Rush's "comeback" album, Vapor Trails, was released on this day in 2002. After Neil Peart lost his daughter and wife in quick succession in 1997-98, we fans were left to wonder if the band was over. But they roared back with a vengeance on this album.
This is "Earthshine" from their summer '02 tour stop in Milwaukee, a show I was at.
IQ went heavy on their 10th album, The Road of Bones, which came out this day in 2014. It also saw the returns of bassist Tim Esau and drummer Paul Cook.
Even several years and another similarly styled album, Resistance, later, I am still getting used to the heavier sound with those slashing guitar riffs. I really do like this album and think Cook is just full on great throughout plus Neil Durant does not use a light touch on the Mellotron sounds which gets my proggy juices flowing. But I do miss Mike Holmes' more melodic guitar touches, those airy sustained notes.
Well, it just means I need to do more listening.
Here's "From the Outside In" in all its chugging glory.
Fellini Days by Fish came out today in 2001. It was a return to form, so to speak, in that it was a divorce/end of relationship album. Going to back to his early Marillion roots.
This is usually my favorite song from it, "Tiki 4". A smoky, easy-going vibe.
Rush's penultimate album, Snakes & Arrows, turns 17 today. I love this album. Two instrumentals! A fair amount of acoustic guitar, great riffs, some very moving lyrics. It has a wonderful energy to it.
To celebrate, here's "The Larger Bowl" live from Milwaukee on 6 September 2007.
Thanks to Mad City Music for the new tunes. And thanks to Chicago's Tomeka Reid for making the great tunes. I hope you can visit our fair burg again soon and play "Old New" and "17 West".
Union by Yes turns 33 today. To be sure, the album is a mediocre mix of the Squire/Rabin version of Yes and Anderson Wakeman Bruford Howe but it had a few very fine songs on it. Both camps united for a tour.
This is "Shock to the System" recorded at their tour stop at Alpine Valley here in Wisconsin on 26 July 1991.
I found a live version of "Feast of the Green Corn" by Sacred Harp, a.k.a. - Daniel Bachman. I simply adore this song. Love his vocalizing here. It adds a very ethereal touch.
Sacred Harp - Feast of the Green Corn - Salem, Oregon from Paul Murray on Vimeo.
If your hardwood floors discolor due to Goo Gone, hit the spots with a hair dryer.
The polka became the official dance of Wisconsin 30 years ago this month. This article notes that the push to make it the state dance "started as a class project by local educator Violet Bergum and her second-grade class at Lindbergh Elementary School in Madison. The class approached a state senator, who drafted the bill."
That was news to me. I was under the impression that Wisconsin folklorist Prof. Jim Leary was the impetus for it. Still, he did testify before the state Legislature in favor of it. You learn something new everyday.
It is nice to see Bruce Triggs celebrating the anniversary on his radio show, Accordion Noir, this week. Check it out here.
Nick's Restaurant on State Street is closing next month so I went in for perhaps my final meal earlier this week. A local news crew paid a visit as I was eating and I ended up on TV, albeit in a supporting role way in the back.
I picked up my latest CD today:
I attended this performance by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, "Harmony in Black", last October. Neat to have this recording of some wonderful music by Patrice Rushen and Dr. Bill Banfield.
I've been slowly expanding my Pearl Jam horizons lately, which is a bit odd since they're a quintessential 90's band and you'd think a Gen Xer like me would have been into them since 1992 or so.
However, I've loved this song for years. Maybe since 1996. Simply beautiful. I absolutely adore the part after "Just a little time before we leave"! That bass line, the harmony vocals - just sublime.
I hoofed it around town a bit yesterday.
Madison is by no means a big city but it has gotten bigger. Lots of human-scale buildings have been replaced downtown with ones that dwarf pedestrians. Not quite concrete canyons, perhaps, but downtown has a very different feel than it did when I moved here.
Parking ramps and lots have also been replaced.
Goodbye, Silver Dollar. I will always remember that guy who, when the Packers played the Chiefs, would yell "Kansas City cheats!" when things did not go our way.
I was glad to see that something is going to open in the former BarleyPop Live/The Frequency space.
The Madison Municipal Building was giving off some end of Twin Peaks season 3 vibes last night. I was going to scream but ran into someone I knew and talked movies instead.
