Big Hath's Top 50 Albums v. #1: -.---.----..

[Big Hath]

Great write up. My favourite Symphony X disc as well.

well, I didn't say it was my favorite (although jingle did) . . .

[Big Hath]

Great point about The Odyssey being a mixture of old and new Symphony X sound, I see it as a transitional album as well. It's pretty damn awesome. 

Too bad it was a transition from great to not-so-good.   S-X peaked with V and The Odyssey.  It was all downhill after that IMO.

I can definitely see why people say that, especially seeing where the band was coming from.  However, I think I've said this before here, even though I don't reach for Paradise Lost first in their discography, when I do it blows me away with how good it actually is.

[Elite]

I love the ending so much, it gives me goosebumps before the vocals even kick it.

Triiiiiiiiiiiiumphant! Champion of Ithacaaa!

[MoraWintersoul]

...even though I don't reach for Paradise Lost first in their discography, when I do it blows me away with how good it actually is.

Same here!

[Big Hath]

#41 - Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy (1977)



Di Meola is one of the founding fathers of shred guitar and a paragon of fusion and Latin jazz guitar virtuosity.  Also, he's the king of the awkward looking album covers of the late-70's/early-80's (take a look at Casino and Splendido Hotel, sheesh!).  After attending Berklee, he was invited by Chick Corea to join the hugely influential fusion group Return To Forever at the age of 19.  Following an overhaul of the band's lineup a couple years later, Al set off on his own solo career.  In 1976, he released Land of the Midnight Sun and was immediately recognized for his extremely fast playing style coupled with a technical mastery of the instrument few had displayed before. (Please check out the song "Suite Golden Dawn" from that album, an absolutely amazing song that also features Jaco Pastorius on bass.)

The following year, Di Meola released what I feel is his best album, Elegant Gypsy.  Please don't read this as simply a guitar dominated solo album.  Although the guitar certainly does take centerstage (rightfully so), the other instrumentalists are top notch and all get several opportunities to shine.  Supporting Di Meola, we have Paco de Lucia, Jan Hammer, Anthony Jackson, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, and others - all of which can more than hold their own.  The defining characteristics of the album are incredibly fast and technical fusion as well as a good dose of Latin inspired passages and even some flamenco guitar.  But not only do we get incredible technical mastery, we also get some pretty awesome compositions to boot.  Each track does a great job of creating a soundscape in the mind, seemingly transporting you to a different locale for each song.

“Flight Over Rio” opens with a short intro consisting of a simple bass line over some atmospheric synths, then we hear some faster paced congas before Al and the band rip in with some great Latin-tinged fusion.  The tone Di Meola uses is very raw and in your face.  There are some great guitar synth solo tradeoffs throughout.  “Midnight Tango” opens with a very romantic melody showing off the more delicate side to Al’s playing, but again we get a transition this time to a short “heavy” section led by the bass playing chords before giving way to a mysterious piano solo. “Mediterranean Sundance” is an acoustic duet with the famous flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia.  The speed and precision of both players has to be heard to be believed as both play very long melodic phrases, insanely complex unison passages, and use an abundance of fingerstyles and techniques.  The title track “Elegant Gypsy” has some great progish elements, but as with most of the album it is also deeply rooted in jazz fusion.

I would recommend this or any of his other first four or five albums to get a taste of his music.  After that he really went into more a world music direction which loses me a bit, although I understand some of his more recent work is more in line with his fusion and latin jazz roots.

"hoi" (or whatever he says during "Mediterranean Sundance")

[jjrock88]

Never heard of this. I will take a shot in the dark and say that I like Symphony X better.

[Pols Voice]

Al Di Meola kicks ass, but for some reason I've never heard this album. I should probably remedy that.

[Big Hath]

yeah, if you like him at all, this a must listen.

[Big Hath]

Never heard of this. I will take a shot in the dark and say that I like Symphony X better.

yeah, that's probably a safe bet.  They are quite a bit different.  Doesn't mean you shouldn't try it though.

[Elite]

How can you not have heard this? This album is fantastic and amazing and includes some of the most awesome guitar playing ever. Great pick!

[Big Hath]

for those that don't know, when Petrucci talks about his inspirations and influences, he often mentions "the Steves and the Als".  One of the "Steves" is Steve Morse whom I mentioned earlier in the Dixie Dregs post.  Al Di Meola is obviously one of the Al's.

[Big Hath]

ok, so I'm going to do another weekend update on the new (to me) stuff that has really made an impression on me.  Once again, thanks to all that mentioned these albums in their lists and in the band threads.


Myrath - Tales of the Sands - Great progressive metal with a good dose of middle-eastern flair.




Iced Earth - Horror Show and Something Wicked This Way Comes - great modern thrash and I love Barlow's vocals, especially the screaming layered with the lower singing.




Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man and The Spirit - this one has been talked about a lot here.  With good reason.  It is awesome.




Theocracy - Mirror of Souls - great power metal with a progressive edge and Christian lyrics.




Eumeria - Rebel Mind - another great new progressive metal band.  Seems to have a lot of Symphony X influences.

[Orthogonal]

I concur on the Myrath, I discovered them earlier this year. Really good stuff.

I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy

[Lowdz]

I concur on the Myrath, I discovered them earlier this year. Really good stuff.

I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy

Some great albums on this page.

Elegant Gypsy is a great album.

Love Myrath and Iced Earth.
I initially loved the Eumeria but returned to it recently and wondered why. It just seemed like the average DT wannabe prog metal where they totally forget to write any songs.

[Dr. DTVT]

I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy

You should most definately do that.

Also, I think a snail would finish a marathon before this list is over, because we all know lists go slower         and                  s l o w e r                                                 and                                                                       s  l  o  w  e  r                                        a    s                                          t    h    e    y                                                                  m     o     v     e                                                                  a      l      o      n      g

[jingle.boy]

Geezuz mang!  It's only been 2 weeks since he started. 10 albums in 14 days is a pretty respectable pace.

[Big Hath]

my plan is to do an album each weekday so I have time to collect my thoughts on each one and then do honorable mention types on the weekends when I'm spending most of my time with the family.  Do I need to speed it up?


Also, I should point out the criticism is coming from someone that started a list in March and still has 11 more entries to go. 

[Dr. DTVT]

I stepped aside though because I was in full on job hunt mode, and now I'm in full on work mode.

And it's just some friendly chop busting.

[Big Hath]

hah, yeah same here.  It's all good in the 'hood.

[ColdFireYYZ]

I'm going to get that Al Di Meola album. I love his stuff with Return To Forever and I have Casino which is also great.

[Big Hath]

#40 - Neal Morse - One (2004)



I don't remember exactly how I came across Neal Morse, but I'm almost certain it was from hearing that Portnoy played drums on his solo albums.  At the time I also understood that he had recently become a Christian and was using that as inspiration for his music, and since I am a Christian as well I was really intrigued to hear what his this was all about.  All I had to listen to was the first track of this album and I was completely floored.  Christian progressive rock.  And it was GOOD!  Growing up, the Christian music I listened to was typical stuff like Truth, Michael W Smith, Newsboys, and then DC Talk, Third Day, Audio Adrenaline and others when I got into high school/college.  And while there is some decent to good stuff in there, it's not going to blow anybody's socks off musically.  But this, this was something completely different.

"The Creation" opens with a section that seems like it could be on a Symphony X multi-part song, but then it gets into great keyboard and guitar-led prog rock sections before going off in many different directions with great melodies, harmonies, pretty much everything.  Portnoy really stands out in many parts of this song.  It is one of my favorite performances by him on any recording.  This is just a majestic song but also very emotional, especially during the "Where are you?" section.  I also love, love, love the introduction of the "Reaching from the Heart" theme that comes back later in a much more powerful way during "Help Me / The Spirit and the Flesh".  "Cradle to the Grave" is an extremely touching duet between Morse and Christian artist Phil Keaggy (for those that don't know, this guy absolutely rips on guitar) that represents man's struggle to find God and meaning in life, and God's waiting for man to simply come to home to Him.  In "Help Me / The Spirit and the Flesh" the first half works a great latin jazz beat in the rhythm section against gospel influences in the organ and backing vocals.  Then in the second half, we get the return of the "Reaching from the Heart" theme and you can tell that Neal almost can't contain himself while singing those lyrics of reconciliation.

The concept for this album is the story of Christian salvation, from the creation of the world and mankind, to the introduction of sin and separation, and finally to the ultimate sacrifice and reconciliation.  The music and lyrics speak directly to me in a way that most other music never has.  This album is deeply personal to me and I get chills everytime I hear it.  While Neal probably has more musically diverse and interesting albums in his solo discography (?, Solo Scriptura, both of which are awesome), I always reach for this one first.

"Though the soul had died
It can be made alive
The holy place was closed
'Til Jesus rose!"

[jingle.boy]

I've always loved Neal's solo work.  My (and I stress this is *my*) issue with it is that I just discovered it about a year ago.  So, with 10 or so albums under his belt already, I haven't been able to digest them all to decide which I like best.  And the recurring Christianity theme is tiresome to me, hence I don't come back to his solo work very often.  I live my life by Christian beliefs, but am by no means a devoutly religious person.  I've said it before... it's not the fact that it's a Christian theme that gets tiresome, just that it's the same theme.  I get tired of Rhapsody's albums too!   Musically and vocally, love his discog.  Lyrically, too 'samey'.

[Big Hath]

yeah, I can definitely see that when comparing albums throughout his solo work.  He does tend to recycle a lot of musical ideas (although to great effect within each album).  But while the lyrics all do focus on Christian spirituality to some degree, the actual content and story being told, especially on my three favorites One, ?, and Solo Scriptura, are quite different.

[Big Hath]

#39 - Dave Weckl - Transition (2000)



Soon after I was introduced to Rush and Neal Peart, I was inspired to seek out and hear some of the best and most virtuosic drummers in the world.  My journey eventually led me to a jazz/fusion drummer named Dave Weckl.  Dave Weckl is one of the most acclaimed drummers in the world of jazz and fusion.  He made a name for himself as the drummer for Chick Corea's elektric and akoustic bands before venturing out with his own band in the early 90s.  I didn't know him or his music from a hole in the wall, so I picked up his latest CD on a whim and it immediately become one of the coolest albums I had ever heard.  I had already been into jazz and had dabbled a bit in fusion, so this was right up my alley.

Aside from the jaw droppingly great drumming, what makes this album so great for me is that almost every track has a great hook that sticks with you and makes you want to hear it again.  After listening to this album, I always find the great melodic lines stuck in my head for days.  Another thing I find interesting in these compositions is that they don't follow the traditional jazz structure of the melody being announced at the opening of the track before being washed away in a sea of improvisation.  Here usually, we find some nice intros, soloing, and jamming before the band crescendos into the theme of the song.  One exception, fittingly, is the opening track "Wake Up" where the melody kicks in near the beginning of the song to be reprised at the end.  A great deal of this music calls back to his days with the Elektric Band, but we also hear a strong influence from an earlier fusion band, Weather Report.  This is particularly evident in tracks like "Braziluba" and "Like That".

Weckl has assembled a cast of lesser known but still great musicians for this project.  Bassist Tom Kennedy shines on almost every track (bass players, you don't want to miss this).  Brandon Fields (formerly of The Rippingtons) falls somewhere in the Michael Brecker/David Sanborn area of smooth sax sounds.  And keyboardist Steve Weingart uses a vast array of keyboard sounds to great effect (love his use of the B3).

This is great contemporary jazz with liberal doses of funk and offbeat rhythmic structures to keep things interesting.

[Pols Voice]

One is awesome. Neal sure knows how to write an emotional song, like Cradle to the Grave and The Separated Man.

[Big Hath]

One is awesome. Neal sure knows how to write an emotional song, like Cradle to the Grave and The Separated Man.

yes, yes.  That duet in Cradle to the Grave is really well done.

[Big Hath]

#38 - Gustav Holst - The Planets (1918)



This work has almost become a cliché in the classical music world based on how often it is performed and referenced.  It is hugely popular and has been extremely influential in movie scores, progressive, metal and various other genres.  If you are not familiar, Holst wrote these pieces between 1914 and 1916 about the 7 known planets in our solar system (Earth excluded and Pluto wasn't discovered yet, but was eventually deemed to not be a planet anyway).  Each movement was intended to express the emotions and ideas that each planet invoked - their astrological alter egos, so to speak.

Some highlights: Mars, The Bringer of War gives the listener visions of a war-planet with its strident, pounding march-like rhythms and ominous horn tri-tone.  Symphony X quotes Mars in the opening of The Divine Wings of Tragedy and it is also thought to be the basis for the tri-tone Tony Iommi used for the opening of "Black Sabbath", perhaps the very first heavy metal song.  Venus is a much more serene piece that seems to have inspired John Williams during his Star Wars days, particularly with the "Binary Sunset" theme.  Jupiter, The Bringer of Jolity begins extremely joyful and happy which eventually gives way to perhaps the most beautiful and sweeping melody I have ever heard.  Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age is haunting with very heavy and plodding passages but also contains some extremely chaotic moments that invoke images of an elderly person giving way to dementia.  And the closer, Neptune, The Mystic, barely rises above a whisper as it blends into the voices of a distant female choir as you begin a million light year journey into the vast reaches of outer space.

[Pols Voice]

YES! Amazing pick. Mars and Jupiter especially are two of the greatest and most influential pieces of music ever. The raw crushing power of Mars is almost like metal in orchestral form, and Jupiter is exceptionally beautiful.

[DebraKadabra]

YAY, The Planets!!!!
 
I will say that, while I agree with Venus inspiring John Williams, you can hear the influence of Mars in the Star Wars orchestral scores too (especially the battle scenes in the original trilogy).  Not that I have a problem with that, but the first time I listened to Mars the similarity was striking.
 
My brother turned me on to The Planets, for which I am grateful as the entire piece is just phenomenal.

[Dr. DTVT]

You're list has a lot of unique stuff on it.  It's not the same old stuff that turns up in list after list.   

[DebraKadabra]

Word, Doc

[Big Hath]

You're list has a lot of unique stuff on it.  It's not the same old stuff that turns up in list after list.   

Word, Doc

 

I have been through many different musical phases over the years, and playing instruments and singing has exposed me to a lot of different things.  And much of it has stuck with me.

[DebraKadabra]

I'm hoping that mine (including honorable mentions) will show at least some of the diversity your list is showing.
 
It's gotten to the point where I can't post in the "What full-length album did you just listen to" thread anymore, as I'm verifying the candidates for my list.

[Big Hath]

ha, definitely know what you're talking about!

[DebraKadabra]