Top Albums For 2013
Top 10 Studio Albums: (A year of highly-anticipated and long-awaited releases)
1. Spock's Beard - Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep (2 CD Special Edition)
This was a highly anticipated album for me this year. The new line-up really knocked this one out of the park, and having some writing-assistance from Neal Morse wasn't too bad either! This is a fresh-sounding, yet classic-feeling SB album, with two new members, they haven't missed a step. It seems this version of SB is destined to carry on in greatness and I look forward to what SB12 brings!
2. Dream Theater - Dream Theater (Ltd. Ed. Box Set)
The band's 12th and self-titled album brings some new sounds, tighter compositions, and better performances from the whole band. This is a very RUSH-inspired album and I have a feeling that many of the band members saw Rush on their Clockwork Angels tour and enjoyed the resurgence of 80's Rush material in the set list. This was another highly anticipated album for the year for me, but slightly less so than SB. Expectations weren't too high, thankfully, as it has become a very polarizing album in the fan base, but for me, it's a pretty good record (though I'm still fighting whether or not I like it as much as ADTOE).
3. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing
Steven's third solo outing brings more prog to the table, with fewer, but longer songs. It's quite a bit different than his previous two albums, both in sound and style, but also song variation (being that his first was a group of shorter songs, the 2nd had songs from 2 to 22 minutes). Having the full band perform the album in the studio, live, with him was a great idea as there is a unique energy and feeling captured in these recordings. Despite being his latest one, this album has also gotten the most spins from me and I enjoy it more than his first two albums.
4. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 2
The eagerly awaited sequel to last year's Part 1, there are some absolutely incredible and beautiful moments on this album, especially the closing track "Curator Of Butterflies". This album is just as great as the first part, and by that I mean that both albums are top notch British Prog with just enough classic-sounding Genesis and modern production to make it an instant classic. I'm not sure how much more I can say about this album, though, as since I got the Full Power compilation of both Parts 1 and 2, I don't really listen to just Part 2 any more.
5. The Tangent - La Sacre Du Travail
After many line-up changes between shows and tours, and uncertainty as to when new material would appear, Andy's announcement of this album, and its incredible line-up, shocked me! Such great performers all coming together (musically) to create another modern masterpiece by Andy. This day-in-the-life concept album is a modern sinfonia in multiple movements. The obtuse British-laden lyrics with the quirky sounds of usual Tangent-ness come together to form what might be one of my favorite albums from this band to date!
6. Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything
Years after the last Ayreon adventure, AAL announces his return to the Ayreon universe with a star-studded guest list of classic proggers mingled with new faces, and produces a 2-disc, 4-song extravaganza that explodes with prog. With a new story centered around a smaller cast (and one a smaller scale), the concept feels a bit closer to home and less spacey. This was a labor of love and it definitely feels like an Ayreon album, more so than anything else Arjen has done in recent years (Guilt Machine, Star One, etc.). I had been wondering if Ayreon would ever return and when they did, it was an triumphant return!
7. The Flower Kings - Desolation Rose (2 CD Special Edition)
When Roine broke news about a new album I was VERY surprised. Two albums in two years seemed like a dream, especially after a 5 year break! I mean, the heck would put a band on hold for five years?!... Anyways, this turned out to be another great album by the band! Unfortunately, still being new, I can't really weigh it against classics like SWA, UTF or even PH, but I liked it as much as I do BOE (which I didn't really warm-up to at first, but I now enjoy it a bit more). Part of me enjoys that they put all the vocal material on the main album and pushed the instrumentals to the Bonus Disc, but I kind of miss the classic-TFK albums where vocal songs were mixed in with instrumental pieces in-between. I was hoping for another album like that but Roine and company seemed more focused on the "song" aspect of their music lately, especially with shorter/tighter pieces.
8. Haken - The Mountain
I had not really heard this band until this album came out (but then I went back and listened to their previous two albums). This was one that almost went un-listened but I'm glad I caught this one! It's prog metal with a certain unique quirk that distinguishes it from the other bands on this list. I haven't spun it much lately (well, the other night to decide how I felt about it to put on this list), but I knew it needed to be on here. I look forward to hearing more from Haken as their career takes off!
9. Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves (Special Edition)
An early release this year, this was one I had been waiting for since I got, and really loved ADHD. This is a pretty good follow-up, and while I haven't listened to it much lately, I recall really enjoying it when it came out. The special edition's "Night Sessions" tracks are really neat, too - very mellow and Floydian. Another fine album from them!
10. TesseracT - Altered State
A relative new-comer but a band that rocks out hard nonetheless. This group is very promising and this album is a great start! I just got it not too long ago and have only really listened to it about a half-dozen times, but I knew it was one of the better albums I've heard this year and I plan on spinning it more in the months (and maybe years) to come! Great stuff from a band that's just starting out!
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Top 5 Live Albums:
1. Rush - Clockwork Angels Live (Six Disc Limited Edition Artbook)
Being my favorite band, this was an eagerly-awaited release. Sure, I've kind of felt burnt-out on Rush live releases, and Time Machine Tour wasn't ALL that great (a few good song choices, all of MP played live, but that's about it), but this was an entirely different kind of Rush tour altogether. The atmosphere was different, the string ensemble in the 2nd set was electrifying, and the performance of "2112" with the full guitar solo in "Grand Finale" is definitive!! I still have no idea why it wasn't played back on the R30 tour... But anyways, great set, the artbook package is breath-takingly gorgeous, and the show itself is a great mix of songs we don't normally hear, new songs, and less of the every-tour-dead-horse classics.
2. Dream Theater - Live At Luna Park (Six Disc Limited Edition Artbook)
The long-Long-LONG awaited live album recorded at the two-night stand at Luna Park is presented in a well-done artbook. As for the show itself, it's a good set list, but we've heard many of these songs before, just not with MM, who does add a bit something new to the show. There's plenty of good renditions of songs on here, especially the new TROAE with the "Octavarium"-esque ending, and with all tracks included (from both nights), we get all 9 songs from ADTOE presented live! Looking past some of the mixing issues, this is a good set list with some great performances by the band (especially LaBrie).
3. Neal Morse - Momentum Tour Live
I know some fans have become dazed with Neal releasing 5-discs sets for every tour he does (Transatlantic, Flying Colors, solo tours, etc. etc.) but THIS mega-fan here LOVES them. The amount of material he presents is astonishing and his latest offering showcases a tight-knit group of great musicians who add their personal touches to everything. So even if we've heard this Morse Solo song before or that SB song before, there's a little something different here with them.
4. Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited: Live At Hammersmith
Over two and a half hours of classic Genesis music featuring some of the best proggers, past and present, playing with Steve Hackett?! YES PLEASE. In fact, I wish we got more from this set because songs like "Ripples" and "The Fountain Of Salmacis" were not present at this show but at other gigs. Unlike Rush and DT, I guess not everyone can give us bonus tracks from their tour, but who can complain too much? It's got "Supper's Ready"!!!
5. Flying Colors - Live At Tilburg
A good documentation of the band's first tour, featuring the entire debut album and some well-picked covers from each member's past. This is a fun show with some great performances, but I was hoping they'd jam out a little more on their original tunes.
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Top 5 Compilation/Covers Albums:
1. Big Big Train - English Electric: Full Power
2. The Tangent - L'Ιtagθre Du Travail
3. Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (The Complete Experience)
4. Steven Wilson - Drive Home EP
5. Big Big Train - Make Some Noise
(Note - Yeah, I included all three BBT releases in my lists. What can I say, I'm a huge fan after discovering them last year!!)
-Marc.
Topic: DTF 2013 Album of the Year (Read 10612 times)
