en artist kan få, men nylig fikk han en utmerkelse han ikke hadde - han fikk en egen edderkoppart oppkalt etter seg!

”Jeg elsker musikken, men setter også stor pris på hans arbeid for fred og rettferdighet”, sier biologen Jason Bond, som har gitt sin nyoppdagede edderkoppart det latinske navnet Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi.

I sitt arbeid ved et amerikansk universitet fant Bond den hittil ukjente seksbeinte arten - og bestemte seg der og da for hvem han ville oppkalle den etter.

Norge

HVORFRA? Serien har nå kommer frem til vårt kjære, rare og sære Norge. Med tiden er floraen av prog og progrelaterte artister blitt riktig så bra både kvalitetsmessig og kvantitetsmessig. Vi kan derfor stolt presentere en liste med mye virkelig bra musikere og band.

Kongeriket Norge (nynorsk: Kongeriket Noreg) er et skandinavisk land vest på den skandinaviske halvøy. Til lands grenser Norge mot Sverige, Finland og Russland i øst. Landet er langt og smalt, og kysten strekker seg langs Nordatlanteren med havområder som Skagerrak, Nordsjøen, Norskehavet og Barentshavet, hvor også Norges kjente fjorder befinner seg. Øya Jan Mayen i nordvest er administrert som en del av hovedlandet og grenser til havs mot islandsk farvann. Øygruppen Svalbard er under norsk suverenitet med de begrensninger Svalbardtraktaten setter, men er i likhet med Jan Mayen en del av kongeriket. Bouvetøya i Sydatlanteren er derimot et norsk biland. Norge gjør også krav på Peter 1.s øy i det sørlige Stillehavet og territoriet Dronning Maud Land i Antarktis, men begge disse omfattes av Antarktis-traktaten, som legger territoriale krav i Antarktis på is. På grunn av uenighet om delelinjen mellom norsk og russisk territorialfarvann i Barentshavet, finnes det et område som inntil videre blir administrert av begge statene, den såkalte Gråsonen.

Seilingsleden fra Karmøy og nordover ble omtalt som Norðrvegr, veien mot nord, noe som kan tyde på å ha vært et geografisk navn gitt av gøter eller daner på samme måte som uttrykkene vestrvegr, austrvegr, suðrvegar. Denne betydningen lever videre i det engelske, tyske og franske navnet på landet. På et senere tidspunkt har navnet på skipsleden også blitt navnet på fastlandet østenfor. Det er usikkert når Østlandet begynte å bli assosiert med landet som ble omtalt som Norðrvegr, ettersom denne landsdelen frem til 1000-tallet oftest var de danske kongenes skatteland.

I Ottars beretning til den engelske kong Alfred fra ca 880 brukes formen Norðweg og norðmannaland om hverandre. Runeinskripsjoner på en av de danske Jellingsteinene fra rundt 980 bruker akkusativformen Nuruiak som tilsvarer nominativ Norvegh. I islandske middelalderhåndskrifter omtales landet som Noreg(h)r eller Norveg(h)r.

På 1300-tallet ble navnet sammentrukket til nominativformene Noreg(h)e, Norig(h)e, Norg(h)e. Senere dette hundreåret oppsto nominativformene Norie, Nories der i'en ble uttalt som j, slik det fortsatt gjøres i svensk. Fra 1450 blir Noreg(h)-navnet sjeldnere, og Norg(h)e-typen ble hyppigste form.

Ivar Aasen brukte dialektformen Norig da han skapte landsmålet på 1800-tallet. I 1917 ble formene Norig og Noreg sidestilt i landsmål, men ved rettskrivingsreformen i 1938 ble Noreg eneform i nynorsk. I bokmålet og riksmålet har Norge alltid vært eneform.

Vikingtid til middelalder

I vikingtiden fra det 8. århundre til det 11. århundre ble områdene som nå utgjør Norge, gradvis lagt under en kongemakt. Kong Harald Hårfagre underla seg de sør-vestlige delene av Norge ved slaget i Hafrsfjord omkring 880, og etablerte sitt kongesete på Avaldsnes på Karmøy. Østlandet kom under kontroll av kongemakten på midten av 1000-tallet, mens ladejarlætten som hadde herredømme i det nordlige Norge døde ut på samme tid.

I 995 grunnla kong Olav Tryggvason landets første kristne kirke på Moster i Bømlo, og begynte kristningen av landet. Etter slaget ved Stiklestad i 1030 vant kristendommen frem som statsreligion, noe som førte til at kongemakten heretter kunne støtte sin makt på en landsomfattende skrivekyndig kirkelig organisasjon med bånd til den latinskspråklige europeiske kulturen. Etter en hundreårig periode med borgerkrig fra 1130-tallet, ble kongemakten igjen konsolidert under Sverreætten. Håkon Håkonsson (1204–63) skapte det riksomfattende enekongedømme som etter utløpet av borgerkrigene i 1240. Under hans 46 år på tronen oppsto Norgesveldet hvor store oversjøiske landområder ble tvunget inn under kongemakten. Under kong Magnus Lagabøte ble Norge det andre landet i Europa som var undergitt én samlet lovbok.

Nedgang og dansketid

Svartedauden, som herjet fra 1348 til 1350 [1], og senere epidemier, fikk katastrofale følger og førte til at omtrent halvparten av befolkningen døde. Mange bygder ble liggende helt øde og det tok århundrer før folketallet var tilbake på tidligere nivå. Inntektene fra skatt og jordleie falt med nesten 80% påfølgende århundre, noe som rammet den norske staten hardere enn hva som var tilfellet i Sverige og Danmark. Landets samfunnsstyrende elite, den norske adelen, sank fra 600 til 200 familier og var relativt fåtallig sammenlignet med situasjonen i nabolandene. Med Svartedauden mistet adelen store deler av sitt økonomiske grunnlag, og adelens øverste organ, Riksrådet ble etter press fra Oldenburgkongen endelig oppløst i 1537. Dynastiske forhold medvirket ytterligere til at tiden som et selvstendig rike ebbet ut. Kongeslekten ble forent med den svenske i 1319, den danske i 1380 og døde helt ut i 1387. Norge gikk inn i Kalmarunionen med de andre nordiske land i 1397 og etter dens oppløsning i 1450 fortsatte kongefellesskapet med Danmark alene. I 1537 førte reformasjonen til at landets rikeste organisasjon, kirken, ble underlagt kongen i København i steden for å være ledet fra erkebiskopen i Nidaros.

Den 434 år lange unionen med Danmark ble på 1800-tallet ofte omtalt som «400-årsnatten», fordi Norge var den svakere part i unionen og ble styrt fra hovedstaden København. Tiden mellom 1570 til 1721 var preget av høye skatter og langvarige kriger mellom Danmark-Norge og Sverige. Bortsett fra Kalmarkrigen, der det nordlige Nord-Norge endelig ble fastslått som norsk i 1613, førte nesten samtlige av krigene til tap av landområder som Båhuslen, Jemtland og Herjedalen. I 1660 begikk kongen statskupp, oppløste det danske Riksrådet og innførte kongelig enevelde, en forfatning som vedvarte til 1814. Den nåværende grenselinjen til Sverige ble trukket i 1751 under fredstiden midt på 1700-tallet.

Demokratisk forfatning i 1814

Fredrik 6. av Danmark-Norge allierte seg med Napoleon og ble dermed en av taperne i Napoleonskrigene. I Kielfreden i 1814 ble Norge avstått til kongen av Sverige. I vårmånedene 1814 mens den svenske hær var i felttog på kontinentet, lyktes det Riksforsamlingen på Eidsvoll å gi landet en liberal grunnlov den 17. mai 1814, basert på Folkesuverenitetsprinsippet. Etter en kort krig med Sverige ble det forhandlet frem en personalunion med Sverige. Norge fikk i 1814 egen hovedstad (Christiania), regjering, hær, flåte, lovverk, valuta, sentralbank og parlament. Stemmeretten omfattet nesten halvparten av den myndige mannlige befolkningen. Kun utenrikpolitikken ble styrt av den felles svensk-norske kongen gjennom det svenske utenriksdepartement.

På 1800-tallet ble landet styrt av en ikke-adelig elite av embetsmenn, mens organisering av opposisjon førte til utvikling av politiske partier. I 1884 ble dagens statsskikk innført, etter at en riksrettsdom fastslo at regjeringen heretter i realiteten skulle være en Stortingsoppnevnt komité (parlamentarisme) i steden for å være iverksettere av Kongens politikk slik Grunnloven hadde tiltenkt.

Fra unionsoppløsning til nåtid

Økende norsk misnøye med unionen på slutten av 1800-tallet førte til oppløsningen av den norsk-svenske unionen i 1905, bekreftet ved en folkeavstemning. Den norske regjeringen tilbød den norske tronen til den danske prins Carl. Etter en ny folkeavstemning kåret Stortinget ham til konge og han tok navnet Haakon VII.

Norge førte en vestvendt nøytralitet under 1. verdenskrig. I mellomkrigstiden var partipolitikken fragmentert og økonomien gjennomgikk en serie kriser, noe som førte til store deler av befolkningen både på ytterste høyre og venstre fløy mistet troen på parlamentarisk demokrati. Da 2. verdenskrig brøt ut, ønsket politikerne å holde landet nøytralt også i denne krigen, men landet ble overrumplet av det tyske angrepet på Norge 9. april 1940. Tyskerne innsatte et militærdiktatur mens den norske regjering og Konge ledet et eksilstyre fra London. Det gradvis økende hatet mot det tyske styret sammen med båndene til Storbritannia og USA som krigen skapte, førte til at alliansen ble videreført etter krigens slutt NATO som ble dannet i 1949. Norge var også et av landene som bidro til opprettelsen av FN i 1945.

Etterkrigstidens politikk har vært dominert av Arbeiderpartiet. De hadde rent flertall fra 1945 til 1957, men tonet i løpet av denne tiden ned sin politiske linje fra sosialistisk planøkonomi, til konsensuspreget blandingsøkonomi. Det norske folk har to ganger stemt imot å bli en del av EU, henholdsvis i 1972 og i 1994. Norge har likevel en tilknytning til det europeiske indre markedet gjennom EØS-avtalen, som trådte i kraft i 1994.

Nil

I am always happy when the new Progressive Rock bands emerge, especially when they present a true and original sound, and NIL is one of them, therefore it was very difficult to choose, among many other great bands, as my favourite from this month. The sounds from them are composed in the spirit of the Symphonic and Progressive Rock British movement of the early 1970's. The group balance electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and voice, where the vocals are full of mystery, and the sounds structures are amazing with intricate moments, while in many parts we find an instrumental harmony that really captures the listeners attention with its musical beauty. If they keep this wonderful and delightful energy, of course they will be being  noticed by Progressive Rock communities as a new generation in this musical genre. "At first, you will be probably surprised by the number of themes they expose in the beginning of the album... "Excellent and indispensable work,
highly recommendable.

Nil are now:

David Maurin - Prepared Guitars, Flute, Gong and Bass Clarinet
Samuel Maurin - Bass, Stick, Vocals, Aegyptian Incantations
Benjamin Croizy - Synthesizers, Mellotron, Church Organ, Hammond Organ, Piano, MS20, Timpani
Frank Niebel - Drums and Percussion
Roselyne Berthet - Vocals and Ethereal voices

Prehistoric - After their cover band had spitted, David Maurin and Julien Paget decided to work on their own compositions. Two ideas were developed during their first rehearsal (which you can hear at the end of Inner Mazed...). Samuel Maurin will quickly rejoin the newborn "band". The only problem is that Sam never played bass nor any other instruments before! (still, he is really motivated!). End of 1994, David, Julien and Samuel started to work on ideas that will later lead to The Three stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Inner mazed, and Parazyth (unpublished). The three members' motivation allowed the band to survive after David's departure for Russia (to follow his studies in theoretical physics).
Benjamin's arrival - Samuel moved to Grenoble and took one day a hitch-hiker who, beside listening to inventive bands was also playing keyboard. September 1995 saw our first rehearsal with Benjamin. After a few months Julien left the band. 
First demo - The three of us left wrote music in Sam's real tiny apartment. A lot of ideas came from these writing sessions that would eventually appear in the first album... and even some parts of "40 jours sur le Sinai". During summer 1995, a first demo is going to be realized in two days on a 8 tracks analog recorder(with the help of a drum machine programed by David). 
Frank's arrival + demo album - This demo will help us to find a new drummer. After six months of unsuccessful research, David contacted an old school friend. Having a more jazz-rock approach to music (even though he is a big Rush and King Crimson fan), Frank will be at first surprised by what he hears but soon rejoins the band. In the beginning of 1996, the band seems finally completed. Frank is getting more and more involved in the writing process (which was not the case for the first compositions). Old songs are definitively rearranged, and new songs are written with the help of all, which will mark a new start in the band's history. Frank's arrival allows us to give several concerts as well. The recording of a six tracks demo album ends up this period. From now on, the band's name will be NIL.
First and second album - After the re-recording of the demo album with better equipment, we decide to adapt Debussy's classical piece called Nocturnes. Ligeti's piece Bagatelle n°4 will rejoin Debussy's only just a few days before the recording of the CD (spring 1999).
"40 jours sur le Sinaï" - At the end of 1999 the band records the drum's parts of an ambitious concept album called: 40 jours sur le Sinai (40 days on the Sinai). The recording of all the other instruments (church organ, mellotron, MS20, cello, soprano sax, bass clarinet, harp, bass, stick, guitars, keyboards...) plus all the vocals ended up during 2001's summer. Then everything went wrong with our new recording gear, with our former translator, our ex-futur label... and on the top of that Chirac got re-elected...Nasty year! Anyway it took us a long time to sort it all out and now that's history. 
Projects - Concurrently the band has written their fourth forthcoming album. Roselyne Berthet who was only a guest singer on our third album now has rejoined the band for a new adventure... Hopefully this one will be faster to record and release!

"Quarante jours 
  sur le Sinaï"

The album is divided
in two parts:
Act  I - 36'16
Act II - 26'42

The CD: jewel box, picture disc, 8 pages booklet + another 20 pages booklet.

Instruments: drums (and percussions), bass guitars (and stick), guitars, synths (organs, mellotron, MS 20, piano), voices (vocals, incantations), harp, cello, soprano saxophone , flute and bass clarinet.

Is in fact one giant piece of music. The listener is free to follow Solon's adventure or to build up its own story.

1967 Nostalgi

Det er mer enn 40år siden rockekulturen, som man en gang kalte det, fikk sitt store gjennombrudd. The Summer Of Love er et naturlig midtpunkt, men gjennom hele året, fra januar til desember 1967 ble det sluppet en drøss med klassiske rockealbum.

Musikkåret markerer på mange måter begynnelsen på LP-ens gullalder, og er også et år preget av en serie uvanlige debuter: The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplins Big Brother & The Holding Company, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix og mange flere. Under har vi listet opp de 40 albumene som Rolling Stone Magazine nylig kalte The 40 Essential Albums Of 1967. Dessverre er noen av albumene utgått, men her bør det uansett være noe å sette tenna i for alle og enhver. Vi begynner 4. januar med The Doors og avslutter 27. desember med John Wesley Harding.

Kanskje var 67 det året hvor rocken for alvor ble et fenomen å regne med. Året hvor rocken gikk fra et fenomen hvor lett hoderysting og oppgitthet var hva den gestaltet. Fra den etablerte generasjon. Fortsatt var skeptikerne mange, men rundt 1967 ble det faktisk mulig på en legitim måte å uttrykke seg kunstnerisk via rock.  Det simple og mer undergrunnspregede var i ferd med å få aksept.  Artisten som debuterte skulle jo også sette sitt preg på rocken i lang tid fremover. For ikke å snakke om hvilke inspirasjonskilder mange har vært.

Musikkåret markerer på mange måter begynnelsen på LP-ens gullalder, og er også et år preget av en serie uvanlige debuter: The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplins Big Brother & The Holding Company, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix og mange flere. Under har vi listet opp de 40 albumene som Rolling Stone Magazine nylig kalte The 40 Essential Albums Of 1967. Dessverre er noen av albumene utgått, men her bør det uansett være noe å sette tenna i for alle og enhver. Vi begynner 4. januar med The Doors og avslutter 27. desember med John Wesley Harding.

The Doors- The Doors

Donovan - Mellow Yellow

Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow

Rolling Stones - Between The Buttons

byrds - Younger Than Yesterday

Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - King & Quee

Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You

The Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico

Country Joe & The Fish - Music For The Mind & The Body

Howard Tate - Get It While You Can - The Legendary Sessions

The Rolling Stones - Flowers

Moby Grape - Moby Grape

The beatles - Sgt. Pepper´s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Hollies - Evolution

James Brown - Cold Sweet

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Big Brother & The Holding Company

Jimi Hendrix - Are Yoy Experienced

Procol Harum - A Whiter shade Of Pale

Arlo Guthrie - Alice`s Restaurant

Beach Boys - Smiley Smile/ Wild Honey

Tim Buckley - Goodbye And Hello

The Doors - Strange Days

The Kinks - Something Else By The Kinks

Dianne Warwick - Golden Hits , Part One

Van Morrison - Blowin` Your Mind

Cream - Disraeli Gear

The Serpent Power - The Serpent Power/Poet Song

Buffalo Sprinfield - Buffalo Sprinfield Again

Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

13th Flloor Elevator -Easter Everywhere

Love - Forver Change

Jimi Hendrix - Axis:Bold As Love

Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding

Mississippi John Hurt - The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt

The Who - The Who Sells Out

The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed

Nettsider med prog på agendaen

Her er en oversikt over all verdens nettsider som har prog som hovedtema. Klikk i vei, og en verden av de mest utrolige sider åpner seg. Noen av linkene er dessverre ustable så de vil ikke alltid åpne seg.

NoCode

NoCode is a Dutch band, originaly founded in the south of the Netherlands. NoCode has a very specific, characteristic sound; combining heavy rock sounds with melodic vocals. Their setlist consists only of songs written by the members themselves. NoCode wants to make intens and beautiful music in the first place. Since the beginning of 2001 NoCode was formed by the following members: Dirk Schuit (drums), Jelle Warendorff (guitar), Johanneke Kranendonk (vocals) and Theo Szarafinski (bass) Johanneke Kranendonk writes all lyrics. All members of the band are very motivated and passionate for playing their music.

In Zeeland NoCode plays on a regular basis and NoCode has build up a reputation for being a contemporary and experimental band. NoCode is especially known for their astonishing live act. In 2002 NoCode entered the finals of the `Zeeuwse Belofte’ (preselections `Grote Prijs’) as the youngest band of the competing bands. In Januari 2003 the band was nominated for best live band by the `Zeeuwse Popprijzen’. NoCode is the first band to be selected for the finals of the `Zeeuwse Belofte 2003’. Another highlight was in October 2002 when NoCode played in the jaarbeurshallen in Utrecht, during the festival `de Opkomst’. They were selected as one of 6 bands out of 60 from all over the Netherlands. In April 2003 NoCode was selected for the finals of Pocketpop, a festival nearby Nijmegen. In 2003 NoCode was again selected for the finals of Zeeuwse Belofte.

Summer 2002 NoCode released their first demo: Idolatry contains the songs: "Drama Queen", "Cloudburst" and "Sade". Januari 2003 NoCode recorded their second demo: Tuella contains the songs: "Vagaries", "For the Maintenance of This Ecstasy", "Intended Solace" and "Collapsing". It was released in April.

The last project NoCode did involved a roadmovie, completely shot by youngsters in Zeeland, which NoCode performed live with on stage. 
Both the film and the music were written and adapted for each other. This project 'Roadmovie on the Road' toured through Zeeland and was a succes.

After two demos ( 'Idolatry' and 'Tuella' ) NoCode released their first full album 'Crimson' mid 2004, which is very well received in the press. Currently NoCode is concentrating on new shows after the recordings, and is planning to expand their horizons, cross the borders and search for new challanges. NoCode believes that music should be honest, and that's all that matters.

"Crimson"
.
01) Hunger
02) Hiss
03) Firemen and
......their Hoses
04) Ice Floe
05) Dream Weaver
06) Twirling, Twirling
07) Poisonous Smile
08) Innuendo
09) Sparkle
10) Spawn

Here is another fantastic surprise from ”The Dutch Progfactory”, a new star born that come from the South of the Netherlands. A band with magnetic talent and powerful young musicians. NoCode demonstrates that the music can be made with feeling and splendid harmony, creating a modern and new style, a progressive music which features a set of genuine elements, enclosed into the musical genres as: Progressive Rock, Avant-Garde, Melodic Metal, Experimental Rock, Progressive Metal. We can hear a continuous experimentation and a musical exploration into the instrumental arrangements, giving the listener some soft and delicate passages, of almost ethereal melodies and, at certain moments a heavy rhythm and very aggressive also. The highlights are around the vocals, melodious, soft, heavy, impressive, complemented by power guitars leads, among the drums in exchange with the basses sounds, creating a different atmosphere and a amazing musical piece into all songs. The music of NoCode traffics around bands such as "Within Temptation", "The Gathering", "Anekdoten" and "King Crinson". I really liked a lot, and I hope to hear more about NoCode in the near future. You must listen them urgently. Brilliant and indispensable work, highly recommendable...

NoCode are:
Johanneke Kranendonk - Vocals 
Dirk Schuit - Drummer
Stijn Warendorff - Bass
Jelle Warendorff -Guitar

Narrow Pass

A Room Of Fairy Queen’s

I Love It!! Yet another entry in the “Great Italian Prog” album list, this new CD is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Mauro Montobbio, but captures a real group feeling with proper bass and drums and plenty of solid guest contributions, including (from the great Eris Pluvia) Edmondo Romano (flute) and Valeria Caucino (vocals), and (from current hot shot 70’s revivalists La Maschera Di Cera) Alessandro Corvaglia (vocals).

Instead of recreating the glory days of Italian Prog a la PFM, Banco etc (as La Maschera Di Cera do, so effectively) Narrow Pass takes the gentle 90’s Neo of Eris Pluvia as a starting point, but goes much further into a pastoral, folk rock vein, which should find favour with the many fans of the current folk revival, as well as Neo Prog fans.

Earth – Je Cherche La Vie is a strong opener, swapping the spacey Floyd cum Hillage atmosphere of the intro for sprightly Flamenco influenced acoustic guitars and lively synths, before a moody backdrop supports a recited poem in French to finish.

The title track fits right in with the recent upsurge of interest in Folk Rock, being a beautiful, delicate song exquisitely voiced by Valeria Caucino, her ethereal tones floating over layered acoustic guitars, keyboards and flutes, quite bewitching!

Thinks get even better with Lord Of The Headline, where a fantastic vocal performance from Alessandro Corvaglia strongly recalls Bernardo Lanzetti (of Acqua Fragile, PFM & Mangala Vallis) and, like Lanzetti, also recalls Peter Gabriel. This Genesis influenced slice of Neo Prog is a lushly symphonic treat, and is my favourite piece on the disc.

The middle section of the disc is given over to a trio of instrumentals where tranquil folk themes echoing Alan Stivel and Mike Oldfield mutate into Camel-style soaring guitar anthems; fretless bass runs give battle to Hackett-ish leads, and percussion and synths create mysterious atmospheres, amongst other things, with never a dull moment to be found.

Wake Up is the disc’s longest number, and is outstanding, featuring again the terrific vocals of Corvaglia. I prefer my Italian vocalists to stick to their native tongue, but there are no problems with pronunciation or inflection here, and English vocals mean a wider appeal in the global prog community. The track itself is a moody, modern take on Genesis, with rippling piano and tasty guitar, but E-bow and soprano saxophone add a unique twist to the tried and tested formula, wonderful! It should go down well with Marillion fans too.

The CD concludes, too soon I might add, with the melancholic Into The Light, a gentle duet of yearning and redemption, exquisitely and tenderly performed by Corvaglia and Caucino, and featuring a fantastic guitar solo with a Celtic tinge.

If you can get past the twee title (and the incorrect use of the apostrophe), you are in for a real feast of melodic Neo/Folk/Symphonic Prog. Though the Genesis influence is not quite so strong here, fans of Mangala Vallis will love it. The album continues to grow in stature with each listen, and should have a wide appeal. An easy recommendation!

Tracklist: Earth – Je Cherche La Vie (5:22), A Room Of Fairy Queen’s (5:36), Lord Of The Headline (7:40), The Lake (6:53), Coming Off My Shadow (1:45), Desert (7:49), Wake Up (10:17), Into The Light (6:05)

National Health

Playtime

Last year, Cuneiform Records released Arriving Twice by Gilgamesh, a collection of unreleased live tracks from this seminal Canterbury band. This Cuneiform have done it again with another legendary Canterbury group, National Health. Recorded live in 1979, this recording has live tracks taken from a period in the bands history that till this day has remained undocumented musically, at least until now.

The lineup for this album include Alan Gowen (keyboards), John Greaves (bass, vocals), Phil Miller (guitar), Pip Pyle (drums) and guest Alain Eckert (guitar on tracks 1, 3 and 4). Of further interest is the ability to witness certain tracks that would find their way onto a studio album in later years as there are only two tracks on this album that had previously appeared on a National Health album, the Greaves song Squarer For Maude and the Miller song Dreams Wide Awake. Both tracks taken from the second National Health (NH) LP, 'Of Queues And Cures'. Flanagan's People would make it to the third NH album, 'D.S. Al Coda' while Nowadays A Silhouette would appear on the 1981 album 'Before A Word Is Said' credited to Phil Miller, Alan Gowen, Richard Sinclair and Trevor Tomkins. Rose Sob, a Greaves/Blegvad track, would surface on John Greaves' second album Parrot Fashions and Play Time was a Gilgamesh composition.

With this line-up, Alan Gowen was trying to move in a more free jazz direction and move further away from the constraints of a rock band. This is evident throughout the album as the group indulge in some wonderful playing, and is possibly the main reason why Dave Stewart would opt out of the band before the tour from which these live dates were taken. As always the playing is extremely sharp and tight, showing the musical levels these groups had reached bordering that fine line between jazz and Canterbury Progressive Rock.

Unfortunately the band folded in 1980, with members going their own way. Alan Gowen died of leukemia in May 1981and the material on this album (edited, mastered and sequenced by pip Pyle and Phil Miller) is a tribute to this musician. The album comes complete with a 16-page booklet with liner notes by Aymeric Leroy, which tells the story of the last period of National Health with Gowen. Illustrated with rare photos, it includes interviews and comments with all surviving members of the band.

If you like the jazz leaning bands progressive rock, especially National Health, this album is a must for your collection.

Tracklist: Flanagan's People (15:57), Nowadays A Silhouette (6:32), Dreams Wide Awake (8:18), Pleaides (10:26), Rhubarb Jam (1:17), Rose Sob (1:46), Play Time (9:38), Squarer For Maude part 1 (5:11), Squarer For Maude part 2 (7:51)

Naikaku

Shell

Yet again, here is another fine Musea/Poseidon release featuring adventurous music out of Japan that should appeal to a diverse audience.

Naikaku is officially a duo (bassist Satoshi Kobayashi and flautist Kazumi Suzuki) and the band was founded in 1998. Naikaku’s first album, Wheel Of Fortune, was released in 2003. On Shell, the duo is augmented by Norimitsu Endo (electric guitar); Mitsuo (electric and acoustic guitar, trumpet); Kei Fushimi (electric guitar); and Daichi Takagi (Minimoog, Mellotron samples, Yamaha CS-30). As a brief description, I can say that Naikaku’s sound is a blend of Roots To Branches–era Jethro Tull, 1990s prog guitar jamming (a la Ozric Tentacles and Djam Karet), King Crimson discord, mild free jazz, early-1970s metal (a la Deep Purple and Black Sabbath), a touch of Hendrixian shredding, and clever prog-rock composition. In sum, the offerings on Shell are lively, smart, and dexterous.

As there are only six tracks on Shell, I won’t play the spoiler and say too much about them. I will mention that the musicianship throughout the CD is incredible, especially Mr. Suzuki’s flute work and the overall intelligent use of the electric guitar. Crisis showcases an especially complex and lengthy arrangement that should win over any and all progressive rock fans. Mr. Suzuki’s playing is uncannily reminiscent of latter-day Ian Anderson with its employment of Asiatic halftones and busy trills. I thoroughly enjoyed the groove of Ressentiment even though I usually wouldn’t care for that particular style of repetitive guitar riffing. (I’m not sure whether Mr. Endo or Mr. Fushimi handles the solo but it is a smoker.) This track is a great example of Naikaku’s ability to combine grindcore bombast with some colour and texture straight out of the art rock canon. (Check out the creepy bridge around the four-minute mark.) The untitled third track has the absolutely coolest trumpet–flute duet I’ve ever heard, sitting on top of a solid, rocking funk, and the guitar solo is ear-blistering. And Lethe reminds me strongly of the jazzier, frenetic side of both Rush (YYZ) and Yes (Drama).

I pretty much loved this entire disc. It flags just slightly toward the end but even in flagging it is still high-minded and ballsy music. Shell does definitely offer some edgy guitar and bass work that has affinities with contemporary rock, but it also draws abundantly from the classic- and progressive-rock well. The playing is adept and forceful throughout the recording and never boring. I recommend this without reservation. If you like Roots To Branches, J-Tull.com, anything by Djam Karet or Ozric Tentacles, or are aware of and appreciate what seems to be a major renaissance in Japanese rock music, give Shell a try. It’s excellent stuff.

Tracklist: Crisis (15:18), Ressentiment (8:54), "untitled" (7:01), Lethe (9:01), Shell (16:28), Tautrology (3:47)

Naked Elf

YI

Naked Elf play totally improvised music, and the CD has been produced in a similar manner to those of Can - the band play for extended periods, and edit the results into the completed pieces presented here. This could very easily prove to be a recipe for disaster, and it is testament to the skill of these three musicians that they pull this off without a hitch to produce some excellent music.

Stew starts with an echoing synth sound and slowly evolving guitars, being joined by a heavily modulated monosynth, then distorted guitar, all awash with reverb. A slow track, reflective after the insistent beat of the previous track.

Electric Bread features a gentle bass backing a beautiful melodic guitar line, with very understated drums. The guitar becomes heavier, and the melody gets chopped up towards the end of the track, before a piece of reversed guitar fades out. The melody bears more than a passing resemblance to the theme from the film Born Free.

In the Domain of the Dread Dormammu follows a similar path to the first track, with a main theme which deviates and is interrupted by solos and brief interludes. It is followed by a short track which is very different, being mainly cymbals backed by gamelan-like chimes with distant guitar effects in the background - a very haunting sound, providing a good contrast with the previous track.

Up until this point, the album has been quite serious in tone, but the change to slapstick provided by CircuSSS - The Performing Bestiary really doesn't come off. The 'SSS' in the title refers to Solution Science Systems, the band's alter-ego which focuses on 'SciRock' with a strong element of humour, but whilst it would be nice to hear some of that humour in this disc, the slice we are presented with is just too extreme, doesn't fit and isn't really funny - basically a circus march with sampled percussion effects and kazoo-like synths.

The Dark Cone of Orodruin is the longest track on the disc, and starts with a long ambient drone, gradually joined by meandering guitar lines and sporadic outbursts of drums. Of all the tracks on the album, this one sounds the most like it was improvised, and perhaps better reflects the process of developing these pieces. It is much more like jazz than the other riff-based pieces, but space-rock-jazz, rather than fusion.

The final track is perhaps the most traditional prog in style, sounding at times like instrumental sections from Marillion and Pink Floyd, and provides a final flourish to an excellent album.

Many bands could benefit from being able to write music as good as this, but these guys can make it up as they go. They have a very tight rhythm section and clearly have an excellent rapport with each other allowing the music to speak for itself. I would like to see them make use of a wider palette of sounds - more acoustic instruments or different keyboard sounds, and perhaps even try some vocals - not an easy task for an improvising band, but Can proved it possible

Tracklist: Books of Bokonon (7:20), Stew (3:07), Electric Bread (4:39), In the Domain of the Dread Dormammu (7:33), The Transmigration of Mr. Natural (2:21), Malphas Inaugurated (3:48), CircuSSS - The Performing Bestiary (2:35), Enter the Grand Vizier (3:34), Socks, Clocks (4:39), The Dark Cone of Orodruin (13:54), Orion: New Genesis (7:26)

Nedlasting gir nå platina

Normalt er artistene disse sidene omhandler ikke i nærheten av gullplater og slike salgsmålende utmerkelser. Det interessante her kan være hvorfor det har tatt så lang tid for at nedlasting har blitt en del av regnestykket som tilslutt ender opp med gull og glitter. Internasjonalt vet vi ikke hvordan det fungerer, men det hadde vært ytterst morsomt å få rede på om tallene fra Allofmp3 teller med. Akkurat det kunne kanskje ha ført til de mindre kommersielle artistene ville fått bedret sine tall?

Nå kan nedlasting av album og singler føre til gullplate for artistene. Salg over nett skal være med i beregningen for trofeene.

Plateselskapenes interesseorganisasjon (FONO) har vedtatt nye regler for bestilling av troféene gullplate og platinaplate, det melder Faro Journalen. Salg av album, singler og DVD-er over nett kan inkluderes, men dette gjelder kun for produkter utgitt etter 1. januar i år.

Vamps «Tir N'a Noir» av 1992 ble utgitt som singel for første gang i vår, og kan dermed tjene godt på regelendringene. Madrugada og Ane Brun på sin side startet året med «Lift Me» på listetoppen, men ettersom singelen ble sluppet før 1. januar kommer de utenfor.

Vamp traff godt med utgivelsen av «Tir N'a Noir». Den 14 år gamle versjonen ble utgitt som singel i år og kan dermed ta med nedlastingsalg i beregningen for gull og platina.

Neuschwanstein

Battlement (1979)

It would be unfortunate to dismiss Neuschwanstein as simply another Genesis rip-off, considering that aside from the uncanny vocal similarity to Peter Gabriel, there is just so much more to this music. I know everyone says that about their favorite clone, including the dreaded Starcastle, but this obscurity really deserves the attention of any late-70s symphonic progressive fan. The main thing about the album is that though they sound a hell of a lot like Genesis, it's by no means a "second-tier" imitation. The musical vibe here is very similar to Wind & Wuthering, or perhaps even vintage Camel, with its warm romanticism and grandiose textures. The band does feature an uncanny Peter Gabriel soundalike on vocals, albeit with a slight German accent, which illustrates the greatest, and most immediate, similarity to classic Genesis. However, the lyrics lack the kind of humorous, wry narrative that Gabriel is known for, instead locking in with the musical palette for a somber, darkly romantic vibe.

In fact, the lyrics are usually delivered in an incomprehensible warble, and what does usually pop up doesn't sound particularly important anyway. Instrumentally, acoustic guitar, flute, harpsichord and a variety of keyboards lock together to make an extremely rich and beautiful musical backdrop, with some absolutely gorgeous themes. In fact, the vocals are probably the most negligible part of this album, and most of the weight is definitely carried by the instrumental side.

The first two tracks are probably the weakest, and it seems initially easy to dismiss the group off the bat, but once one gets into the meat of the album, starting with the magnificent "Intruders and the Punishment", it becomes clear that Neuschwanstein is much more than your average clone. The first two songs are structured more around the vocals than the rest of the album, but later songs illustrate a dazzling instrumental repertoire. The third song is a serious highlight, with stunning keyboard lines and much more complex instrumentation, and the vocals that do pop up are extremely dramatic. The title track also allows for plenty of instrumental breathing room, featuring some truly melancholy guitar solos and, after the obligatory vocal part, features some fantastic keyboard and piano work. "Midsummer Day" features the strongest vocal segment, sounding more like a less-accented version of Eloy's Frank Bornemann than Gabriel. The middle portion of the track even rocks out (briefly) in a style similar to early Eloy. "Zärtlicher Abschied" is a bonus track for the CD reissue, and flute and acoustic guitar drive this excellent instrumental to a Moog induced climax. A very exciting and impeccably preformed album if you can get past the vocals (or if a Gabriel clone doesn't bother you).

Neo-prog

En svært forenklet forklaring på neo-prog.

Pendragon

Iq

Marillion

The Neo-Progressive subgenre of progressive rock grew out of a movement in the early 1980s by a number of U.K.-based bands that focused on music that was deeper than new wave, both instrumentally and lyrically. The premier band of the genre was Marillion, who went from lengthy club tours to the top of the charts within a few years and dropped from popular favor almost as fast. Neo-Prog bands are generally influenced by early Genesis, Camel, and to a lesser extent, Van der Graf Generator and Pink Floyd. The music holds a much more lush sound than general rock, but lacks the sophistication of truly symphonic progressive bands like Yes or amel. Instrumentally, the bands tend to be characterized by a "noodling" approach that focuses on dynamic solos, and at its best, neo-prog lyrics are deep, insightful, and acerbic. Whether neo-prog is diluted progressive or adventurous pop depends on the point of view of the listener — most progressive rock listeners are likely to find the genre dull and unchallenging, while fans of AOR will find the mix more interesting than most rock bands. Although all of the major bands are still producing albums, the classic era of neo-prog effectively ended when vocalist Fish left Marillion in 1987.

Akkurat den siste setningen der er det svært delte meninger om. Det er vel rimelig mange som faktisk mener at neo-prog aldri har hatt et bedre og mer variert utrykk enn nå. Stilen er likevel omstridt, og tildels hatet, men også høyt elsket. Noen kaller den sågar husmorprog, og det kan være berettiget i mange tilfeller. I båsen for neo-prog lages det mye identitetsløs, uinspirert og klisjépreget musikk. Alle som for eksempel har lyttet til Iq`s "Dark Matter", vil raskt skjønne at selv innen neo-prog lages det musikk av svært høy kvalitet. Problemet er ofte at det er rimelig langt mellom de virkelig sterke, originale og ekte progressive skivene.