Album review by Neil Hobkirk The drama unfolds in Metropolis, a major Montreal venue. After ninety minutes’ worth of scene-setting recorded ambient music, the five […]
Science Fiction Double Feature: “Black Noise” (reissue) and “Transformation” by FM (2014, 2015; Convexe)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Part One: Maple Leaf Escape Craft For me, Part One of the FM story unfolded over FM radio. In 1980 […]
New Tricks Revisited: Deep Purple’s “Purpendicular” (reissue; HNE, 2014)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Purpendicular opens with a sound unfamiliar from previous Deep Purple albums: a buzzing, harmonics-drunk note frenzy lasting just a few […]
Something Less: “Heaven & Earth” by Yes (Frontiers, 2014)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Well, the cover art’s nice. And the music’s nice too. Or rather, the music’s too nice. Yes, nice music. So: […]
The Long and the Short of Mike Oldfield: “Five Miles Out” and “Crises” (deluxe editions; Mercury, 2013)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk I remember my first proper sound system, purchased during high school in 1984: Harmon/Kardon HK330I receiver; JBL J216A speakers; and […]
Upended Cornucopia: Glass Hammer’s “Ode to Echo” (Arion Records/Sound Resources, 2014)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Sure, it’s safe to say that Glass Hammer is the finest progressive rock band ever to have emerged from Chattanooga, […]