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Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
CD Reviews
BLUE Nights
Review by Gary Hill
This recording chronicles the live performances of Bruford Levin Upper Extremities from 1998. The disc showcases the band's unique blend of jazzy modes with Crimsonesque textures and, occassionally, just plain weirdness.
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Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
Review by Gary Hill
The musicians on this disc are Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson), Tony Levin (King Crimson; Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe; Bozzio, Levin, Stevens; Liquid Tension Experiment), David Torn (Mark Isham, Bill Bruford), and Chris Botti(Paul Simon, Blue Nile).
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Concert Reviews
Bruford Levin Upper Extremities - Live in Chicago, December 9, 1998
Review by Gary Hill
This was the last show of the latest leg of BLUE`s tour. If this band makes it back on to the road again, do whatever it takes to see them.
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Tony Levin
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Tony Levin
Review by Gary Hill
Interview with Tony Levin From 1998
Audio of this interview is available in our members area.
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Tony Levin
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Tony Levin
Review by Grant Hill
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Tony Levin
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Tony Levin
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Interview with Tony Levin from 2017


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Stick Men - Absalom
Review by Grant Hill

Stick Men is a unique power trio. Founded by legendary and still cutting edge bassist / Chapman Stick artist, Tony Levin, Stick Men continues to expand the horizons of modern progressive music. With the departure of fellow Stick artist Michael Bernier, Austrian touch guitar master, Markus Reuter, has joined King Crimson band-mates Levin and drummer Pat Mastelotto for one of the most impressive forays into modern music. Absalom represents the first recorded portion of a planned longer CD release from Stick Men.

My impression of Absalom is that with the first listen, you’ll likely immediately be drawn into the expansive diversity of styles, sounds, and textures spread through this highly enjoyable and musically advanced EP. I have been listening to this collection for several weeks, and I can only say that the songs are growing even more on me. Each listen gives the opportunity to hear a different relationship of sounds I hadn’t noticed on the prior listen. This is very, very good music of our era. I highly recommend this album.


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Yes - America (single) (Vinyl)
Review by G. W. Hill

Lately I’ve been breaking our old rule at Music Street Journal.


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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus
Review by Gary Hill
Before the Union album, Jon Anderson, frustrated with the musical direction of the Rabin era Yes, left the group and reunited with former classic Yes-mates Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. Although, they were four fifths of the same lineup that brought such albums as Fragile and Close To The Edge to life, Chris Squire owned the rights to the name "Yes", and wasn't interested in letting them use it.
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus
Review by Gary Hill
Voiceprint has just reissued this live set from the classic Yes spin off band. For those looking for the history of this release, please check out the review I did of the earlier version of the set.
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus DVD
Review by Gary Hill
  As someone who saw this tour live (twice, I believe) and owned the VHS of this for years, it’s a pleasure to finally have it on DVD. For those who don’t remember, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe spun off of Yes during the Trevor Rabin era (between the Big Generator and Union albums).
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David Young - and Friends - Love Wins
Review by Gary Hill
I initially had planned to land this under progressive rock. That was largely due to the appearance of Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta.

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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe
Review by Gary Hill
In the late 1980’s Jon Anderson broke away from the Trevor Rabin dominated version of Yes to reunite with his former band mates, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe to produce Yes type music.
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe Brother of Mine / Vultures in the City CD single
Review by G. W. Hill

This single from Anderson, Bruford Wakeman and Howe is out of print, of course, but these days, it’s not that hard (or sometimes expensive) to get your hands on something like this.


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King Crimson - Audio Diary 2014-2018
Review by Gary Hill

This new five-CD collection is pretty amazing. I've said before, and will repeat it here, that this new version of King Crimson might well be the best lineup they've had, particularly in terms of live shows.


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Various Artists - Back Against the Wall
Review by Gary Hill
There are few people who haven't at least heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I would hazard to say that those who have never heard the album are in the minority as well.
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Peter Gabriel - Back to Front: Live in London BluRay
Review by G. W. Hill

Fans of the So album will especially want to pick this up.


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King Crimson - Beat
Review by Gary Hill
Of the trio of studio albums originally released by this version of King Crimson, this was the middle child. It was also a little less adventurous than either of the other two.
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Danny Brill - Better Late Than Never
Review by Gary Hill

Old school prog fans should find plenty to like here. That said, modern progressive rock aficionados will probably like it, too. .


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Bill Bruford - Bill Bruford – The Autobiography written by Bill Bruford
Review by Gary Hill
I’m a big fan of Bill Bruford. I always have been since his days in Yes.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Bill Bruford's Earthworks
Review by Gary Hill
The first disc by Bill Bruford's Earthworks project, this one might be a bit different for fans of his prog rock works, but it is also very solid. Bruford had always had strong jazz leanings, and made that quite clear over the years.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Bill Bruford's Earthworks
Review by Gary Hill
The first disc by Bill Bruford's Earthworks project, this one might be a bit different for fans of his prog rock works, but it is also very solid. Bruford had always had strong jazz leanings, and made that quite clear over the years.
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Bozzio, Levin, Stevens - Black Light Syndrome
Review by Gary Hill
This album by Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin and Steve Stevens is a very wonderful work. Combining elements of Red era King Crimson, jazz, and other sources,the musicianship is impeccable.
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Sarah Perrotta - Blue to Gold
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that I have gone back and forth on whether this release fits under progressive rock. Ultimately, I made the decision to put it there.

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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Brother of Mine / Vultures in the City (vinyl single)
Review by G. W. Hill

This single from Anderson, Bruford Wakeman and Howe is out of print, of course, but these days, it’s not that hard (or sometimes expensive) to get your hands on something like this.


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Dusan Jevtovic - City Hustling
Review by Gary Hill
This album is all about instrumental collaboration and exploration.

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Yes - Classic Artists DVD
Review by Gary Hill

Yes seldom do anything in a small way when it can be done in an epic manner. 


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Yes - Classic Yes
Review by Gary Hill
This compilation of Yes material came out at the same time as Yesshows, shortly after the break up of the band following the Drama tour. This truly does feature some classic Yes material and would represent a great first look at the band.
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Yes - Close To The Edge
Review by Gary Hill
This is the first Yes album that I ever heard, and although it took me several listenings to get into it (I actually hated it first time through) it completely won me over. It is truly my favorite Yes album and the disc that got me interested in the band, and in progressive rock.
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Yes - Close to the Edge – Hybrid SACD Special Edition
Review by G. W. Hill

This is a review of the special edition audiophile release of Close to the Edge. This is a great limited edition, numbered CD release.


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Yes - Close to the Edge – Remastered and Expanded
Review by Gary Hill
I absolutely love Yes’ Close to the Edge and I’ve reviewed the main album before.
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Steve Thorne - Crimes & Reasons
Review by Alison Henderson

Steve Thorne is one of the great unsung British prog heroes, a veritable one man band who has released a series of consistently well-crafted and thought-provoking solo albums, Crimes & Reasons being his fourth.


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Stick Men - Deep
Review by G. W. Hill
I really like Stick Men. Sometimes their music can be hard to describe, though.
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King Crimson - Discipline
Review by Steve Alspach
These were interesting times for Robert Fripp, ye olde scholastic of the progressive rock scene. In 1978 he had released Exposure, an album that he described as "A Day in the Life" for that period.
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King Crimson - Earthbound
Review by Gary Hill

This is a good, but not great, live album from King Crimson. The first thing holding it from the “great” title is the sound quality.


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California Guitar Trio - Echoes
Review by Gary Hill
California Guitar Trio are certainly well known for creating unique progressive rock instrumental pieces.
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Specimen13 - Echosystem EP
Review by G. W. Hill

This is an EP that’s tied to a graphic novel.


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Specimen13 - Echosystem EP
Review by G. W. Hill

This is an EP that’s tied to a graphic novel.


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Steve Thorne - Emotional Creatures - Part One
Review by Gary Hill
What a pleasant surprise this album is! I had never really heard of Steve Thorne before, but you can bet after this one I'll be keeping track on him.

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King Crimson - Eyes Wide Open DVD
Review by Bill Knispel
Following two plus years as a “double trio,” and nearly two years of fractionalization through a series of ProjeKCts, King Crimson returned to active duty in 2000 as a streamlined quartet with the album The ConstruKCtion of Light. A second album in this newer “double duo” format titled The Power to Believe, followed in 2003.
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Pete Lockett’s Network of Sparks - Featuring Bill Bruford – One
Review by Gary Hill
What do you get when you take five percussionists and put them together? Pete Lockett’s Network of Sparks.
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Yes - Fragile - Remastered And Expanded
Review by Gary Hill
Rhino has begun a series of remasters of Yes albums, restoring the original artwork and adding bonus cuts to the discs. This is their version of one of the more classic Yes recordings, Fragile.
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Yes - Friends and Relatives
Review by Gary Hill
Friends and Relatives is a two CD set that is a compilation of two Yes tracks from the KTA albums with solo works from the various artists. Other than the two stellar group performances, the Rick Wakeman pieces and Steve Howe`s take on Tales From Topographic Oceans stand out the most.
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Tony Levin - From the Caves of the Iron Mountain
Review by Gary Hill
This album is an incredibly unique work, beautiful and very difficult to categorize. The musicians on the album are Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta and Steve Gorn.
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Levin Minnemann Rudess - From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess
Review by G. W. Hill
This new album from Levin, Minnemann and Rudess is a masterpiece
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Alice Cooper - Goes to Hell
Review by Gary Hill
This was the second Alice Cooper album as a solo performer (rather than the front man of Alice Cooper the band).

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Bruford - Gradually Going Tornado (original vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill

This 1980 release from Bruford features Bill Bruford (obvious, right?), Dave Stewart, Jeff Berlin and The Unknown John Clark. It has a number of instrumentals along with some songs with vocals.


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Peter Primamore - Grancia
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing CD. It does a nice job of straddling the fence between jazz and progressive rock.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Heavenly Bodies
Review by Gary Hill

This newly released double CD compilation gathers up a number of studio and live recordings from Bill Bruford's Earthworks in a nice re-mastered package.


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King Crimson - Heroes EP
Review by Gary Hill
This new EP from King Crimson is intriguing. It's bookended by their take on a David Bowie classic (the full version and a single edit). 

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Bernardo Lanzetti - Horizontal Rain
Review by Gary Hill
While Bernardo Lanzetti might not be a household name, in terms of Italian progressive rock, he really is a legend.

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Magellan - Hundred Year Flood
Review by Gary Hill
Taking their name from the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, one should see this group as wanting to take us on a musical journey of exploration.
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Yes - In A Word: Yes 1969-
Review by Gary Hill

This box set is a class act. The whole thing comes in something that resembles a book. 


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King Crimson - In the Court of King Crimson written by Sid Smith
Review by Steve Alspach
Few bands in progressive rock have a more colorful past than King Crimson. As Sid Smith says in the preface, the history of King Crimson is the "triumph of spirit over adversity. And sometimes the triumph of adversity."
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King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 Blu-Ray/DVD Edition
Review by Gary Hill
King Crimson is an unusual beast as a musical entity. I've been fascinated by the band about as long as I've known about them.

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Moraz / Bruford - In Tokyo
Review by Gary Hill
This live recording of Moraz and Bruford dates to 1985 and it finds both musicians in top form.
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Bruford and Borstlap - In Two Minds
Review by Gary Hill
This collaboration between drum and percussion legend Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) and piano player Michiel Borstlap presents some intriguing jazz that seems to strive to exist without borders or preconceptions.
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Rick Armstrong - Infinite Corridors
Review by Gary Hill
I feel like I'm really late to the party on this artist. I have to admit that I've not heard of him before.

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Nick D' Virgilio - Invisible
Review by Gary Hill

On the one hand, Nick D'Virgilio has been out of Spock's Beard for a while now. That means that perhaps the mentions of the band and comparisons aren't entirely appropriate.


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Jeff Berlin - Jack Songs
Review by Gary Hill
This album from Jeff Berlin is a tribute to Jack Bruce.

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Rymo - Kinetic
Review by Gary Hill
Rymo is a shortened form of Ryan Moran's name, and he's best known as the drummer for Slightly Stoopid. This solo album finds him joined by a number of musicians.

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King Crimson - Larks’ Tongues In Aspic (The Complete Recording Sessions)
Review by Gary Hill

This is quite an interesting set. It's been released in honor of the 50th Anniversary of King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic album. We get two CDs here along with two Blu-Rays. 


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King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic
Review by Gary Hill
This album is kind of a legend in King Crimson circles. People have such a high reverence for it.
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Levin Minnemann Rudess - Levin Minnemann Rudess
Review by G. W. Hill

In the early parts of 2013 I was kind of under-impressed with the music coming out.


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Tony Levin, David Torn, Alan White - Levin, Torn, White
Review by Gary Hill

There is certainly something to be said for truth in advertising. Looking at the group name and the album title, really sets the stage for the music within.


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Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
Review by Gary Hill
Due to be released on March 10th, this album by Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe), Jordan Rudess (Dregs, Rudess Morgenstein) and Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci (both of Dream Theater), much like the Black Light Syndrome CD by Bozzio, Levin, Stevens was written and recorded over the course of six days (with the exception of some keyboard and guitar overdubs). This album is in fact rather similar to Black Light Syndrome, but with the musical changes being a bit more dynamic and possessing a generally higher energy level.
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Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 2
Review by Gary Hill
If you are into prog, and buy only one album this year, by all means, make it this one. The first Liquid Tension Experiment album was wonderful, and this one is even better.
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - Live at the NEC October 24th, 1989
Review by G. W. Hill

I saw Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe on this tour and it was purely magical.


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Paul Simon - Live From Philadelphia DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat. If you are a Paul Simon fan and own the Live at the Tower Theater DVD you have this.
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Peter Gabriel - Live in Athens 1987 DVD
Review by G. W. Hill
So, I’m going to go about this backwards. Normally I talk about the main course of a DVD release first and then look at the bonus stuff.
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King Crimson - Live in Birmingham, England in September 2015
Review by John Pierpoint

I had never seen the mighty King Crimson play live before - not surprising, as I was only ten years old when the band last played my home town in 1974!


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UK - Live In Boston
Review by Bruce Stringer
As one of the hardest working live acts in its day, it comes as no surprise that there were a number of radio show broadcasts made during UK’s short-lived existence. Besides featuring a stellar line-up of some of the best progressive rock musicians of the day (including ex-King Crimson and Yes members), the dominance of multitasking musical prodigy Eddie Jobson advanced the group into creative areas that pushed the envelope years ahead of its late ‘70s contemporaries.

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Stick Men - Live in Buffalo, New York, October 2011
Review by Grant Hill

The excellent “Two of a Perfect Trio” tour was a well-publicized and equally well received series of concerts featuring the bands of King Crimson legends Tony Levin and Adrian Belew.


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King Crimson - Live in Chicago
Review by Gary Hill

King Crimson has one of the most interesting and complicated histories in all of progressive rock. The lineup is one of the most dynamic, too.


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Tony Levin - Live In Chicago, 2002
Review by Gary Hill
Have you ever seen the Tony Levin band live? If not, what are you waiting for?
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Tony Levin - Live in Chicago-June 23rd, 2000
Review by Gary Hill
Tony Levin and company did two shows for Chicago on June 23rd. The set consisted mostly of material from his new release Waters of Eden.
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Liquid Tension Experiment - Live in Downey, CA, June 2008
Review by Michael Bader

Downey, California is best remembered for the spacecrafts, fighter jets and B-1 bombers built there over the past three or four decades.


More (and larger) photos from this concert are available in our members' area.



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Tony Levin - Live in Madison, WI, March 23, 2003
Review by Gary Hill
This band never fails to deliver a smoking show! They came into Madison on a mini-tour for their Double Espresso live album.
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King Crimson - Live in Vienna
Review by Gary Hill

It seems that there is quite a bit of live material being released from this version of King Crimson. That's a great thing because this line-up might be the best ever.


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King Crimson - Meltdown - Live in Mexico
Review by Gary Hill

This is truly an amazing set. Looking at just the product itself, without even considering the performances will tell you that.


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Various Artists - Modern Drummer Presents Drum Nation Volume One
Review by Steve Alspach
If you want to know what the state of drumming is circa 2004, you would do well to check this CD out. These drummers are all at the top of the game, and the CD explores a rather wide range of styles and moods.
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Moraz / Bruford - Music For Piano and Drum
Review by Gary Hill
While many might think that Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz first played together in Yes, that's not true. They never played in Yes together.
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King Crimson - Music Is Our Friend: Live In Washington D.C. and Albany 2021
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that for my money, the modern incarnation of King Crimson really is probably the best. The reason I say that is that there are distinct periods of the band throughout their history.

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Yes - Musikladen Live DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This DVD is rather a mixed bag. I t does contain some considerably rare footage of the group, and therefore scores points on that basis.
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King Crimson - Neal and Jack and Me DVD
Review by Bill Knispel
King Crimson’s ‘return to the throne’ in the 1980’s must have been viewed with a degree of skepticism. The band made a name for themselves in the 1970’s with their dark blend of symphonic grandeur and intense heaviness, mixed with an improvisational spirit that would drive them to push every song and performance into parts unknown.
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Bruford - One of A Kind
Review by Steve Alspach
I remember buying this album in 1979 and the woman who sold me this album said, "Oh, you'll love this album. It is so much fun!" I had heard albums described in a number of ways, but "fun"?
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Stick Men - Open
Review by G. W. Hill

Anyone who has heard anything from Stick men will know what to expect here.


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Marco Mattei - Out Of Control
Review by Gary Hill
This is an unusual release. Parts of it are full-on progressive rock.

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Steve Thorne - Part Two: Emotional Creatures
Review by Gary Hill
Steve Thorne's first Emotional Creatures CD was a masterpiece of melodic progressive rock. Well, this one is, too.
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Various Artists - Pete York's Super Drumming, Vol. 3
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool DVD. While much of the music is pure jazz I've included it in the progressive rock section because Bill Bruford, Simon Phillips and Cozy Powell all appear here and have worked in prog rock.
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Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (aka "1" and "Car") (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
This was Peter Gabriel's first solo album after he left Genesis in 1975. This 1977 release was also the first to bear the title "Peter Gabriel."

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Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (aka "2" or "Scratch") (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
This is Peter Gabriel's second solo album. It's definitely quite a bit different than the first one.

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Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (aka Security) (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
I've listed this under the actual title, which was the ever more confusing "Peter Gabriel."

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Tony Levin - Pieces of The Sun
Review by Gary Hill
Tony Levin consistently puts out musically strong, artistically driven albums, and this one is no exception. Pieces of The Sun does differ in some ways from his previous releases, though.
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Various Artists - Poetry of the Air: A Collection of Love Letters to Music from Musicians written by Gary Hill
Review by Greg Olma
I have known Gary Hill for a while now and the one thing that I can say with complete certainty about him is that he takes his music seriously. 


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Mike Portnoy - Prime Cuts
Review by Gary Hill
Mike Portnoy now has his own entry in the Magna Carta Prime Cuts collection. This disc, as the rest of the series, features selected tracks from albums that the artist has contributed to, presented here as sort of a slice of some of the best of the work from him.
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Jordan Rudess - Prime Cuts
Review by Josh Turner
Jordan Rudess is "technically" the best keyboardist in the business. When you limit this contest to progressive rock, it's a no-brainer.
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Stick Men - Prog Noir
Review by G. W. Hill
This band is really coming into its own.

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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Random Acts of Happiness
Review by Gary Hill

This live disc from Bill Bruford’s Earthworks is quite a tasty one. For those not familiar with the group, let me just say this is pure jazz.


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Yes - Re (Union)
Review by Gary Hill
When Yes released Union it was a hodgepodge sort of album.
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Pat Mastelotto - Recidivate
Review by Grant Hill

This double CD compilation is an interesting and unique collage of multiple percussive styles given to a wide palette of genres and colors therein.


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King Crimson - Red
Review by Gary Hill
For my money, Red is King Crimson's most consistent and powerful album. The disc combines the hard edged sound that I think works the best for Crimson with both highly accessible and very creative song writing to produce an album that holds up exceptionally well.
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King Crimson - Red – 40th Anniversary Edition Remastered
Review by Gary Hill
For me Red has always been King Crimson’s ultimate album. I know, there are those who will point to Larks’ Tongues…, but personally I think this one is more cohesive and to the point.

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Jonathan Elias - Requiem For the Americas
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve wanted to review this CD for a while. The problem is, it’s been out of print.
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Tony Levin - Resonator
Review by Gary Hill
In terms of releasing consistently strong material, Tony Levin is one of the best musicians out there.

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Simon Apple - River to the Sea
Review by Gary Hill
So many people these days give lip service to this charity or that, but you really have to admire the people who put their money (literally) where their mouth is. Such is the case with Simon Apple as they are donating a portion of the sale of each CD to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.



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Bruford - Rock Goes To College
Review by Gary Hill
Bruford’s original lineup only played two shows, both television appearances. The second of those is the recording released here. Bill Bruford is joined here, as on the two studio albums that original presented the material they perform, by keyboardist Dave Steward, guitar god Allan Holdsworth and bassist Jeff Berlin.


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Various Artists - Rockin' the City of Angels written by Douglas Harr
Review by G. W. Hill
This book is something very special. A good tag-line for this would be "come for the pictures, stay for the stories."

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Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This video was originally released in 1994. It actually won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film. The sound and video quality are exceptional.
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Beledo - Seriously Deep
Review by Gary Hill
This set features some strong music that focuses on the fusion end of the spectrum, but does work more toward pure prog at times.

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Bozzio, Levin, Stevens - Situation Dangerous
Review by Steve Alspach
 Red-era King Crimson's may claim to being the best guitar-bass-drums setup in progressive rock, but Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, and Steve Stevens are more than willing to challenge that assumption with their latest work, "Situation Dangerous". The album shows three musicians at the top of their games.
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Pianocircus - Skin & Wire - Pianocircus featuring Bill Bruford play the music of Colin Riley
Review by Gary Hill
This music is hard to describe – jazz is one definition, but it only fits so well.
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King Crimson - Sleepless – 12-inch Single (Vinyl)
Review by G. W. Hill

It used to be a rule at MSJ that if something was out of print we didn’t cover it.


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Peter Gabriel - So (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
While I prefer the previous Peter Gabriel album to this one, there is plenty to like here.

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Peter Gabriel - So Classic Album BluRay
Review by G. W. Hill

So was clearly the album that broke Peter Gabriel into the mainstream.


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Yes - Something`s Coming
Review by Gary Hill
This album is actually a compilation of Yes performances on various television and radio programs from the 1969-1970 era. The personnel on this album are Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Peter Banks, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye.
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Various Artists - Songs of the Century: An All-Star Tribute To Supertramp
Review by G. W. Hill

I am a big fan of pretty much anything Billy Sherwood is involved with and I love Supertramp, so when I heard Sherwood was in charge of assembling an all star tribute to Supertramp, I was excited.


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Vapourspace - Sonic Residue from Vapourspace
Review by Steve Alspach
Here's an interesting concept - take songs from various releases from a progressive rock record label and let the music be transformed by a techno mix until it's nearly unrecognizable from the original source.
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Willie Oteri - Spiral Out
Review by Bruce Stringer
Produced, recorded and mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy, "Spiral Out" is an extension of the improvisational outings that made acts like John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra and Tony Williams Lifetime, King Crimson and even Frank Zappa the uniquely memorable experience that made musical history.
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King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
Review by Gary Hill
King Crimson have always been one of the most creative and innovative bands out there. When you expect them to jab they dodge and when you think they are going to dodge you’d better duck.
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Stick Men - Stick Men + - Midori
Review by G. W. Hill

This is a double disc set. I believe that it was also released at one point in time as two single disc sets.


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Various Artists - Still Wish You Were Here: A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Review by Gary Hill
I generally like things like this where an album is created by taking the track list of a famous album and having different artists reproduce the songs.

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Tony Levin - Tales From The Widow Jane Mine VHS
Review by Gary Hill
When Levin chose to record an album in the unusual venue of an old cave, it seemed a very strange choice. This video chronicling the process of creating that music goes a long way to making it look pretty obvious.
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Stick Men - Tentacles
Review by Gary Hill
You just can't go wrong with Stick Men. The band is made up of Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter.

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Yes - The Extraordinary World of Yes written by Alan Farley
Review by Gary Hill
On the one hand you have to ask, "do we really need another book about Yes?" Still, one of the charms/downsides to books is that they represent a static point in time.
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King Crimson - The Great Deceiver, Vol. 1: Live 1973-1974 Volume 2
Review by Gary Hill
This, along with Volume 2, is a reissue of a 4 CD set that came out in the 1990’s. It captures the Larks Tongues In Aspic / Starless and Bible Black era King Crimson in a series of live shows.
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King Crimson - The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974 Volume 2
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have the second set of live Crimson tracks just reissued. See my review of Volume 1 for more information about this release overall.
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King Crimson - The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974 Volume 2
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have the second set of live Crimson tracks just reissued. See my review of Volume 1 for more information about this release overall.
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The Levin Brothers - The Levin Brothers
Review by G. W. Hill

Is this album progressive rock? No.


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Yes - The Lost Broadcasts DVD
Review by Gary Hill

For hardcore Yes fans, this is a real treasure.


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Rick Wakeman - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Review by G. W. Hill

There are many who would consider this Rick Wakeman's strongest solo album. That argument has merit.


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Xavi Reija - The Sound of the Earth
Review by Gary Hill

While this is released under Xavi Reija's name, the full lineup here is full of exceptional musicians. Reija handles the drums while Tony Levin delivers bass, standup bass and Stick.


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Bill Bruford - The Summerfold Collection 1987-2008
Review by Gary Hill
Bill Bruford is certainly best known for his work as drummer in Yes and King Crimson.
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Yes - The Ultimate Yes
Review by Gary Hill

This 35th Anniversary collection of Yes shares a lot of material with other compilations of theirs.


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Bill Bruford - The Winterfold Collection 1978-1986
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new compilation of music from Bill Bruford released on his own label, Winterfold.
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Yes - The Yes Album
Review by Josh Turner
This marks the third album from this first class group. Its recording predates the membership of the legendary Rick Wakeman, who ultimately joined late in the tour of this album. While this might appear to be a huge drawback in the studio, the album is quite strong.
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King Crimson - Thrak
Review by G. W. Hill

When King Crimson reformed after the 80s period, there were definitely elements of that period still present in their sound. 


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King Crimson - Three Of A Perfect Pair
Review by Gary Hill
When King Crimson reformed in the 1980’s to create the Discipline album the sound they presented was quite different from the classic Crimson of the 1970’s. While I liked all of the discs from this Belew, Bruford, Fripp and Levin lineup, I still preferred the “old school” stuff.
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Yes - Time and A Word
Review by Gary Hill
When Yes went into the studio to record their second album, the producer decided that they could benefit from an orchestral string arrangement on much of the material. This works extremely well on some of the songs here, while falling rather flat in other places
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Yes - Time And A Word: The Yes Story written by Martin Popoff
Review by Greg Olma

There have been a few books written about the band, Yes but this one really includes the involvement of many of the members of the group through extensive interviews. 


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Steve Hunter - Tone Poems Live
Review by G. W. Hill

This live album is pretty great. .


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Tony Levin - Tony Levin Band - Double Espresso
Review by Gary Hill
Tony Levin and his band tour fairly frequently, bringing their unique show to enthusiastic fans on a regular basis. It wasn't until recently, though, that those fans could have a musical documentation of that group at home.
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UK - UK
Review by Scott Prinzing

Considered by many to be one of the greatest prog albums of all time, it is a shame that the line-up lasted only one album and tour.  


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Yes - Union
Review by Gary Hill
The great experiment - at the time of this album's recording there were essentially two versions of Yes out and making music. The first was the Trevor Rabin "Yes West" lineup (consisting of Rabin, Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye - Jon Anderson had left the group, but been working his way back into the fold) and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe (the splinter group of one of the most classic lineups).
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Yes - Union: Live
Review by G. W. Hill

I remember seeing Yes on the Union tour. It was an amazing show.


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Peter Gabriel - Up
Review by Steve Alspach
Peter Gabriel has always been one to have a keen lookout on where music is, or where it's going.
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King Crimson - USA
Review by Steve Alspach
Robert Fripp's decision to knock King Crimson on the head may have been a shock to some, but it seemed like the right thing to do at that time.
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Vantomme - Vegir
Review by Gary Hill

Vantomme is named for its founder Dominique Vantomme. He is a keyboardist, producer and more.


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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Video Anthology 2 - 1990's DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Those expecting to find Yes or King Crimson amidst this DVD will come away with out completing their quest. On the other hand, those looking for some stellar jazz performed by an incredible group of musicians will be rewarded with a great piece of music and video entertainment.
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Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Video Anthology Volume I - 2000's
Review by Gary Hill
Well, I have to admit, the sequence of these two DVD’s seems backwards to me. When I viewed them I did so in chronological order (Volume II is the 1990’s).
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Jerry Goodman - Violin Fantasy
Review by G. W. Hill

This album is fully instrumental. It’s a great disc, too. Some of the music here has appeared elsewhere (although most of the time in different arrangements)


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King Crimson - VROOOM
Review by Bill Knispel
10 years following the dissolution of King Crimson following a trilogy of world and gamelan influenced albums, the band quietly rejoined forces in a small studio in Woodstock New York to create a new band and a new sound. Expanding beyond the quartet that created those 1980’s albums, the core group (Robert Fripp. Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford) was joined by new members Pat Mastelotto (drums, formerly of Mister Mister) and Trey Gunn (Stick) to create what founding member Robert Fripp called a “double trio.”
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Steve Hackett - Watcher of the Skies
Review by Gary Hill
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has assembled a wide variety of musicians to rework many classic Genesis songs. The end result is quite interesting.
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Tony Levin - Waters of Eden
Review by Vivian Lee
Since the age of ten, bassist/stick-player Tony Levin has been a chameloid powerhouse in the world of music, having played with artists like Seal, Peter Paul and Mary, and Andy Summers; or with supergroups like King Crimson, Bruford Levin Upper Extremities and Liquid Tension Experiment.
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Alice Cooper - Welcome to My Nightmare
Review by Gary Hill
To many this classic album represents Alice Cooper at his theatric best. It is a loosely knit concept album that at times is a bit weak, at times a bit over the top, but in many ways a spooky masterpiece.
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Judy Collins - White Bird - Anthology Of Favorites
Review by Gary Hill
I know Judy Collins might not seem like the kind of artist that a prog and metal fan like myself enjoys. I've always liked her music, and especially her voice, though.

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California Guitar Trio - Whitewater
Review by Gary Hill
The first thing that I feel compelled to say is that I love the cover of this disc. It is arguably the best album cover of the entire year.

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Stick Men - With Gary Husband - Owari
Review by Gary Hill
Stick Men consistently put out quality material. So, the fact that this album is a strong as it is should be no surprise.

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California Guitar Trio - with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto-Live At The Key Club
Review by Steve Alspach
On February 3, 2001, the California Guitar Trio played in Hollywood's Key Club. Fortunately, they also had the stellar rhythm section of Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto to accompany them.
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Yes - Wonderous Stories: The Best of Yes
Review by G. W. Hill

I’m sure some would make the argument that we don’t need another Yes compilation album.


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Tony Levin - World Diary
Review by Gary Hill
Featuring a large number of diverse musicians, this album is a considerably varied work. Released in 1995, jazz, art rock, and world textures dominate in this unique and intriguing CD, Tony Levin`s first solo album and the first release on his Papa Bear label.
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Yes - Yes
Review by Gary Hill
The self-titled debut by Yes, this 1969 album was full of psychedelic wandering and experimentation. It had some definite strong points, and did, in fact show off signs of the band that would later develop.
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Yes - Yes (Expanded and Remastered)
Review by Gary Hill
One of the releases in the series of discs that showcase remastered Yes albums with additional material added, this one focuses on the first album.
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Yes - Yessongs
Review by Gary Hill
At the time that Yessongs was released, the critics were calling Yes a studio phenomenon, and saying that they could not reproduce their complex arrangements live. This release, at least partially, was meant to dispel that rumour -- and it worked.
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Yes - Yessongs DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The only true Yes concert film (as in it was shown in theaters as a motion picture) this movie suffers a lot from the time period in which it was made. Granted, this classic performance from December of 1972 is a great time capsule, but filmmaking has come a long way since then.
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Yes - Yesstories-Yes In Their Own Words written by Tim Morse
Review by Gary Hill
Tim Morse created an intriguing book with this one. There is nothing unique about conducting interviews with artists when doing a book about them.
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Yes - Yesterdays
Review by Gary Hill
This compilation is composed almost entirely of material from the first two Yes releases (Yes and Time and a Word) - the majority from the second album. As such the lineup consists of Jon Anderson, Peter Banks, Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye and Chris Squire.
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Yes - Yesyears Box Set
Review by Gary Hill
Released during the flurry of activity surrounding the Union tour, this four CD set is a pricey, but fairly solid addition to the Yes catalog. While any compilation will undoubtedly bring up complaints as to what was included and what was not, this album presents a fairly accurate representation of the chronology of the band.
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Yes - Yesyears DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Before there was Yesspeak, there was Yesyears. In some ways this documentary is superior to the more recent one.
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Dewa Budjana - Zentuary
Review by G. W. Hill
This album has some vocals, but they are world type things, more as instruments. 

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