Circuline’s new concert recording CircuLive::NewView (they say) is “modern cinematic progressive rock.” Well, I say, this is melodic and molten rock that sizzles right out of the pizza prog oven.
And, yeah, it is pretty “modern” (with DVD and Blu-ray extras).
Now for a retro confession: Bless me father, I bought Close to the Edge on the day of its release. Ditto for Gentle Giant’s Power and the Glory and King Crimson’s Islands.
And, speaking of Crimso, back in the early ’70s, when it was the liberal education soup du jour in any self-respecting high school English class to allow each student to bring a favorite song into class and explain its merit, I attempted to enlighten the class with the verities of “21st Century Schizoid Man.” Sadly, the kids in the class much preferred Elton John’s “Honky Cat.” In fact, there was an in-depth discussion of the lines “It’s like trying to find gold in a silver mine. / It’s like trying to drink whiskey from a bottle of wine,” which fellow classmate Bill Hogie (an argent Beatles’ fan!) claimed to have explained those “seven levels” Paul McCartney discovered the first time he smoked pot.
So, to quote the great Peter Green and his Fleetwood Mac, “oh, well.” And, just for the progressive-rock street cred record, I think Foxtrot’s “Supper’s Ready” is the “toppermost of the poppermost” of progressive rock music. That said, at least you know the value of my driver’s license.
Just a note: Of course, prog rock flirts with the classics, and that aegis is held by Julliard grad keyboard guy Andrew Coyler; and in pairing this hybrid to the classical literary tradition of a (somewhat belated) invocation for the good charm and guidance of higher powers while writing about epic rock music, (and referencing the Beatles for a third time!) allow me to evoke the Muse in charge of all record reviews, and just say, “Baby, you can drive my car.”
Now, to the music on Circuline’s CircuLive::NewView, which is set for release on Oct. 9, 2020 and available for preorder now via Inner Nova Music: “Intro/Erosion” mumbles and grumbles a bit, and (sort of) lands a big spaceship, ala Tony Banks’ mellotron in the beginning of “Watcher of the Skies.” Then prog on all its cylinders sparks into the delightful “Soleil Noir.” The tune injects vitamin whatever and energetic rock pulse back into music that drifted into jazz complexities, a Tangerine synthesized sequencer Dream, and (even worse!) the Phil-fronted Genesis! Analog prog passion rides again! A bit of an appetizer, that one!
“One Wish” highlights the vocal acuity of Natalie Brown, and then it spins into tough (almost, but never quite) metal territory. Alek Darson’s guitar sings to, and well, beats the hell out of the heavens, while Circuline manages (with a dissonant keyboard bit) a pretty great musical street fight with any local punk rock band.
To these old ears, “Nautilus” gets absurdly clever in a Gentle Giant tradition, with weird rocking counterpoint. Billy Spillane is in the vocal saddle, but Natalie’s voice halos the harmony. This pays homage to the Giant’s In a Glass House, rough prog rock ‘n’ roll period that will always, thankfully, break a lot of glass.
By the way, this is pretty great music. And, because Circuline’s CircuLive::NewView was recorded in concert, there are solo spots. Case in point: “Piano Challenge” is a wondrous free-form collage of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition “Prominade,” Keith Emerson’s Tarkus “Eruption,” and (never being a classical lover) references I can’t identify. But, no matter, because the whole thing erupts into a rock ‘n’ roll cornucopia, with an adamant guitar pulse stuffing itself into the certain classical mix.
“Hollow” follows. It’s epic prog. The piano shimmers an intro, until the big electric Circuline band punches with dual-voiced drama. Pause. And then that piano shimmers (again!) over Darin Brannon’s drums and Joel Simches’ bass. There’s a huge vocal bit, which cedes its space to let guitarist Alek Darson burn high-octane gasoline, and at about the 8:35 mark, there’s a brief keyboard dance that echoes the sacred mid-section of Tony Banks’ “One for the Vine.” The tune then sprints to its cacophonous and hydra-headed conclusion. “Hollow” could well be the musical twin of Escher’s Relativity lithograph, which “depicts a world in which the laws of normal gravity do not apply.” (As always, thank you Wikipedia!)
By the way, the same thing could be said about Yes’s “Siberian Khatru.”
A few short songs diffuse the pressure. “Return” is an acoustic guitar framed with a passionate vocal that recalls Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore,” or anything from ’70s pastoral British folk scene. It’s a nice respite. And the band’s cover of the Sound of Contact’s “Pale Blue Dot” adds an arena rock catchy pulse.
“Forbidden Planet” is, again, an acoustic and languid tune that simply yearns with prog-rock dramatization, with a brief, infectious, and mandatory (on a live album) drum solo to boot! Uriah Heep’s “Sweet Freedom” comes to mind. Now, I hate to say the obvious, but “Inception” does (sort of) sound like Anne Haslam and Renaissance, with an electric guitar hero in their midst; but this is a much tougher sound than “Ashes Are Burning” which guested Andy Powell (of Wishbone Ash fame!).
Odd—guitarist guy Alek Darson (all the way from Serbia!) gets his spotlight moment with “Fallout Shelter,” which is atmospheric molten guitar music that eventually rocks the hell out of any sonic comfort; yet, in a weird wavelength way, it gives a pretty nice early Floydian ride into outer space. And, quite frankly, in a deeply beautiful way, it conjures the texture of Nordic guitar genius (and ECM recording star!) Terje Rypdal, circa his brilliant Waves album.
Now, in keeping with the culinary theme (what with the already mentioned pizza prog oven ad that bit of an appetizer), let’s just say that “Summit” is yet another trip to this hefty progressive rock smorgasbord.
Of course, the great William Blake once wrote, “Enough! Or too much.” And, to get all literary (again!), there’s a simple answer to that eternal question in the wise words of Oliver Twist: “Please sir, I want some more.”
Indeed! But thankfully, “Summit” is a new entrée all together: It delves into the Canterbury jazz-rock orbit with a sound not dissimilar to Hatfield and the North, National Health or, perhaps, Brand X. And Andrew Colyer’s keyboards positively twinkle with prog charm.
The final tune, “Stereotypes,” is the appropriate ending exclamation point for Circuline’s CircuLive::NewView. To continue the silly Dinner at the Ritz motif, I might suggest that it’s a really nice dessert. But rather, I would prefer to shout this album’s prog-rock charms that melodically cross pollinate (in an ever-loving vibe) the highbrow classical with the leather-coated pulse of Hamburg’s Reeperbahn, and (finally) say to all classically inclined Muses everywhere, “Oh you bet baby, you can (still!) drive my car.”
And, by the way, in fond memory of (the great) Keith Emerson who prog-rocked the world, and his famous Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos), let’s just sincerely add with eternal thanks: “Beep beep’m beep beep – yeah.”
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