Nursery Cryme came at perhaps the most interesting time in the band's career. They had just picked up much needed muscle with Hackett and Collins, but were still trying to find their voice as a band. The result is some of the oddest, most original music they have ever composed, played at a new level of competency. For me the most fascinating progressive rock can be the strangest, and--make no mistake--Nursery Cryme is Genesis at their strangest. Here they move away from the folky tendencies of the albums that preceeded it, but are not yet producing music as streamlined and professional as that which would soon come. This is one of the most unique albums in prog rock history.

One of the best things about this album is that the ego jostling has yet to set in. Steve Hackett plays a large role and Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford sing background prominently in some places. Banks even delivers the "Mighty Hogweed" line in "Return of the Giant Hogweed," which is, by the way, a good example of a song with the bizarreness I alluded to earlier.

There are others. "Harold the Barrel" is a off-center but moving mini-opera that takes place in about three minutes, and "Seven Stones" reveals the influence that the first King Crimson album must have had on the band, especially Hackett's guitar solo in the middle and the Mellotronic thunder at the end. Kind of a creepy song in its own way. And speaking of creepy, while "The Musical Box" is an acknowledged epic masterpiece, its theme of a reincarnated (...)fixated villain is so disturbingly obscure that they had to explain the story on the liner notes of the remastered CD (whose sound IS much better than the original vinyl pressing).

The oddness of the music of this record is certainly reflected in the band's colorful stage persona at the time, all infused with a wonderful sense of artistic discovery. We know the three albums to come are the five star classics, but there is something singularly exciting about this record that you won't find anywhere else.

Although I don't like it quite as much as its predecessor, "In a Glass House," or the album that follows, "Free Hand," don't let some of the other reviewers mislead you, this is a definite step toward the less complex, more commercial sound that would find its peak in the Giant's next release, "Free Hand." The album is still original and challenging, but some songs, especially "Aspirations" and "Playing the Game" can be grasped after two or three listenings, something that can't always be said about this great band's music. (If you want dissonance, I won't argue "Interview" is the album for you).

Derek Shulman once said in an interview that this album lacked some of the energy of their other work. That may be true in the case of some cuts--"Valedictory" strikes me as a particularly unsatisfying re-hash of "Proclimation," but there's plenty of energy in cuts like "Cogs in Cogs" and "Proclamation" and some of the quiter songs, including the aforementioned "Aspirations" and the underrated "No God's a Man," stand up to anything they've done. This may not be my favorite GG album, but along with "Octopus," "Glass House" and "Free Hand" it does form the core of their best work, falling just a notch below those three others.

The thing I like most about "Major Impacts" is that the songs stand up even if you don't know Morse is aping the sytles of other guitarists. Everyone knows Morse is a great technician when it comes to playing, but his compositional skill on these tracks is impressive, even when--as in the case of "Derailleur" and "Truth Ola"--I have trouble connecting the sound to Creem and Jeff Beck, respectively. It doesn't matter.

My favorite cuts are probably the last two on the CD, "Free in the Park" and "Prognosis". The first lays down a nice bluesy Allman Brothers groove, and the second is an intricate Prog Rock sendup of (mostly) Yes and (a little) Kansas. Listen carefully, BeBop Deluxe fans, and you might hear one or two Bill Nelsonesque glissandos. Great stuff.

In fact, I wish Morse would have been a little more progressive on this album, he has progressive roots, and Magna Carta is a progressive label. For example, I'd like to see him play in the vein of Steve Hackett when he was with Genesis and wouldn't mind hearing him try something even less commerical, like Alan Holdsworth.

However, the biggest disappointment for me, and to keep it in perspective, it's only one out of eleven tracks, is the Byrds' influenced cut, "Migration". Morse has the jingle jangle rhythmic sound down, but I would have liked it more if he would have played lead in the style of Roger McGuinn when McGuinn was at his peak as a player. The lead in "Eight Miles High" is a good example, but there are plenty of others spread out all over the "Fifth Dimension" and "Younger than Yesterday" albums.

Oh, well, you can't have everything. Fans of good guitar playing and solid instrumental composition will like this one.

Though only Kansas' second album, Song for America already displays the two sides of the band (heartland rocker vs. progressive rocker) that would permeate its offerings throughout its classic period. Frankly, I think it might contain the best examples of both. "Down the Road" is by far the hottest, catchiest rocker they've recorded (and shows what rock and rool violin is all about). "Song for America," a nine minute progressive opus, might be the best thing they've ever recorded.

The band would get more consistent, learning how to integrate both tendencies to great effect on "Leftoverture," a far more even effort, but it's hard to top the two songs I just mentioned. "Lamplight Symphony" is another worthwhile effort in the progressive vein.

Unfortunately, I can't be as enthusiastic about the rest of the album. "Lonely Street" may be my least favorite cut in their catalogue, and the band seems to be trying too hard on "Hymn to the Atman." However, the album is worth buying for the three cuts I mentioned favorably.

It's funny. A lot of progressive bands, most notably Gentle Giant and Genesis, start to stink it up musically when they get more commercial. Kansas is one of the few progressive bands I know who gained popularity as they made better records. Song for America catches them at a time when they were another album away from fully realizing their vision (the less said about their next album, "Masque", the better).

Time gives us perspective and over 30 years after I bought it on vinyl, the album Manassas holds up well, gaining poignancy in that Stills would probably never again reach similar heights as an artist. Here he is at the pinnacle of his powers, writing a ton of quality songs and managing a large, talented, TIGHT band (probably with the considerable help of ex-Byrd Chris Hillman--one of the things that attracted me to the album in the first place).

The results are impressive. This is a solid album that spans a number of musical genres, and hearing it re-mastered on CD is a treat. There are few weak songs and as a fan of bands with three guitars, Stills, Hillman, and Perkins (often, but not always, on Steel) mesh very well. Stills is firmly in the spotlight, but seems secure enough (in contrast to his musical endeavors with Neil Young) to let the band function as an integrated whole. I remember this album getting lukewarm reviews at the time, which seems ludicrous. If only more CDs contained over 20 solid tracks.

I saw this band twice, and the first time--a three hour show at Maples Pavillion at Stanford University--they blew me away, opening with "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star?" and following with "Rock and Roll Woman." They then went into the suite on Side One, and things got even better.

Stills appeared to be a little wobbly, a foreshadowing of the kinds of things would later work against him as an artist, but it never interfered with the quality musicianship of the evening. At one time during the night he said "This is the best band I've ever played with," and truthfully it was. CSNY may have had the star power and the hits, but could never be mistaken as a full functioning band, especially in concert. Manassas impresses today because they are a BAND that brought the best out of Stephen Stills. The best evidence of this is "The Treasure", a studio recording essentially played live in one take. It's awesome and shows the ability of the group to work with one mind toward a common goal. Wish it would have happened more often in Stills (and for that matter, Hillman's) career.

I'm not a big jazz guy (for instance, Earthworks leaves me cold) but I AM a big prog guy and this album definitely qualifies. It is, indeed, as others have said, a great step forward from "Feels Good to Me". I also agree, along with others, that it is one of Alan Holdworth's finest moments (along with his solo album, "Metal Fatigue".) More on that in a minute.

This is what jazz-oriented prog should be, quirky, challenging, but infinitely accessible after four or five listens. It grooves. You can bang your hands on the dashboard to it (and I do). Yes, I like mid-Seventies King Crimson as much as the next person, but I can't listen to side two of "Starless and Bible Black" over and over or "Fracture" on "Red" like I can this album. There's not a weak cut on "One of a Kind" and after 15 years I still listen to it over and over.

I think what makes this album work is that it is a true team effort, with personalities playing off of each other and keeping them in check. Both Dave Stewart (who should be in the Canterbury Hall of Fame for his work in Hatfield and the North and National Health -- I can't believe how many reviews in the selection don't praise him, or even worse, don't know who he is) and Alan Holdworth are kept under control by the other band members so they do not fall prey to their worst excesses. Sort of like Lennon and McCartney in the Beatles.

This is especially true of Holdworth. Most of his solo work after "Metal Fatigue" strikes me more as some kind of clinical, soulless guitar exercise than music. He's good on "UK", too (and hated the constraints placed on him there, by the way) but here he is less conservative without getting too obscure. Makes me sad that he didn't play like this more often. His work alone is worth the price of this album.

Bruford sits behind it all, his usual gracious self, one of the best drummers in the world working as part of the musical fabric, never overshadowing the cohesive purpose of the piece.

This is great stuff. And if you are a prog fan it's essential listening.

Look, I like Spock's Beard, and I like "Snow", but my opinion of this album is somewhat tempered by two factors.

One, it really is too long. You're talking to a guy that thinks one of the biggest problems with the new prog is that bands with one major songwriter ("Spock's Beard" and "The Flower Kings", for example) make a big mistake by trying to provide 60 or 70 minutes of music on a CD. There are bound to be some low points. Well, "Snow" clocks in at close to two hours and there are definitely some extended low points. Neal Morse is a great songwriter and gets far too much flack because he tries to be melodic, but during the course of this CD, especially CD 2, the music definitely sags. It's just too excessive.

The second downfall of this album is the theme. It's really, really reminiscent of "Tommy". Fallen messiah. Great theme. But overused. People on this board say it reminds them of "The Lamb" but I don't see it. "The Lamb" is so blown away and ambiguous that I don't think it can be too clearly defined. But "Tommy", definitely, yeah. I wish Neal could have done something a little more original. I also think that the dramatic element that kicks off Snow's personal crisis (basically he is dissed by a girl) seems somewhat trivial given the scope of the themes being explored elsewhere on this album.

Of course, you've probably noticed I've still given "Snow" four stars, and there is, indeed, an awful lot to like here. But I do think, on the whole, "V" was a better album, and I'm afraid by overextending himself Neal is going to exhaust himself as a songwriter. I've seen it happen to other prog rockers and I don't want the same thing to happen to him.

Buy it by all means. But it is a bit flawed.

Lana Lane has an entrancing, powerful voice and I bought this album based on what I'd heard from her previously, mostly prog rock samplers and Aryeon's "Dream Sequencer" album.

However, there is no question that this album will be a dissapointment to serious prog fans because a lot of the material is pedestrian. The "Astrology" suite of songs work well enough and I like "Alexandria" and "Bell", but many of these songs are straight, rather unimaginative rockers. "Speed of Sound" is one of the worst offenders. I don't mind shredding if it's done imaginatively, a la Dream Theater, but this is just straightforward stuff. Not much to write home about.

Other songs suffer from the same problem. They're just rock songs and not very impressive ones. You also reach a point where a lot of this stuff sounds similar. There is a ton of music on this CD, proof that this is not necessarily a good thing.

I have no doubt that Lana could be the "Queen of Symphonic Prog" that the liner notes claim if she had complex and challenging enough material. Check out her turns on "Dream Sequencer", especially "Dragon of the Sea" which is so awesome its scary. Her reliance on Erik Norlander, her husband, to write the bulk of the material is a definite issue. His keyboards are great, but not his songwriting skills. Mix in some other songwriters, Lana! (Or try writing more yourself. "Alexandria" is just fine).

"In a Glass House" came at a pivotal point in the band's existence, being that it came after founding member Phil Shulman's departure. That must have been a blow to the other Shulmans and Kerry Minnear, being that the band had just hit its creative peak on "Octopus," a release that many (including me) think is their best.

That being the case, the boys really must have sucked it up because this is a remarkable album, harder to get into at first than the other albums from their peak period, but ultimately rewarding. The thing about complex music like this is you never get tired of it. You play it over and over.

And make no mistake, this is a complex album, harder edged than anything recorded with Phil (a trend that would continue through to "Interview", the beginning of the creative end for the band). It likewise brings Derek's lunatic bellow to the forefront which doesn't bother me but bothers many others (including my wife). There's nothing "precious" about this progressive band, a few listens to "The Runaway" (one of their all-time greats) and "Way of Life" will make that quite clear.

The only thing holding me back from giving this five stars is "An Inmate's Lullaby," an all-percussion and vocals piece. It's clever, but never takes off for me. It's kind of annoying, actually. I must also say that the live version of "In a Glass House" thrown in as a bonus (it's really a jam built around the last part of that song) is of bootleg quality, hardly listenable, although it is interesting to "hear" Gary Green and John Weathers freak out with wild abandon.

A great album. But I think "Octopus" and "Freehand" are better and rate five stars.

When it was released in 1977, Jet Lag was considered a disappointment of sorts. I recall one review calling it "PFM's failed fusion experiment."

Well, this album is neither "failed" nor a "fusion experiment". Although certain songs are jazzier than anything the group had done before, it is a highly original album with few equals in the progressive rock pantheon. Sure it's a departure from the group's classical roots, coinciding with the exit of seminal violinist and flautist Mauro Pagani. And his loss was undoubtedly difficult for many fans to handle. But as time passes, Jet Lag has come to stand up as one of PFM's strongest efforts, particularly if you're like me and favor English lyrics.

Each cut on this album stands out in its own way. "Fusion rock" comments notwithstanding, this is one of the group's most diverse efforts. It includes a solo classical guitar piece ("Peninsula"), a mini-epic with distinct movements (the title cut), a dreamy keyboard-dominated piece with a hint of New Aginess ("Storia in 'LA'"), a folk/progressive blend complete with Mellotron ("Circo la Lingua") and a Genesis-flavored anthem ("Traveler"). Even the more fusion-dominated cuts ("Jet Lag," "Left Handed Theory") are distinctive and a little strange - something I've valued in progressive rock since Genesis' Nursery Cryme days.

The sound on this album is unique, as well - even for PFM. Keyboard master Flavio Premoli dominates with something called a "micro moog" that is reminiscent of an electronic woodwind, drummer Franz DiCioccio makes liberal use of "Italian Wood Percussion" and the masterful bass playing of Patrick Djivas (compressed to the point that it almost sounds...well...trebly) is featured to a degree unrivaled by any PFM album before or since. The gypsy-flavored violin of Gregory Bloch, Pagani's replacement, adds a folky flavor to the sound.

Some take issue with vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti, but considering that - up to this point in PFM's history - the only alternatives had been Italian lyrics or Mussida, Pagani and Premoli fighting (and losing) the battle to master English, he's not that bad. Frankly, he adds to the strangeness I alluded to earlier.

In short, this is highly original progressive rock with few missteps. Some of my favorite PFM songs are on it. In fact, "Storia in 'LA'" and "Traveler" are among my favorite songs of all time. As with most good progressive albums this takes a few listens to get into. But Jet Lag stands up well today almost 25 years after it was released. PFM purists point to their early Italian-language releases as their best - and they are great accomplishments. But I think this release provides just as much enjoyment.