Morse/Portnoy/George "Cov3r to Cov3r"

 Hello again from The Concert Closet fellow progheads.  2020 has proven to be a journey unlike any other, and at times I've wondered how we ended up down this rabbit hole.  But while the world continues the search for a "new normal" I continue the search for all things prog.  This week I go "off grid" just a bit and check out the latest from Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, and Randy George (MPG), "Cov3r to Cov3r."  

As the album title suggests this is their third installment of cover songs, and coincidentally they have also released the "Cover to Cover Anthology (Vol. 1-3)" at the same time.  This is a 3-CD set with volumes one and two re-sequenced and remastered and includes the newly released volume three.  For the sake of this review I will stick with "Cov3r to Cov3r (Volume 3)."

To me the challenge is listening to a cover of any song on its own merits; not comparing a cover to the original recording is all but impossible.  Sometimes the cover simply blows the original away, much like the Talking Head's version of "Take Me the the River."  Then there's the added level of intrigue when the live cover smokes the studio version of the cover...but let's not go there today...

Rather, let's jump in with no preconceived ideas with "Black Coffee in Bed."  The familiar opening does remind one of Squeeze; the subtle keys and drums with the underlying guitar carry you right down memory lane.  It seems as if MPG is trying to stay true to Difford and Tillbrook's original inspiration for the song where I was looking for more of a unique interpretation,  a la 801 covering "Tomorrow Never Knows."  However; the nostalgic vibe oozing from this song is something to enjoy.  Neal does manage to grab you by the ears with his vocals while Mike and Randy chime in on the backing chorus with an almost paradoxical charm. 

Another cut I found intriguing is "Hymn 43," a Jethro Tull original.  For me this was a difficult song to cover mainly because it is so identifiable...as soon as the intro starts your mind is taken to Ian Anderson belting out those vocals, wrapped ever so tightly around some masterful drums and keys.  However; on this song MPG really shines--this is the kind of rebuild I look for in a cover.  Yeah, you recognize the song right away--that is the point after all.  But when a band "carves their initials" into it much like the bark of a mighty oak, you know you've found a real gem.  Everybody pours their all into this production; Neal's vocals are blood raw, Mike gives ounce of energy he has to the drumming, and Randy takes the keyboards to another level.  

Liner Notes...as spelled out in their name, MPG is Neal Morse on vocals, keyboards, and guitars, Mike Portnoy on drums and vocals, and Randy George on bass and keyboards.  Having made names for themselves elsewhere in the prog garden, this seemed like a logical place for the guys to expand their horizons as it were and play music that one would not expect from them; just stuff they enjoy.  A great way to let fans and loyal followers know where their influences came from and what kind of music they enjoy listening to when not making their own.

I for one like to "get inside the mind" of a musician or peak behind the curtain on a band and find out what inspires them and/or discover their interpretation of what they listen to, another reason I enjoy covers. I remember feeling quite surprised to find out Chris Squire of Yes was a fan of The Fifth Dimension, a pop group my mother was absolutely in love with in the 70s. 

Back on track here, another impressive cover from this album is "Baker Street," originally recorded by Gerry Rafferty.  The tempo is a bit more upbeat and the song rocks a little heavier.  Mike's drums are more prominent on this version and the sax solo--the heart and soul of the original version--is handled quite nicely.  Neal goes all out on guitar as well; turning a song that wasn't high on his list of  preferred covers into one of the better songs on the album.  

You can purchase any or all of the "Cover to Cover" albums at insideoutmusic.  All three artists have Facebook and Twitter pages if you have the urge to "fan stalk" them as well.

My last takeaway on the album is "One More Red Nightmare."  You knew I was going there eventually, right?  I have heard this song covered by several bands, most of which consist of members with a first degree connection to Robert Fripp.  The more distanced association here made the song all the more intriguing to me, and I came away impressed.  The sax was on a par with Mel Collins and Neal drove the guitar right through your brain like a railroad spike driven by John Henry himself.  

Below, a clip to put you in the mood; "It Don't Come Easy."  This one helps remind you that prog artists have many facets to their personality and music preferences.  This was a great pop song when it first hit the airwaves and MPG grabbed that vibe by the shoulders, shook it a few times, then pumped it up a notch.  

There you have it fellow progheads, a little bit of fun as The Concert Closet takes a side street and explores the artists behind the prog curtain more than the music played in front of it.  Knowing where musicians get their inspiration or simply finding out what they like to listen to can shed a bit of light on who they are when no one is looking, and why they do what they do they way they do...  

Back to the search for all things prog now, as the journey delves deeper into the prog garden nd discovers more of the good things to be had in 2020...until next time...

The Tangent "Auto Reconnaissance"

 Welcome as always fellow progheads to the Closet Concert Arena.  Autumn is starting her parade of color here in these parts, which may have influenced my thought process when it came to review time.  I settled in with The Tangent this week, a colorful prog band if there ever was one.  Band leader Andy Tillison has never been one to shy away from the spotlight, nor has he been known to desire all the attention in the room.  He does, however present himself and his music in such a way as to demand it be taken on his terms.  

The Tangent is prog music for today; insightful, well written, well performed, and unafraid of what the critics have to say.  For me the music is shrewd, energizing, relevant, exciting, and perhaps a bit humorous.  But enough banter, on to the music...

The opening number is called "Life On Hold."  Instant energy races through the headphones; I am reminded of the opening of a Yes concert in their heyday.  The upbeat tempo is a welcome burst of intensity--but I expect nothing less from Andy.  The keyboards are the focus on this cut along with the vocals; The Tangent has transitioned perfectly from their previous album to this latest adventure.

Next song to be hit by the laser is "The Midas Touch."  A more somber opening is short-lived as the tempo once again builds on its own energy.  The canvas is splayed with bright hues that, while not blinding, do reflect that "Midas Touch."  Top notes of Camel rise to the surface and perhaps a hint of Marillion, but The Tangent are definitely in a section of the prog garden all their own.  This is a perfect song for the current state we're all in; there is a silver lining to the cloud hanging over the planet.  

Liner Notes...Originating in Pately Bridge, North Yorkshire, UK, The Tangent are Andy Tillison on vocals and keyboards as well as the lyricist and composer for the band, Luke Machin on guitar, Jonas Reingold on bass, Theo Travis on sax and flute, and Steve Roberts on drums.   

The Tangent have filled the prog garden with their prog stylings on 17 albums over the course of nearly two decades.  They enjoy a very loyal fanbase and have earned a reputation--deservedly so--as a band unafraid to take on society and everything that entails while not not getting bogged down in the drudgery.  With influences ranging from ELP to Return to Forever, this latest album is just one more unique offering from a band that refuses to be pigeon-holed or hog-tied to someone else's definition of what prog should be.  The refreshingness is so damn invigorating...

Learn  more about The Tangent and purchase their music at thetangent and insideoutmusic.  You can follow the band on facebook and Twitter @thetangentmusic

I played the next song, "Jinxed in Jersey" several times simply because it's as smooth as a pair of silk pajamas.  If you were looking for The Tangent's jazz fusion connection you just found it.  Andy tells a story with a clever, somewhat wry sense of humor.  The keyboards cruise through like a speed boat across a serene lake; this song is AOR with a zest of lime.  

The cut below was chosen as an example of the wide range of acreage The Tangent occupies in the prog garden.  "The Tower of Babel" is a nod to the excess of excess; the blind spot people have when it come to have vs. need.  When Andy sings "you can treat me like piece of dirt...you can screw the system up, you know what to do, before the system screws you" he is just telling it like it is--although no one really wants to be on the receiving end of a jab like that.  Andy can be as stinging as Warren Zevon and as eloquent as Dave Cousins with his lyrics...with a voice as soothing as Van Morrison on both counts.

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    Once again fellow progheads we find ourselves at the end of another chapter here in the Concert Closet.  The Tangent and bands like them are just what the prog garden needs right now; pertinent, on the cutting edge, not afraid to speak their minds.  Andy put it best when he said, "I utterly refuse to accept that progressive rock music is some kind of museum piece.  It is actually a living and breathing movement that has a past, a present, and above all, a future..."  

This is what keeps me coming back to the prog garden every day--the desire by a band and/or artist who wants to be heard on their own terms and not forced to meet someone else's definition of what it is they do.  Don't get me wrong; the glory days of King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant, Genesis, 

et al. are worthy of all the praise heaped on them.  But the prog world did not end--much to the chagrin of thousands--in 1975.  It continues today and thankfully has evolved.  Which, by definition, it was supposed to do.

So the search for all things prog continues on as the journey has no end...until next time...