Prog & Roll radio show (12/6/16) with special guests. A small "review" & the complete playlist.

  Hello all!

  Last night, one more Prog & Roll radio show was online as usual. This time we had a special show prepared, as I had announced in the previous days. During the 2 hours of the  show we made a small “presentation” on the triple concept album The Clockwork Fable, recorded by Gandalf’s Fist. 

Furthermore, we played the most interesting parts of the interview we took from Stefan Hepe, the band’s drummer, who joined our chat box as our special guest. We did a music quiz as well, in which we gave as prizes to the winners 2 download codes in order to be able to download the album in its complete form, together with the covers, the booklet etc. The download codes were offered by the members of Gandalf’s Fist and we would like to thank them for that!

  We had many people in our chat-box once more, and many more who were just listening without participating, from many countries. As far as I know, we had listeners from France, England, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Canada and Australia! And that is something I want to specially mention! I’m very proud to say that since last night we can say that Prog & Roll during the years it is active it had listeners from the 6 out of the 7 continents of the world! The only continents were missing were Australia and South America, but since last night there is only one left. So, during these 4 years, we had listeners from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, Australia and even Antarctica! (Although Antarctica was a special occasion). The only one that is still missing is South America.

As for the songs we played, you can see them here:

Part 1: PARADIGM SHIFT: The Shift / THE FLOWER KINGS: Fireghost / Interview with Stefan Hepe Pt.1 / GANDALF’S FIST: The Traveller & the Lighter (Album’s intro) / GANDALF’S FIST: Shadowborn.

Part 2: GAZPACHO: The Cage / Interview with Stefan Hepe Pt.2 / GANDALF’S FIST: Eve’s Song / LIFE LINE PROJECT: Moment / CICCADA: She Went for Love.

Part 3:  ANNIE HASLAM: Moonlight Shadow - Live (Music quiz) / BIG BIG TRAIN: Telling the Bees / Interview with Stefan Hepe Pt.3 / GANDALF’S FIST: The Lamplighter (Parts XIV – XV) / MOSTLY AUTUMN: The Library.

Part 4:  BLOOD CEREMONY: Loreley / COSMOS: Skygarden / Interview with Stefan Hepe Pt.4 / GANDALF’S FIST: The Lamplighter (Parts IX – XIII).

I would like to say a very big thanks to all those who tuned in last night, hoping you enjoyed the music and the show in general. A special thanks to Stefan Hepe, and to the musicians who are members of the small musician’s community in our chat-box, like Mike Kershaw and Benjamin Bell for example. Prog & Roll will have a week’s break on the 19^th of June, and it will be back on the 26^th of June.

Till then, take care!

Thank you!

GFreedom's Juke Box No.166

Hello All! :-)
After a small break, my usual weekly 'Juke Box' post is back again. 
Those who are following or checking my blog from time ot time know that this 'Juke Box' post is nothing more than my weekly Top-5 songlist.
So, from all the songs I've listened to during this week, I picked the following as my best ones:
GAZPACHO: The Cage (Demon - 2014)
CURVED AIR: Lovechild (Lovechild - 1973)
JOURNEY: Of a Lifetime (Journey - 1975)
GANDALF'S FIST: The Lamplighter (Parts IX - XIII) (The Clockwork Fable - 2016)
BIG BIG TRAIN: The Transit of Venus Across the Sun (Folklore - 2016)
By clicking on the following links you will be able to listen to the songs in my list right away. Well, the ones I could find in YT at least.
Enjoy the songs, and have a nice weekend. :-)
GAZPACHO: The Cage
CURVED AIR: Lovechild
JOURNEY: Of a Lifetime

Prog & Roll welcomes Gandalf's Fist on June 12th...

  I’m writing this post in order to inform you about this Sunday’s (12/6) special Prog & Roll radio show. 

  We are  very glad to announce that on this show we are going to have some members of the UK-based band Gandalf’s Fist as “guests on the chat box”, and during the 2 hours of the show we are going to make a small presentation of their excellent new album The Clockwork Fable, (among other things of course).

The Clockwork Fable is a triple-cd concept album, and since it’s release it has received triumphant critics and reviews. In case you are interested, you can read my "review" here: http://gfreedomathina.blogspot.gr/2016/05/gandalfs-fist-clockwork-fable-2016.html

Further than that, during the show we are going to play some parts of the very interesting interview we took from the band’s drummer Stefan Hepe. But there is more! At the start of the 2^nd hour, we will do our usual music quiz once more and the 2 winners will take a copy of The Clockwork Fable as prize. This was an offer from the guys of Gandalf’s Fist and we thank them for that.

So, if on this Sunday you are free and in the mood, try not to miss Prog & Roll, it is going to be a special one for sure!

I’m reminding you that Prog & Roll is a live show and the broadcast is mostly in English, but also in Greek as well. Our show begins at 20.00 UK time, and in case you are interested, here’s the link to tune in: www.justincaseradio.com

That’s all for now, I hope to “see” you there!

Thank you!

BIG BIG TRAIN: Folklore (2016). My first impression and thoughts...

 I discovered Big Big Train with the release of the album The Underfall Yard in 2009. My first impression was that they were good, but they were reminding me of the after-Gabriel era of Genesis, that’s why I didn’t pay so much attention. Next, the albums English Electric Parts 1&2 were released, which were really beautiful ones. That was the point where I started paying attention to their music, and realized that it takes some time in order to fully “digest” and appreciate their music. And now, almost 3 years after English Electric Pt.2, Big Big Train returned with their brand new album named Folklore.

  I have the album in my hands for just a few days, so consider this as a first impression, rather than a review.

  Folklore, includes all the ingredients that characterize Big Big Train’s sound. The beautiful long compositions, the sad melodies, the “mellow” and melancholic overall coating, etc. I read in some reviews that in this album the band tried to blend Rock or - Progressive Rock if you like - with traditional English Folk. I’m sorry, but I don’t see that, with only very few exceptions. I consider myself as a “fan” of English Folk and Folk Rock music, and I was kind of looking forward to listen to this album for that reason. But the Folk elements are very few, in my opinion of course, and they pass unnoticed in most occasions.

  The opening song is kind of a disappointing one, if you exclude the very impressive but small symphonic intro, and I don’t understand why the band chose this song as their first You Tube “release”.

  Further than the opening song, the album gives a “massive” feeling, with very few ups and downs, but to my ears is obvious the absence of a very “strong” moment, like ‘Swan Hunter’ or ‘Hedgerow’ or even ‘Judas Unrepentant’ for example.

  The compositions are in the usual high standards of Big Big Train, with the pleasant surprise being the variety of instruments that has been used. The line-up members are no less than 8, plus 8 more session musicians playing a really big variety of instruments, which there is no reason to mention here.

  As for my favourite songs, so far are: London Plane, Wassail and The Transit of Venus Across the Sun.

I feel the need to listen to Folklore a few more times in order to have a more thorough opinion, but so far these are my thoughts more or less.

As for my rating, I don’t think I would give more than 3 out of 5 stars.

By clicking on the following link you will be able to see Folklore's trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8MzlCvQqn8

Prog & Roll Radio show (5/6/2016) with Drifting Sun as guests. A small review & the complete playlist.

  After a week's absence, last night Prog & Roll was online once more.

  This time we had a presentation prepared on Drifting Sun's new album 'Safe Asylum'. We had some musicians in our audience once more, including Pat Sanders and Will Jones of Drifting Sun, together with Marco De Angelis from Rome Italy, and Benjamin Bell from UK.

  I dare say that it was a cool and fun show, with lots of nice songs. We did our music quiz once more, and the winner of the quiz took as a prize a CD copy of Safe Asylum, signed by Pat Sanders himself.

  We had people from many different countries in our chatbox once more, and I want to believe that everybody enjoyed the whole thing.

  As for next Sunday (12/6/16), we are preparing a very special show, during which we will present the new fantastic triple concept album The Clockwork Fable by Gandalf's Fist. Furthermore, we will play the most interesting parts from the interview we took from their drummer Stefan Hepe, together with a few more surprises.

So, try not to miss that show, it's going to be a really good one!

  Here you can take a look at last night's playlist if you are interested:

Part 1: MARCO DE ANGELIS: Never Look Back / NEAL MORSE: Another World / HASSE FROBERG MUSICAL COMPANION: Everything Can Change / DRIFTING SUN: Gods / GANDALF’S FIST: The Circus in the Clearing.

Part 2: FISH: 13^th Star / DRIFTING SUN: The Hidden Truth / CAMEL: Breathless / DAVID BOWIE: The Prettiest Star / COCKNEY REBEL: Hideway.  

 Part 3: STEVE HACKETT: The Chamber of 32 Doors (Music Quiz) / DAVE KERZNER: The Lie / DRIFTING SUN: Wonderland.

Part 4: PORCUPINE TREE: Shallow / THE MINSTREL’S GHOST: Avalon (Pt.3) / FLYING COLORS: Bombs Away / DRIFTING SUN: Desolation - Retribution.

  I would like to thank all those to chose to spend their Sunday night/afternoon with us, and especially Pat Sanders, Will Jones, Marco De Angelis and Benjamin Bell for being our "musical community" on the chatbox once more.