The Fixx - Live at Busch Gardens Williamsburg 07/31/10

While The Fixx might not be a progressive rock band, I like them. Besides, it's my blog. ;^) Also, I realize that it's been a week since the concert. Life happens. Now that the unpleasantries are out of the way, let's move forward . . . .


I've liked this band since my high school days in the mid-to-late 80's. However, I was but a lurker (casual listener) until much later. I first saw them perform live in 2001 when they toured with Asia, Berlin and The Outfield. Despite a derivative form of Asia putting on a good show, The Fixx was the highlight. Their performance was quite energetic; even theatrical at some points. Simple Minds might be slightly more energetic and have better stage presence live, but The Fixx still holds their own quite well.


Fast forwarding to July 31, 2010 . . . . The "lawn seating" amphitheater was a great setting for the band. It was early evening, the temperature was moderate, and the skies were relatively clear. While the stage wasn't high-tech with lasers, a giant screen in the background, etc., it didn't take away from the performance. I liked watching Dan play his bass. He's always had such a particular stance. Plus, it almost looked as if he was using a tapping technique at times. He might not look like a really cool rock star these days, but his fingers can move on that bass! I could tell that both he and Jamie were really into the moment. They were enjoying themselves on stage.


Rupert was a distraction at times. He would occasionally be fiddling with that thing that looks like a box to his right. Going back and looking at the photos, I later realized it was a laptop. He was likely selecting various presets for the keyboards. While Rupert is not known as a legendary keyboard player, he does well adding texture and atmosphere to the performance. To some degree, he does for The Fixx what Nick Rhodes does for Duran Duran.


Cy's vocals are better than ever. His voice has matured well over the years. The 1011 Woodland reworks of many of The Fixx's classics proves this point quite well. It's largely acoustic and really showcases Cy's vocals. It was a 90's release and, as many know, acoustic performances were really big then. At times during the performance at Busch Gardens, Cy sounded a lot like Jim Kerr (of Simple Minds). Other times, he reminded me more of Michael Sadler (of Saga). He would go from soft and introspective to bold and incisive. At times, he got quite animated and theatrical.


From a distance, Adam looked like a kid! Perhaps it's his small stature compared to the other guys and the way he dressed. Or maybe it's just that he and Cy are the youngest guys in the band. While there is more than a handful of better drummers out there, he plays his part well. That said, The Fixx is really greater than the sum of their parts anyway. Together, they make joyful noise. And to top it all off, Cy writes great lyrics.

It was a pleasure to see The Fixx again; especially as the sole act. They played for roughly 90 minutes; about double the time they had when touring with the other bands in 2001. I am looking forward to their new album, Something Ahead of You.

Here are a couple more shots of the band as well as a shot of their set before they performed.

Adam, Dan and Jamie:


Full band shot:


Their set:

Endeavour - All Songs From 1995 Are Now Available

SoundClick has now fixed the error that occurred when clicking on some of my songs in their player. You should not have any problems once you clear your browser cache.

All 9 of the songs that I recorded in 1995 are now available in the sidebar. I added the following tracks to the playlist:

1) Improv 2 - Keep It Simple

This song has an improvised intro that leads into a simple chord progression that is played more aggressively with each iteration. Hence, the title. Needless to say, this is the least improvised of the 3 acoustic improvs.

2) Going Away

I composed this song in memory of my Grandfather who died in 1993. It contains some set chords and melodies with improvisations intertwined between them. I used the same melody to build the Going Away Reprise improv.

3) Journey of the Decaffeinated Turtle

This song was originally called Journey of the Decapitated Turtle. I later decided to make it more humorous. It's a slow paced song with a prehistoric feel to it. It's a long song, but there are interesting bits upon careful listening.

4) Synthprov - Lament Over Lost Time

This synthprov was done in one take with no preconceived ideas. The use of string sounds gives it a majestic feel. I think it's the most fluid of my improvs as much of it really doesn't sound improvised. Close your eyes and let it flow through you.

5) Chinatown Jam - electric

This electric version of the song does not include the "Taxi to Chinatown" intro found in the acoustic version. This is a more lively version that uses a heavily overdriven organ sound coupled with a sawtooth pad.

I encourage everyone to please take a moment to visit My SoundClick Page to read more about Endeavour, leave comments and/or rate the songs, and sign up if you compose music and don't have an ISP who supports streaming audio. You might even discover other talented musicians.

Is it Genesis Rewired? Is it Garden Wall? No! It's The Watch!!

I first introduced The Watch early in the year when I "accidentally" discovered them. I more recently promoted their upcoming US tour hoping to start a "grass roots", word-of-mouth publicity campaign. Now, I'd like to take it to the next level by offering you a chance to hear this incredible band.

Before you scroll to the goodies below, I'd like to say that, aside from a few supergroups formed in the 80's and 90's, I think The Watch is the best new prog rock band since the punk revolt in the late 70's. Unlike neo-prog outfits such as Dream Theater and Magellan, The Watch is more faithful to and influenced by the original progressive rock movement brought on by bands such as King Crimson and Peter Gabriel era Genesis. Also, unlike many neo-prog bands, The Watch has a sense of style. They don't get flashy just because they can like Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. Sorry Jordan. It's not how fast you play, but how well you play fast. Keith Emerson can attest to that. Even Keith would go flipping mad on the keyboards sometimes back in the day, but he also knew when to show restraint. Such is the case with The Watch.

Check them out as the perform Damage Mode from their album Vacuum. . .



Here they are performing the classic Genesis song Return of the Giant Hogweed . . .



Phenomenal, yes? Here's another original composition from the Ghost album called DNAlien. . .



Here they are performing one of my favorites among "the short" songs that appear on the Genesis album Foxtrot. This one is called Can Utility and The Coastliners. A song based on the legend of King Canute . . . .



I hope that these songs whet the appetites of fellow US prog rock fans. I'd like to see The Watch have enough success in The States to keep touring here for years to come. If you like what you've heard, please pass the word!

Is the Current Yes Really Yes? A Yes-East and Yes-West Fan's Perspective

As many Yes fans know, the last tour date featuring Jon Anderson was September 22, 2004. It was the close of the 35th Anniversary tour. They were supposed to tour again in 2008, but Jon took ill and the tour was cancelled. After giving Jon more than the doctor recommended 6 months to recover, the gang decided to tour without him in November 2008. At some point, Chris Squire had gone to Canada to see the Yes cover band named Close To The Edge. Apparently, Chris was impressed with their vocalist, Benoit David as he asked Benoit to fill in for Jon during this late 2008/2009 tour. This "new" band called themselves "In The Present", but they were often billed simply as Yes. This line-up also includes Oliver Wakeman filling in for his father who was advised by his doctors not to tour.

As the title describes, I am a fan of both Yes-East (Wakeman/Howe) and Yes-West (Kaye/Rabin). I also very much like the Drama album which features Trevor Horn (vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards). Both of the people only appeared in the band for this one album and tour. Horn's vocals were great on the album, but he less than sparkled when attempting to sing classic Yes tunes live. Hence, the quickly issued pink slip as vocalist of Yes. Horn's a great producer though. After an unofficial breakup, Chris formed the short-lived band Cinema featuring Tony Kaye, Alan White, and Trevor Rabin. Mr. Rabin was to fill in for Jon this time and, as fans know, play guitar. Later, Jon joined the project and they recorded and toured as Yes. Yes-West was born.

Since Yes has a long "revolving door" history that started long before the formation of Yes-West, why do I have a problem considering "In The Present" Yes? Well, my issue is not with Oliver. He's a great keyboard player like his father. Benoit David is another story. I've listened to several live performances "In The Present" has done from 2008 to present. While Benoit sounds a lot like Jon, his stage presence and overall vocal performance leave much to be desired. Sure, he can hit most of the notes, but the feeling isn't there. He's just going through the motions. He tries to make it real by immitating Jon-isms, but that serves more as a negative than a positive. He's good, but not great. Yes needs great.

"Yes" had the right idea when they recently toured with Asia. I think it would have been much better had both Steve Howe and John Wetton performed during both sets. Yes, Mr. Wetton's vocals have a timbre much different than Jon's, but he always sings with such sincerity. Plus, I can actually imagine hearing Wetton sing some of the classic Yes tunes. It would give him a chance to rest his fingers and focus on vocals. John Wetton was outstanding when he sang lead for classic Genesis tunes when touring with Steve Hackett. Sure, hearing Yes songs sung in a lower register would be strange, but I'd bet Wetton would give a much more powerful and soulful performance than Benoit David. Sorry Benoit. You and Oliver might be official members of Yes now, but I'm hoping that Chris, Steve and Alan either find someone better or coax Jon to come back before Yes records another album; assuming that's going to happen.

On a slightly different note, I'll be attending the Asia performance in Raleigh, NC next month. They too have a "revolving door" history. In fact, I saw them in 2001 when the lineup was Geoff Downes, John Payne, Chris Slade, and Guthrie Govan. I like some of the songs that this version of Asia wrote together. Also, I can say John Payne was quite friendly when I spoke to him back stage after the show. While Payne is quite good, the band really should have used a different name. Also, I do much prefer the original line-up when it comes to live performances of classic Asia tunes. Even now, the original Asia sounds awesome live! The John Payne era had its moments. I think Arena was the best album from that era.

I don't always have an issue when a band uses a new vocalist. I liked Rabin's lead vocals during his tenure with Yes. I like most vocalists that King Crimson has ever had. Of those, Greg Lake, John Wetton, and Adrian Belew are my favorites. Journey was still great when Steve Augeri replaced Steve Perry. I saw Journey with Augeri in 1998. Great concert. Saga also found a great vocalist to replace Michael Sadler. It was a shame to see Michael go after 30+ years, but he made a decision to spend time with his family and I respect that. I could go on, but you get the picture. So, for me, the current Yes is not Yes. I can see the guys wanting to keep playing live to both keep fans from losing interest altogether and keep their playing in top form. However, I am hoping beyond hope that they either find someone better than Benoit or coax Jon back before they start composing/recording new material.

Ladies and Gentle, I'd like to welcome you all to see . . . The Watch!!

Please give this amazing prog rock band a warm welcome to the US! With 3 confirmed dates and venues, 1 pending performance in or near Washington DC (venue TBD), and 2 more planned performances (cities and venues TBD), this will be The Watch's most extensive tour of the US. They've come here twice before. They performed in Lowell, MA and Albany, NY in 2007 and in Phoenixville, PA in 2006. This Italian prog rock band brings forth a familiar sound to put prog-heads in their comfort zone while carving out a style of their own with the release of their 5 studio albums, including the early album released as The Night Watch called Twilight. They also released a live album in 2008.

I'd like to invite you to visit their web site where you can become a member of their community, download videos, hear unpublished tracks, and see their US tour dates. In addition to their own material, The Watch will be performing the Genesis album, Foxtrot, in its entirety! Let me tell you that these guys are way beyond a mere tribute or cover band! They capture the very essence of Gabriel era Genesis! Their performance goes far beyond those of most tribute bands who might play the songs with technical precision. They bring the songs to life in much the same way Genesis did back in the 70's!

Those somewhat familiar with The Watch might have noted that Simone Rossetti's voice sounds similar to 70's Peter Gabriel. Yes, they are similar in timbre. However, I think that Simone has a better vocal range and, thus, can sing the early Genesis material without putting so much stress on his vocal cords as Peter did. So, in my opinion, he sings these songs better than Peter did. Before you flame me, I'm a huge Peter Gabriel fan. I love that era of Genesis and most of Peter's solo material too. He's a phenomenal musician and composer. What I am trying to say is, consider Simone Rossetti as Peter Gabriel "remastered". As you know, remastered albums often sound better than the originals thanks, in large part, to the quality of the original master tapes and the wonders of modern recording.

As I bring this post to a close, please support this amazing band by attending their performances here in the US and buying their albums. I recommend buying their latest album, Planet Earth?, from The Artist Shop as it is actually cheaper their than at Amazon. Also, Gary Davis, the store owner, is a really nice guy. If you don't like the online order form, just send him an e-mail at artshop@artist-shop.com listing the "artist / album" that you want. He accepts payments via PayPal.

New Releases and Albums "In the Works"

There are a few new releases for which I only just recently discovered. First, there's Steve Hackett's Out of the Tunnel's Mouth. Watch a video of Fire on the Moon from that album on YouTube. On a related note, Kim Poor recently launched a blog. It was interesting to find out that Kim was Steve's wife. I knew they had been friends for a long time, but never knew they were married.

Peter Gabriel has released an album called Scratch My Back. It's a covers album in which Peter rearranged a number of popular songs, some new and some old, for orchestra. The album features the voice of Peter and an orchestra. No drums. No guitar. While it is not new material, I think it's worth checking out. The plan is to ultimately have the bands whose songs he covered return the favor with an album called "I'll Scratch Yours".

Although there's no release date yet, Duran Duran has been working on a new album with Mark Ronson. This is quite interesting to me because I've heard some of Mark Ronson's music and was impressed. With Mark's influence, I think the album might sound a little bit like Notorious. It's been roughly 25 years since that album was released and the band has grown a lot since then. So, don't count on it being too reminiscent. I'm just saying that some horn players might be involved.

Next up is a band for which many out there might not be familiar. I referring to the Italian prog rock band called The Watch. They are heavily influenced by 70's prog rock; Peter Gabriel era Genesis in particular. Their 4th studio album, Planet Earth? is slated to be released on February 20. They don't have much of a fan base in the States yet. So, let's show some support for this new talent. From what little I've heard of them thus far, they're a great band. I only just read about this band a few days ago and thought I would share the knowledge.