A-ha - "Scoundrel Days" - ALBUM REVIEW (Synth Pop, 1986)

By Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media  | 

A-ha must have felt the pressure on this release, their sophomore album. I was one of their new teenage fans eager to hear more from this band after a year-long wait back in 1986. 

I bought the cassette and was pleasantly surprised. When you only have 1 album from a band, your perceptions can get plasticized- making it hard to imagine new music outside the limits if their first album.

Scoundrel Days is a very cool song. They know how to create goosebump-inducing intros. Singer Morten wastes no time and starts soaring right away into the first chorus- a sonic equivalent of a young mare running at full speed jubilantly across a wide expanse. The only single odd element of the song to me was when he made a kind of yodel. Is this a Norwegian or European thing? Is it just me? 

I've Been Losing You is a real refresher. A-ha may be synth pop but they kind of go all out with a very live-sounding drum kit, as opposed to the one that's in a metal box with buttons on it. A super-solid chorus paired with a gratifying straight-ahead 'real' bass-line rock beat. 

Still, the drum machine was not abandoned on this album. It's very much alive on tracks like The Swing of Things. Morten almost sounds like David Sylvian in Japan in one part- a nod towards his influence perhaps. 

They prove you can still rock out with a drum machine and distortion guitars on Manhattan Skyline which is a deceptive little track. You think it's a ballad and then the chorus gets downright crunchy and messy. It's amazingly well pulled off, a juxtaposition of contrast. 

This album isn't without a couple of clunkers like October which has some cool found-sound recordings but feels like a failed A-ha attempt at Sting's 'An Englishman in New York'. Also, despite having a good chorus, there's the deplorable Maybe Maybe which is an odd-man-out song. It comes off like a silly children's song (which I suppose is not disappointing for the youngest A-ha fans?).  

A lot of the tracks could be characterized as fun, but not necessarily lacking depth or passion- like The Weight of the World, Manhattan Skyline or Soft Rains of April which evokes a strong sense of atmosphere and a rain-soaked Blade Runner world perhaps. 

Tunes like Cry Wolf make for an irresistible dance track, but not much else (Nothing wrong with that, though).

PROG DOG SCORE: 3 / 5  out of 5 bones.   Not a classic, but a fine collection of songs -a decent sophomore followup to their debut with some very special highlights. 

A-ha - "Hunting High and Low" - ALBUM REVIEW (synth pop, 1985)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media |

There's nothing like when your debut album and first single are juggernauts of success. It established this young Norwegian trio anew on the world stage back in June 1985. 

I bought A-Ha, Hunting High and Low on cassette when I was a teenager. Take on Me, their first single, is an irresistible synth pop song that is standing the test of time. For me, it captured a genuine essence of optimism.

There are 4 other outstanding songs on the album as well, but the remaining 5 barely move the needle. Of course, that's easily forgiven. How many bands have a perfect first album?

Hunting High and Low, the song that is also the album's title, is a passionate and beautiful strings-supported ballad, full of interesting buildups and a fantastic singing performance by Morton Harket. He has a unique, powerful voice that is beautiful when restrained, and can almost overwhelm when let loose. 

Living a boy's adventure tale is an interesting and more gentle tune, almost goth-dark or Cure-ish, with a wonderful sweeping chorus. Morten displays more of his falsetto prowess here. On a production note: the snare is perfect. 

The Sun always Shines on TV is a song that strikes like lightening- a true highlight on the album apart from Take on Me. It also gives the album a majority of its overall weight. The intro alone is iconic. It has a strong melody and amazing vocal performance. If this track weren't on this album, we may have been forgiven to think A-ha might just be a transient flash in the pan without too much to say. 

Stand and Face the Rain- the final track- is strong one too, with cool melodic twists and amazing backing vocals that fold in around themselves. The synthesizers are haunting.  

In America for whatever reason A-ha was not appreciated much beyond this and their sophomore release. A shame really. Stay tuned for further reviews as I explore the rest of their discography in the coming weeks and months. 

Prog Dog Score: 3.5 out of 5 bones - A major synth-pop 80s classic with enough strong tracks to be a better-than-bearable listen. 

My Top 30 Songs of All Time (personal picks)

By Dean Wolfe, Prog dog media |

These songs have become integral to my life, particularly during my formative years, evoking strong emotions from specific times. They are all excellent songs, but the personal connections make them special (Spotify playlist link is below).

They range from prog rock to pop to classical to soundtracks to jazz fusion to electronic to disco/funk...

Stay tuned for my top 30 albums list in the near future....

For the story behind my list picks, see my video here!

1. Beatles - A Day in the Life 
2. Yes - Awaken 
3. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells 
4. Rush - YYZ
5. Alan Parsons Project - Time 
6. Genesis - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
7. Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
8. Kate Bush - Sat in Your Lap
9. John Lennon - Imagine 
10. King Crimson - frame by frame  
11. ELP - Karn Evil 9
12. Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
13. U2 - The Unforgetable Fire 
14. Steve Hackett - Clocks, The Angel of Mons
15. Bruford - Five G
16. Nash The Slash - Wolf
17. Bee Gees - Stayin’ Alive
18. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
19. David Sylvain - Orpheus 
20. Pat Metheny Group - Minuano (six eight) - Still Life (Talking) 
21. The Police - Walking on the Moon
22. Van Halen - Panama 
23. Vangelis - Heaven and Hell movement 3 (Theme to 1980 show Cosmos)
24. Mozart - Confutatus 
25. Eagles - Hotel California 
26. Heart- Magic Man
27. Stevie Wonder - I wish
28. Saga - Don’t Be Late 
29. Abba - Dancing Queen 
30. A-Ha - Take On Me

Honourable Mentions: 

1. TOOL - Lateralus 
2. John Williams - Star Wars theme A New Hope 
3. Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
4. Hans Zimmer - Dream is Collapsing 
5. Hans Zimmer - Cornfield Chase 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59AhuwLfptAw5WODziJsWP?si=da4b966445964d3e

Dream Machine - "Living The Dream" ALBUM REVIEW (retro-prog pop psych 2022)

 

By Dean Wolfe, prog dog media  [album released June 3, 2022]

Dream Machine, a.k.a. the winsome and energetic husband and wife team Matthew and Doris Melton, are not simply nostalgic for the past. They fully embrace the lifestyle, honouring the warmth and immediacy of the analog empire from yesteryear in their home studio and Fuzz City Records label. 

Draped in apparently vintage clothing, surrounded by living relics of the glory days of a more tactile music technology, they have been busily performing, recording and releasing albums. They live in defiance of the prevalent digital paradigm (though they still cross the bridge to bring their analog music offerings to the digital realm, and they host an entertaining YouTube channel as well).

Their most recent release (and my introduction to Dream Machine) is called Living the Dream. It is a concept album exploring the many aspects of dreams. It is not easy to categorize but the 'in a nutshell' description might be: upbeat melodic retro-synth-laden psyche pop with scattered splashes of 70s prog.

It's got a dozen tracks which feature drumming and percussion by Billy Odyssey. The Meltons exchange lead vocals and do lots of trade offs and back ups as well. Doris is the keyboardist and Matthew plays electric guitar and bass. There's lots of tasty distorted guitar riffs and fills. Same with the keyboards. In fact much of the album is keyboard-centric. There's several rather fun keyboard solos. It's a very animated album- energetic might be an understatement. They have plenty to sing and the spirit to carry it through. 

When I'm flipping through my record collection and I need a zap, or I'm having a party, I'll reach for this one. I know that I'll get several guests asking "What is that record? I like it. Is it from the 70s? late 60s?"

The album is very playable and lacks a single dud. In fact the last 2 tracks of the album may be my favourites, or at least they are very strong compositions. A couple of the tracks at least have ear-worm hooks for example Until Tomorow usually plays for hours in my brain after the vinyl has gone silent. 

Tracks like Dreamin' It Over particularly show off their 70s prog influences- which include bands like Eloy for Doris. She introduced Matthew to a lot of prog rock which is a rabbit hole he had yet to explore. 

The only thing lacking on the album is a good slow song, maybe a ballad, to break up the songs and give listeners a breather.

The Prog dog score is 4.5 out of 5 bones.  This is a modern benchmark of upbeat lo-fi indie achievement- a fun retro-feeling album that doesn't know when to quit (not to mention it's my prog-party go-to album)!

https://dreammachine432.bandcamp.com/album/living-the-dream

check out my 1/2 hour interview/prog chat with Dream Machine HERE

Steven Wilson Presents - "Intrigue | Progressive Sounds in UK Alternative Music 1979-89" ALBUM REVIEW (box set/book)

By Dean Wolfe, Prog dog media   [album released feb 10, 2023]

Why do we need this collection of post-70s UK prog and art rock tunes? Didn't the 80s suck for prog??

You won't find any Genesis, Yes, or Asia in this collection but you will find solid proof that even after the seeming collapse of the progressive musical empire of the 70s- brought on by the rise of an upstart punk rebellion- prog lived on! Even if it did go underground. In fact, we even learn that punk and prog could form surreptitious collaborations.   

I wish I could have been best friends with Steven Wilson during the golden decades of music in the UK, but unfortunately, I grew up in a boring old place called Canada. However, thanks to this new collection of rare prog-tinged tracks from 1979-89, I can feel like I have been transported to Steven's rec room, where we are surrounded by albums on a shag carpet while he plays me his favourite tracks.

This is a massive little collection Steven curated in collaboration with Demon Music Group. The collection I have is a 4 CD set with an exceptionally beautiful and well-designed small hard-cover book (It's also available in vinyl format). It's loaded with carefully curated songs released out of the UK. There are about 14 songs per disc. I have to say even just cracking into the first disc has been more impactful than I expected. I only got as far as 10 tracks into disc one in my first listen. Same thing happened in the next two listens, but happily so. There was so much there to absorb and enjoy, and I was only getting started! The logic of events have proven to me this is probably the most practical way to attack this selection - piecemeal and spread out over many listening sessions. 

The book that houses the CDs is top quality. The articles (technically called liner notes) about each song and well written, and accompanied by photos of the original album artwork. There's also a substantial introduction by Wilson. Listening and enjoying this set has been a revelation and a pure pleasure, even if is a bit of a project because it's so vast and diverse. Each time I sit down to tackle some more songs, book in hand, I feel like I'm walking slowly through a modern art gallery, guided by a knowledgeable docent. 

Some of the tracks are even remixes by Steven himself. 

There's a few artists I knew well, like Tears for Fears, Japan, Kate Bush, David Sylvain...but out of about 50 selections, they were only a tiny slice. Steven avoided picking obvious tracks and dug for the more unique music. 

I highly recommend this set for several reasons. Firstly, it features a collection of inspiring music that is truly remarkable. Secondly, the liner notes, written by James Nice, are deserving of a Grammy Award, and provide valuable insight into the music and its creators. Lastly, the packaging of the set is exceptional, making it a beautiful addition to any music collection.  It's a trip though some of the best that the 80s had to offer but most mainstreamers will consider obscure and weird- God bless 'em. Six tracks didn't make it to the finish line due to legal or permission issues, but Steven lists them off for you to search out on your own. 

Before making a decision, it might be worth reviewing the track listing to avoid redundancy. However, I would be surprised to find anyone other than Steven Wilson who already owns the majority of these tracks.

Oh hey, Steven... I would love to see a future curated collection of 80's art-rock and prog-tinged music released from other parts of the world. It would be highly intriguing and I am definitely interested in hearing what you would come up with.

PS

Once I know the set better, I will tag on a small list of my favourite tracks to this article. Stay tuned for that...

Prog dog score: 5 out of 5 bones.  Steven Wilson, donning a brown Indiana Jones Fedora hat, has unearthed and dusted off significant musical treasures of post-70s prog and alternative rock from the UK. The accompanying well reasearched book makes this a university course-worth of material- a gift that will keep on giving for the prog-curious and then some. 

The prog dog VIDEO of this review is here.

Retrospective - "iNtroVert" ALBUM REVIEW (Modern Prog from Poland)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media   [album released nov. 16, 2022]

This review marks my first exposure to this 6-piece progressive rock outfit hailing from the land of popes: Poland. 

iNtrovErt is their new well-'polished' album (notice my pun- it wasn't deliberate). It is their fifth studio release, so clearly I'm late to the party. 

It is an admirably solid and cohesively put-together album- a weighty collection of modern sounding songs, radiant with a dark, edgy and slick aura. 

The band's main singer, Jakub Roszak, has a distinctive and masculine breathy vocal style. Adding to the richness of their sound, Beata Lagoda often pairs up with Jakob in a sort of dual-lead vocal singing style. Their voices lock together seamlessly, creating an awesome harmonic convergence of machismo and machisma. Beata also takes on lead singing duties and is the band's piano and keyboard player. 

Compositionally I find it delightfully unpredictable, avoiding clichés, but still sounding mainstream and approachable. They are kind of Pink Floyd-y in parts, but with a more modern blend of soft metal/ hard rock and metal sound. Maybe some other comparisons could include glimpses of Muse, Rammstein and Porcupine Tree.

The album is not a bumpy or herky-jerky ride. If you prefer your prog moderate (without too many complexities in key or time signature changes) you've found your band. They keep the songs on an even keel and pumping. Generally they have a spacious sound: tasteful, big and melody-driven. There are broad and wide atmospherics throughout. The guitars and bass are tight and restrained but do move to the fore to shine in spots with some wicked broad-stroke guitar solos for example, and trench-digging bass riffs. 

iNtroVert is actually quite danceable, even slow sexy danceable at times. There's some deep gyrating grooves in the track called Away.  

Some of Retrospect are Coldplay fans, and one of the refreshing things I like about the album is the use of straight-up acoustic piano throughout (as well as synths) and Beata, the only woman in the band, is behind that solid presence throughout. This also makes the band primed for stadium rock shows. They are currently rehearsing for dates in Europe to promote Introvert. 

(Also worth mentioning for the interest of others who still collect CDs and LPs: the CD packaging is awesome: generous with a lyrics booklet and excellent original artwork throughout).

The lyrics are timely in a brooding way, given the current state of the world- and I get from them a sense of struggling through the chaos of modern life and yearning for a grounded and palpable sense of what's real vs. what's fake- searching for silence amid the noise. 

You can catch my Prog dog Podcast episode where I interview the newest member of the band in Poland HERE. As well, I reacted to a song from the album HERE.

Echo Us - "Inland Empire" ALBUM REVIEW (prog rock/new age ambient)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media    [album released March 2023]

Inland Empire by Echo Us is a flowing, seductive and elegant album of dreamy ambient progressive rock written and performed by multi-instrumentalist Ethan Matthews out of Portland, Oregon. 

The album covers a vast expanse of inspirations, taking the listener on a audio journey across the more far-flung curves of the planet. It is a keyboard/synth and guitar-based album, with varied and often exotic approaches to percussion. There's lots of Mike Oldfield-esque guitar solos, as well as plenty of complex Steve Hackett-like nylon string acoustics. Parts of the album remind me of David Sylvian too (and I'm a big fan of all the aforementioned musicians).

Ethan's vocals don't take on a constantly-present 'lead singer' type of role. Rather he visits within the songs as they unfold and he punctuates and narrates. I couldn't help but be reminded of the vocalists from Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Arcade Fire. There are also interesting speaking and singing vocal clips dropped in thoughout. 

It's a rich, lushly produced album that I found immediately addictive. Ethan is a gifted composer and very tasteful with the vast array of textures that adorn the album. For example, though I'm not a fan of harsher digital keyboards and prefer analog tones, Ethan draws on both and I could find not a single fault in any of his wide pallette of choices.

(There is a history to this one-man band- so check out my prog chat with Ethan HERE to learn more about the origins of this project.)

http://Echous.net

https://echous.bandcamp.com/