Initiation (Cast, 1997)

Cast is not only the best known Mexican prog band, but also a long lasting and prolific one. This instrumental "Initiation", the opening track from "Angels and Demons" perfectly explains the reasons of their durable success. I rarely listened to such a strong, vibrant and colourful intro, some 8 minutes of classical and intricated plots where all the instruments compete in a bombastic musical race. I'd like to point out some of the song best features.

Cast released "Angels And Demons" in 1997.

First things first: the drum intro. It's a great work by Antonio Bringas, who dictates broken rhythms and provides the hooks on which the keyboards hang up their main riff. This is another good point: Luis Alfonso Vidales' fingers fly on the keyboards and his style is reminiscent of Tony Banks'... not a deadly sin, after all. Last, some excellent guitar solos provided by Francisco Hernandez Reyes, giving a passionate melody and a deeper soul to the track. So, if you like prog as it used to be and maybe should always be, this track is for you.

Lost without a Trace (Wigwam, 1971)

One of the shortest tracks in this collection - just 2'29" - and one of the sweetest and warmest ballads I've ever listened to. The Finnish band Wigwam was one of the first non-Briton bands to release fully progressive albums between 1970 and 1971 and they're worth more than a single listening. This "Lost without a Trace" from their third album "Fairyport" isn't among their most celebrated songs, but I'm charmed by its muffled atmosphere and the effective, simple arrangement including piano and acoustic guitar.

Wigwam's line up circa "Fairyport" era.

When I need a little rest I put on this track and I'm gently carried away in an old and cosy drawing room, in a winter fadind day, warmed by a lively fire. The melody is really beautiful, Jukka Gustavson's voice is pleasant and sensitive and after all nothing so complicated than setting up a plain song. I highly recommend this after a progressive epic track...

As The River Runs (Simon Says, 2008)

"Tardigrade" is probably the Swedish Simon Says' most successful album to date and this is my favourite track in it. Being a neo-prog band, Symon Says don't make any musical revolution and follow in some well known tracks, but they do this very, very well. In "As The River Runs" there's anything you could ask for in a prog rock song: melodic and well sung themes, jazzy bridges, surprising changes, walls of sound, fast and slow passages, keyboard progressions and guitar solos.

"Tardigrade" is the third Simon Says' album.

Listening this for the first time, some could take it as a beautiful but rough rhapsody, sort of a container track, full of ideas and with a lack in organisation. Well, that's not true, and a further listening shows a well structured song, with the different phases set in a carefully chosen order, aimed to a winding and growing intensity. This effect is increased by some fair internal returns and - most of all, IMHO - by a discreet and effective piano. The final result is a flush, rich and brilliant synphonic rock mini-suite. For me, that's enough.

Leave It Where It Can Stay (Machiavel, 1976)

"Leave It Where It Can Stay" was the closing track of Machiavel's self named debut album, released in 1976. I immediatly liked it when I first listened to it and I know this could be because of some sections of the song reminiscent of this or that prog band, but there is more than this. I really like the slow and solemn rythm of this track and I also appreciate its melody, a very sensitive one. If nothing's really new in this 8'30" composition, I daresay nothing's out of place.

I never liked this cover, the music inside is far better.

If the first sung part is a good one, sort of a sad ballad, the second and final one, a long instrumental ruled by a slightly acid guitar solo, is a real treat. True, some real life effects (a door opening on a windy weather) sound strange, but Jack Roskam's guitar is so dreamy and so sincerely sad and Albert Letecheur's keys are so sweet that I can't resist and restart the track. Well, Iìm probably gone nuts, but this Belgian track has won my heart.

Song for America (Kansas, 1975)

This is the 10 minute title track of Kansas' second album and one of their most enthralling ones, IMHO (and maybe their most Yes-influenced one). Full of rythm and changes, featuring a rampant Steve Walsh' vocal performance and the well known Rob Steinhardt's violin, this song also shines for its stunning instrumental middle section. Here the band's creativity achieves its top: a series of piano melodic chords lead to some bass driven folk riffs and finally here's the violin and the main theme coming back.

Peter Lloyd provided this somehow disquieting cover art.

In short, this is a pefect specimen of Kansas' prog rock, a crossover kind of prog, where synphonic arrangements meet jazz, country and melodic rock. This song is also a two-faced portrait of America, describing its natural beauties and its darkest historical pages, with the transition from the early days of human colonisation and respect for the land and the recent concrete and asphalt devastations. As usual for Kansas, good music to enjoy and good lyrics to think over.

Kayleigh (Marillion, 1985)

Well, I couldn't skip this one in my collection. "Kayleigh" isn't just a song, it's kind of a symbol, the mark of progressive rock re-birth after its too hastily declared death. His reaching # 2 in the UK charts and many other National charts was the living proof that someone still liked the genre, as the relative album "Misplaced Childhood" huge success confirmed. But, of course, "Kayleigh" is also an excellent song, based on an original rythmic background and featuring a very good melody sung by Fish in all the splendour of his passionate and sensitive style. Steve Rothery's guitar also increases the artistic merit of the whole song.

Mark Wilkinson's cover for "Kayleigh" single...

 

...and a detail of Market Square new pavement in Galashiels.

 

The story of Fish and his ex girlfriend, as narrated in "Kayleigh", keeps a special place in prog history and also was worth a monument, as the Scottish town of Galashiels inscribed the song lyrics in the pavement of its Market Square, the very place where the romance began some decades ago. That said, I ask you once again: could I skip this song?

Jeszcze jeden dzień (Collage, 1990)

There's a long debate among prog rock fans about this theme: can a good prog song be done lasting less than 5 minutes? I think Collage provided a very good and positive reply to this in their debut album "Basnie" with the song I'm introducing here, "Jeszcze jeden dzien" ("One More Day" in English). It's an energetic and compact opening track, including all the quintessential neo.prog features: splendid keys, wall of sound, catchy melody, good vocals, instrumental bridges, enthralling riffs and so on. Plus, no prolixity.

I recommend the 2003 remastered edition of "Basnie".

The musical ideas are well developed without any pointless loss of time, just the essential in the right place and time. You feel the joy of building up a song and performing it, you're dragged inside the band's mood and you don't need any further trwirls: the song is complete and perfectly done. This fast tempo track will always be one of my favourite Polish prog songs ever.