Hallelujah for Bruce Springsteen’s Definitive “Hail Mary” Album
Bruce Springsteen wrote his Hail Mary album while in purgatory – unwilling to return to tavern gigs yet unsure how to take the next step toward the promised land.
prog rock
The 10 Best Progressive Rock Albums of 2011
In 2011, there were only a few high-quality progressive rock albums, but those that stood out are some of the best the genre had seen in a while.
Frank Zappa: Jazz From Hell (Yesterday’s Jukebox)
Frank Zappa's complex, electronic masterpiece showed what the late, great maestro could achieve by removing the human element and harnessing the power of a machine.
Threefifty: Gently Among the Coals
It's rare to find a band so unbeholden to genre as Threefifty.
Mike Keneally: Scambot 2
The most brilliant multi-instrumentalist you’ve never heard of releases a stunning new album that sounds like a rock opera co-written by Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut.
Reappraising Ian Anderson’s ‘Minstrel in the Gallery’
Minstrel in the Gallery seems as autobiographical as any Jethro Tull album, before or after, and there is a vulnerability and sensitivity that the songwriter was simply growing into.
Fractal Mirror: Garden of Ghosts
Fractal Mirror's sophomore set reaffirms the Dutch band's sophisticated sensibilities and makes a stunning step forward.
Bart: Bart By Bart EP
If you like ‘70s music with the hint of a modern edge, Bart By Bart will more than fit the bill.
He Can Do Quite a Few Things: Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips and Electric Würms
The Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd talks with PopMatters about new group Electric Würms, his thoughts on progressive rock, and decades of musical exploration.
Asia: Gravitas
Gravitas is pleasant enough, but with watered-down pomp and too much texture, the men of Asia don't bring enough heat to the moment.