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The Sound of Dreams
David Minasian
New release Friday! Woo Hoo!
First off new Neal Morse with a kinda sequel to 2007's Sola Scriptura with Sola Gratia. You can't go wrong with Neal - his compositions are melodic and nicely complex with great keyboards and meaty guitars with the dynamic rhythm section of Randy George and Mike Portnoy. Stand outs is that throughout the album he brings melodies from Sola Scriptura then twists them around a bit to fit this album's themes. The song "Seemingly Sincere" is a huge stand out with a pulsing almost computerish keyboard with Mike Portnoy fantastically pounding out with it.
Next is David Minasian with The Sound of Dreams. A very ethereal keyboard driven album reminiscent of Jon Anderson. A great selection of guests on this album beginning with The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward singing and playing guitar on the opening song. Steve Hackett, Annie Haslam (singing two songs), Billy Sherwood (Yes), and PJ Olsson (Alan Parsons Project) are also on this album. Great production, fantastic vocals - very nice album.
Next up is The Progressive Souls Collective with Sonic Birth. Seventeen musicians including Derek Sherinian and Kevin Moore on keyboards and Haken's Connor Green on bass. This is a strong straight forward heavy prog album with all the signature trademarks done very well. Very solid album.
Finally Finland's Kairon: IRSE! returns with Polysomn. Nice psychedelic prog very easy to listen to with nice melodies. A fun album.
Small release week but all great albums. Many more to come this month especially Derek Sherinain's solo album, Ayreon's new album and, sadly, the final album by Fish.
Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
Stock's Beard
I only have 1 album by him (Random Acts Of Beauty), then lost touch. He was sorta Oldfield-esque, IIRC, and all-instrumental. Is this worth picking up?
Sound of Dreams is far superior IMHO. The vocals add a lot. Great hearing Justin Haywood and PJ Ollson was fantastic. Annie Haslam was good, but showing her age. Justin Minasian was very impressive on vocals as well. I liked this a lot. I will be playing regularly.
Many new albums to researchSherinnian, Fish, and Ayreon are the ones I'm most looking forward to.
Same, especially Fish - I was a huge Marillion fan when Fish was in the band. I do like Hogarth a lot as well but Fish is incredible.
I may sound jaded here, but some time ago, I found I was over Neal Morse's music. It's always been very good, but never seemed to progress much - and one album sounded pretty much like the next. (This, despite the fact that I interviewed him twice - once on the phone, and once live. Nice guy!) Perhaps I owe him another shot...
I've always been a huge fan. I agree he has a pattern but feel Similitudes And this album stand out from the norm in a very good way.
And speaking of Morse:
Love that rekkid!!
My favorite Spock's Beard albums are this in the post-Neal-Morse era, and Snow in the Mores era.
In no particular order:What are your all time favorites?
Porgy and Bess.
The London Philharmonic
Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
e.g. There's a boat dat's leaving soon for New York (Damon Evans)
I guess, on Literotica, this would end up in Loving Wives, and shredded accordingly.
The albums I absolutely cannot live without.
I fully admit this is totally my own opinion.
First and foremost The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour and Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
I totally agree that arguably the fab four's Sgt Pepper is a stronger album as is Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but the difference for me is once the album starts until it is over I am completely mesmerized and taken to a totally different plane with Mystery Tour and Capt Fantastic. Sgt Pepper and Yellow Brick don't keep me with every song.
Those two are the only albums that I learned how to play every song on bass, keyboard, vocals and guitar definitely not necessarily as good as the original but well enough that I was happy.
After that my favorites are (in no particular order as my mood changes)
Spock's Beard - Snow
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music - J S Bach Brandenburg Concertos
U.K. - U. K. (The first album with Wetton, Jobson, Bruford and Holdsworth)
Tears for Fears - The Hurting
Pink Floyd - Meddle (why this over Dark Side, The Wall or Division Bell? One word - Echoes)
ELO - Out of the Blue, especially side three Concerto for a Rainy Day.
There are so many other great albums but these have consistently been my most played and enjoyed.
What are your all time favorites?

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Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man
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What are your all time favorites?
Camel's The Snowgoose