Decorating the Concert Closet for the Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyeux Noel, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Boxing Day, and of course a most boisterious "Festivus for the Rest of Us" fellow progheads!  As you can tell, I am all inclusive here as "Holiday Season 2016" plays out.  And as my loyal followers most assuredly remember, I am loathe to write a post ranking the best artists/songs/bands/blah blah blah of the year...

Lists are subjective and I usually hear someone complain about a great band or song being left off the list while some blithering noise or talentless hack has been incredulously added to the list.  The search for all things prog searches out the finest progressive rock music I believe is worth listening to and bands/artists worthy of your support. The prog garden is alive and well and fertile breeding ground for standard bearers and new comers alike.  I encourage you my fellow progheads to support those you find laudable and to continue meandering the garden in search of others.  With that in mind, I present the annual Closet Concert Arena Holiday Music post...please to enjoy...

Since it is impossible to avoid the elephant in the room I will walk right up and twist its trunk...2016 was a tough year for musicians and fans alike.  The prog garden was not immune to the Grim Reaper's scythe as David Bowie, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and others passed through the veil. However; I choose to celebrate the memories and music of these and other prog giants as 2016 lowers the curtain for the final time, so let us rejoice and play loud some holiday cheer...

The opener this year is a Keith Emerson rendition of "Silent Night."  This song is one of my personal holiday favorites and Keith does it justice.  Ever the showman--and always able to back up the bravado--Keith kept a low profile here.  Not to say the keyboards were hidden or muffled; they just laid down a festive carpet for the vocals and soft percussion to elegantly glide across...

Next up on the holiday buffet is a cut from Chris Squire's Swiss Choir, "Three Kings."  Another master humbly placing music before self as this song flows smooth and gentle through the headphones, much like melted chocolate cascading down the sides of a New York style cheesecake...yes please!  The backing choir bring an elegance to the entire piece as delicate keyboards move through the center and waft into your auditory canals...

                                     


One more slice from this holiday feast comes from the Moody Blues; "The Spirit of Christmas."  This is a band that seems to generate extreme emotion on both ends of the metronome; people either love 'em or hate 'em.  I tend to love 'em I guess, since I don't hate 'em.  This song pours out like a fine brandy...keyboards cascading with silky smooth vocals, all wrapped up with gentle acoustic guitar as the vocal master John Lodge brings it home...

This next song is simply an homage to Mr. Bowie...David was many things; artist, singer, musician, actor, chameleon, genius...I can hear the arguments against inclusion of this song already; hence my inclination to avoid best of lists and greatest of all time collections.  David Bowie was a visionary and true trail blazer, not only in the prog garden but many other art forms as well.  He will truly be missed, and one more tip of the hat surely won't hurt...

The final decoration to adorn the Concert Closet this year is Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas."  This is one of my favorite songs for the holidays, and I chose this version so as to highlight Greg's vocal and guitar skills.  The acoustic opening clears a path traipsed heavily with strong vocals and drums that leave no room for indecisiveness.  The upbeat mood bellows, and--this year especially--the prog garden  cannot have too much upbeat and happy...

, 

...and that is a wrap fellow progheads, as the curtain is drawn for the final time on 2016!  The swansong has faded to black...the fat lady has sung...and thus begins anticipation for the search for all things prog 2017!

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for coming back week after week to see and hear what the Concert Closet has to offer.  This journey is truly a fun ride and it is an honor to captain this ship...something I assure you I do not take for granted.

The prog garden produced a great crop this year; interviews with up and comers and stalwarts, new bands, new releases, bands that have been pouring it out for decades, artists that bleed prog...I have been astounded, impressed, surprised (pleasantly), educated, and humbled by what I have learned. The prog garden is so much more than music--it is a living breathing thing, and it continues to grow and thrive.

Of course without you my loyal followers I would not be on this astonishing journey.  The search for all things prog is made that much more enjoyable by the feedback I receive weekly from you.  I sincerely wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.  Celebrate any way you see fit--just make damn sure you make it back in 2017...

The Concert Closet will be grounded for a short while as I add some much needed upgrades.  2017 promises to be even bigger and better than previous years, with many surprises, changes, and improvements.  Lots happening; much of which is still in the design and construction stages. However, when January arrives I believe you will like what you find.  Please join me on January 17th, 2017 as The Closet Concert Arena 2.0 is unveiled.

Thanks again fellow progheads, and a safe and happy holiday season to all...until next time...

Coalition

Thanks for coming back fellow progheads!  Page twelve has been turned on the 2016 calendar as the final grains of sand drop through the neck of the hourglass...quite a year indeed.  As the search for all things prog sets out on the last odyssey of 2016, I am reminded not only of the great artists and musicians that have passed through the veil, but also the up and coming bands that continue to keep the prog garden flourishing, thriving, and bringing bountiful  harvests to the prog faithful season after season.

With that thought in mind, I decided to load up the Concert Closet for my final journey this year, setting the GPS for England and a relaxing interlude with Coalition.  Like most prog bands discovered here in the prog garden, the story behind the story of Coalition will leave as much of an impression as the music itself...so into the tale we plunge...

Many of my loyal followers will remember my review of Inner Road back in July 2014, a prog band that "...rose from the ashes of Coalition."  Fortunately the fire was not fatal and the embers continued to smolder, because Coalition has risen once again and released a new LP, "Bridge Across Time" in October.  So let us cozy up to the buffet and sate our prog appetites...

Coalition refers to themselves as an "...international symphonic prog rock band."  Coalition is also but one plot in the prog garden tended by Steve Gresswell;  The Inner Road is another along with some very strong solo work.  However my focus this week is "Bridge Across Time," so let us have a seat in the Concert Closet, apply the headphones, and have a listen...

The first offering from the album is an upbeat tune called "Across the Sea."  Coalition uses bright colors to fill the canvas as the piece opens with the serenity of high tide gently caressing the shore. Guitars and percussion quickly take the baton and fill your auditory canals with positive energy. Keyboards break on through, riding the drums as they cascade across the disc.  There are top notes of Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate and (ironically) Transatlantic wafting through the air.  I am detecting aromatics of Pandora as well.  Coalition hits you straight on with a positive vibe that rides the top of this song all the way.

Selection number two as we carve our way through this download is "Land of Dreams."  The song opens with a subdued flourish--not bursting with the energy of "Across the Sea" but not hushed or gloomy either.  Coalition may have grays and dark hues in the paint box, but they fuse them with pastels and brighter shades to enhance the mood on either side of the pendulum.  There are top notes of The Strawbs and It's A Beautiful Day coming through, and I detect aromatics of Tirian Flame permeating the Concert Closet on this cut.  Coalition leans on synthesizers to build that symphonic sound, while the drums and guitar push everything to the edge.  The vocals lay on top like a narrative, pointing out to the observer the scene taking place below...serene and numinous...

Liner Notes...Coalition--of course--the brainchild of the aforementioned Steve Gresswell, who plays keyboards, drums, and bass.  Blake Carpenter is lyricist and lead vocalist and Colin Tench plays guitars.  An earlier line-up included Phil Braithwaite and Paul Bulger, both of whom appear on the 2012 release, "In Search of Forever."  Members of the band trace their roots to Sweden, the UK, and the United States, hence the international descriptor.

Coalition travels the same basic path in the prog garden as The Inner Road, albeit with a slight tangent to the trajectory.  Steve pays homage to the full sound of prog in all he does, and Coalition is no different.  The songs burst with energy, run through time and tempo changes, and fill your auditory canals with robust sound.  Coalition doesn't explode through your speakers--but they don't crawl with barely a pulse either.  The music is high carb with an emphasis on the stuff that sparks your musical taste buds--but no artificial sweeteners here; just the good ol' natural stuff...

My final selection from this calorie laden buffet is, "Valley of Shadows."  Once again the trademark thrust that hits your cranium like a Tabasco shooter oozes through the headphones then tapers back; much like waves crashing the jetty as a storm brews.  There is a Marillion vibe riding the under current, and a taste of Fire on Dawson hits the back of the throat.  Coalition is not as ornate as, say, most Italian prog bands, but they have read the playbook.  Learn more about Coalition and purchase their music at Coalition Bandcamp.  Their earlier release "In Search of Forever" along with "Bridge Across Time" can be found, purchased, and downloaded here.  Coalition also has a Facebook page at Coalition FB and can be followed on Twitter @CoalitionRocks.  Steve, Blake, and Colin each have their own individual Facebook pages so you can learn more about every member of the band.  Please expand your library as well as your knowledge by making a purchase!

The clip below is designed to whet your prog appetite and stimulate the neurons in your brain that cause intense cravings.  This is a teaser of sorts for the "Bridge Across Time" album.  Just a snippet of each cut to give you an idea of what Coalition is about.  Listen as the keyboards stream across the top like spun sugar, raining down on a solid base of guitars and drums...coming together like the perfect trifle dessert...

Well fellow progheads, we have just about concluded our journey through 2016--and what an experience it has been!  The search for all things prog has crossed oceans and continents while traveling through many countries.  It has been an eye opening, ear pleasing, mind expanding expedition, as well as an extensive walk through miles of the prog garden.  Coalition is unique in their own right, as are most bands of the progressive rock genre, mainly because their music takes on the traits of the artists.  There are no steadfast rules or formulae to follow; prog music simply carves its own path.

I am looking forward to what 2017 holds for the prog garden as Father Time begins to draw the curtain on 2016.  The search for all things prog is alive and well, and I thank you for staying the course...until next time...