Arthur Brown – “Long Long Road” – Out June 24th

Tracklist
1. Gas Tanks
2. Coffin Confession
3. Going Down
4. Once I Had Illusions (Part 1)
5. I Like Games
6. Shining Brightness
7. The Blues and Messing Round
8. Long Long Road
9. Once I Had Illusions (Part 2)
Line-up
Arthur Brown – vocals, guitars, piano
Rik Patten – multiple instrumentsRecording at Sonic Scoops Studios UK
Produced by Arthur Brown with Rik Patten
Arrangements by Arthur Brown and Rik Patten
Mix & engineering by Rik Patten
Mastering by Marc UrselliArtwork by Laurie Avon
Photography and imagery by Harvey Waller
Layout & design by Jean Valnoir Simoulin

Style: Psychedelic Bluesrock

Pre-sale link
http://lnk.spkr.media/arthur-brown-long-long-road

Available formats
“Long Long Road” is available as a box set including a 48-page hardcover 2CD artbook, a gatefold 180g orange marble vinyl-LP, a bonus 7″ vinyl single, a wall flag, 4 30×30 cm art prints, and a certificate of authenticity personally signed and hand-numbered by Arthur Brown. The 2CD artbook is also available separately and includes liner notes by Arthur Brown, enhanced artwork and photography, and two exclusive studio recordings.  “Long Long Road” is furthermore available on black 180g vinyl LP, on transparent red 180g vinyl LP, and as a Digipak CD.

WHO IS ARTHUR BROWN?

Pretty much everyone into rock music knows ARTHUR BROWN. Be it via listening to or watching The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” or spending time with The Alan Parsons Project’s classic debut album “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”, most people have encountered Arthur – even if they might not have realized it.

Yet when it comes to THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN’s iconic, career-defining 1968 transatlantic hit single ‘Fire’, everybody knows that this is Arthur – the self-proclaimed God of Hellfire!

But, we are getting ahead of ourselves, when we really ought to start with Arthur’s new full-length masterpiece “Long Long Road”.

Wild, vibrant, and crammed with rich musical textures, his new album is quintessentially ARTHUR BROWN, and can easily be construed as the apex and summary of a fascinating career that has spanned no fewer than seven decades.

Scheduled for release on Arthur’s 80th birthday on June 24, “Long Long Road” effortlessly shifts from progressive rock and soul to pristine blues rock, with the much-loved singer summoning his full vocal range with a mature mastery that comes only with the experience of a lifetime.

Make no mistake; ARTHUR BROWN is a true rock legend – luckily, one whose star still burns very brightly, making audiences’ jaws drop whenever he takes to the stage.

Born in 1942, this outstanding vocalist and pioneering performer have recently been experiencing a renaissance. Arthur’s ground-breaking work over several decades was honored at the 2019 Prog Awards when he received the Visionary Artist Award. In 2021, Arthur was given an HRH Legend Award that celebrates the best of British rock music. Prior to these, Classic Rock magazine bestowed a “Showman Award” on Arthur in 2005. This renewed attention by fans, media, and peers in the autumn of his artistic endeavors can be recognized as a long-overdue tribute to an iconic musician, similar to that enjoyed by JOHNNY CASH late in his expansive career.

ARTHUR BROWN‘s legacy has been long appreciated by fellow musicians, writers, and dedicated rock fans far beyond the vast shadow cast by his gigantic number 1 hit single ‘Fire’. The iconic track from his 1968 album “The Crazy World of Arthur Brown” still maintains its mesmerizing power with audiences and peers today. At the same time, it could be argued that the omnipresence of ‘Fire’ has partly obscured Arthur’s many outstanding accomplishments over the 54 years since its release.

To understand the massive impact and influence of ARTHUR BROWN‘s wild stage persona, flamboyant theatrical performances, and charismatic multi-octave voice, one only needs to listen to these rock icons:

“Without Arthur Brown, there would be no Alice Cooper.”  ALICE COOPER

“Now there’s a man who was ahead of his time.”  ELTON JOHN

“Arthur Brown was a big influence of mine… Arthur Brown has the voice of death.”  Bruce Dickinson, IRON MAIDEN

“Arthur Brown is as much a dancer as he is a singer.”  Pete Townshend, THE WHOARTHUR BROWN is widely recognized as a pioneer of shock rock and progressive rock, and a significant influence on heavy metal. His live performances include iconic classics, dance, poetry, visuals and a subliminal soundtrack of new electronic music. Whenever he plays, Arthur still brings the dramatically elegant and always extravagant style that he established as the gold standard onstage.During his long and distinguished career, Arthur has been the lead singer of various groups, most notably THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN and KINGDOM COME, along with a cameo in the cult film “Tommy”, in which his dramatic vocals were backed by ERIC CLAPTON and THE WHO. Collaborations include the debut album of THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, DAVID GILMORE, THE PRODIGY, BRUCE DICKINSON, THE STRANGLERS, KULA SHAKER, DIE KRUPPS, and many more.

With each note on “Long Long Road”, ARTHUR BROWN makes the impressive statement that he remains as authentic, challenging, creative, and compelling as he was at his career’s fiery beginning. This record is not a swansong, but the thrilling beginning of the final phase of an utterly singular career.

Release date: June 24, 2022

THE SUN OR THE MOON Announces Debut Album “Cosmic” on Tonzonen Records! (For listeners of PINK FLOYD, Psychedelic, Kraut Rock)

In the band The Sun Or The Moon from the Rhine-Main region, four experimental and creative musicians came together in late summer 2019 to realise their sound ideas inspired by bands such as CanKraftwerk, early Pink Floyd and Radiohead.

Listen + share:

The Sun Or The Moon – Cosmic Album Teaser

The quartet has already released two digital singles on the usual streaming platforms and is now releasing Cosmic, their debut album via Tonzonen Records. The four musicians Frank Incense (vocals, bass, baritone guitar, electric sitar, modular synthesiser), George Nowak (guitar, theremin, green flute), Susanne Baum (piano and keyboards) and Niklas Ciriacy (drums and percussion instruments) describe their music as psychedelic space lounge music

Listen + watch:

The Sun Or The Moon – Cosmic (official video)

Over an electronic foundation of repetitive machine beats and sound carpets created with a modular system, The Sun Or The Moon develop hypnotic yet danceable tracks with influences from Krautrock, Psychedelic and Space Rock.

The Sun Or The Moon – Julia Dream (Pink Floyd cover, official video)

Listen + watch:

Artist: The Sun Or The Moon

Title: Cosmic
Format: 2xLP, CD, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Soulfood
Genre: Psychedelic/ Kraut Rock
Release Date: 17/09/2021

Tracklist 
1. Cosmic 
2. Twisted Kamasutra 
3. Eldorado 
4. Julia Dream 
5. Trippin’ On Mars 
6. Space Travel Agent 

Links 
Official: https://thesunorthemoon.com 
Bandcamp: https://thesunorthemoon.bandcamp.com 
Label: https://www.tonzonen.de 

VARIOUS ARTISTS // THE SLED // MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS

Here I am writing about a compilation album which you cannot buy, but is easy to obtain. Perhaps I had better let Nick Katona explain: “Each Year we host a holiday release to showcase many bands and artists that you may not be aware of; but should be. The album will feature many styles of holiday music and original music; all of which will touch your heart and soul. May it inspire you for in giving, we receive so much more. To receive your copy as a gift from MRR and with the kind permission of all of our contributing artists we ask you to commit a great act of kindness. Send us proof of you donating to your local charity of choice, it can be your time, or tangible goods such as blankets, food or clothing. Think outside of the box, donate your time at the local food bank, soup kitchen or shelter. Certainly, the hospitals would be grateful for volunteers or donate blood today and save a life. We would like to promote the good deeds of great citizens and with your permission, we will share your photos on our page set up this holiday season to spread the good news.”

15 songs, nearly 80 minutes in length: one thing I really enjoyed about this album is the sheer variety, and it has allowed me to come across bands I have not heard of before. ‘The Sled’ starts with two of these, Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra and Jack Potter. “Fall Leaves, Fall” is stunning in its arrangement, and I felt that I was listening to a reborn version of Renaissance, with beautiful orchestration, great woodwind, stunning rock guitar, and a singer who reminded me of Annie Haslam. A short piece of detective work later and I discovered that it was indeed Annie and that this song came out a few years ago. This is one of the delights of this album, as it truly is meant to be broad and wide-reaching, so while it does include songs from MRR artists, of course, it isn’t restricted to just that. Jack Potter’s “Snow Globe” is delicate, starting with just piano and again wonderful vocals, this time care of Salley Elsey. Taken from the ‘Pride Before The Fall’ album which was released earlier this year, I was reading more about it when I started filling up and had to compose myself for a minute. The reason is that one of the guitarists is none other than Colin Tench, and I don’t think any of us who knew him will ever really get over his loss last Christmas, so to find him on a Christmas album for 2018 feels both poignant and fitting. I know he would have a laugh about it.

I have always been a fan of Don Schiff, so it is great to see him here, while one of MRR’s newest signings, DC Snakebuster shows that rough and raw blues, with some great harmonica, also has a place at Christmas. Federico Fantacone provides some gorgeous piano, while Darrel Treece-Birch treats us to a song from his new album, ‘The first step..is to take one’ with the glorious “For Giving” which contains not only the sweeping keyboards we have come to expect but also some glorious guitar. Andy John Bradford is in fine form with “Raise A Glass For Christmas”, and overall the whole album is a delight.

So, what are you waiting for? This album is streaming until the end of January, but you can get your own copy now just by doing something for others at Christmas. Surely that is what the season should be about, instead of the commercial brashness it has become? Think outside the box, make a difference. Many already do so without any thought of reward, and for those who do, then here is a gift from some wonderful musicians just to say thanks.

http://melodicrevolutionrecords.com

10/10 by Kev Rowland

Casey McPherson announces new Alpha Rev release ‘Cas.e Sessions, Vol.1’

Casey McPherson, the vocalist for prog rock supergroups Flying Colors and The Sea Within, is pleased to announce the release of a new Alpha Rev album entitled ‘Alpha Rev presents Cas.e Sessions, Volume 1.’  Alpha Rev is the singer/songwriters own project that he has spearheaded since 2005.  The album is a collection of songs written over the course of the last two years as part of the singer’s monthly fan-subscription service, The Cas.e Sessions.

You can see the lyric video for the track “My Evolution” here:

After recording and performing with bands for most of his career, Casey McPherson wanted to do something outside the box, a more in-depth artistic look into life for him… so, he started a music and video experience called the Cas.e Sessions. The Cas.e Sessions explores creating songs around a relevant topic or experience and documents the whole process. Every month, the members of the Cas.e Sessions get a new song, a short documentary around the song, and an online live show, which has allowed McPherson to make a record completely independent, fully funded by the members.

Casey had this to say about the song and album:

“’My Evolution’ captures a lot of what I’ve learned from Flying Colors. I also ended up playing every instrument on the recording so that was a fun challenge. You won’t know what you’re capable of until you try! 

I didn’t intend to release the Cas.e Sessions Volume 1 to the general public, just to the Cas.e Sessions members, mostly because I recorded each song in a day and wasn’t thinking about how it would be received. Maybe that was a good thing? Looking back, I’m very proud of the journey it takes you on!”

The album is available now on digital services and download here: https://alpharev.com/album/914652/cas-e-sessions-volume-1-music
Tracklisting:
1.Changeling
2.My Evolution
3.I’m a Refugee
4.White Matter Recess
5.Everyone’s Charade
6.You Are the Peacemakers
7.Song of Aleppo
8.Write Your Name
9.Help Me
10.Stillness for Humans
Casey McPherson is a singer/songwriter who began his recording career with the band Endochine in 2004.  A year later he formed Alpha Rev and found success in the pop/alternative world with that band’s second album New Morning and that album’s title track. “New Morning” was added on VH1, and it became a top 10 hit on the AAA radio charts, as did “Sing Loud” from the 3rd record “Bloom.”

In 2012, he was approached by Flying Colors manager Bill Evans at the suggestion of drummer Mike Portnoy, who was a fan of McPherson’s band Endochine.  The singer joined Portnoy, Neal Morse, Dave LaRue and Steve Morse in Flying Colors, who released their debut album in 2012 and the follow-up Second Nature in 2014.  This unexpected entry into the world of progressive rock introduced McPherson to a whole new audience.  In 2018, he recorded a few tracks on the debut self-titled album by new prog supergroup The Sea Within, featuring Roine Stolt, Marco Minnemann, Jonas Reingold, Tom Brislin and Pain of Salvation vocalist Daniel Gildenlöw.  McPherson has since replaced Gildenlöw as the group’s full-time singer. The Sea Within are set to appear on the upcoming Cruise to the Edge, Feb, 4th-9th in Tampa, Florida.

Currently, McPherson is working with Flying Colors on the group’s 3rd studio album. He is planning an upcoming solo progressive rock album and will continue to release albums under Alpha Rev and as a solo artist.

The Neal Morse Band – The Great Adventure pre-orders Now Available

THE GREAT ADVENTURE
THE NEAL MORSE BAND PRESENTS THEIR LATEST DOUBLE CONCEPT ALBUM DUE OUT JANUARY 25, 2019 ON RADIANT RECORDS VIA METAL BLADE WORLDWIDE

NEAL MORSE: Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars
MIKE PORTNOY: Drums, Vocals
RANDY GEORGE: Bass
ERIC GILLETTE: Guitar, Vocals
BILL HUBAUER: Keyboards, Vocals

The Great Adventure Continues…

“Let the great adventure now begin…”; the closing lines of The Neal Morse Band’s last and widely acclaimed 2016 album The Similitude of a Dream (TSOAD), have proved to be strangely prophetic.

The band faced the enviable problem (like Pink Floyd, The Eagles and many other great bands before them) of having to follow up a hugely successful album, as drummer Mike Portnoy explains, “How do you follow an epic double concept album??? Well, create another epic double album!! I always knew topping The Similitude of a Dream was going to be difficult, if not impossible, as I held it in such high regard… but I am absolutely blown away with what we have achieved here! We’ve created the ultimate companion to TSOAD.”

The new album – appropriately entitled The Great Adventure – is exactly that: a perfect companion piece to TSOAD’s partial retelling of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Morse admits that the band’s original intentions on re-entering the studio were largely to produce something very different from what has resulted. However, as the writing and recording process unfolded, it gradually became clear to the band that the unerring direction in which the music was heading was to build upon the work already completed in TSOAD, again using the space that the broader canvas of the double album format provides. Bassist Randy George explains, “I was sure that the follow up to TSOAD should be something quite different, but you have to follow your heart and go where the music wants to go.”

True to the album’s title, the creative process was indeed a ‘great adventure.’ Unlike many previous Morse albums, which have often been recorded in around a week, as many as 21 days of initial recording were laid down by these prolific and world-class musicians, producing an abundance of top quality material – enough for an album lasting well over two hours. This meant some ruthless decision-making: some already completed songs and characters had to go, and with studio time running out, new links and ideas were being composed and recorded up to the eleventh hour. “A lot of work and re-work has gone into this,” says Morse, “but I know that some of the most successful and far-reaching albums I’ve been involved with have been just like that – Sola Scriptura and Spock’s Beard’s Snow album come to mind.”

Another key question that had to be addressed was how to pull all the ideas together into a coherent whole. In the end, what unlocked this ‘adventure’ for Morse was the realisation that The Great Adventure needed a new voice and perspective. This time, it is that of the Pilgrim’s abandoned son, a younger, perhaps angrier, voice than was heard on TSOAD, as George explains, “The Great Adventure is nothing short of a miracle: it’s similar to TSOAD in concept and form, but it’s tougher and deeper in tone! It’s a very powerful work and I look forward to playing it live!”

The Great Adventure has everything that fans would expect from a Neal Morse Band album, and more: rock, metal, classical and jazz elements appear throughout, as well as some killer melodies, all played faultlessly by some of the greatest rock musicians on the planet. Says Morse, “This band continues to amaze me! I have to say it was a little daunting to follow up The Similitude of a Dream, as it was such a special album and it delivered every night at our concerts. But The Great Adventure is everything that I hoped it would be! I listened through it yesterday and I was in tears at the end!”

TRACKLIST:

Act I:

Chapter 1 (12:50)
1. Overture
2. The Dream Isn’t Over

Chapter 2 (23:48)
3. Welcome To The World
4. A Momentary Change
5. Dark Melody
6. I Got To Run
7. To The River

Chapter 3 (17:59)
8. The Great Adventure
9. Venture In Black
10. Hey Ho Let’s Go
11. Beyond The Borders

Act II:

Chapter 4 (18:13)
1. Overture 2
2. Long Ago
3. The Dream Continues
4. Fighting With Destiny
5. Vanity Fair

Chapter 5 (30:57)
6. Welcome To The World 2
7. The Element Of Fear
8. Child Of Wonder
9. The Great Despair
10. Freedom Calling
11. A Love That Never Dies

Watch  “Welcome To The World” lyric video

The Neal Morse Band will take the new album on tour worldwide in early 2019: it promises to be a great adventure indeed.

The Neal Morse Band will take the new album on tour worldwide in early 2019: it promises to be a great adventure indeed.

The Great Adventure will be available in three formats:
– 2CD package
– 2CD/DVD Special Edition featuring behind-the-scenes video clips of the making of the album.
– 3 Vinyl LPs: RADIANT EXCLUSIVE – WHITE VINYL! (Purchase includes audio CDs.)

 

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW!

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER OFFERS:
– Free audio download of the first single “Welcome to the World” with ALL pre-orders.
– We will randomly pick 50 people who order in the first 24 hours (9:00 AM CST on 12/4 – 9:00 AM CST on 12/5) to receive this free exclusive framable graphic autographed by all of The Neal Morse Band!
– Enter a drawing to win the Mike Portnoy master notes from the recording sessions – autographed by Mike! Drawing to take place on December 11th.

PLUS: Three more songs from the album will be released shortly as videos (release date TBA). As they are released, those three songs will be made available as free audio downloads to all who have pre-ordered the album in any format! (You will later receive an email with a download link.)