John Macaluso & Union Radio - The Radio Waves Goodbye (2007)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Metal / Rock / Fusion

Release Date: 2007

Label: Lion Music

John Macaluso - Drums

James LaBrie - Vocals

Mike Dimeo - Vocals

Don Chaffin - Vocals

Dina - Vocals

Shelly - Vocals

Adrian Holtz - Vocals

Suzy - Vocals

Jack Frost - Lead Guitar

Alex Masi - Lead Guitar

Marco Sfogli - Guitars/Bazuki

Chris Caffery - Guitars

Alex Rastopskin - Guitars

Larry Meyeer - Bass/Guitars

Robert Katrikh - Guitars

Vitalij Kuprij - Keyboards/Piano

Dimuti - Keyboards/Rhythm Guitars

Marty Mallinger - Keyboards

Derrik Weiland - Piano

Randy Coven - Bass

John Macaluso is one of the most respected drummers in rock. He has played on close to 200 albums, including on the highly acclaimed Ark albums, Yngwie Malmsteen's Alchemy, and TNT's Realized Fantasies. Obviously, this has helped him get some of progressive metal's finest musicians on his first solo album, which he set out to make the best ever album of his career.

The list of singers appearing on the album is stunning. From Dream Theater's James Labrie to Riot's Mike Dimeo and the new Ark vocalist Adrian Holtz, the vocal performance on the whole record is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The disc begins with the Labrie-sung "Soul in Your Mind", whose overall flow recalls Dream Theater circa Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence thanks to Vitalij Kuprij's atmospheric keyboard contributions. Macaluso's drumming is central on this song, and is arguably among his greatest performances ever. Kuprij weaves moody synth lines around the drums and a thudding bass figure while Labrie sings aggressively, leaving plenty of space for both a synth and guitar solo respectively.

Ark came to a halt when Jorn Lande left the band after 2001's amazing Burn the Sun, still among prog metal's greatest offerings. Many fans questioned whether Macaluso and Ostby could find a replacement, but despite numerous rumours, nothing much came of it. Finally, Macaluso introduces the new Ark singer Adrian Holtz (with whom they were planning to cut a new CD before shelving the idea). Holtz' vocals are incredible -- he is a monster singer and is poised to become my discovery for new voice of the year. Possessing a brilliant midrange tone, he has the ability to shift from smooth, delicate phrases to soaring screams without overdoing it. He sings on five of the songs, all of which are amazing in different ways.

Obvious reference points while describing this truly progressive metal disc would be Pink Floyd's psychedelic parts blended with the gripping melodic edge of Ark and the hallmarks of instrumental music. "The Prayer Pill" and "Dissolved", arguably the best songs on the album, are both delivered by Holtz. Both pieces are more keyboard-dominated than guitar; dark-toned synth patches cover Holtz' indelible vocal melodies, supported by sweet back-up singing courtesy of Donna and Laura Macaluso. "Dissolved" boasts modern keyboard effects drilled into the mix, juxtaposed with some Middle Eastern flavour, and is carried by jazzified soundscapes and an eerie blend of psychedelic guitars and funky bass groove. The production of this song is totally mindblowing -- perhaps the best I've heard on a Lion Music artist.

Riot and Masterplan singer Mike Dimeo's unique vocal style should also be attributed to this album's success. There are only a handful vocalists who are capable of singing any style this perfectly, and Dimeo is one of them. Vitalij Kuprij's somewhat electronic snynth intro on "Mother Illusion" is so progressive and different from 98% of music out there that I'd never believe a singer like Mike Dimeo would be asked to sing on it. This guy is simply unbelievable, and actually reminds me a good deal of Jorn Lande. Despite never picking up pace, it feels especially tailored for him, and Macaluso's kick drum tones are still unmatched. Dimeo also sings on "Gates to Bridges", which also features Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery ripping it up, but Kuprij's laidback, mood-intensive playing saves the piece from being a typical hard rocker.

On the guitarist front, besides Chris Caffery, John Macaluso has also hooked up with the rising force Marco Sfogli, whose work on James Labrie's Elements of Persuasion blew everyone away. Sfogli first weaves dense acoustic guitars on the Floydian cut "Shimmering Grey"; and then shows us the real deal when he injects a searing guitar force on the seven-minute instrumental "T-34". Having heard this song like a dozen times on repeat, I can't help but wish Macaluso would release another solo disc, all instrumental this time. It is the absolutely inspired songwriting that sets this piece apart from hundreds others; there are dazzling synths, pianos, octopus drumming, and of course the godly Marco Sfogli on this song.

If you, like me, always hoped to hear a full-blown drum solo by Macaluso, for a good four minutes, "Pretzel" is going to be your song. The dialogue between the young girl and John in the intro is hilarious, and pokes fun at all those fans who tend to go to the bathroom during shows while the drummer cuts it loose. It is one long yet totally disciplined drum solo by one of rock's best. Period. Being a solo album, Macaluso also sings lead vocals on one song, the totally jazzy "The Six Foot Under Happy Man", but I wouldn't really consider it among the album's strongest cuts. What I, however, must mention is Dimuti, who is credited as guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist on various songs, and every time I was blown away by something and checked out who it was, I came across his name. I bet lots of prog fans will want to check him out if they're unfamiliar with him.

Another high point of the CD is "Things You Should Not Know", again featuring Adrian Holtz at the helm, and if anything on the new Ark CD is going to be in this vein, everyone be prepared to be blown away. It features some nice flute melody, cool Kuprij acrobatics, phenomenal drumming, and face-ripping guitar work by Alex Masi, another Lion Music artist. Speaking of which, Lion Music reminds me a lot of Magna Carta in the 90's (remember when they were still a cool label?) where every musician would guest on each other's albums, and add their own signature to the compositions. This disc reminds me a lot of that -- and it contains striking melodic strength with top-notch musicianship without overstepping the limits of the compositions.

Lyrically, the album seems to explore themes of religion, the occult, and spirituality; but fear not, there is nothing preachy here. In fact, the airy keyboards, creepy sound structures, and somewhat spacey overall vibes unite seamlessly with the subject matter discussed.

This is going to be a top release of 2007. Highly recommended.
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz

David Cross – Memos From Purgatory (1989)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Rock, Jazz Rock/Fusion

Release Date: 1989

Label: KING Records

(Review from progarchives.com, scaruffi.com)

This is the first album David Cross released under his own name. Like on his later albums, Cross is supported by several other musicians, but more than his other albums, “Memos From Purgatory” sounds like a solo album, even though three of the eight songs were written by Sheila Maloney. The album is completely instrumental.

David Cross also directed the staging of “Memos From Purgatory” at the Half Moon Theatre and other venues using dancers, musicians, lights, slides, etc.

David Cross - violin

Pete McPhail - saxophone

Sheila Maloney - keyboards

Simon Murrell - bass

Dan Maurer - drum

Biography by Geoff Orens

The violinist for King Crimson from 1972 to 1974, David Cross later launched a solo career with the David Cross Band, which featured an interesting sound comprised of violin, bass, keyboards, drums, and saxophones.

David Cross was born in Turnchapel, England, near Plymouth. After leaving King Crimson, Cross formed the improvisational rock group Ascend, and spent the better part of the 1970s and 1980s composing for and working with theater groups in a variety of capacities. His first solo release was Memos from Purgatory (1989), which was later staged by Cross. With the David Cross Band, Cross moved between improvisational pieces and more composed ones. While the music bears some similarity to 1970s King Crimson, it is slower-paced with musical phrases and ideas that appear out of nowhere and disappear as quickly, leading some to call his music underdeveloped. 1998's Exiles was more song-oriented and featured guest appearances by Crimson alumni Robert Fripp, Peter Hammill, John Wetton, and Peter Sinfield. In 1999, Cross formed Noisy Records.

Steve Morse Band - The Introduction (1984)

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Genre: Instrumental Rock, Guitar virtuoso

Release Date: 1984

Label: Musician

There's a reason Steve Morse is one of the most respected guitarists alive; he's a virtuoso that can speak, sing and cry through his instrument with a sense of melody that touches on the divine. Like seemingly every Morse album I've ever heard, The Introduction is the kind of disc you spin once to give a good first listen, then end up spinning incessantly for the next week just because there's so much to hear. It touches on any style it comes across but leaves no mistake just who you're listening to. As an introduction, though, it's probably not the best one to pay full price for. I'm happy my first buy was the wonderful Structural Damage instead.
First off: there's a lot to recommend this album. The opening "Cruise Missile" ranks with the most powerful, blazing road anthems the man's produced. The rock/jazz/country diversity he showed through all those Dregs albums is in fine form, as you can probably guess from titles like "Mountain Waltz" and "General Lee." The playing is skilled enough to make fellow musicians grit their teeth with envy. It's heavy enough to wail out of your speakers and happy enough to bring a bright ray of sunshine into any day. Most importantly, the writing is just as important as the performances themselves; those who like good string-bending and those who look for a good composition will both find a lot to enjoy here. Those who like a good lyric should just be warned that Steve does instrumental work.

Then why does it not quite live up to its title? For one thing, it stands at a quick 34 minutes. For another, it's in dire need of remastering - it sounds pretty good if you crank the volume up a lot, but it lacks the near-perfect sound mix of later offerings like Major Impacts. Forgivable, true (it was 1984 after all), but along with the fine remastering treatment some of the Dregs catalogue has been receiving, The Introduction is past due for a sonic overhaul of its own. The guitar world will be just that much better for it. If you know Morse's music already and want to hear more, you wouldn't want to be without any of them. If not, a good starter would be Structural Damage (if you can still find it), High Tension Wires or this year's Split Decision. It only takes one to get hooked.. ~ Amazon.com

Santana - Santana 1969 [2007 UDCD 773]

Genre: Rock/Pop/Soul

Style: Rock, Blues-Rock, Fusion, Latin Rock

Format: flac + cue + log

Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab [UDCD 773] 2007

Original Release Date: 1969

*The Santana legend on record starts here, a multi-million-seller that popped two great singles ( "Jingo," "Evil Ways" ) and became a concept album listening experience in the bargain. Released in-store the day after Woodstock (August 19, 1969), the LP mixed the classic Santana recipe: a rockin' bitches brew of Soul, R&B, Afro-Cuban, Mexican, blues and jazz, and cooked it through the free form jam mode that ruled the Fillmore West stage. The original 6-man lineup cut this LP in three weeks: Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals), Dave Brown (bass), Mike Shrieve (drums), Jose "Chepito"Areas and Mike Carabello (percussion).










1. Waiting
2. Evil Ways
3. Shades of Time
4. Savor
5. Jingo
6. Persuasion
7. Treat
8. You Just Don't Care
9. Soul Sacrifice

Carlos Santana - vocals, guitar, congas, percussion

Michael Shrieve - Drums

Neal Schon - Guitar

Tower of Power - Horn

Luis Gasca - Trumpet

Jose Chepitу Areas - Percussion, Conga, Timbales

Gregg Rolie - Organ, Organ, Piano, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals

Coke Escovedo - Percussion

David Brown - Bass

Mike Carabello - Percussion, Conga

Alberto Gianquinto - Arranger, Arranger

Before the arrival of Carlos Santana's eponymous band, the San Francisco rock scene drew the inspiration for its jam-oriented music mainly from blues, rock, and Eastern modalities. Santana added Latin music to the mix, forever changing the course of rock & roll history. On Santana's groundbreaking debut album, the group mixes Latin percussion with driving rock grooves. Santana's unique guitar style, alternately biting and liquid, vies with the multiple percussionists for the sonic focus. Unlike later efforts, Santana's first album features an abundance of loose collective compositions based on a couple of simple riffs ("Jingo," "Soul Sacrifice"). This approach allows for Santana and his bandmates to flex their improvisational muscles to fine effect. The high energy level on SANTANA is infectious--the laid-back feel of other '60s S.F. groups was clearly not for Carlos and company.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 150 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Sony Legacy Edition of Santana's 1969 self-titled debut album is exactly the kind of deluxe treatment that the repackaging and remastering of a classic album deserves. Fine liner notes by Hal Miller guide the listener through the historical journey of this record. First, there is a stunningly remastered version of the original album, front and center with alternate takes of "Savor" and "Soul Sacrifice" added, as well as a studio jam. Musically, Santana is the spot on the map marking the point where everything came together, mutated, and changed. Here Afro-Cuban son, blues, rock, jazz, and funk collided head on, and decided to become something else. Gregg Rolie's swirling, atmospheric organ provided the sonic root equation. Santana's guitar provided the frenzied flight, and Michael Shrieve's Elvin Jones/Roy Haynes-inspired driving kit work provided a dynamic commensurate with the visceral nature of rock. This was not aided, but made possible and furthered by the percussion work of Joe Areas and Michael Caravello, and anchored to earth only by David Brown's rock-solid, dirty-assed bassing. Sure, "Evil Ways" was a monster single, but it doesn't begin to tell the story of the album. Interestingly, with the all the bonus material added, the album doesn't even tell the story of the album. What does offer the key is disc two, which includes the band's original studio sessions for the album -- before the addition of Shrieve and Areas to the band. These tracks, almost all of which appeared in different form on the final version, revealed a talented, original, but loosely focused and slightly timid jamming ensemble that put together some compelling riffs and ideas, but hadn't jelled in a studio setting. Add to this Santana's complete Woodstock performance (with four previously unreleased tracks which took place before the album's release date) and the listener gets floored just contemplating the final release. That in four months, this band had gone from being green and naïve to becoming command performers. This is a remarkable, welcome, and definitive addition to the Santana catalog and raises the watermark for all reissues as well...T. Jurek

Jeff Beck - Wired 1976 (MFSL UDCD 531 Gold Japan)

Perpetual Flame (2008)

Genre: Rock, Jaz-Rock, Fusion 
Format: Ape+ cue + log
Released: 1976 
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Number of Discs: 1

Line Up :

Jeff Beck - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass
Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. - Bass
Max Middleton - Clavinet, Rhodes piano, Keyboards
Jan Hammer -Drums, Engineer, Synthesizer, Remixing, Producer

Richard Bailey - Drums

Ed Greene - Drums
 Narada Michael Walden - Drums, Piano

Track Listings:

1. Led Boots

2. Come Dancing

3. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

4. Head For Backstage Pass

5. Blue Wind

6. Sophie

7. Play With Me

8. Love Is Green

Jazz-rock fusion music has no greater exponent than Jeff Beck, whose latest album, Wired, demonstrates how vital this genre can be. Even more important, Wired presents Beck in a context that finally satisfies both his uncompromising musical standards and commercial necessity.
Beck's first group, the Yardbirds, was the most inventive of the early Sixties British blues bands and is now credited with producing three of the most important electric guitarists of the past ten years -- Eric Clapton, Beck and Jimmy Page. Both Clapton (with Cream) and Page (with Led Zeppelin) became famous after leaving the Yardbirds. But Beck remained a relatively obscure figure. This despite the fact that the hits following "I'm a Man" -- "For Your Love," "Shapes of Things," "Over Under Sideways Down," "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" -- were all powered by his brilliantly manic lead guitar. In comparison, Clapton was an extremely conservative stylist and Page, merely a technician. But Beck's guitar work was visionary: "Shapes of Things" shows his mastery over raga-style guitar solos and multitracking, ideas which were in their infancy at the time. Beck experimented with blues progressions, using feedback and other distortion techniques to push the electric guitar's expressive capabilities into new areas, as well as developing rock and R&B styles along the same lines. After leaving the Yardbirds, Beck made a classic solo album, Truth, with a band which included Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. Page, meanwhile, formed his own band, Led Zeppelin, whose music was a variation on Beck's concept (compare the versions of "You Shook Me" on Truth and the first Led Zeppelin album). He returned two years later with a jazz-accented R&B outfit based around keyboardist Max Middleton and singer Bob Tench. Their two albums featured a lighter, more progressive guitar style. But Beck was still not satisfied and tried a brief, disastrous fling into heavy metal with the ex-Vanilla Fudge/Cactus rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice. Last year, producer George Martin reunited Beck and Middleton for their greatest collaboration, Blow by Blow, which became Beck's best-selling solo album and established him firmly in the jazz-rock hierarchy. But Beck was only developing ideas he'd been playing with for years. On Wired, Beck invites a direct and favorable comparison with John McLaughlin (with whom he toured last year) by collaborating with ex-Mahavishnu keyboardist Jan Hammer and his band. Martin didn't score any of the horn arrangements because Hammer's synthesizer fills all those spaces, but the album is better recorded and has a much fuller sound than Blow by Blow. Middleton's contribution is still essential -- his one song, "Led Boots," opens the album at its hottest pace and it's definitely enhanced by the interplay with Hammer's keyboards and Beck's guitar. Hammer's synthesizers work from Middleton's clavinette base, and Beck stitches runs in between. Beck wrote no songs for this record in order to concentrate on his playing, but he dominates the album conceptually. You can tell "Head for Backstage Pass" is bassist Wilbur Bascomb's song from the bass solo that kicks it off, but from there it's all that Beck/Middleton Metal Motown Machine. Drummer Narada Michael Walden contributed four songs, three of which sound like they could have easily come from the Blow by Blow sessions. "Sophie" shows the distance between McLaughlin's cerebral meandering and Beck's incisive, witty compositional ability as the song moves from an introspective theme to an incredibly hard-edged composition. Hammer swings here in a sweating, un-self-conscious ride of pure joy that needs no guru for inspiration. Hammer's "duet" with Beck, "Blue Wind," builds phased rhythm guitars against the tension of those slogging, perfectly imprecise drums into an anthem pitch with furious overhead. Beck's cover of the Charles Mingus ode to Lester Young, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," is an unlikely if not unappreciated inclusion that seems to understated to clock in as more than a tentative exploration of an already well-covered tune, but Beck's soloing, as usual, carries it off with some bizarre phrasing and adventurous distortion. Many of Beck's older fans claim he's toned down to play this music, but listening closely, you can hear all the fire and imagination that has characterized every phase of his career. Wired is the realization of a style Beck has been working toward for years, and should finally attract the recognition he deserves. - John Swenson, Rolling Stone, 7/29/76.