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Want to share your thoughts, send us an email at sollows@progressiveworld.net.  While we're always getting mail, here's another letter that I specifically want to share -ed. Dear Progressive World At a loose end this morning, decided to google Chemical Alice and was directed to your very interesting and comprehensive prog site. My reason for the search was really just a bit of nostalgia. You see, I formed Chemical Alice in 1978 along with Phil Stubbs and Jack Grigor (both of whom feature in Dave Weston’s line up number 1 on his Bathtub of Adventures website), plus Colin Wade on rhythm guitar and vocals and John Cheetham on Keyboards. I was on lead guitar and vocals. Phil Stubbs came up with the band name from the title of a chapter in a Michael Moorcock book, you’ll probably know it – I can’t remember it. I wanted us to be called Sinister Midget – I was listening to Zoot Allures by Frank Zappa at the time, but Phil won the day - and a good thing too in retrospect. We played mostly covers of Hawkwind, Floyd, Caravan - I tended to be more into the Canterbury Scene - plus various no-name trip psychedelic jams culminating in a gig at the Stock Free Festival at Stock Village Hall in Essex - an afternoon of psychedelic and anarchic fun in the style of the Here and Now / ATV gigs that were happening at the time. After a while John Cheetham left to do other projects and along came Mark Kelly. We practised in a hall in Cranham, Essex for quite some time, with Mark bringing a little more of the Genesis sound to the music, until our energy ran out and I decided to concentrate on my A-levels (soooo rock n’ roll darling). There were other incarnations - the usual twisted mess that comes from a bunch of teens forming bands, but essentially the three guys who Dave met in the Essex Yeoman in Upminster were the final hard core of a project that had initially acquired its name and general musical direction some two years earlier. I merely say all this just to complete the historical perspective rather than allowing it to start when one guy joined the band. (Also so that I don’t look such an arse when I tell dinner parties that I formed Chemical Alice) Thanks for indulging me Paul Hale [May 2005] We reviewed Curiouser And Curiouser, from the post-Paul Hale era -ed. I just LOVE the Ayreon album Human Equation... It rocks, IMHO. I have seen many questions and statements on the 'net regarding the interpretation of Devin Townsend's "motion personified alpha" phrase as he played the part of [Rage]... In my interpretation, (and this just MY interpretation of the lyrics), I honestly dont think Devin is saying "MOTION personified alpha"... rather he is saying "EMOTION personified alpha"... "Emotion personified..." fits quite well in with the theme and premise of the album... After all, Emotions become 'personified' and play a big part in this excellent rock opera... If you think about it, RAGE is one emotions which can be considered an "alpha" emotion... In other words, it tends to be the most dominant and overpowering over almost all other emotions in a difficult situation... (Remember the 'Alpha Male' in a pack of wolves? Why couldn't that apply to an Emotion in the same type of context?) To apply it to the opera, I think that Day 3: Pain reflects just that... Pain is the "Alpha Emotion"... The rage and pain have built up to such a level that it is the primary focus of [Me] until [Love] steps in and causes [Me] to rethink his position... Anyway, just a bit of my interpretation on the lyrics contained in the song... Bottom line is that you will interpret the opera in a way you can relate to, just as I have related to you how I relate to it... Geeze! Did that make any sense? ;-) Great site, progressiveworld.net! Thanks for Listening! ~Jp [January 2005] [Yes, there is a long gap between this above and that below... and for that I can only blame myself for not including your comments, gentle readers (and some not so gentle)... -ed.] Thank God for you mother fuckers. Convential radio has long since been brain dead. Pull the plug already. A reader [October 2003] Received from Bill Evans at www.nealmorse.com in response to Davide Guidone's review of Neal Morse's Testimony: "Cool, Thanks! Well written, too – you’re captured his musical and spiritual expression perfectly. Bill" [October 2003] A simple "Thank You!" for your wonderfully helpful CD reviews. One can't find those "new" and "unusual" progressive groups while wandering the local record (read CD) store. Progressiveworld.net has filled a great need in my music search!! Most recently the review of Alamaailman Vasarat's "Vasaraasia." After getting the CD I fully appreciated the difficult chore of trying to explain this music. One of the best features of the reviews are the links to the performers' website. I visited Alamaailman Vasarat's website, listened to the audio samples and immediately bought the album. I was not disappointed!! If you remember Monty Python's, "And know for something entirely different" they were speaking of this band. I won't try to explain the music (although witty, wacky & wild might help) , I'll leave it up to you, fellow Progressiveworld.net readers, to check this band out. You won't be disappointed either!! Thanks Progressiveworld.net and Alamaailman Vasarat!! Frank (bongolong) Hi Davide, Thanks for the great review [of Wireless - Acoustic Sessions] - we're glad you enjoyed the album. God bless, Hello, this is Sean Crisden from Divided Sky. First off, great review, David [Cisco]. I enjoyed your ability to capture the idea of what we are trying to accomplish as a band without diluting or sugar coating the message. Sean Crisden Hi!! I only want to say that Progressive World is without any doubt THE BEST PROG SITE IN THE WEB. I enjoy very much reading the reviews, and this help me to know the sound of a band or CD before I listen it. Like you say is the best guide of Prog Metal music. Walter Erles - Argentina - www.geocities.com/cdmetalworks [July 2001] Hey, kick ass site. I have stumbled upon your site a year or so ago, Not any other places that provide comprehensive honest reviews of almost all genres of progressive music. I do have one suggestion though - check out Winter's Return by Gooding. If this music doesn't stir up some emotion, you've got to be dead. With all the music that you've reviewed, can't imagine you haven't heard of this guy, but then again, maybe not... his website is www.gooding-s3.com Keep up the outstanding work. PS I wish I had you CD collection!!! :) Jason Peter [July 2001] Hi! This is kind of in response to the post from Yorkshire, England. While, I do agree that listening to a great prog album for the first time in the private and intimate surroundings of home is an essential part of the prog 'experience', a prog festival does have a lot to offer. The experience of hearing a good band perform live often exceeds a studio album recording. Even if it doesn't exceed the recording sound....just watching and listening to an artist perform is beyond words sometimes. Also, the atmosphere often allows for band members to mingle with fans in between or after the shows. I have met some very interesting people this way. NEARfest sold out in a few hours .... this attests to the fact that people do want to see live shows. This festival is a wonderful experience! ProgDay is a festival being organised for Labor Day weekend Sept. 1 & 2. This festival has been around for a number of years (1995) but has suffered from poor turn-out. It's a wonderfully fun festival...outdoors!! It also is a wonderful experience a bit different from NEARfest obviously. Often, ProgDay has brought bands some new exposure resulting in invitations to play NEARfest, BajaProg and now defunct Progfest. In short, no matter where the festival is....if it's progressive and a person is a true prog fan that wants to see this fabulous form continue, I believe that these festivals should be supported as much as possible. I am very much looking forward to NEARfest and I certainly do hope I see lots of people at ProgDay as well! Let's KEEP prog alive! By the way, I also have been a prog fan since the late 60's/early 70's when 'progressive rock' was a brand new term! Also, I'm very thankful to publications like Progressive World for helping hugely in the continuation of progressive rock..... Debbie B. "the Prog-Rock Diner" www.fcac.org/webr cable & internet radio [Feb 2001] [Thanks for the compliment, Debbie, and for helping to keep ProgDay alive -ed] Hello Just a few words from an original 70s prog music guy from harrogate,Yorkshire,England, U.K. I Have just been reading John Collinges editorial [in Progression] about prog festival turnouts. It made me start to think about how I was attracted to the genre over 30 years ago. Initially it wasn't the live gigs or festivals, the whole phenomena had to be through the albums these seminal bands produced which were totally unique at the time. I changed almost overnight from listening to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to Close to the edge by Yes and the other main recordings of the era including ELPs Brain Salad Surgery, Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and King Crimsons Starless and Bible Black. All of these bought as presents for birthdays etc. from my more deep thinking slightly more intellectual friends, ( there were other friends who never got into it or understood it and still dont to this day). But most of the awsome listening took place in the privacy of my own room just me the fabulous gatefold sleeve artwork and the lengthy intricate music and thought provoking lyrics which seemed to mean something relevant to the phase of life I was passing through at the time. It was an intense personal thing only talked about with the few who were on the same wavelength at the time. It was quite a few years later I got to see some of these big name bands at the stadiums it was of course fantastic to see Genesis and Yes and Floyd but it never replaced the intimacy of the first listening experience I still have now on purchasing and retreating to comfortable surroundings to absorb myself with a new unheard prog album to escape into the landscapes of the creative unfolding magic of deep and intricate music. I have been wondering if this is how others with an interest in prog feel. The gigs are great when I can get to see them,but for me it can never replace the deeper personal thing and irresistable yearning for a new prog album. Some fragile ecosystems continue for millions of years. Yours in Prog, Finally, someone who gets it!!!! The article Nancy Reagen, Trevor Rabin and the right wing conspiracy, is the closest assesment of today's prog scene I've read in a long time.This Michael Askounes guy is one of the enlightened ones,for sure.. Regards Hello all of you at ProgrsiveWorld.net! You're doing a pretty good job with your side, I like reading your honest reviews. But ever since I begun visiting your side there's one band missing which I'd count as one of the best Prog Bands there is - ever heard about Nightwish? It's a finnish Metal Band that features an opera trained female vocalist, interesting somewhat "darkish" lyrics, a good instrumentation and a good to very good production. Their web page is www.nightwish.com. My best regards and continue your work, Thorsten Reichelt [Jan 2001] I joined the Progressive Ears msg board about a month ago. Someone put a link to the article by Michael Askounes. I read it and wanted to let Mr. Askounes know that his article was EXCELLENT, or as my son would say, "totally awesome." A very diplomatic, intelligent, insightful & humorous take on his perspective of the current Prog scene. Extraordinarly well done and inspirational to me, yet another music reviewer. I've bookmarked your homepage. David Lilly [Jan 2001] [We've had some other interesting comments and letters that we'll add here soon] To Whom it May Concern: I am Phil Gaita, the former bass player with IZZ, and I wanted to thank you personally for the tremendous compliment you paid to me in the beginning of the review. Phil Gaita [Feb 2000] Dear Stephanie - What a surprise...I hadn't visited your website in a while and I went today to see what was new and found a beautiful review of my album! Thanks so so much for writing about it!! And for such an insightful and elegant and flattering discussion of my music. I really appreciate it and plan to link it to my own site later this weekend when I get some time.... I've been so busy lately [...] So I'm really glad I checked your site today! Best wishes for the continued growth and success of Progressive World.net!! I'm honored to be included among all the great musicians you write about. (I actually discovered Bjorn Lynne through your site a while ago...he's amazing) This is so cool. Thanks thanks thanks again and I wish you all the best. Emily Bezar [Feb 2000] Steph, Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm hoping that I can get something serious soon, and as soon as I do you will be getting another cd :O). I hope you don't mind *hehehe*.. Thanks again for the kind words.. Russ Friend [Mar 2000] Hi Steph; I just wanted to thank you for the great review you gave the latest Lightspeed recording. We REALLY appreciate your positive comments!!!! It's great to know that our music, although not necessarily progressive, is being enjoyed by fans of prog music. I'm sure you're going to enjoy my solo project THE NEXT STEP when it's complete. Again, thanks for your support!!!! Rod [Chappell] Dear John, Thank you so much for a wonderful review [of Sacrament]! We're not worthy...All the best from Jacob [Holm-Lupo]/White Willow Dear Stephanie, Thank you very much indeed for the wonderful review of our album [Tales Of The Future] on your website. It is not only very complimentary, but also very warm, if I can use that word. You write as a listener, not a journalist, which is very nice. For myself, the music I grew up with - Yes, Rush, Hawkwind, Tangerine Dream, Sebastian Hardie, dozens of bands - was more than merely entertainment and diversion. For better or worse I took it very seriously, and it was and still is to me a deep thing about ideas and exploration and all the things that are important in life [...] Thanks! Paul [Foley, Brainstorm]. Hi John, Thanks a lot for taking the time to review Through and Through for progressiveworld.net! Your constructive suggestions have been noted. Just a point of clarification. There is no drum machine on Bill Pohl's Solid Earth. All of the drums on that album were performed on an acoustic kit by John Livingston. Kurt Rongey [Underground Railroad] John, Thanks for the great review!!! Really appreciate it! BTW, I played all the Rhodes parts. Neal [Morse, Spock's Beard, re: V] Stephanie, Just a quick note to thank you for the nice and favorable review you did on our first album Alba y Ocaso; everyone in Codice was thrilled to read your comments about our work. I'm impressed with the level of analysis you did on the album, particularly with regards to the piece "Espejismo". Before it got such title, I used to refer to it in my demo tapes as the "stones of years-like" song. Besides myself I had not heard of anyone that had noticed this connection. This is not to imply that I tried rip off ELP by any means when I wrote it. It's just that when I finished the piece and got to listen to it over and over, I realized that there was indeed a little bit of that ELP's tune influence in it. Well, once again thank you very much for your review. We are currently working on our second album... Best regards, Marco Corona on behalf of Codice. Hi John, That was a great review [of The Perfect Element]! Thank you for all the kind words - I hope you will be able to come to any of the European shows - we are leaving this Wednesday. It would be nice meeting you. Take care, Daniel [Gildenow, Pain Of Salvation] John, I just read your review of our live-cd Spirit of Live. Very exact and informative, I really like it. Honestly I didn´t know that Jacques Brel is a Belgian, I have to ask Andy if he does. Thanks and best regards Stephan [Lil of Vanden Plas]
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