To The Stars - Resistor

To The Stars (Resistor, 2014)

1. To The Stars - 11:47
2. Random Values - 2:59
3. I, of the Hurricane - 4:34
4. Train To Tucana - 7:09
5. Atlantis' Final Flight - 6:08
6. Little Lie - 5:21
7. AnnihilExcavation - 8:38
8. The Boy With His Brain Out In Space - 12:52

Creative guitar-based progressive rock married to adventurous, Lovecraftian lyrics?  Yes please!  I guess only "I, of the Hurricane", "AnnihilExcavation", and "The Boy With His Brain Out In Space" are outright sci-fi/horror stories that remind me of the master of weird fiction, but the other songs include strong themes or resonances, whether it is the shuttle launch of "Atlantis' Final Flight", the monster-like personification in "Little Lie", or the "sensing ancient secrets from afar" lyrics in "To The Stars". With music as epic as the lyrical content, yet always retaining a sense of fun, To The Stars is another great album from this independent Rhode Island-based band.

The thing I love about this band is their tightness and focus.  Fran Turner and Steve Unruh craft dense, rich guitar textures out of which tuneful solos for guitar, violin, and flute are born. Rob Winslow and Barry Farrands on bass and drums (respectively) carve out melodic space for their instruments in subtle ways, yet they are always ready to lock in with the guitars on dramatic unison riffs ("I, of the Hurricane") or to drive the shape and dynamic of a slow-building instrumental section ("To The Stars", "Atlantis' Final Flight" or "The Boy...") until it reaches the perfect tension point.  Then there are those glorious times where the pot boils over, like when Fran's guitar and Steve's violin trade solos on "Train To Tucana" (including, I'm pretty sure, a musical quote from a childhood taunt - or maybe it's from a classic Italian opera, I'm not sure) or when the band delivers hard-hitting, skewed stop-time metal merged with Pink Floyd-style atmospherics on "AnnihilExcavation".  And Steve displays some serious vocal range, hitting soaring high notes and even a few Opeth-like growls (namely when the dead are walking).

For those who like tight, adventurous rock with a sense of humor and imagination, Resistor is not to be missed, and To The Stars delivers.

Arbitrary rating: 5 out of 5 ancient secrets from afar

Music from Air - Steve Unurh

Music From Air (Steve Unruh, 2014)

1. Overture - 3:46
2. The Measure That's Missing - 4:40
3. Broken Love Song (feat. Dylan Paul, vox) - 3:58
4. Ghost Song (feat. Granvile O'Neal, vox) - 5:34
5. Astral Shards - 5:04
6. Salamander Swing (feat. Stan Kessler, trumpet) - 1:41
7. Silent Crescendo (feat. Jennifer Coville, vox) - 4:24
8. Life Without Pain - 6:16
9. Orchestral Theme from Air (feat. Lawrence Chamber Orchestra) - 3:10
10. Overcorrection - 2:50
11. Donnie's Punk Marching Band Tune (feat. Dylan Paul, vox and the BRC Brass Band) - 2:43
12. Dusk - 1:52
13. Hey There Love Tonight (feat. Granvile O'Neal and Laura Cossey, vox) - 3:51
14. Air Minor Blues (feat. Stan Kessler, trumpet) - 3:38
15. Escape - 2:26
16. The Measure That's Missing (String Quartet Version) - 3:17

An independent artist's soundtrack to an independent musical, Music From Air is about as legit as it gets. I still need to see the movie at some point, but I wanted to hear the music first. With such a diverse song cycle covering folk, jazz, country, classical, doo-wop, hard rock, punk, rap, and blues, the album defies the odds of its incredible breadth and coalesces into an organic and unified whole.

The solo Steve songs here are fantastic.  "The Measure That's Missing" is a sharp-edged, high-octane rocker that's just breathtakingly fun. The instrumental "Astral Shards" weaves a mesmerizing delayed guitar pattern into dramatic guitar and violin solos. "Life Without Pain", "Dusk", and "Escape" are poignant, beautiful ballads that showcase introspective melodicism, while "Overcorrection" is a treat - some white boy rap with fun rhythmic play in the 5/8-over-4/4 chorus.

The guest artists are just as delightful.  All the vocalists are exceptionally talented. Dylan Paul brings infectious exuberance that turns delicate and fragile on a dime. Granvile O'Neal has a warm and tender style on "Ghost Song".  I wanted to hear him duet with Steve, but if we have to choose duet partners, I'm glad we got the outstanding Laura Cossey on "Hey There Love Tonight". Jennifer Coville's performance on "Silent Crescendo" mixes self-deprecation, disappointment, anger, and resignation to fine effect.  Stan Kessler's trumpet work on the jazzy "Salamander Swing" (which also features an awesome bass solo!) and "Air Minor Blues" is top-notch, as is the BRC Brass Band's performance on "Donnie's Punk Marching Band Tune" and the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra in "Orchestral Theme From Air".  Of course, Steve wrote and arranged it all, and he plays every other instrument on the album, including acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, piano, keyboard, violin, flute, and I'm sure I'm missing several instruments...

Perhaps the best testaments to the high quality and depth of this diverse album are the opening and closing tracks. The "Overture" incorporates overt themes from at least five of the songs, with stylistic shout-outs to several more in its brief three and half minutes, yet it sounds like a single musical work.  Meanwhile, on the other end of the album, the string quartet version of "The Measure That's Missing" transforms the high-energy aggression of the original into a calming, gorgeous instrumental that makes the melodies entirely new. Such a fantastic ending to an exceptional album.

Arbitrary rating: 5 out of 5 melodies made new

A Life Within A Day - Squackett

A Life Within A Day (Squackett, 2012)

1. A Life Within A Day - 6:36
2. Tall Ships - 6:18
3. Divided Self - 4:06
4. Aliens - 5:33
5. Sea of Smiles - 5:25
6. The Summer Backwards - 3:01
7. Stormchaser - 5:27
8. Can't Stop the Rain - 5:48
9. Perfect Love Song - 4:04

Side projects from Yes's outstanding bass player Chris Squire are few and far between, but thankfully they are multiplying in the 21st century. This album is a collaboration between Squire and classic Genesis guitarist/solo artist Steve Hackett. Those familiar with the 80s are probably seeing red flags, since the last time Hackett joined forces with a Yes man, this happened. But not to fear, these veterans bring their storied and seasoned experience to a set of truly outstanding songs, untempered by ill-advised pop-stardom-seeking.  (In case you clicked on my malicious little link, here's something to take that sound out of your ears.)

These two just sound so natural together.  The album sounds fantastic, with their vocals meshing perfectly in a series of mid-length progressive songs that mix the best of classic Yes and Genesis with strong songwriting, Beatle-esque melodic harmonies, and Led Zeppelin stomp. Steve Hackett's guitar work is simultaneously tasteful and jaw-dropping, laying down atonal jazz solos one minute, emotive slide the next, blistering rock around this corner, calming classical around that.  And Chris Squire's bass playing is hungry, athletic, and beautifully highlighted throughout. Complemented by the keyboard playing and arranging of Roger King and the tight drumming of Jeremy Stacey, A Life Within A Day is a treat.

A sense of light-hearted humour (British spelling required) underlies the proceedings, whether it's the self-referential poke at their respective bands' 70's glory days on "Aliens", the cheeky Hamlet-bashing on the upbeat "Divided Self", the Ukrainian Bell Carol quote in "Stormchaser", or the gloriously sunny chorus of "Sea of Smiles", the pervading warmth sets these songs a step above the sum of their (quite considerable) parts, which means any qualms about supergroup pitfalls can be put to rest. A superb album from two of progressive rock's trailblazers.

Arbitrary rating: 5 out of 5 senses of light-hearted humour

Heaven and Earth - Yes

Heaven and Earth (Yes, 2014)

1. Believe Again - 8:02
2. The Game - 6:52
3. Step Beyond - 5:34
4. To Ascend - 4:44
5. In A World Of Our Own - 5:20
6. Light Of The Ages - 7:41
7. It Was All We Knew - 4:13
8. Subway Walls - 9:03

Fifty-five years after their first album, and the only constant is change.  With new vocalist and songwriter Jon Davison of Glass Hammer fully integrated into the creative process, there is a sense of exploration on this album. Where 2011's Fly From Here seemed a bit more controlled and intentional, Heaven and Earth has the doors wide open in the best Yes tradition, playing with styles and genres for the sake of play, with mixed results.

Overall, the tone is light, even poppy, with focus on vocal melodies, harmonies, and the trademark Yes instrumentation. The older guys bring simpler, easygoing song structures, like Chris Squire's "In A World Of Our Own" or Steve Howe's "It Was All We Knew", both of which have more in common with late-60s rock than prog. A sense of warm nostalgia pervades many of the songs, with no musical idea rejected because it's not "proggy" enough. But don't get me wrong - there are plenty of elevated musical moments, particularly in the stately Davison composition "Light Of The Ages" or Davison and Geoff Downes' dramatic and mystical "Subway Walls". The tension between comfortable backward glances and musical stretching provides some interesting moments, though perhaps the mixture weakens the impact of the album as a whole.

The strongest element for me is the vocal performance.  Davison, Squire, and Howe harmonize beautifully together, especially on the soaring chorus of "To Ascend" or the anthemic "The Game". The instrumentalists are not to be missed, either.  Howe's guitar work is amazing as always, alternating freely between finger-picked acoustic backing, spidery electric solos, or emotive slide guitar.  Chris Squire's bass playing remains at the top of my list, and he sculpts great lines to accent and supplement each song.  Geoff Downes flexes his synthesizer, organ, and piano prowess, while Alan White's drumming is a treat, especially in the 15/8 instrumental break in "Subway Walls".

The weakest element for me is the sound. I don't know what it is, but it just seems like I should be hearing more sonic depth in these songs. Maybe I'm going deaf... Though I listened to some songs back to back with songs from Fly From Here, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going deaf.  The sound here is airy, a little muddled and indistinct, which is frustrating for a band whose music demands crispness and clarity.  The aforementioned "Subway Walls", the most exciting and exhilirating track and the most in line with the "classic Yes" ideal, illustrates the sound problem best.  It opens with a multi-layered Baroque keyboard extravaganza from Downes which frustratingly sounds more like video game music than the epic soundscape it needs to be.  During the verse, Howe, Squire and White play an aggressive stop-time unison riff that comes off a bit muted, as if they were playing in another room.  Worst of all, when the 15/8 instrumental break comes, it starts with Squire alone, pumping away on a gorgeous distorted bass line that can barely be heard, to the point where the first time I listened to the song, I thought it had stopped abruptly.  Then a click track comes in, of all things, and it can be heard loud and clear, though it's in the wrong time signature (plain old 4/4)... surely something went horribly wrong?  Did the sound engineer know a bass solo was happening there?  Who knows... the song is so good otherwise, I'll get over it.  And that really epitomizes my feelings about this album.  Fun songs, some great songs, great performances from the band, but something just sounds off.

Arbitrary rating:  4 out of 5 wide open doors

The Book That Made Your World - Vishal Mangalwadi

The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization (Mangalwadi, 2011)

With passion and precision, Indian philosopher and Christian apologist Vishal Mangalwadi makes the case that the Bible is the source for almost every moral, humane, and liberating social and scientific development of modern times.

I tried to formulate a snappy list of brief summaries, but you can get that from the back of the book. For me, the strength of the book lies in Mangalwadi's keen eye for contrast of worldviews. Time after time he illustrates how the religious worldview of a people shapes their values, which in turn determines how (or if) they try to change their world. In ancient India and China, Mangalwadi maintains, there was no shortage of intelligent, creative people, yet science, medicine, technology, political freedom, and education did not flourish until the West brought it in through so-called "cultural imperialism". The ideas of karma, caste, detachment, and Nirvana specifically hamper humanitarian developments or social improvements, since people are getting what the universe decided they deserve, and all the material world is unimportant anyway. Contrast that with the Judeo-Christian worldview that God created the world and said that it was good; that God created man in His own image, male and female, and pronounced them good as well; that creation was given to humans to steward. If those things are true, then there is impetus (even obligation) to learn more about the created world and to care for and elevate all humans.

The most striking example is a story Mangalwadi tells from when he and his wife worked in a mission in rural India. Some of the mission workers noticed a malnourished baby girl in the village and offered to help with medical treatment, but the parents fought it tooth and nail. They viewed the child, their fourth, as a burden on them; as they saw it, it was better for her to die young. What shocked the missionaries was that the whole village agreed with the parents that it was wrong to keep the child alive. The conflicting attitudes of the village and the missionaries sharply illustrate the consequences that come from our basic assumptions about life and its meaning.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to those who have had the misfortune to take a Western Civilization class in college. I thought my Western Civ class was alright, but after reading Mangalwadi, I want to call up my alma mater and ask for my money back.

Arbitrary rating: 5 out of 5 contrasting worldviews

The Song of Roland

The Song of Roland (Anonymous, 1040-1115?)

One of the oldest surviving works of French literature, The Song of Roland tells a bloody tale of the battle of Roncesvals in 778 AD between Charlemagne's rear guard commanded by the knight Roland and an overwhelming horde of Saracens.

The plot, story, and characters are very simple here.  What is astonishing is the epic superhero-like violence. Single sword strokes cleave through armor and bodies, from the top of the head to the back of the horse the victim is riding. Single knights slaughter hundreds of opponents before falling themselves. Roland and others take mortal wounds as if they were child's play, only succumbing after receiving about ten or eleven coups de grace.  As the heros fall, pathos is evident, especially in Roland's final lament as he goes among the dead, near death himself, and bids goodbye to his fallen friends. The simplicity and barbarity of the tale still manage to convey artistry and emotion.

Above everything else, this epic poem reminded me of a period of "Christianity" I like to ignore - the Crusades.  Charlemagne is basically waging jihad against the Muslims in the name of Christ. When a Saracen falls, we are told how devils from hell issue up to take his soul down, and the Christian knights are exhorted to earn holy glory by slaying the heathen and sending even more of them to hell. When peace is proposed, Roland is adamant against it, saying that peace and compromise are sin, while continued extermination is the only blessed course.  I guess it's good to be reminded of how badly Christianity was misused for political and worldly ends, but talk about your Dark Ages.

Arbitrary rating: 3 out of 5 epic sword strokes

The Once and Future King - T. H. White

The Once and Future King (White, 1958)

If you valiantly soldier through Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, you owe it to yourself to read this book not too long afterwards.  On the other hand, if you haven't read Malory, this book might come off as rather confusing... The Once and Future King is as much a loving exposition and valiant defense of Malory as it is a strikingly original fantasy classic.

This book is actually a collation of three short novels published in the 1930s, plus a concluding fourth written in the 1950s.  The first two novels, The Sword in the Stone and The Queen of Air and Darkness, are very original works focusing on the childhood and early youth of Arthur.  The Sword in the Stone practically defines the Disney animated film before it even existed as a cultural genre: whimsical tone, talking animals, dancing flatware, silly magic, and cheeky modern dialogue inserted in the mouths of ancient characters. It's no wonder Disney scooped it up... Yet this playfulness mixes with a slightly academic presentation - White dissects a joust (expanding on Malory's stock descriptive phrases), discourses on falconry, and works through serious thought on right and wrong during Merlyn's lessons for the Wart.

The whimsy (or even glibness) of Sword darkens for its sequel, which focuses on the childhood of Gawain and his brothers and the founding of the Round Table. The Ill-Made Knight (part three) takes its title from Malory (Le Chevalier Mal Fet) and is almost a straight retelling of all the Lancelot stories in Le Morte D'Arthur. Though this section is the least original, White masterfully shapes Malory's disjointed narrative into a coherent tale without doing much violence to it (other than making a few obviously sensible revisions, like merging the two Elaines). Finally, The Candle in the Wind retells (again with few if any revisions) the last days of the Table, up until the night before Arthur's final battle.  That last night, Arthur examines his life, trying to find out why his quest to bring peace ended with catastrophe.

As a whole, the novel deals with childhood, learning, love, friendship, faith, history, government, war and peace, and might versus right. White's characterizations of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Mordred, Pellinore, and the rest evoke mirth, subtlety, empathy, and tragedy. Sweeping panoramas of history crop of here and there, revealing impressive scholarship. Philosophically, White tries for something grand at the end, some solution to war and violence in the world, but his conclusion falls flat for me - he digs deep into human nature, but his conclusion (eliminate wars by eliminating borders) completely ignores the human facts of sin, greed, and power he uses to undermine other proposed solutions. It still makes for a great read, and it shines a powerful light on the inner strength of its narrative source: Le Morte D'Arthur.

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 loving expositions