High expectations are sometimes unfair.  Sometimes, the overwhelming positive sense of what's about to happen turns out to dull the actual moment when it arrives.  It's human nature, I guess.  Where albums are involved, the expectations get heightened because of the sometimes lengthy time that sits between each album release.  Maybe that explanation is a good part of the reason for my less than excellent review of this much anticipated fourth release from Blackfield.  

It's been just two and a half years since the most excellent 'Welcome to My DNA' album.  This was my number 1 album of 2011.  It was a groundbreaking breakthrough for Aviv Geffen; his coming out party.  I had somewhat low expectations for that release at the time because I knew beforehand that Steven Wilson was stepping back a bit and letting Aviv step out front.  The songs were Aviv's, the vocals were mostly Aviv's, and now, over two years later, it still stands as one of my "go to" albums.  

Things started out great when we heard 'Piills' in February of this year, as an advance of this record.  It's a song that recalls everything great about Blackfield - melancholy, dark, melodic, brooding, emotional...fantastic.  I was excited about what was to come.....

'Jupiter' was released next and, again, all the trademark Blackfield sounds.  Terrific orchestration, poignant lyrics and the voice of Steven Wilson up front.  Two for two!!!!!

Then the CD arrived.  I had ordered the CD with an autographed booklet, which was amazing, as it came with no extra cost involved.  Aviv signed the booklet and it was included with a shrink wrapped CD which contained it's own booklet....so I have two.  Nice.  I can safe-keep the autograph. Good stuff!

I've listened to the album over 25 times.  Unfortunately, my opinion now is the same as it was after five listens.  These are not bad song ideas.  The problem is just that.  They are song ideas.  It's as if we all went to meet Aviv in the studio as he was creating the new Blackfield album and he played us all these great song bits.  Our reaction would be, "wow these are amazing!  Can't wait to hear the finished product!"  

Well, this is the finished product and it just leaves us wanting.  The songs never really get going and, when they do at times, they end far too quickly.  Some of them are so frustrating to listen to, that I skip past them now.  It's a painful act, as these could have been great had they been fully realized.  I do like the use of additional vocalists as Vincent Cavanagh, Brett Anderson, and Jonathan Donahue shine on their tracks.  

'Springtime' follows 'Pills', as track two.  Great harmonies and trademark Blackfield sounds are here as well.  It's a good second track and one of the more positive Blackfield lyrics ever.  The song is over at just over two minutes.  However, I let this one pass as it's simple nature fits well with the running time.

Cavanagh's performance on 'X-Ray' is especially amazing.  It's a simple song that is made great because of the vocal.

'Sense of Insanity' may be the most mainstream Blackfield has ever been.  With the Geffen / Wilson vocals in full force and a singalong bit at the end, this is a song U2 could have brought to #1 on American radio.

'Firefly' is a fantastic idea with Brett Anderson at the mic.  The orchestration closing part is quite excellent, but at two minutes and 44 seconds, it's one of the longest songs on the record.  The song has no time to breathe...there's no completion of the circle here, if that makes any sense.

Jonathan Donahue takes his turn at the Beatles' inspired 'The Only Fool is Me' and, although the performance is top notch...it ends before one can really appreciate it.  It's under two minutes!  Where's the rest of it?  Look, I am not against short pop songs - I am a Beatles fanatic - but these songs are not 'Love Me Do'.  They are crafted melancholy songs, with beginnings - middles - and ends.  These feel truncated.

Following the aforementioned, and excellent 'Jupiter', Aviv is back out front for possibly the most disappointing piece of the album.  'Kissed By the Devil' has such amazing potential.  It's got a retro-sixties vibe and an amazing vocal...and begins to fade out at just over the two minute and 25 second mark.  WHA??!!  I feel empty when I hear it.  I have to skip it because it leaves me completely cold.  It's the same feeling I got when I lost hot water in the shower right after I shampooed my hair.  You just want to yell at someone to turn the hot water back on.  Where's the rest of the song???

The next two tracks are just incomplete ideas that never reach enough momentum.  'Lost Souls' is a repetitive rocker that actually reaches three minutes.  'Faking' has some potential and a nice structure but is missing something.  I don't know quite what it is, but it's something that was clearly present on all other Blackfield albums.

The closing track, 'After the Rain' is the most frustrating track that Blackfield has ever recorded.  It's BRILLIANT.  Yes, brilliant.  I can feel the emotion through every second of the track.  All 86 seconds of it.  What happened to the rest of it??  Had Aviv built this idea into a complete song, I can't imagine how amazing it could have been.  But, alas, it was not to be.

And then it's over.  31 minutes.  It's possibly the shortest, non-EP that I own.  That would be OK, had it been advertised as such.  Maybe released as a bonus disc or special add-on to a future full length record.  Then we could appreciate it to what it was meant to be.

These song ideas could only come from the mind of Aviv Geffen.  He's a pop maestro, a developing genius and artists like him don't grow on trees.  The problem is that the songs are incomplete on Blackfield IV.  Aviv has the highest grade ingredients to cook up a masterpiece but the main course needed to marinate more and, as a result, the taste is not as bold as it should be.

 

The first annual Yestival was held yesterday, August 3 2013, in Camden, NJ - just 20 minutes from the Basement!  Chard from Prognosis and I made the short drive and enjoyed nine hours of fantastic prog which culminated in a fantastic set from headliners and hosts, Yes.

Chard and I had purchased the tickets shortly after the addition of Sound of Contact to the bill.  Their debut, Dimensionaut, has been one of the great surprises of 2013 and this was to be one of their first American appearances.  Unfortunately, just two days before the show, word came down that SOC would not be able to perform due to visa issues.  It was depressing trying to digest this but the lineup was still strong and, after a few one-liners aimed at the Prog gods, I snapped to my senses and got excited again for the show.

The weather could not be more perfect for an amphitheater show.  It was breezy and comfortable for the entire day, making walking around the exhibits and vendors easy.  The folks from Cruise to the Edge took some time to talk us out of the competition.  Progressive Nation at Sea just announced a February cruise with an amazing lineup that is, no doubt, causing a lot of Proggers some painful decision making time.

After checking out the exhibits, it was time for the music...

Scale the Summit was up first.  They've just released their fourth record, The Migration, and played to an unfortunately sparse crowd.  I spent most of their set focused on the amazing guitar work of Chris Letchford who, along with Travis Levrier, form one of the most amazing prog metal guitar duos that I've ever seen.  Letchford was especially amazing, putting on a guitar clinic on his 7-string (or was it an 8 string? ).  The band was tight and fantastic.  A fantastic start to the show' even though most of the concertgoers had not yet arrived to enjoy them.

California based prog fusion band Volto! followed with another instrumental set that features Tool drummer Danny Carey front and center.  He blew me away and I give him the honor of "Drummer of the Festival".  I am not all that familiar with his work in Tool.  Their music never appealed to me.  However, now that I've seen Carey play the drums and have done some reading up on him, I feel the need to give his main band another chance.  Guitarist John Z was also impressive as the band played through a unique set of jazz/prog/blues fusion that sounded like nothing else on the bill.  Technical and kinetic, they fit in very well.  They've just released their debut album, Incitare.  Good stuff!

Next up was the legendary Carl Palmer and his ELP Legacy.  I am familiar with Palmer's work in ELP, but have never seen him live.  Having been a fan of Asia since their debut in 1982, I've come to appreciate Palmer as a player but never, ever, EVER thought he could bring it like this.  Wow.  At age 63, he moves and grooves behind that kit like he's half his age.  He brought two players with him and both guitar and bass were terrific - but it was clearly Carl's show and he brought the goods.  Their rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition was brilliantly presented.  Knife-Edge (from the ELP debut) and Fanfare For the Common Man were excellent as well.  Palmer made himself available for autographs afterwards, which was a nice gesture.

Renaissance was next.  Annie Haslam has been singing with them for over 40 years.  That's almost as old as me!  Singing is what we needed here as Annie's first words were the first words we've heard sung yet!  I've been trying to find a word or two that I could use to describe Annie's voice in this review and the only word I can think of is majestic.  Renaissance suffered an enormous loss just 10 months ago with the sudden death of their "guiding light", as Annie puts it, Michael Dunford.  Dunford and Haslem had fronted Renaissance together since 1971.  Annie decided to push the band forward and continue recording and touring and the proggers at Yestival are certainly happy for that.  They had a rather short set but shined as Annie's voice mesmerized the crowd.  Mother Russia was a highlight and the band played two new tracks from the recently released Grandine il Vento.  Both new tracks were quite beautiful and I think this symphonic hour of the show was the most eye-opening for me.  I've ordered the new record already and hope to see them again, as Annie has made Bucks County, PA her home.

I had a slight idea what to expect as The Musical Box took the stage next.  This Genesis tribute band has been so closely resembling the real thing, that even Phil Collins himself has said that The Musical Box plays the music better than Genesis did.  For this show, the band concentrated on material from the second Genesis album, Foxtrot.  Songs like Watcher of the Skies and Get 'Em Out by Friday were presented with perfection.  I was fortunate to be siting next to a man who has been a Genesis fan forever and I could hear him constantly comment on how perfect the recreation was - down to Peter Gabriel's costume changes.  It felt like 1975 to him.  It must've been good!  The band closed with The Return of the Giant Hogweed and the venue, now clearly sold out and with night having flowed in, prepared for our headliiners, Yes.

Shortly before Yes took the stage, I noticed on my Twitter feed that someone had mentioned a THREE album show, rather than the two albums (Close to the Edge and The Yes Album) that the band were supposed to be performing.  I figured that was possible with the removal of Sound of Contact from the lineup.  Sure enough, it was confirmed that the band would add Going For the One as a third album for the show!  A nice gesture by the band to fill the time slot vacated by SOC.

Yes took the stage and, for nearly three hours, took us on a tour of progressive rock in the 1970's.  They started with Close to the Edge.  As soon as Jon Davison sang the first note, I knew it was going to be a special night.  What a talent!  I mentioned to Chard, close your eyes and it could be Jon Anderson you were hearing.  He was spot on all night long.  And You and I was the highlight of the first third of the show.  Next was Going For the One in it's entirety.  The title track was a vocal test for the young Davison and he pulled it off without a hitch.  Wonderous Stories and the epic Awaken were terrific as the band brought us to the zenith of the night - The Yes Album.

Only two of this lineup of Yes played on the original recording of this classic album - Chris Squire and Steve Howe.  I quickly realized that as long as Steve Howe is in Yes - there will ALWAYS be a Yes.  Howe was undeniably the show stopper of the entire festival for me.  Brilliant as he moved from guitar to guitar with ease.  His playing was at times beautifully soothing and melodic and at times heavy and furious.  Nearing 70, he's at the top of his game now, and there are no signs of that changing any time soon.  Clap was amazing and his playing on Starship Trooper was captivating and divine.  Quite simply, Howe is the godfather of prog guitar and I am happy and fulfilled that I now get to say I've seen him perform this material.  The band left the stage briefly after the closing notes of Perpetual Change but came out for a rousing encore of Roundabout that closed with thousands of orange and green balloons dropping from the rafters.  It was quite a sight that I captured on video and you can see at my Facebook page.

It was a little past midnight when the lights came up and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a most amazing day of prog.  The only thing I would change for future Yestivals is the addition of another headline-level act on the bill.  I feel the show could have used one more home run.  Especially here in Philly, where great prog bands like echolyn, Shadow Circus and Pinnacle call their home.  Just a small complaint, but not a big enough one to mention more than once.

Thank you Yes and thank you for hosting this Prog extravaganza here in our town!  

PROG FOREVER!!!!  \m/