Customer Reviews

Prog Is Not a Four Letter Word

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Have you ever seen those "Beers of the World" samplers often sold around the holidays as gift-packs for those who appreciate the unusual? Well, if you've ever gotten one, you know what a mixed bag they can be. Those samplers are precisely what Prog Is Not A Four Letter Word reminds me of. This interesting music sampler is an excursion into the obscure for those who dare to listen beyond what is offered on the radio.
I am not sure that every song here should really be classified as prog. Some seem to be mere pop songs. But there is enough to please those seeking exotic new sounds. I don't like every song, but find something appealing in half of them. At least there is nothing which has me groping for the forward button.
The best are three instrumentals: Fugue in D Minor, somewhat evocative of Procol Harum; Zuti List; and Toledo, a long jazzy number that is the finest cut on the CD.
But there are other good ones as well. I like Frustration, which features interesting vocals; Lambarya Puf De, which has some nice flute and a strong Mideastern feel; Powiedzielismy Juz Wszyztko with its haunting female singer; the extended instrumental workout of Hache OG; and Jean Claude Vannier's Roi des Mouches with its exotic Indian undertones.
If you are as musically curious as I am, then you should add this CD to your collection. At three stars its not great, but you will probably find at least a couple of songs you'll want to revisit time and time again. And you'll have some sense of what the rest of the world was doing to leave its mark on the "progressive" genre.