TEE "The Earth Explorer"

TEE is a five piece flute front progressive rock band from Tokyo, Japan. Their so-called 'European' sound is unique considering their far-east origin. The imaginative tunes with complex ensembles and rhythms will definitely catch the attention of prog lovers all over the world. Their sound will remind you bands like Camel, King Crimson, Asia Minor or even Frank Zappa on some parts. The band was formed in 2004 when... more

Kevin BARTLETT

You may not know his name but you have definitely heard his music more than once or twice in your life. Maybe on HBO, or on MTV, or on VH1, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel. Doesn't ring the bell? How about American Idol Rewind, or Dr. 90210? We had interviewed Kevin Bartlett a couple of years ago when his second solo album GLOW IN THE DARK was released. Bartlett has been quiet since that time but but he has been secretly brewing new projects. A few months ago he had put a new song...more

Peter Hammill, founding member of Van Der Graaf Generator, released his 28th solo album " nearly 3 months ago. He recently got back home from a short tour covering North America, Canada and Italy. In the 70's when bands like...more

FRIGHT PIG Barque At The Lune *** REVERSAL OF GRAVITY Scuba Gear ***

Alan Parsons Live Project with the Omaha Symphony

Officially known as the Alan Parsons Live Project, Parsons and current band have done a few dates so far this year. September 21, 2007 was the date they returned from a handful of European gigs to the U.S. The place was Council Bluffs, Iowa at Harrah's Casino Stir Concert Cove. This was a rare performance for the Project as they performed with the Omaha Symphony.

Some might wonder at the idea of reviewing Alan Parsons Project on a progressive site. Although AP is more popularly known for songs such as “Eye In The Sky” and “Don’t Answer Me” which are decidedly commercial songs, most of Parson’s discography is infused with a moody bent, not-always-typical arrangements and occasional instrumentation that more than fairly tip the hat to the progressive label. That having been said, although this reviewer did enjoy the commercial side of this APLP show it was the progressive element that spoke to me the strongest.

The show in Council Bluffs began with the well-known instrumental “Sirius” followed by APP’s most well-known song “Eye In The Sky”. As those who have seen APP live before can surely attest, seeing Parsons’ cleanly recorded songs with that live edge is a complement that is need of a well-documented live dvd (yes, there is 2005’s Alan Parsons Live In Madrid, so check out the official website-link below).

Although I was looking forward to seeing Parsons perform live for the first time, I was relieved to hear that this performance with a symphony wasn’t in any way watered down. This performance was not a collection of symphonic versions or re-workings of APP songs. It was the band playing the tunes and the Omaha Symphony merely lending occasional support.

Industry veteran Alan Parsons surely knows how to assemble a fine rock band to help him realize his music to its full live potential. It is obvious that Parsons has chosen each band member knowing what they can add to his compositions. Parsons’ band included members who have been with him for the last few years:

Stand out performances by individual band members include the spot-on drumming of Steve Murphy. Murphy sang lead on “Breakdown” and a couple of other tunes that night, doing a superb job. Everyone sang at least one lead vocal that night with the exception of keyboardist Manny Focarazzo. A nice treat as it reflected the different singers that Parsons has used over the years on various records and because they can all sing.

Alan Parsons Live Project played most of their popular (and expected) tunes from over the years. Among them were “I Robot” and “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You” to “Games People Play” and “Damned If I Do”. Including a 15 minute break in the middle of the show and the 2 song encore at the end, the show was a nice two and a half hours long.