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Review – The Flower Kings – Islands – By John Wenlock-Smith
I have a very strange relationship with The Flower Kings, even though I have all their albums, a few live CDs, and a compilation (along with a few of Roine Stolt’s solo releases and the Anderson Stolt epic of a few years ago). Despite that body of recorded works somehow I’ve never really connected with…
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Review – Rikard Sj?blom’s Gungfly – Alone Together – by John Wenlock-Smith
Rikard Sj?blom is certainly an interesting and excellent musician, as his career thus far clearly demonstrates, coming to prominence first with Beardfish whose albums ‘Sleeping In Traffic Pt1’ (and Pt2) made big waves in progressive rock circles. The mix of often hard hitting jazz fusion and rock brought a smile to many faces but that…
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Review – Monkey Trial – Viking – by John Wenlock-Smith
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Interview with Jakko Jakszyk by John Wenlock-Smith
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Review – Yes – The Royal Affair Live – by John Wenlock-Smith
I think most people will concede that 2020 has been a somewhat challenging year, especially with the world wide impact and devastation that Covid 19 has bought, along with the subsequent lockdowns that have been enforced on different countries, affecting both world trade and travelling in particular. Musically, tours and shows have been cancelled or…
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Review – Samurai – Samurai – Remastered, Expanded Edition – by John Wenlock-Smith
This review is of the recently issued re-release on CD of the 1971 album by early UK progressive rock band Samurai. This was originally issued by the Greenwich Gramophone label and featured Dave Greenslade (who later found further fame as a member of Dave Greenslade’s Greenslade which, oddly enough, also included Greenwich’s creative director Tony…
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Review – Back Street Crawler – The Atlantic Years 1975-1976 – by John Wenlock-Smith
This set has been a long time in coming, especially if you consider that the main attraction of Back Street Crawler, namely one Paul Kossoff, died way back in 1976 (some forty four years ago). This compilation collects all the recordings the band made for the Atlantic label over a brief two year period. Kossoff…
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Review – Randy California & Spirit – The Euro-American Years – by John Wenlock-Smith
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Review – Flying Colors – Third Stage: Live In London – by John Wenlock-Smith
This latest Release from US Prog supergroup Flying Colors chronicles the final date of the ‘Third Stage’ tour that was wound up at Shepherd’s Bush Empire last December. This is a 2 CD and DVD package which really brings to life the spectacle and musicianship the band offer live with both audio and visual recordings…
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Review – Steve Hackett – Selling England By the Pound & Spectral Mornings Live at Hammersmith
This 2 CD / Blu Ray package is the latest release from the former Genesis guitarist who has, for the last 8 years, been repackaging and marketing his own version of his Genesis era history. Quite rightly so, when the rest of the original band are all doing decidedly different music these days. This nostalgic…