Summer in Town (Horizont / Горизонт, 1985)

Be prepared to meet one of the strangest and most fascinating suites in the strange and fascinating world of underground prog. This Russian band was born in the late '70s, but they released their two albums during the '80s, leaded by composer and keyboardist Sergey Komilov. This is the title track of the fiorst one, divided into three movements: March, Minuet and Toccata. As those sub-titles may suggest, the classical influence is very strong on Horizont's music, but it's not the only one.

Unfortunately, Horizont disbanded in the late '80s.

These musicians also like to experiment, to amaze their listeners, including unpredictable solutions in their compositions and many avant-garde sounds. You'll find here - I mean it - both Genesis and Magma, both symphonic rock and krautrock. The final result may be puzzling, but it isn't unpleasant, after all, as Horizont don't like elitarian music and always try to communicate emotions. Well, you wouldn't have find this song here, had they acted otherwise.

400 prog songs in this little blog...

Yes, previous post introduced prog song #400. As usual, thank you for your friendship, patience and faith in prog. When I read how many of you and from how many different countries grace this place, I'm confused and grateful.

That's why I can't stop here and I'm ready toi go on...

Silk Road Theme (Kitarō 喜多郎, 1980)

This is not exactly prog rock, I know that, but there are meny reasons to put it here nonetheless. Firstly, this was a highly inspirational track for many prog bands and artists over there. Secondly, the Japanese Kitarō, soon after the huge success of the first O.S.T. album of the documentary series The Silk Road: The Rise And Fall Of Civilizations featuring this main theme, promoted a third way solution between new age music and progressive rock. He did it alone, with symphonic orchestras and also with rock musicians like Jon Anderson of Yes or MIckey Hart of Grateful Dead.

This was the first of two "Silk Road" O.S.T. albums.

Finally, this is one of the greatest "minimoog songs" I've ever listened to, featuring a sweet, Eastern melody, a brilliant arrangement and a dreamy mood not so far from prog bands such as Camel. In short, each time I come across this song, I reverently stop and I take a deep breath of pure spirit. That's why I'm proud to include Kitarō among the bunch of musicians gracing my little blog.

Tarkus (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, 1971)

Considered as the quintessence of prog, in both positive and negative senses, the suite "Tarkus", filling the A side of the second ELP's album, is one of those tracks a prog fan must face sooner or later. I did it sooner and I was deceived, then I came back later and I loved it. Propbably you need to be in the right mood to accept the tricky arrangements, the virtuosities and the improbable lyrics about the armadillo-tank Tarkus: his Birth from a volcano, his battles against three monsters and the final mutation in an Aquatarkus. But if you dare to play this track's intro, you'll likely listen to it until its last note.

This is Tarkus as imagined by the painter William Neal. 

And you'll be right: this suite is a magic well full of ideas, musical inventions and, most of all, free rock music. I mean it: ELP and this track represent the freedom and the curiosity prog rock was born for. Take Greg Lake's unexpected acid guitar, or Keith Emerson's organ progressions and strange keyboard effects, or the broken march tempos Carl Palmer conjures up. Musical materials enough for a dozen albums, I daresay. And not even a second of rest. Be brave and face such a musical adventure!

Historia d'una gota d'aigua (Gotic, 1978)

This track, taken from the album "Escenes" ("Scenes") is a Spanish (Catalan, to be more precise) prog gem, one of the sweetest ones, IMHO. It's a relaxing, descriptive still varied 10 minutes instrumental track, kind of a trip in a natural, clean, aerial world. The titles says it all: it's the story of a waterdrop, narrated by Jep Nuix and his flute supported by a clever percussion work, gentle keyboards and some acoustic guitars. The musical themes are simple and well found, so that you actually feel your body flucuate between white and pink clouds.

The whole "Escenes" album is Worth your attention.

The rythm gradually increases as the track goes on and our little drop grows up and joins the rain pouring down. Really, this Camel-esque track may be too naive for an intellectual prog listener, but as I'm a very simple man, I like it and I listen to it when I need to calm down. It perfectly works, believe me.

Another Day Like Superman (Anyone's Daughter, 1980)

I'm simply fascinated by this track, released by Anyone's Daughter in their second studio album. This German band was on the stage since 1972, but their discography only began in 1979 with "Adonis", a good Genesis-inspired album. But their self titled 1980 LP is my favourite album of theirs. This song begins in a pastoral way, just like a slow, acoustic ballad, then the rythm section comes in and a beautiful electric guitar solo completely changes the tempo and the mood: Deep Purple meet Genesis, I'd say.

I like this cover... somewhere between Yes and Disney.

Uwe Karpa plays his instrument as fast as a devil and keyboardist Mattias Ulmer also has some moments of glory before the sung section comes back to introduce a dreaming closing section. Maybe they were too late to become a world sensation, but they surely were coherent and brave and - most of all - they made a present of this song to my prog ears. Try it, it won't disappoint you, mark my words.

This Past Presence (Wobbler, 2011)

The Wobbler are one of the most known bands of the Scandinavian vintage prog movement. Not only they play the same instruments their '70s models used to play, but also they write and perform as it was usual in the Golden Era. Are they to blame? It depends, IMHO, on the use they make of the sound they love. That's why I put this particular track in my blog: even its title suggests a link between the past and the present. The Wobbler transform their models in a musical palette they make use of with a new, free, fresh creativity.

"Rites at Dawn" was the third Wobbler's studio album.

So, "This Past Presence" re-uses all the main features of our Golden Era heroes, but in an original and recognizable frame, a melancholy and pastoral one, showing all the colours of the passing seasons and a strong union with natural elements. I see kind of a musical wicca here, a charm made of piano passages and choral arrangements, acoustic guitars, electric progressions and flowing mellotrons. In a word, magic. And we all know you need ancient tools to perform the best magic of all.