(42:18; Vespero) I have long been a fan of Russian outfit Vespero, and now they are back with their latest album, where their inspiration are stories that could have been written by Kilgore Trout, who himself is a literary construct by Kurt Vonnegut (although based originally on a real person and writer, Theodore Sturgon). Vespero have had an incredibly stable line-up over the years, but I notice that keyboard player Alexey Klabukov is no longer involved and given he has been there since the debut all the way back in 2006, that is quite something. The line-up now is a quartet comprising  Ivan Fedotov (drums, percussion, wavedrum), Arkady Fedotov (bass, noises, synths, sampler, recorder), Alexander Kuzovlev (guitars, saz, mandoline) and Vitaly Borodin (violin, synths) plus a couple of guests. There is no doubt that Russia is a hotbed of progressive rock music if one is prepared to look, and while I have previously reviewed five albums by this band, this is actually their 16th studio...

(79:03; Moonjune Records [2025 Edition] ) Here is the third in the series of reissues where the tracks have been remastered by Mark Wingfield. It was recorded (in just two days) in June 2002, mostly in single takes, and on this reissue, we are also treated to two additional live cuts recorded in Tokyo the following year. I am not going to try and explain the history of the band in full, but apart from a few brief reunions in the early Eighties, Soft Machine disbanded in 1978. Hugh Hopper (bass) and Elton Dean (alto saxophone, saxello, Fender Rhodes) formed Soft Heap, which lasted  for a while, and then in 1999 they formed Soft Ware with former Soft Machine drummer John Marshall and keyboard player Keith Tippett. After Tippett left and was replaced by former guitarist Allan Holdsworth (who also brought in his famous synth axe) the name was changed to Soft Works. All four members had played in Soft Machine, although not all at the same time, and it was this band which eventually chan...

(73:43; Moonjune Records [2025 Edition] ) There were a long line of amazing musicians working their way through the ranks of Soft Machine in the Sixties and Seventies, and if Wikipedia is to be believed what we have here is the fifteenth line-up of the band with Allan Holdsworth (electric guitar, violin), Mike Ratledge (Lowrey organ, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers), Karl Jenkins (oboe, soprano saxophone, recorder, electric & acoustic piano), Roy Babbington (electric bass guitar) and John Marshall (drums, percussion). They recorded only one album together, 1975’s ‘Bundles’, and this live album was recorded at Post-Aula in Bremen, Germany, on January 29th, 1975. It was originally released in 2006 but is another which has now been remastered by Mark Wingfield and reissued by Moonjune. Allan Holdsworth, unfortunately, is one of those “lost” musicians who few these days really appreciate, but to any young guitarist wanting to be a shredder than I urge you to listen to “Land of the Bag Snak...

(62:00; Moonjune Records [2025 Edition] ) Originally released in 2009, this album has now been remastered by Mark Wingfield and reissued with new sleeve notes by Sid Smith. It was recorded on a tour of Germany in November 1971 and captures the line-up of Mike Ratledge (Lowrey Organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano), Elton Dean (saxello, alto sax, Fender Rhodes electric piano), Hugh Hopper (bass) and  Phil Howard (drums). This line-up was the first after Robert Wyatt left the band, and his replacement Howard only contributed to the first side of ‘Fifth’, the album released in 1972. Nearly all the songs from that album appear here, as well as some older favourites such as “Out-Bloody-Rageous” and “Pigland Bland”. This album finds Soft Machine moving in quite a different direction, with Dean bringing in Howard from his side project Just Us and together they took the band in a very free jazz manner. The result is something which is chaotic, intense, and undoubtedly quite incredible. This ...

(50:16; Progressive Promotion Records) Rick Miller is back with his 19th studio album, yet again utilising the same musicians he has developed a relationship with over the years. All those involved have played with Rick for some time, apart from newbie Carolina Prada who has been brought in to add oboe to the mix (and very effectively she does too). I may not have heard Rick’s first six albums, but I have been fortunate to review all since 2009’s ‘Falling Through Rainbows’ and he continues to follow his own path, while at the same time being one of the more prolific artists within the prog genre. As with 2024’s ‘One of the Many’, the cover depicts a person sat looking at a scene, although it must be said this one is far more pleasant than the rather dystopian nightmare we had last time around. Musically, we again find Rick at some of his most dreamy and reflective, bringing together symphonic progressive rock and crossover melodies, showing a heavy influence from late Seventies release...

(63:00; Prometheus Music [2025 Edition] ) Although I will probably always be best known for writing about progressive rock music, there is no doubt that folk rock is very close to my heart. Of all the ‘name’ bands I have seen play, by far the #1 is Fairport Convention in various iterations, I was fortunate enough to be in the studio during one of their recording sessions, have interviewed and drunk beer with them, and in 2017 flew from New Zealand to Cropredy just to attend the 50th Anniversary Festival. When I talk about folk rock I mean the British version, but there has always been one American outfit I have always had a soft spot for, Tempest, so imagine my surprise when I heard there was another American band which had a huge impact on their founding fiddler, Michael Mullen. That band were Phoenyx, who like their namesake burned quickly and then blew out in a show of flames, but now their debut album has been reissued some 35 years after it first appeared.  The line-up was Hea...

(38:01; Michael McClure) This is the latest release from multi-instrumentalist and producer Michael McClure (rhythm & lead guitars, 12-string acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar, bass guitar & synth bass, keyboards & synths, percussion loops, samples, backing vocals), who I will always think of as being involved with Andy Faunch, who I note provides lead vocals on one song. Mike Kosacek provides drums on five tracks, Carmen Borja ukelele on one, but for the most part this is Michael and his myriad guitars taking us on a journey. What I find fascinating is the way we can go from an almost ambient and dream approach with guitars everywhere which allows us to meander down the river only for us to be woken up by a rock number with the next one being jagged pop! It is musically all over the place, with some sounds being solid Eighties, others somewhat older, while others are bang up to date as Michael mixes prog with pop and other genres to create an...