Call it fusion, jazz rock, progressive or “prog” rock, it’s coming back in popularity. Here are a few recent plugged in wonders.
A spin off from the 70s band Hawkwind is created by former member Alan Davey, who teams up with a collection of guests including Mick Taylor/g, Helios Creed/g, Carmine Appice/dr, Nick Turner/sax, Simon House/vi along with one of the last recordings with Ginger Baker. The songs range from a frantic “Class One Kid” with some hot work by Tayler to Star Trek’s William Shatner adding vocals to Davey and Appice rollicking on “Silver Machine”. Violinist Simon House swirls around “ Walking The Wheel” and Baker adds to the dark mood of “Dangerous Visions”. Nimbus clouds of sound
Wizard and True Star Todd Rundgren brings together alumni from King Crimson (Mel Collins, Jakko M Jakszyk), Deep Purple (Ian Paice), Zappa (Chester Thompson), Hawkwind (Alan Davey, Nik Turner) and beyond for a tribute to King Crimson’s debut album. Even Arthur Brown joins the crazy world for vocals on “21st Century Schizoid Man”, while Collins is superb as he revisits his flute part on “I Talk To The Wind”. The album is essential a recreation, even in order, and while the sound is clear, you have to ask why you’d want a remake when the original is so thrilling? Sort of like the remake of Psycho.
Galactic Tide consists of Steve Haas/dr, Pete Drungle/ke, Andy Timmons, Kirwan Brown-Al MacDowell/b and Pete Gallio/sax along with a handful of guests. The band gets deep and long shadowed with Timmons soloing with abandon on “Leather Pajamas” and the band getting a bit funky on “Stockholm Syndrome”. Haas hits hard on “Galactic Tide” and the team ricochet’s around “Magic Log” . Plugged in pungency.