Thomas' first outing is much the same type of fare as his Moody Blues work, although some more rock and blues oriented influences can be heard. He still delivers the same strong vocal performance and is allowed to take the spotlight here to give a taste of what Moody Blues fans already love him for, as well as adding some of his own style to the recipe. Notable on his solo works is more of the harmonica playing which we hear far too little of in his Moody Blues recordings...

This album by Ray Thomas, "Hopes, Wishes, and Dreams", is his second solo outing, and yet another fine treat from this talented flute player (among a host of other instruments) and songwriter/wordsmith. His lyricism and rich baritone voice lend itself well to the kind of fare this album offers. I have to say my impression of this album upon first listen was, "Ah well, another Moody Blues' side project...." but upon listening further, it grew on me, and I began to appreciate the intricacies therein.

Perhaps the best known of the side projects during the "hiatus" period following the Moody Blues "Seventh Sojourn" (1972) album, and leading up to the reforming of the band with the "Octave" (1978) album, Blue Jays is undoubtedly the most stellar work of that time period. As a seasoned Moody Blues fan, I must say this album does nothing to deviate from the sound or formula of the traditional Moody Blues template, and, having said that, is not to say it's a bad thing in the slightest. It is a fine example of "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It."

The last great Yes album, with one of prog rock's best songs ever in 'Awaken' which makes the album 5 star worthy on its own, even if the rest of the album was not good, but rest assured it's terrific stuff. The return of Rick Wakeman returned the group to a more traditional Yes sound after the incredible experimentation on 'Relayer'.

Craig Padilla and Skip Murphy collaborated in late 2002 for a live show at Schreder Planetarium. The concert was recorded directly to digital audio tape (DAT), and was then transferred digitally to CD here for your listening pleasure. There are two tracks, which consist of improvised electronic music in the classic style. Using vintage analog synthesizers like the ARP 2500/2600, along with the latest in virtual analog instruments, in addition to handmade (and homemade) modular synthesizers, Craig and Skip manage to craft a cohesive and compelling soundscape that reflects the traditional art of electronic music, while finding their own new voice and style using the very latest in synthesizer technology.

Craig Padilla, a Redding-based musician has been composing and performing his electronic/space music for over 10 years. Very much inspired by Klaus Schulze, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream he's given his own positive personal touch to both spacey ambient (check out his sound explorer project) and new age. Over the years his music featured on KCHO/KFPR's "Music for a New Age" radio show as well as various locally produced television programs; and he's composed soundtracks for various television and theatrical productions. His music has been recently accepted for a worldwide "Tribute to Jean-Michel Jarre" compilation cd. He can sculpt space, explore it and invite you to a drift away with him in wide and beautiful soundscapes.

Tangerine Dream founder Edgar Froese is one of the key figures in the history of ambient and the only member of the iconic Krautrock band who's been on board the whole distance. He was also their most prolific solo artist in the early days, releasing on Virgin Records seven solo albums and one compilation. That these works navigate more or less a parallel course to the changes and developments in Tangerine Dream's music of the time is no surprise. The good news is that it was Tangerine Dream's golden period (1973-83) and many of Froese's solo efforts are comparable to that band's best releases. I think that "Stuntman" is one and only album of Edgar Froese that can really be recommended to the widest audience possible, for the eerie atmosphere and more often than not, frivolity - should appeal to listeners outside of the narrow circle of electronic music audiophiles. Stuntman is a pleasant album, containing fresh, innovative music which will never bore the listener, quite to the contrary.

Long Distance Voyager is one of those Moody Blues albums that gets fans rather polarized. Those who like the heavily symphonic sound of their earlier releases are disappointed by the synthesizer laden character of this 1981 release, suspicious that the band had sold out to gain more popularity. Apparently, it worked, because this was one of the bands most successful releases. Hit singles "The Voice" and "Gemini Dream" remain in radio rotation to this day. I personally find the influence of Patrick Moraz on keyboards to be a welcome presence. A substantial step up from any version of these songs I've heard before, Mobile Fidelity has produced another winner with Long Distance Voyager. Whether you prefer your Moody Blues orchestral or synthesized, you can't help but appreciate a recording that sounds this good.

The year 1974 marked the pinnacle of the Golden Age of the seventies Progressive Rock movement. Bands like Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and Van Der Graaf Generator dominated the album charts (if not the single charts) and live performances attracted thousands of people world-wide. Another band had emerged from Charterhouse College in Surrey a few years earlier and had been making a name for themselves with their very unique musical style and stage presentation. This band was Genesis, and by 1973, after the release of the breakthrough album Selling England By The Pound, everybody knew their name. After they returned from a highly successful tour of the United States in the spring of 1974, they embarked upon their most ambitious project to date. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is a true milestone in the history of Progressive Rock. Both lyrically and musically it has inspired countless of other bands, albums and songs, and not even always inside the Progressive Scene.

In 1971, prog doyens Genesis released their third album -- and first true masterpiece -- Nursery Cryme. The band's sound, songwriting, and lineup had matured and solidified at this point, with definitive Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett steps in for the regrettably stage fright-stricken Anthony Phillips, and superlative percussionist and secondary vocalist Phil Collins replacing John Mayhew on drums. With Nursery Cryme, the tremendous promise of the excellent (if a trifle uneven) forerunner Trespass was now made manifest, and appreciative fans were treated to some of the most imaginative and hard-hitting music to yet emerge from the evolving genre of progressive rock.

In 1972, there were only a few albums that stood out among the steady stream of (prog) releases. Yes released Close To The Edge, Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick and Genesis Foxtrot. Some may say that Genesis made more significant albums than Foxtrot, like Selling England By The Pound or The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, but Foxtrot was basically the reason why Peter Gabriel started dressing up in strange masks and costumes, something which earned the band just that little bit of extra attention they needed to be noticed by a larger audience. Since that extra attention was however largely focused on Gabriel, giving him a rock star status that he did not desire, it also caused him to leave Genesis a few years later. Still, Foxtrot is the album that contains one of the songs that people still talk about with a certain reverence and which inspired many other bands to write long (read: 15-minute-plus) songs; Supper's Ready.

Definitely NOT to be confused with the happy-slappy Genesis of the 1980's by any means! Somewhere in the English countryside, circa 1970, 5 lads from a prestigious boarding school were hard at work in a small house (courtesy of gracious parents), recovering from wounds (namely having their debut album, From Genesis To Revelation flop and then nearly throwing in the towel altogether) and redoubling their creative efforts. Armed with a steely resolve, a recently acquired Mellotron, a contract with the fledgling Charisma Records label, a sympathetic producer in John Anthony and ambitious new material, Genesis set its sights on upsetting the apple cart of ordinary music. No longer were they going to be pegged as "Moody Blues wannabes".

One of the most popular albums of all time, and a rare case where critical acclaim and true worth can match that popularity. 1973's 'Tubular Bells' is the intense musical output of a troubled man just barely into his 20s, wandering passages of classical depth presented in the dark tones of psychedelic symphonic rock. It is needless to attempt to chart the styles that Oldfield employs, since they are so numerous, exploratory, and in some cases startlingly unique, all expressed near- singlehandedly by this multi-instrumentalist. When put together the result is music that always seems unfamiliar... yet timeless and evocative, right from that eerie, mesmerizing piano and tuned percussion phrase which just keeps coming and plunges the listener into the whole experience at the start of the album.

Wavestar is a British New Age Music Synthesizer band. Originally released on cassette in 1985 (then on CD in 1993), this music has been remastered and added to, resulting in a total of 67 minutes for this 2001 CD reissue of this second album by Wavestar (aka John Dyson and David Ward-Hunt). If this material is "dated" at all, it is firmly rooted in a time of expansive majesty in the genre of electronic music. Ambient electronics float in a sea of actively sequenced keyboards. When these sequencer rolls are not fulfilling the music's rhythmic quotient, E-perc delivers the required energetic elements. Searing guitar injects a visceral quality, bestowing both guts and intellectualism to the music. The melodies are carefully balanced between brooding soundscapes and explosively dynamic structures. Slowburn passages lead into more intricate waves of ascendant music.

The members of Jethro Tull were hand-picked by Anderson (several are old school chums); no one, save Ian, remains from the original band. The playing, not surprisingly, is tight as a drum. Martin Barre's guitar and John Evan's keyboards especially shine, and Ian's singing is no longer abrasive. Whether or not Thick As A Brick is an isolated experiment, it is nice to know that someone in rock has ambitions beyond the four or five minute conventional track, and has the intelligence to carry out his intentions, in all their intricacy, with considerable grace.