SCS8 – Yes – Philadelphia PA - July 20, 2018 Celebrating the summer of Yes with this first of two Special Concert Series episodes, Paul, Ken and Joe discuss the Yes 50th Anniversary Tour show at the Fillmore in Philadelphia PA on July 20, 2018. The group is reveling in the bold choice of the band to open with Close to the Edge and as usual are awed by the timeless wonder that is Steve Howe. This concert tour finds the members of Yes up to the task of celebrating the band’s golden jubilee. The sp...
Jul 24, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Episode 44 – Asia Part 5 Aura, Silent Nation & Phoenix Joe continues his solo consideration of the Asia catalog, finishing up the John Payne era with Aura and Silent Nation before moving on to the rebirth of original Asia with Phoenix. Aura, always a Joe favorite, fares well over time and there is much in this album to appreciate. The long list of guest musicians provides depth and interest across the tracks. The songwriting is solid and interesting. And, of course, Aura contains what may be...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 21 min
Episode 43 – Asia Part 4 Aria, Arena & Archiva 1 Joe continues his solo consideration of the Asia catalog, moving deep into the John Payne era with these three albums. Aria sees the new Asia continuing to develop as a band with the addition of Al Pitrelli. Is Desire awesome or terrifying? How much dramatic vocals is too much? Arena leads the band into new, jazz-influenced directions as the guitarist carousel continues. Despite this change in personnel Arena scores high marks from Joe for str...
Jul 20, 2018•59 min
Episode 42 – Asia Part 3 Astra, Then and Now & Aqua In this Palaver for one episode, Joe begins his solo exploration of the bulk of the Asia catalog. Picking up where the original group discussion ended these three albums cover many changes for the band from the departure of Steve Howe on Astra through the extensive use of session musicians on the studio tracks on Then & Now to the formation of essentially a new band on Aqua. The take home lesson learned in this episode is the magical el...
Jul 19, 2018•52 min
Episode 41 – Rush Part 16 Test for Echo, Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows & Clockwork Angels In this episode of the Palaver Tom, Paul and Joe finish out the Rush catalog by doing a quick burn through the last four albums. These four albums span a great deal of real time and the Palaver tries to sort out the greater context both in the Rush lineage and the larger musical landscape. Of particular note is the discussion regarding the two different versions of Vapor Trails. This episode finds the...
Jul 18, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Episode 40 – Rush Part 15, Counterparts In this episode of the Palaver Tom, Ken, Paul and Joe spend some quality time with Counterparts. This album features the return of Peter Collins and with him a recurring theme (real or imagined) of the Queensryche influence. The context of 1993 (with the onset of grunge and the continuing demise of prog) is explored in general terms and how Rush maintained relevancy during this period. First and foremost, in this vein is Ken’s “heavy metal bait and switch”...
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 33 min
Episode 39 – Rush Part 14, Roll the Bones & Rupert Hine Reflections Technical difficulties… They are bound to catch up with most podcasts sooner or later. The Palaver got them good for this section. Due to these technical gremlins we lost the recordings of both our episode on Roll the Bones and the outstanding interview Tom and Joe did with Rupert Hine. This episode attempts to recap both of those recordings that are forever lost. The Palaver would like to send our most sincere thanks and ap...
Jul 16, 2018•46 min
Episode 38 – Rush Part 13, Presto “Hitting if fresh and finding it new” - This Palaver finds Joe, Ken, Colby and Tom considering Rush’s Presto. First and foremost, the group must consider the effect of producer Rupert Hine on this record and the fact that Presto is sonically very different from other Rush albums up to this point. From there the group considers the question “How proggy is Presto” and the nature of “chameleon Rush”. There is a small sidebar conversation on the members’ three favor...
Jul 15, 2018•1 hr 47 min
Episode 37 – Rush Part 12, Hold Your Fire Ken and Joe attempt to tackle the intricate beauty that is Hold Your Fire without the usual support of the larger Palaver community. Ken begins with a outline of traditional Palaver roles in the group before he and Joe go into the greater prog context of Hold Your Fire. The track consideration allows Joe and Ken to go into the songwriting, lyrical themes and production that make Hold Your Fire a hidden gem. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Fa...
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 34 min
Episode 36 – Rush Part 11, Power Windows Pt 2 The discussion of Power Windows continues unabated with Ken, Paul, Joe and Colby. Picking up with Territories, this part of the Palaver covers the power of Neil’s lyrics and the potentials of soundtrack dissonance. What are the Mystic Rhythms and are they really everywhere? At the end of the episode Joe performs his act of contrition to the group for having offended them with an ill-informed statement made all the way back in the episode on Tales fro...
Jun 09, 2018•52 min
Episode 35 – Rush Part 10, Power Windows Pt 1 In this episode of Progressive Palaver Paul, Ken, Tom, Colby and Joe discuss Power Windows. This episode covers the group’s overall impressions of the album as a whole and covers the individual songs into Marathon. How powerful is The Big Money? How prog is Power Windows? As usual there is a wide range of emotions here and Tom has his Rush “factoid” spoiled much to his chagrin. Does the Palaver find the best music moment EVER?? You be the judge. Twit...
Jun 06, 2018•1 hr 8 min
SCS7 – Steven Wilson – Glenside PA Continuing the Special Concert Series, Paul and Joe discuss the Steven Wilson concert Paul attended on April 25th at the Keswick Theater in Glenside PA. Paul provides excellent perspective on the artistry of Steven Wilson including songwriting, musicianship and stage production. This was clearly a concert to have seen. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featu...
May 21, 2018•52 min
Episode 34 – Rush Part 9, Grace Under Pressure Paul, Ken and Joe consider Rush’s groundbreaking Grace Under Pressure. Generally speaking, the Palaver’s opinion of this album is very high. The conversation seeks to place this album in proper context for songwriting, lyrical content and production. The conclusion is that this was a good time for the band and we love it. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-...
May 11, 2018•1 hr 37 min
Special Episode – Hired Gun, Ray Parker Jr. & Fran Strine In this very special episode of Progressive Palaver Tom and Joe chat with Hired Gun director Fran Strine and music legend Ray Parker Jr.! Enjoy going behind the scenes of the award winning Hired Gun documentary and revel in Ray Parker Jr.’s stories about some of the biggest names in music. This episode is unlike any Palaver you’ve ever heard! Hired Gun http://www.hiredgunthefilm.com/ Twitter: @Hiredgunfilm Ray Parker Jr. http://www.ra...
May 08, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Episode 33 – Rush Part 8, Signals Paul, Ken, Tom and Joe tackle Rush’s somewhat controversial Signals. This is an album that generates strong feelings from Rush fans, both good and bad. The Palaver is no different and controversy abounds in this episode (Paul doesn’t really care for Subdivisions?). Analog Kid is the rare song on this album that seems to gain approval across the spectrum. Tom provides us with Neil Peart’s 10 Rules of Success. Joe finishes out the episode with a major geek episode...
May 04, 2018•1 hr 44 min
Episode 32 – Rush Part 7, Moving Pictures Paul, Ken, Colby and Joe tackle Rush’s cornerstone album, Moving Pictures. This album presents some interesting challenges given its near ubiquity in the classic rock radio. The extreme level of familiarity we have with parts of this record can lead to complacency but the Palaver tries to give each track its due. We discuss the songwriting, musicianship and production in the context of the greater Rush catalog and ultimately decide that Moving Pictures i...
May 01, 2018•1 hr 32 min
Bonus Episode – Les Miserables Paul and Joe have a semi-casual conversation about perhaps the greatest stage musical ever. From the lack of award respect for the seminal Jean Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) to the impact of the current stage redesign, the Palaver treats this unusual subject matter in the usual manner. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featured Theme music provided by: Dave DeWhitt...
Apr 29, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Episode 31 – Rush Part 6, Permanent Waves Pt 2 Paul, Ken, Tom, Joe and Colby continue the discussion on Permanent Waves. Covering the individual tracks Paul describes the wall of guitars in Jacob’s Ladder and the proper kit placement of a china boy. We cover the expansive scope of Natural Science. Overall the group points out how Permanent Waves is both forward and backward looking in terms of musical direction and how while the musical tone can be dark, the lyrical message is usually very uplif...
Apr 15, 2018•55 min
Episode 30 – Rush Part 5, Permanent Waves Pt 1 Paul, Ken, Tom and Joe are joined by Colby for our two-part discussion of Permanent Waves. This first portion of the palaver covers our thoughts on this new, more radio friendly version of Rush. But is it still progressive? Tom suggests that one has to look at the depth in the songs on this album to find that the answer is yes. He continues to describe Permanent Waves as a melting pot combining the best of prog Rush with their new sound and directio...
Apr 12, 2018•1 hr 4 min
Bonus Episode – Yes, Lessons Learned So Far Paul, Ken and Joe spend some rare face-to-face time discussing some of the revelations we’ve had by doing the Palaver series on the first part of the Yes catalog. This is a fun, casual conversation among friends about a band we all love. We cover a variety of topics from songwriting to sounds to gear and wrap it all up in a Star Wars metaphor. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/chan...
Apr 10, 2018•1 hr 19 min
Episode 29 – Rush Part 4, Hemispheres Paul, Ken, Tom and Joe move into the culmination of the most progressive part of the Rush catalog with Hemispheres. The album fares well in the Palaver estimation. Joe has a moment (or several) discussing the title track in the face of some opposition. Circumstances is given high marks while the merits of The Trees is duly considered. And for what it’s worth, the Palaver feels that La Villa Strangiato is NOT self-indulgent. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala...
Apr 05, 2018•1 hr 22 min
Bonus Episode – Spot the Drummer Paul, Ken and Joe attempt to play a game involving Rick Wakeman’s Six Wives of Henry VIII. Noting that of the six tracks two featured Bill Bruford, three Alan White and one a third drummer, Joe challenged Paul and Ken to “spot the drummer.” The idea was to play a snippet of each song and have the guys decide which drummer was playing on the track. Things went off the rails pretty early on but we think the final outcome is quite fun regardless. Twitter: @progpala ...
Apr 03, 2018•1 hr
Episode 23 – Rush Part 3, 2112 & A Farewell to Kings An almost full cast of Joe, Ken, Paul, Tom and Jay continue on with the palaver on the early Rush catalog. In this episode we cover 2112 and A Farewell to Kings. Joe opens the discussion by confounding the rest by admitting that he just doesn’t “get” the song 2112. Despite the group’s best efforts (Ken is particularly eloquent in his defense of the song) he remains unswayed. The group, as a whole, is more aligned with the rest of the album...
Mar 31, 2018•1 hr 37 min
Episode 27 – Rush Part 2, Fly By Night & Caress of Steel Ken, Paul and Joe continue on with the palaver on the early Rush catalog. In this episode we cover Fly By Night and Caress of Steel. The overall theme of our first Rush episode continues with some happy discoveries of some unexpectedly wonderful moments. Fly By Night generally fares better than Caress of Steel in our estimation but we definitely enjoy delving into these early albums. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Faceboo...
Mar 21, 2018•55 min
Episode 26 – Rush Part 1, Overture & Rush Ken, Paul and Joe move into the Canadian prog scene and one of the all-time great bands, Rush. This series on Rush starts with the usual overview of our feelings on the band and how we each got into them. Ken’s tale of recording Exit Stage Left off the radio is both nostalgic and inspiring. From there we go on to consider Rush’s self-titled debut album. This album is not something with which most of us were familiar yet we found much here to enjoy. R...
Mar 15, 2018•58 min
The Palaver closes out the King's X catalog with Ogre Tones and XV. The conversation centers around what it is to "be" King's X and where these albums fit into the overall catalog of the band. While some strong feelings are generated, the Palaver is left wanting more like Gretchen, Dogman or Mr. Bulbous. Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala Instagram: ProgPala / Progressive Palaver YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featured Theme music provided by...
Mar 08, 2018•1 hr 13 min
The group continues with the King's X catalog moving onto the follow up to Mr. Bulbous, Manic Moonlight which fails to capture the progressive and experimental nature of the former. Black Like Sunday ends up being somewhat controversial in the Palaver with Tom being firmly against and Joe reveling in what this album reveals about early King's X. Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala Instagram: ProgPala / Progressive Palaver YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-...
Feb 28, 2018•58 min
Bonus Episode – Palaver Mailbag, Late Delivery The group goes into the mailbag and responds to some questions and comments through the various social media sites. A short, fun conversation. We are looking forward to more so please keep them coming! Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala Instagram: ProgPala / Progressive Palaver YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featured Theme music provided by: Dave DeWhitt
Feb 26, 2018•20 min
SCS6 – Marillion – Dallas, TX A Special Concert Series edition! Ken and Paul travelled to see Marillion with Joe at the Granada Theater for the band’s first performance in Dallas, TX. The show was sublime (with the notable exception of certain audience members who wanted everyone to sit down) and the band fully justified the required travel. The Palaver covers the set list (Kayleigh into Wave, opening with El Dorado, Invisible Man as an encore) as well as the stellar performance. The Palaver als...
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Episode 23 – King’s X Part 4, Tape Head & Please Come Home… Mr. Bulbous A lean Palaver continue on with the King’s X catalog with the Tape Head and the very surprising Please Come Home… Mr. Bulbous. Continuing with the ongoing theme, the idea of better alternatives for a single are explored. The big surprise of the episode was the discovery of much to like on Mr. Bulbous. The group, as a whole, are surprised and delighted to find that Mr. Bulbous is an engaging, entertaining and, dare we say...
Feb 15, 2018•1 hr 24 min
