Album features performances by Steve Morse, King Crimson violinist David Cross, GnR guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and keyboard legend Patrick Moraz plus members of Weather Report, Utopia, Angel, Soft Machine, Gong, and more!
Los Angeles, CA – As longtime guitarist and co-writer for the powerhouse rock hitmaker Billy Idol, Steve Stevens is widely celebrated as a master of composing forceful, electrifying rock melodies that balance their intensity with an undeniable mainstream appeal. It’s that melodic sensibility matched with an impressive technical mastery that has made Stevens one of the most sought after collaborators in music today. Recently, Stevens accepted an invitation to contribute to the new album from The Prog Collective and the result is one of the purest expressions of Stevens’s creativity ever captured.
For the uninitiated, The Prog Collective, founded and helmed by producer/multi-instrumentalist and famed bassist for Yes Billy Sherwood, has united some of the finest musicians of rock, jazz, metal, pop and everything in between since its founding in 2012. The group’s newest studio effort, entitled Dark Encounters, takes a deliberate turn toward a more brooding and melancholic musical path, filled with haunting ambience and eerie melodic passages. All of this makes Stevens the perfect partner for an exploration into the darker side of prog rock. Check out the album’s first single and the album’s leadoff track, “Darkest Hour,” which is released today on all music platforms.
Dark Encounters is set for release on March 29 and includes contributions from a number of notable musicians and creative geniuses from the legendary Steve Morse, violinist David Cross, and guitar wizard Bumblefoot to keyboardist Patrick Moraz, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton, Gong’s Steve Hillage, and more!
Track List: 1. Darkest Hour with Steve Stevens 2. Ominous Signs with Steve Morse 3. At The Gates with David Cross 4. Dark Days with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Patrick Moraz & Omar Hakim 5. Lonely Landscape with Kasim Sulton 6. The Long Night with Frank Dimino & Marco Minnemann 7. The Quasi Effect with Billy Sherwood 8. The 11th Hour with John Etheridge 9. Between Two Worlds with Steve Hillage & Gregg Bissonette 10. Distant Thunder with Todd Sucherman 11. Dark Money with Joe Bouchard 12. For All To See with Pat Mastelotto 13. Beyond Reason with Chad Wackerman BONUS TRACKS [CD ONLY] 14. I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren with Rick Wakeman 15. I’m Not In Love – Nektar with Rick Wakeman
Following their recent acclaimed tour in the USA, progressive legends YES are set to return to UK stages in May and June.
22nd February 2024: Hot on the heels of their hugely successful Classic Tales Of Yes American Tour, Progressive Rock legends, YES, are poised to hit the road in the UK once more on a 9-date trek across the country starting on 23rd May at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and ending in London on 4th June at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, a fitting end for such a majestic band.
The Classic Tales Of Yes Tour will see YES mining their rich catalogue to deliver a career spanning set of classics, rarely played vintage cuts and new songs from 1970s Time and a Word right up to Mirror To The Sky, their 23rd album released last year, together with a special section celebrating the 50th anniversary of their momentous Tales From The Topographic Oceans opus.
Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venues foyer area. Deans masterful artwork of striking other-worldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters. He has sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His artwork appears on the cover of the current YES album Mirror To The Sky. Roger is planning to be at each show on the tour, to meet with fans.
Steve Howe, whose association with Yes began in 1970, along with Geoff Downes, a member of the 1980 Drama era line-up are joined by Jon Davison, lead vocalist in Yes for well over a decade now; Billy Sherwood on bass, hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire and Jay Schellen, who worked closely with Alan White, on drums completing the line-up.
YES are very much looking forward to playing in Europe and the UK during April, May and June this year. It’s been a while since we toured here and we’ve really missed you all. says Steve Howe
Geoff Downes goes on to say: Were very much looking forward to bringing the Classic Tales of YES Tour to the UK and Europe. It promises to be one of our most interesting sets to date, scanning through much of YESs history and with some previously unheard pieces together with music from out latest album, Mirror To The Sky. As always, were committed to pushing new boundaries and are very excited to be performing another chapter in the rich legacy of the band.”
Jon D. here, My band mates and I are very pleased and excited to bring to the UK and parts of the EU our current set of classic Yes music which, covering the rich spectrum of Yestory, delighted US fans last fall. Well be performing many song favourites but also adding rarities, some of which havent been performed in decades! Lets all join together in May, band and audience alike, in celebrating whats best about Yes music. See you there!
Very much looking forward to playing all this wonderful YES music across Europe and the UK. Its an interesting set of music and one that spans the many decades of the bands unique and rich history continues Billy Sherwood
Jay Schellen says: Im very excited and looking forward to performing our 2024 Classic Tales Of YES tour in the UK. This collection of songs is unique in many ways. A classic YES show, thrilling and dynamic! Im sure our fans will be excited and pleased as well!
The Classic Tales of YES UK Tour Dates 2024
Thursday 23 May Manchester Bridgewater Hall* Friday 24 May Glasgow Royal Concert Hall* Sunday 26 May Liverpool Philharmonic Hall* Tuesday 28 May York Barbican* Wednesday 29 May Southend Cliffs Pavilion* Friday 31May Bristol Beacon Saturday 1 June Birmingham Symphony Hall* Sunday 2 June Gateshead The Glasshouse (formerly The Sage*) Tuesday 4 June London Royal Albert Hall
*UK Shows rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
It was fantastic to see the band dig deep and play selections such as It Will Be A Good Day (The River), a song not played live since 2000. What tale can be complete without digging up Tales From Topographic Oceans. The band did a condensed reimagined version which ended the main set with a thunderous ovation. Consider it a treat that YES still exists in 2023. Joseph Suto, ROCK SHOW CRITIQUE
This show is bound to please and have something for everyone. Everyone together produces a sound that is almost indistinguishable from the earlier incarnations. The only real difference is the improvement of technology and better fidelity. If you have enjoyed Yes in the past, you will enjoy this show and if you have never seen them, there is no better time than now. Kim Hansen, GHOST CULT MAG
About YES
Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 1981, 19901992, 1995present) Geoff Downes: keyboards (19801981, 2011present) Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012present) Billy Sherwood: guitar, backing vocals ((1994, 19972000), bass guitar, backing vocals (2015present) Jay Schellen: drums and percussion (2016-present)
Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans, Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.
With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125.
YES released their 22nd studio album in 2021, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe and which went to No. 1 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.
In 2022 came the sad news that drummer Alan White, ever-present in the YES line-up for 50 years, had passed away. The news came shortly before the band embarked on their classic, genre-defining album Close To The Edge 50th Anniversary Tour, which he was intending to be a part of until ill-health determined otherwise. The tour was dedicated to Alan.
In February 2023, ahead of the news of the new studio album Mirror To The Sky, YES confirmed Jay Schellen as the new permanent drummer with YES, hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan Whites role. I had done the 2016 tour on my own for Alan, says Jay. From late 2017 onwards, we had a beautiful partnership. I learned and discovered so much about Alans style. His passion and creativity was phenomenal. The new album has Alans presence all over it. It is inside of us. So, this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.
Mirror To The Sky, YES 23rd studio album, was released on 19 May 2023 to universally positive reviews in the music press. Mirror to the Sky is very much a band album, where all five members… have been at the top of their game, stated The Progressive Aspect. YES will continue to have a role to play in shaping the future sounds of prog.
TRANSATLANTIC – the Prog Supergroup of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas – have announced the release of ‘Live at Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind’ for April 26th, 2024. This mammoth Limited 5CD + 2 Blu-ray Artbook set features both sets from Morsefest in their entirety, with nearly 4 and a half hours of music in total.
To coincide with the announcement, the band have launched a live clip of the track ‘Can You Feel It’, taken from night 2, and you can watch that video here:
“Not to be confused by last years live release of our last show in Paris, THIS release of TA at Morsefest 2022 represents the most epic and mammoth of all TA Live releases!
2 Nights, 2 completely different sets, 2 TA concept albums done in their entirety…accompanied with Strings, Horns, Percussion, Female Vocals, etc…Transatlantic has always been about “More Never Is Enough”, but no live TA release has ever been more EPIC than this one…It’s the ULTIMATE Live TA experience!”
Neal Morse adds:
“At long last, a musical dream come true in true epic fashion! To play The Absolute Universe, The Whirlwind, and other great pieces of music with Transatlantic, along with an amazing string section, background singers, etc. What more could any musician ask for? This is the very best of the very best in my view. I hope you all enjoy experiencing this as much as we enjoyed performing it!“
Roine Stolt comments:
“Playing Morsefest was quite a task, learning all the different material for the 2 different shows.
We even got a chance to play that Procol Harum tune, that is dear to me & takes me back to my teenage years, just getting to know what prog is/was. The addition of the strings and choir at Morsefest, plus Philip adding percussion lent a different and perhaps more of an orchestral side. That worked really well and made these 2 nights very special.”
Pete Trewavas comments:
“To play Morsefest 2022 was an absolute pleasure for me and gave us a natural break at the end of the North American leg of The Absolute Universe tour, where we regrouped at Neal’s to rehearse for the two shows, back where we had rehearsed for the tour some four or five weeks earlier.
We had 3 days I think it was to refresh The Whirlwind full version and learn ‘In Held T’was In I’. The festival was an absolute blast. We were all super relaxed and enjoying ourselves probably due to the little break from touring back to rehearsing.
Neal had been wanting to get Transatlantic at MorseFest since we released Whirlwind and it never panned out for various reasons, so it felt fitting that we got it all together for The Absolute Universe tour.”
Morsefest, the festival put on by Neal Morse annually in Nashville, Tennessee has been in existence since 2014. Typically, the weekend-long event celebrated music from Neal’s solo work and other bands from his career. But with each passing Morsefest, there had been one question lingering among the faithful audience that returned every year…when will Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas perform at Morsefest? In 2022, at the 9th Morsefest, it finally happened and in epic Transatlantic fashion.
In 2021, Transatlantic released The Absolute Universe, the band’s 5th album since forming in 2000. However, as the band’s motto is “More Is Never Enough,” ‘The Absolute Universe’ was released as two different versions – ‘The Breath of Life (Abridged version)’, and ‘Forevermore (Extended version)’. In addition, the band combined those two versions for an Ultimate Edition of the album. With touring restrictions due to the pandemic finally lifted, the band finally started their tour in April 2022 ending up at Morsefest on the weekend of April 29th and 30th.
The weekend at Morsefest provided 2 nights of shows. For night one, the band performed their classic album ‘The Whirlwind’ in its entirety, the first time they had done so in 10 years. The evening also added “Into the Blue” and “Shine” from the band’s 4th album ‘Kaleidoscope’ as well as the classic ballad “We All Need Some Light.” As a surprise, the band played a song they’ve never performed live before – their cover of the Procol Harum classic “In Held ‘Twas In I” from the first Transatlantic album ‘SMPTe.’
Night 2 saw the full performance of The Absolute Universe – The Ultimate Edition, combining all of the tracks from the 2 versions of the album. The night closed with a medley of tracks from the band’s first two albums including “All of the Above,” “My New World,” and “Stranger In Your Soul.”
For the first time, the band performed alongside a choir and string section, making these shows truly special for those who were in attendance. Now, you can experience these incredible performances for yourself with the release of this Limited Deluxe 5CD+2Blu-ray artbook, featuring an extensive 36-page booklet with photos, contained within a hardcover.
Night 1 Tracklisting: 1. Into The Blue 2. In Held (‘Twas) In I 3. Shine 4. We All Need Some Light 5. Overture/Whirlwind 6. The Wind Blew Them All Away 7. On The Prowl 8. A Man Can Feel 9. Out Of The Night 10. Rose Colored Glasses 11. Evermore 12. Set Us Free 13. Lay Down Your Life 14. Pieces of Heaven 15. Is It Really Happening? 16. Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise)
Night 2 Tracklisting: 1. Overture 2. Reaching For The Sky 3. Higher Than The Morning 4. The Darkness In The Light 5. Take Now My Soul 6. Bully 7. Rainbow Sky 8. Looking For The Light 9. The World We Used To Know 10. The Sun Comes Up Today 11. Love Made A Way (Prelude) 12. Owl Howl 13. Solitude 14. Belong 15. Lonesome Rebel 16. Can You Feel It 17. Looking For The Light (Reprise) 18. The Greatest Story Never Ends 19. Love Made A Way 20. Bridge Across Forever 21. The Final Medley
Contrary to popular belief, progressive rock didn’t disappear with the advent of punk, and the lack of media support didn’t prevent new bands from forming and new music being created. It is hard to imagine these days, with everyone being permanently connected, but there was a time not long ago when communication was by word of mouth and letter. With no coverage by much of the media, it was down to fanzines and independent magazines to spread the word of what was happening within the progressive rock scene, what was being released, and who was worth going to see in concert. Most of these magazines survived for just a few issues, while others continued for many years, all having their part to play in spreading the word.
One of the most important during this period was ‘Feedback’. It initially started as the newsletter of Mensa’s Rock Music Special Interest Group in 1988, but when Kev Rowland became secretary in 1990, he determined to turn it into a magazine promoting music that often wasn’t being written about in the mainstream press. ‘Feedback’ soon became one of the key promoters of the underground progressive scene, and Rowland one of the most well-known and popular reviewers. He also became a contributor to ‘Rock ‘n’ Reel’, as well as writing for the Ghostland website in the early days of prog on the web.
Rowland collated all his progressive rock reviews and interviews written between 1991 and 2006 into three volumes which have been described by Record Collector and others as “The Bible” while one reviewer called it the “Encyclopaedia Progressivica”. It was originally intended to be just one book, but with the word count at more than half a million it was too big, so instead it was decided to break it into easily digestible chunks and include all album artwork. The books have been widely acclaimed, and questions were asked of Rowland as to when the next one in the series would be available? Originally there was never any intention to produce any others as these had captured the time when he was running ‘Feedback’. However, even though he moved to the other side of the world and dropped out of the music scene, Rowland did begin writing again in 2008 and was soon as involved as he had previously been in the UK. Also, all his reviews were now saved digitally and did not have to be brought back to life from poorly photocopied fanzines, and he became convinced that it would be worthwhile to continue the series as the music had never stopped.
This led to Volume 4, containing his writings from 2008 to 2013, with all album covers in full colour and cover art again by Martin Springett. Unlike the others in the series, this included the complete alphabet, along with some book and DVD reviews, various artists, and a few interviews. Of course, again questions were soon being asked as to when the next volume would be available and now, we have Volume 5, which starts in 2014 and takes us into 2018. The foreword is by label owner Nick Katona, while the comments on the rear cover are from musicians Steve Bonino and Peter Matuchniak.
Along with the other volumes in the series, this book shines a spotlight onto a scene which is still critically ignored by many and provides information about the music in a constructive manner. It is again possible to discover some great music from wonderful bands, and this should be used as a guide to expand collections and understand that prog rock really didn’t die, it just went underground.
About the author
Kev Rowland is a self-confessed music addict, who has never really been the same since he heard ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ in 1975. In the Eighties he spent quite a ridiculous amount of money on all things related to Jethro Tull and was asked by David Rees to write a piece on Carmen (the band including John Glascock, not the opera) for the Tull fanzine ‘A New Day’. This simple request was life-changing, although neither realised it at the time.
Kev discovered he enjoyed writing about music and submitted reviews for the inaugural Mensa Rock Special Interest Group newsletter, before becoming secretary himself in 1990. Over the next 16 years, the newsletter gained a name, and he put out more than 80 issues, many of them doubles, more than 11,000 pages. When he moved to New Zealand in 2006, he retired from the music scene, but was pulled back in – initially kicking and screaming until he accepted his fate. These days he can again be found contributing to many magazines and websites and over the last 30+ years has written literally millions of words on music, but is not stopping yet and somehow, he still manages more than 250,000 words annually. So much music, so little time!
When he isn’t listening to music, writing about music, or thinking about music, then he can be found on his lifestyle block with his wonderful wife Sara, and their 6 dogs, 5 cats, chickens, sheep, lambs, calves, and cattle. Oh, apparently, he has a day job as well.
Kev is available for interview but asks for initial contact to be made via email as time zones can be confusing to some people, and he does live at the end of the world after all: feedbackfanzine@hotmail.com
Kev Rowland’s previous collections of his progressive rock reviews and interviews written between 1991 and 2013 are essential for all lovers of the genre, but don’t just take our word for it.
A book that will be quickly referred to as “a bible”.
Daryl Easlea, Record Collector
His writing is informative, intelligent, and generous… As Brian Appleton would put it, thank you Kev for your contribution.
Rychard Carrington, Rock n Reel
It is unvarnished and unencumbered by any expectations of PR; the reviews are clearly done for no other reason than love of the genre.
DE, Prog Magazine
This is best treated as a kind of guide to the neo-progressive genre… progressive rock has never really died; it just went from the mainstream to the underground.
Artur Chachlowski, MLWZ
All I can say is if you are a true proghead this book should be in your library of progressive rock literature. Because it’s a great work. A book to be considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.
Henri Strik, Background Magazine
Chronic well-crafted, short, and mostly written in order to develop the subject with ease… I believe that many current columnists should emulate the writing of Mr. Rowland.
Fred, ProfilProg
All four volumes are essentially icings on a huge, delicious prog cake and should be an integral part in every prog-lovers’ cabinet.
Jan Buddenberg, DPRP.net
I continue to find these books extremely enjoyable and consider Kev a role model. “Read on” Kev indicates in his introduction. I fully concur.
The band originally began developing “Your Song” during the making of their award-winning debut, “The Sky Is Falling,” but the song wasn’t completed in time for the making of that record. Hardcore fans of the band may notice that the ballad actually carries forward a musical theme from the first album to the next, as the intention was for the ballad to connect musically with the former record’s instrumental piece, “In the Air.” Today, Days Before Tomorrow performs those two musical pieces together, live in concert.
Lyrically, “Your Song” was born out of a snarky comment made to Scott by a girlfriend many years ago: “Why don’t you write any songs for me?” Thus was born the idea to write her a love song, but since she enjoyed ribbing Scott about it, he decided to have some fun and turn it into a song for world peace as well. Why should she have the entire song to herself, after all?
“Your Song” can be found on the band’s latest release Now and Then Part II: Stories and Dreams which was released on 10/20/2023 and is available on CD, Digital, and streaming.
All Music By Days Before Tomorrow All Lyrics Eric Klein except “Your Song” by Scott Kahn Mastered By: George Keller
Mixed by James Linton (Bobby Kimball).
Days Before Tomorrow Eric Klein: vocals Scott Kahn: guitars, backing vocals Derek Davodowich: guitars, backing vocals John Gale: keyboards, backing vocals Matt Maldonado: drums Jacob Asbury: bass, vocals
Previous Releases
The Sky Is Falling (2009) Days Before Tomorrow (2006)
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