Pinocchio was famous for telling porkies†. Porcupine Tree is well known in prog rock circles for marrying pop melodies with metal-tinged prog rock in an ever-evolving mix of styles. Their man on the drum stool is, arguably, the greatest drummer in the business - Gavin Harrison won the best progressive drummer poll in Modern Drummer…Read more Cheating the Polygraph
fusion
Danger Money
Out of curiosity I looked up the most dangerous occupations in the UK. There are several lists based on fatality statistics. They vary considerably but most include some or all of the following professions: Seafarers, especially fishermenConstruction workersFarmers and other agricultural workersLorry drivers Some of the most dangerous jobs don't employ that many people: oil…Read more Danger Money
The Rite of Strings
When we talk about a string trio we usually mean violin, viola and cello: acoustic instruments playing chamber music in a broadly classical style. But substitute a guitar for the viola and a double bass for the cello and you get a stringy creature with a rather different complexion. Then, if you electrify the violin…Read more The Rite of Strings
Vimana
It seems to me that progressive rock and its close cousin, jazz-rock fusion, have undergone a welcome renaissance over the past two decades or so. Or is it just that modern technology has made it so much easier to find art that rises above the bland, the mediocre and the ugly? It's hard to be…Read more Vimana
Life Goes On
Musicians may die but their music lives on. Pekka Pohjola was a Finnish multi-instrumentalist and composer born in the same month as the Crotchety Man blogger. He studied piano and violin at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and, in 1970, joined the progressive rock band, Wigwam on bass. He left to embark on a solo career…Read more Life Goes On
Soften the Glare
A Couple of Unrelated Things Before We Start ... Robert Fripp posted a very moving tribute to Bill Rieflin on his Facebook page this week. Bill was a drummer and keyboard player who became part of the wider King Crimson family. He succumbed to cancer on Tuesday. Burning Shed is offering a free download of…Read more Soften the Glare
Some Things Must Last
The Crotchety A.I. Engine™ is not quite sure what to make of the phrase "some things must last". Clearly, some things do last longer than others. Even in this modern age of fleeting sound bites and disposable goods the mother-in-law's visit drags on much longer than any son-in-law can be expected to endure. Diamonds, of…Read more Some Things Must Last
Duel of the Jester & the Tyrant
It was tempting to put photos of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn at the top of this post but I couldn't decide which of them was the jester and which the tyrant. So, after the disaster of last Thursday's General Election in the UK, Crotchety Man is withdrawing from politics until such time as the…Read more Duel of the Jester & the Tyrant
The Sad Story of Lead and Astatine
Lead is the stable end-product of three major nuclear decay chains. In fact, it has the highest atomic number (82) of all the non-radioactive elements. Astatine, on the other hand, is so unstable that it is the rarest naturally-occurring element in the Earth's crust. Its nucleus is so fragile that only microscopic quantities of the…Read more The Sad Story of Lead and Astatine
Flow
By definition, fluids flow. Steam rises from a boiling kettle, spring water spontaneously cascades down the mountainside. And when you hear a particularly fluid jazz lick you can be sure the band has achieved that indefinable quality of musical 'flow'. It's what all musicians strive for, when the notes spill out without bidding, floating in…Read more Flow
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