Progressive Palaver

SCS14 – Yes Royal Affair Tour. Atlantic City NJ Ken and Joe review the Yes Royal Affair show from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City NJ. From the confounding appearance of Arthur Brown through the academic information of Carl Palmer and the versatile magic of Bumblefoot to the relaxed joy and wonder of Yes, the guys cover it all (or at least a lot of it). This was a very enjoyable show...

Episode 65 – Genesis Part 5, Selling England by the Pound Paul, Ken and Joe cover Selling England by the Pound. High points? Low points? Disagreement? This episode has them all. While some of the subtleties of British culture references require some work the group decides that this is a very strong album. Opinions are split on The Battle of Epping Forest but Firth of Fifth is a classic. Twitter: @...

SCS13 – The Musical Box – Glenside PA Ken and Joe are joined by Friend of the Palaver Ken Fuller to discuss The Musical Box’s performance at the Keswick theater attended by the two Kens. We palaver about tribute bands, Genesis live experiences and, of course, The Musical Box. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3...

Episode 64 – Genesis Part 4, Foxtrot Paul, Tom, Ken and Joe cover what may be the best of five-person Genesis, Foxtrot. There is balance in the force for this excellent album. What does Foxtrot have in common with Jesus Christ Superstar and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? Tune into this episode of the Palaver and find out. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pro...

SCS12 – Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets – New York NY Ken and Joe are joined by Joe Cass of Total Mass Retain, Yes Tribute Band to discuss Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets tour. While Joe was unable to attend the performance in Dallas (to which he had tickets but sadly had to travel), Joe Cass saw BOTH nights at the Beacon Theater in New York. Covering parts of the Pink Floyd catalog that no on...

Episode 63 – Genesis Part 3, Nursery Cryme Joe and Ken reach a major milestone in the Genesis catalog with Nursery Cryme. The additions of Steve Hackett and Phil Collins to band combined with the developing songwriting skills of the remaining three provides a significant leap forward. This album continues to showcase the unique characteristics that will become Genesis. Twitter: @progpala Email: pr...

Episode 62 – Genesis Part 2, Trespass The second Genesis album, Trespass, takes a huge step towards realizing what Genesis will become. The Palaver finds much to like in this early gem as the band begin to find themselves musically. There are times when the listener can clearly hear the future prog powerhouse. While we might not all listen to this record as much as we think we should, we all enjoy...

SCS 11 – Jon Anderson – Collingswood NJ Ken and Joe discuss the Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Tour after seeing the energetic and positive show at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood New Jersey. We palaver about the band and the setlist, considering their interpretations of Yes classics and Jon’s solo material. Favorable feelings are in evidence as we recall our experience. Twitter: @progpala E...

Episode 61 – Genesis Part 1, Palaver Preamble and From Genesis to Revelation One should always start from the beginning. Not making the same mistake we made with Yes, the Palaver begins our Genesis journey with their first release From Genesis to Revelation. After some time to reflect on our own introductions to the band we consider this diamond in the rough. The band were young and just starting...

SCS 10 – Steven Wilson – Dallas TX, November 19, 2018 Paul and Joe discuss the Steven Wilson To the Bone Tour, this time with the wisdom gained from having just completed palavering on the SW solo records. While the House of Blues may have had some logistic shortcomings with regards to the stage show, the music won out (even if the live tracks are muted by the forest of tall people around Joe thro...

Episode 60 – Steven Wilson Part 4, To the Bone Joe, Paul, Tom and Ken complete the Steven Wilson solo segment with To the Bone. Steven Wilson takes us on a journey through pop-infused prog with his signature (and highly developed) mastery of emotional influence. The influence of producer Paul Stacey (and his captivating studio) is explored in this lively Palaver. To the Bone delivers consistently...

Episode 59 - Steven Wilson Part 3, Hand Cannot Erase by Progressive Palaver

Episode 58 – Steven Wilson Part 2, The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) Paul and Joe (with Ken present in spirit via text) dive into this most prog of Steven Wilson albums. The Raven… comes out of the gate as a tour de force and the Palaver is equally enthusiastic in our praise of both the album (songwriting, tone, lyrics) and Guthrie Govan. Perhaps the compliments get heaped on too...

Episode 57 – Steven Wilson Part 1, Insurgentes & Grace for Drowning Paul and Joe begin a short segment on Steven Wilson solo records starting with Insurgentes and Grace for Drowning. These two records show Steven Wilson finding his footing as a solo artist and exploring the musical canvasses he wants to use in this phase of his career. While looking for ways to destroy mp3 players, SW was creating...

Bonus Episode – Palaver Mailbag, Late Delivery Part 2, 2018 Paul and Joe end 2018 by dipping into the Palaver Mailbag to discuss some of your messages and questions. We appreciate every message we get so please keep them coming. We hope you enjoy! Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featured Them...

Special Episode – Tony Kaye Tom, Ken and Joe have the honor to interview Yes founding member Tony Kaye. Tony shares with us his perspective of the beginning of progressive rock in the late 60’s and the resurgence of Yes in early 80’s. Tony shares some insights from his Hall of Fame career including his return to Yes for the 50th anniversary (and beyond). Having worked with some of the best, most i...

Episode 56 – Yes Part 19, Yes & Time and a Word Paul, Ken and Joe correct a past Palaver mistake by closing out the year of #YES50 and returning to the first two Yes albums; Yes and Time and a Word. These two albums were skipped when the Palaver began the initial Yes segment but their importance meant that they had to be covered. The group considers these two records in relation to the beginnings...

Episode 55 – Yes Part 18, Heaven & Earth Tom, Ken and Joe move to the end of the of Yes catalog with the most recent release from @YesOfficial, Heaven & Earth. This album marks a clear movement towards new horizons and was, at the time, only the third album released without Jon Anderson. New singer Jon Davidson has significant writing credits here and Billy Sherwood pitches in with engineering dut...

Episode 54 – Yes Part 17, Fly From Here & Fly From Here, Return Trip Joe and Ken have an unabashed lovefest for both versions of the Fly From Here album. Thirty years in the making, Fly From Here is worth every day of the wait. The discussion focuses on the interesting amalgam found in these albums from songwriting, influences, production and singers. It’s not often you are able to fully enjoy two...

Episode 53 – Yes Part 16, Magnification Joe, Paul and Ken discuss this often-overlooked gem in the Yes catalog. When Chris Squire sings “You might need a guide” you should probably pay attention. Twitter: @progpala Email: progpala@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgPala YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_Xxit3D8wbv-AcJ_7Z__w/featured Theme music provided by: Dave DeWhitt

Episode 52 – Yes Part 15, The Ladder The year of Yes continues as Paul, Ken and Joe tackle The Ladder. The technical gremlins manifest themselves in this episode as phantom beeps but the Palaver is as engaging as ever for this joyful, enjoyable album. The group finds The Ladder as a pleasant surprise (Ken declares the album a “hidden gem”) in the catalog in this time. The only Yes album recorded w...

Episode 51 – Yes Part 15, Keys to Ascension & Open Your Eyes The almost full Palaver of Joe, Paul, Ken, Jay and Tom tackle both Keys to Ascension albums and Open Your Eyes in this episode. The musical parallels between Keys and Tormato are explored at some length whether or not they actually exist. Either way it seems this group can’t stop talking about that particular album (Ken suggests a drinki...

The Yes palaver continues with Jay, Tom, Ken, Paul and Joe covering Talk. The group considers the (at the time) cutting edge recording and production techniques which lend this album a unique flavor. The 2 < 5 theory is explored again as well as the effect of no strong outside producer (too many Trevors, too many Jons and where is the bass???). This album does, however, contain perhaps the most "Y...

Bonus Episode – Trevor Rabin, Can’t Look Away In this bonus episode, Paul and Joe take a (small) sidestep away from Yes to discuss Trevor Rabin’s solo effort Can’t Look Away. Paul has always held this album in high regard and time has proven him correct. The influence of a top-notch producer (Bob Ezrin) is readily evident in focusing Trevor’s creative urges. This album serves as a fascinating adde...

Episode 48 – Yes Part 12, ABWH & Union For this episode of the Yes Palaver Paul, Ken and Joe discuss the curious period in Yes history with the albums Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Union. These two albums represent a very dynamic period in the band’s history. The interweaving timelines for the two Yes camps that resulted in these albums is fascinating and is ultimately punctuated by management...