Prog Rock

Roye Albrighton Interview: 40 Years of Nektar and Just Getting Started

Posted March 30, 2011 at 7:57 am | No comments

After finding international success in the 1970s, Progressive-Psychedelic rock band Nektar found themselves going their separate ways, and not releasing an album after 1980s Man in the Moon. The next two decades found Nektar’s band members doing solo project and pursuing other endeavors as the band moved further away from their heydays of the ‘70s. While many other bands would have simply moved on and called it quits after such a long time apart, in 2002 Nektar reunited and have been recording and touring together ever since.

Posted in: Interviews, Prog Rock, Prog-Rock Interviews

Michael Dolce Lesson: Soloing Over a One-Chord Vamp

Michael Dolce Lesson: Soloing Over a One-Chord Vamp

Posted January 18, 2011 at 8:11 pm | 2 comments

Australian guitarist Michael Dolce is a player to keep your eyes and hears tuned to in the coming months and years. Already turning heads across the internet with his unique approach to modern fusion guitar playing, Dolce really turned up the heat on his latest record Everything ‘Till Now. His playing is a mixture of jazz and rock, fused together in a way that is entertaining for the non-guitarist, and mind-blowing for the players in the audience.

Posted in: Guitar Lessons, Prog Rock, Rock Guitar Lessons

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops Review

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops Review

Posted December 30, 2010 at 2:40 pm | One comment

I have to throw the disclaimer in right away. Although I’ve heard various Frank Zappa tunes over the years, of which only a few I would be able to recall the title of or hum a melody or line to, I’ve never seen any live footage of Frank Zappa before watching Eagle Vision’s release of The Torture Never Stops, and wow, what an interesting individual and institution Zappa was and is.

Posted in: DVD Reviews, Prog Rock, Reviews

Kerry Livgren: Kansas, Guitars and Proto-Kaw

Kerry Livgren: Kansas, Guitars and Proto-Kaw

Posted December 24, 2010 at 10:00 am | 2 comments

Kerry Livgren was a founding member, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist for ’70s classic rockers Kansas. Though the band is easily put into the “classic” category today, primarily because of the adored hits they turned out back in the day, like “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust In The Wind,”

Posted in: Interviews, Prog Rock, Prog-Rock Interviews

Warren Haynes Interview: Talking Gibson Guitars

Warren Haynes Interview: Talking Gibson Guitars

Posted November 23, 2010 at 1:00 pm | 2 comments

Warren Haynes talks about the Allman Brothers, Gibson Guitars and Gov’t Mule.

Posted in: Guitar Hero Interviews, Interviews, Prog Rock, Rock Interviews

Adrian Belew Interview: Painting, School of Rock and Parker Guitars

Adrian Belew Interview: Painting, School of Rock and Parker Guitars

Posted November 18, 2010 at 1:00 pm | One comment

The career of guitar visionary Adrian Belew has been an inventive musical odyssey. He has mastered the ability to journey into the avant garde while anchoring his compositions to the fundamental driving forces of pop and rock, often playing along the outer edges of contemporary music in ways that have been punky, new wave, comedic, bizarre, and twisted.

Posted in: Interviews, Prog Rock, Prog-Rock Interviews

VH1 Classic Albums: Rush 2112 and Moving Pictures DVD Review

VH1 Classic Albums: Rush 2112 and Moving Pictures DVD Review

Posted November 8, 2010 at 11:00 am | One comment

Of all the rock bands out there, few deserve to be given the VH1 Classic Albums treatment more than Rush, with their 24 Gold and 14 Platinum records, universally acknowledged instrumental brilliance, and thousands of devoted fans worldwide. The fact that they are finally attaining this kind of popular recognition is surprising to many Rush fans, who for years have seen their idols panned by critics and ignored by the radio.

Posted in: Prog Rock, Prog Rock Reviews, Reviews

Alex Lifeson Interview: Rush’s Axeman Looks Back and Moves Forward

Alex Lifeson Interview: Rush’s Axeman Looks Back and Moves Forward

Posted July 2, 2010 at 7:44 am | 15 comments

Over the course of its forty-year history, Rush has emerged from it’s beginnings as a rock band to becoming an institution of rock culture. They’re one of the few bands that have not only survived for over four decades, but have done so with the same line-up of band members. That feat is a true anomaly in the turbulent and ego-driven world of rock music. With over thirty-million records sold worldwide, award-winning videos and legions of hardcore fans, perhaps the most impressive thing about the band’s career is the manner in which they have navigated their own course. While other bands worried about mainstream success, Rush focused on mastering their instruments and musicality to make the best records possible.

Posted in: Guitar Hero Interviews, Interviews, Prog Rock, Prog-Rock Interviews, Rock Interviews

New World Man: A Tribute to Rush

New World Man: A Tribute to Rush

Posted June 28, 2010 at 2:22 pm | One comment

Having recently had a chance to preview the new documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, I was looking forward to checking out the latest compilation record from Magna Carta Records, New World Man.

Posted in: Prog Rock, Reviews, Rock Reviews

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage Review

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage Review

Posted June 16, 2010 at 5:19 pm | 2 comments

On June 10, 2010, I attended a one-night-only theater showing of the new film/dvd documentary Rush – Beyond The Lighted Stage.

Posted in: DVD Reviews, Prog Rock, Reviews