Bonus Episode – Top Ten Marillion Albums Coming off the wonderful high that was the Marillion Couch Convention the Palaver decided it would be fun to rank the top ten albums from one of our favorite bands. What should have been a fun exercise turned into a hot topic amongst Palaver members as our lists were revealed to each other. Discussions in our group continue in this vein. Our lists are meant in the spirit of fun and enjoyment so don’t get too mad. 😊 Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmai...
Sep 09, 2020•52 min
Episode 94 – Pink Floyd Part 16, The Final Cut In this episode we tackle a most difficult album. The Final Cut suffers from a lack of group input yet is extremely poignant, eloquent and beautiful. Roger Waters was able to take leftovers from The Wall and craft it into a commentary on the state of things in the 1980’s. The Final Cut features very clear and graphic imagery, emotional melodies and unusual song / album structure. The absence of Richard Wright is, perhaps, most keenly felt. The Final...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Special Episode – Interview with Bill Swezey of Echoes In this special episode, Ken and Joe have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Bill Swezey of Echoes “The American Pink Floyd”. We cover a wide variety of topics ranging from Bill’s general thoughts on the music of Pink Floyd to how the band prepares for new material. Life of a band in the pandemic world of 2020 is different but Bill shares a wonderful story about an opportunity they had to actually perform at a stadium (parking lot). We h...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 19 min
Episode 93 – Pink Floyd Part 15, The Wall Pt 3 The Palaver finishes our in-depth look at Pink Floyd’s The Wall with this final installment. Focusing on sides 3 and 4 of the album the group discusses the musical, lyrical and visual symbolism used by the band. This part of the album is characterized by alternating theatrics and hard-hitting rock numbers. Of particular note is Paul’s epiphany regarding the song “Hey You”. It’s been a long time coming. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Fa...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 37 min
Episode 92 – Pink Floyd Part 14, The Wall Pt 2 In the second installment in our series on The Wall studio album, we consider sides 1 & 2. Much praise is given to the creative vision that created this concept as well as the way the music was constructed and recorded. Ken provides an active lesson in beauty of the guitar work in one of the best known songs from the Floyd catalog. As always, we try to bring in pertinent personal experiences and lore. Enjoy! Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gm...
Aug 21, 2020•2 hr
Episode 91 – Pink Floyd Part 13, The Wall Pt 1 Progressive Palaver finally reaches another prog rock milestone album with The Wall. This album, and it’s three singles, figure prominently in the collective coming of age of this group of friends. We grew up listening to this on the radio. For an album so pivotal, of course there is MUCH to say. So, this episode is the first of several covering the studio album only. In this first installment, the group covers the background and lore of the writing...
Aug 12, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Bonus Episode – Top Ten Yes Songs Plus Ranking the top ten Yes songs. A fool’s errand? Very likely so but we here at the Palaver are never put off by a challenge. So we each put together our list of the top ten Yes songs and, just for fun, we also noted our least favorite song. Controversy will likely ensure so we welcome you to share your list with us as well. Enjoy! Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-...
Aug 09, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Episode 90 – Pink Floyd Part 12, Animals Pt 2 The group finishes up our consideration of Pink Floyd Animals. Ken is able to provide some breakdown of the songwriting deliciousness involved in the second side and the group delves into the meaning and intent of the piece as a whole. 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
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Episode 89 – Pink Floyd Part 11, Animals Pt 1 The group surprised ourselves by having so much to say about this album that we only got through the first side! There is a lot of lore to consider with Animals, from the advent of Britannia Row Studios to the growing influence and vision of Roger Waters. As usual, we cover a wide range of topics by delving into the artwork as well as the music itself. There is much to say about this sleeper album in the “main sequence.” Part 2 coming shortly. Twitte...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Special Episode – Black Lives Matter with Durga McBroom and Andre Cholmondeley Ken and Joe host prog rock stalwarts Durga McBroom and Andre Cholmondeley (pronounced “Chumley”) for a discussion of the Black Lives Matter movement. This interview is undeniably different from other Palaver interviews as energy levels surge right out of the gate and current events overshadow arts and music. Andre discusses racial profiling during his early years in the state of New Jersey while Durga relates a simila...
Jun 27, 2020•1 hr 42 min
Episode 88 – Pink Floyd Part 10, Wish You Were Here This episode brings us to Wish You Were Here, perhaps the greatest Pink Floyd collaborative experience. This is an album that we have all enjoyed throughout our lives. Both a celebration of lost friends and a dismissal of the music industry, Wish You Were Here showcases a band that achieved all their dreams and yet found a way to create something as (more?) worthwhile than the art the delivered them to the big time. We consider the various aspe...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 33 min
Special Episode – Interview with Bill Hubauer of We Came From Space In this episode the group meets Bill Hubauer and discuss his new release with We Came From Space, touring with the Neal Morse Band while holding down a day job and a variety of other topics spanning from science fiction TV series to western PA cuisine. 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 D...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Special Episode – Interview with Joe Bailey and Mark Anthony K of The Dark Monarchy In this episode the group catches up with Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey as they fill us in their exciting new project The Dark Monarchy. The conversation covers the gambit from the origins of Joe and Mark’s collaboration to the creative process in this new group to the gear and recording process. The energy and enthusiasm for this vibrant new album is palpable. We hope that all our listeners check out The Dark Mo...
Jun 07, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Episode 87 – Pink Floyd Part 9, The Dark Side of the Moon Pt 2 The group finishes out our extensive look into The Dark Side of the Moon, side 2. With a little extra lore from the bonus time we tackle the breathtaking genius of the rest of this album. There is no shortage of topics from the production on Money to the recycling of musical ideas from previous projects to the unparalleled beauty and power of Great Gig in the Sky. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.co...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Episode 86 – Pink Floyd Part 8, The Dark Side of the Moon Pt 1 What can one say about one of the greatest, best-selling records of all time? Well we here at the Palaver are never at a loss for words. In part 1 of a two-part set on The Dark Side of the Moon the group discusses the background and recording process and make it all the way through side one. Our close examination of this album, which seemed so familiar, provided us with so many surprises. The depths of the beauty of this album astoun...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Bonus Episode – 1980 Desert Island Palaver Predicament It’s late in the year 1980 and you find yourself stranded on a desert island with four stellar progressive rock albums and a VERY large supply of Spam. The four albums are Yes – Drama, Rush – Permanent Waves, Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) and Genesis – Duke. Can you survive under these conditions? Does one of these albums rise above the rest? Which album would you trade for more Spam? In this bonus episode, the group considers all these questions a...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Episode 85 – Pink Floyd Part 7, Obscured by Clouds Have you been listening Progressive Palaver’s segment on Pink Floyd and asked yourself “but when are they going to talk about the connections to Deep Purple, Free and Kiss”? If you have, this is your episode. As the group explores this second collaboration between Pink Floyd and Barbet Schroeder, we discover just a touch of whimsy. The gem of the discussion is likely the discovery of the timeline of fuzz and distortion. Good times abound! Twitte...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Episode 84 – Pink Floyd Part 6, Meddle We present this episode with all due respect to scrapbookers. 😊 The Palaver considers Meddle which presents the both the highest of highs and lowest of lows as Pink Floyd takes a HUGE step towards prog gods status. While we consider the twists and turns of this most excellent album we get to cover the joys of ostinato and the mysteries of the Binson Echorec . Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.yout...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 14 min
Bonus Episode – Force Ranking Pink Floyd Album Covers The group takes it a bit lighter for this bonus episode while considering the album covers of Pink Floyd. Is Storm overrated? Is the Ummagumma cover a masterpiece? Who is this control group? Questions and fun abound throughout this pandemic Palaver. Don’t forget to check out the pre-show videos on our YouTube channel. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8w...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Episode 83 – Pink Floyd Part 5, Atom Heart Mother Mooo! Paul, Ken and Joe take on Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother. Part movie music, part prog practice room the group seems to embrace this significant step toward “the big four”. AHM clearly sees the band expanding their capabilities from the massive title track which opens the album through to the sound design exercise of Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast. The Palaver find much to appreciate here and also seem to enjoy the cover cows. Don't forget to ...
May 08, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Episode 82 – Pink Floyd Part 4, Ummagumma Paul, Ken and Joe dive into Pink Floyd’s foray into experimentation and sound design. Ummagumma seems to be a polarizing album for the group. Tom was unable to attend this Palaver but views this album VERY favorably. Joe doesn’t get it. Paul and Ken fill in the spectrum in between. Regardless, Ummagumma is an interesting album and a worthwhile Palaver. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.c...
May 01, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Bonus Episode – Force Ranking King’s X Albums Joe, Ken, Tom and Paul follow through on an old Palaver (threat) promise and force rank the King’s X albums. Controversy reigns at the top and middle of our lists while there is relative harmony on the bottom. Keeping in mind, that all these albums are worthwhile and enjoyable and there is no wrong answer, we hope you take this in the spirit of fun in which it was intended. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgP...
Apr 25, 2020•57 min
Episode 81 – Pink Floyd Part 3, More Palaver for two, please! Ken and Joe strike off as a duo to cover Pink Floyd’s third album, the soundtrack for the film More. Ken deserves a perseverance award for putting up with Joe’s enthusiasm for this record. This album is an important step in the development of this band but, in Joe’s opinion, greatly benefits from the context of the movie. There are some gems in this record and sees growth across the full band. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail....
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Episode 80 – Pink Floyd Part 2, A Saucerful of Secrets Ken, Joe and Paul cover the second Pink Floyd album which sees the entrance of David Gilmour. The group continues to develop a very deep appreciation of all things Richard Wright. The group starts to take a deeper dive into the songwriting of Pink Floyd to really appreciate what makes this music so special. Apologies for the technical issues that manifest occasionally. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/P...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 26 min
Star Wars Palaver – Force Ranking the Movies Joe, Tom and Paul spend some social distancing time force ranking (pun intended) all eleven Star Wars movies. Cerebral? Not really. Entertaining enough to pass some pandemic time? Hopefully. We certainly had fun and hope you do as well. 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 12, 2020•1 hr 19 min
Episode 79 – Pink Floyd Part 1, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Ken and Joe begin the Palaver’s segment on Pink Floyd (not surprisingly) at the beginning. After a relatively short preamble about their thoughts on the band in general, the group tackles Piper and a group led by Syd Barrett in their musical infancy. There is much to enjoy here and clearly shows the angle of attack Pink Floyd will use to enter the region of Prog Rock royalty. It turns out there is a bit of whimsy in early Floyd but a...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Episode 78 – Toad the Wet Sprocket Part 2 – Dulcinea & Coil Paul, Joe and Ken cover these two superb albums from Toad the Wet Sprocket. Much of this episode is spent gushing over powerful and emotional (and sometimes uncomfortable) lyrics. The obvious Don Quixote connection is briefly examined as well as the fact that many of these song titles are mysteriously unknown to most of us. Coil has had a notorious place in Palaver history but as is often the case, once the mics turn on no one offer...
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Special Episode – Interview with Mark Anthony K of Projekt Gemineye Friend of the Palaver, Mark Anthony K spends some quality time with us chatting about his podcasts (the ever popular Yes Music Podcast and Kiss FAQ) as well as his own creative works as Projekt Gemineye. We all enjoy getting into the various aspects that have led to the Projekt Gemineye albums including inspiration, experience, songwriting, artwork and recording. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with Mark. Many thanks to him...
Mar 29, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Episode 77 – Toad the Wet Sprocket Part 1 – Bread and Circus, Pale & Fear Paul and Joe come back from a short hiatus to start the first of a very short segment on Toad the Wet Sprocket. They explore the intimate connection that Toad has with the Palaver crew and whether or not this music is strictly “progressive” (spoiler, the answer is sort of but not really). Toad the Wet Sprocket get very high marks for maturity and songwriting even in these earlier albums and Fear is recognized for the a...
Mar 26, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Episode 66 – Genesis Part 6, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Ken, Joe and Paul dive into The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. This is an album that required a certain amount of effort for us to get our mind around. Interestingly, each Palaver member ended up with their approach and interpretation of this work. What is the story? What does the imagery mean? What exactly IS the lamb? These questions and more are pondered while the group considers the music as well. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gma...
Jan 31, 2020•1 hr 22 min
