My essay for English

Here's what I wrote for that English assignment last quarter. I have to admit that I don't think it's as good as it could have been. We weren't given much time to write since it was os close to the end of the quarter. If I had had more time, I think I would have done much better. Anyway, here's what I wrote:

“It works because we said it worked." This was what John Lennon had to say in regards to whether he felt Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was, what many people were calling, the first concept album. Many believe this album was the first to introduce the use of elaborate album artwork, sound effects, and a central idea that would surround an entire record. It was 1967, and the British psychedelic movement was well underway. This was the year that saw the release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper as well as Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and The Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed, the first prominent rock record to feature a full symphony orchestra. It was a time of experimentation and new ideas. The use of hallucinogens mixed with elements of jazz and influence from pioneers of American blues and R&B would soon give rise to a new musical movement that would forever challenge listeners and change the course of music: progressive rock, or “prog” for short. This was a movement that would combine classical music with rock, present lyrics inspired by works of literature and philosophical ideas, and introduce the presence of stage antics during live performances.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is believed to be the first album that incorporated many different genres such as rock, jazz, blues, classical, and psychedelic. Prominent cultural figures of the 60s such as Timothy Leary attributed the album’s subtle philosophy to the way people felt about drugs (in songs such as “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “When I’m Sixty-Four”) and the desire for a cultural change based on peaceful values. Due to its suggested drug references, many songs off the album were banned from British radio. Sgt. Pepper inspired aspiring musicians to deviate from the norm and break away from the society they grew up in that enforced conformity and structure. The album influenced musicians that would go on to form bands like Yes, Genesis and King Crimson.

After the success of Sgt. Pepper, in 1969, a new band arose: King Crimson. Guitarist Robert Fripp, along with bass player Greg Lake, drummer Michael Giles, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, and lyricist Pete Sinfield, had their first rehearsal in January and their first show in April. They became an overnight success and soon after, began work on their debut album, which would mark the official start of the entire British progressive rock movement of the 60s and 70s: In the Court of the Crimson King. Lyrically, the album explored injustice, the fear and terror that arose from the Vietnam War, and a “lack of faith in traditional institutions.” The beginning track, “21^st Century Schizoid Man,” is illustrated by the album’s cover art, which depicts a close up of a man screaming in terror. According to Greg Lake, when the band saw the artwork for the album for the first time, they knew that they were staring directly into the face of the Schizoid Man. The image illustrated not just the opening track, but also the overall fear and confusion that existed within the world at the time. The inner gatefold of the LP depicts a “vampiric ghoul,” which is referred to as the “Crimson King.” He appears to be smiling, but when the smile is covered, his eyes display a kind of sadness to them. “Schizoid Man” features a jazz-influenced musical composition, complete with 6/8 time and heavily distorted vocals. The rest of the album, notably the songs “Epitaph” and “I Talk to the Wind,” contain lyrical symbolism expanding on the concepts of war and disillusion.

The rise of King Crimson had a massive influence on many musicians who were just starting out at the time, including the members of Yes. Although Yes felt “secretively competitive” with King Crimson, they gained much influence from them, and in 1971, they released their breakthrough album, The Yes Album. The album marks the moment Yes began to develop an established sound and really take off with their careers. This new approach and direction can be heard beginning with the first track, “Yours is No Disgrace,” which was the band’s first try at featuring lengthy musical introductions and guitar breaks. It is one of their longest recorded songs, clocking in at over nine and a half minutes. The second-to-last track on the record, “Starship Trooper,” displays the influence bassist Chris Squire and lead singer Jon Anderson gained from Simon and Garfunkel as well as the influence guitarist Steve Howe gained from players like Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry. The lyrics on the album (as well as those of future Yes albums) come from the spiritual ideations of Jon Anderson along with the spiritual texts that he had read.

While bands like Yes and King Crimson were developing their sounds, Pink Floyd were pushing the boundaries of rock music even further with their continued incorporation of psychedelic imagery with music. By the time they released their eighth and most successful studio album in 1973, Dark Side of the Moon, they had moved on from the “extended instrumental excursions” of their first few studio albums. With the absence of original member and key composer and lyricist, Syd Barrett, Roger Waters had taken over as the main lyricist and visionary creator. While it is debatable whether this album is a concept album, there is no denying that every track on Side A (From “Speak to Me” through “Great Gig in the Sky”) and every track on side B (From “Money” through “Eclipse”) flows into each other, taking listeners on a musical journey through topics such as war and racism (“Us and Them”), greed and 7/4 time (“Money”), and the process of living and dying (“Time” and “Great Gig in the Sky”). The album takes a close look at the “temporal nature of time” and everyday stresses. The track “Brain Damage” was inspired partially by Syd Barrett’s madness before leaving the band. Dark Side of the Moon is said to be one of the main albums that truly embodies the essence of prog rock and its timelessness through its use of broad themes that remain relevant today. The album’s world-famous cover artwork comes from keyboardist Rick Wright’s desire for a cover that was “clean and classy.” The signature image of the rainbow passing through the prism is what branded the band into the minds of rock listeners to this day.

While progressive music has received support from millions of people worldwide since it began, it has also been subject to endless amounts of negative criticism from various music magazines and critics. Many of them complain that this music is too complex for the common listener, and even pretentious at times. As a result, fans of progressive music have been considered to be part of a cult following. A prog concert is not like other concerts that we know today. At a prog concert, the audience connects not just with the band, but also with each other. Prog encourages musicians to step away from what is expected and to, instead, challenge their listeners to explore philosophical ideas that may not be present in traditional rock songs. It lets the world know that there are many stories left to tell, many concepts left to explore, and more musical ideas available than one can ever hope to exhaust. In a world where music is now thought to be repetitive and unoriginal, prog exists to challenge musicians to create music that is worthwhile to them, rather than what mainstream media is looking for. Rick Wakeman of Yes once described prog as being “freedom of your heart and freedom of your mind.”

First Day of Spring Quarter

Last night was just as incredible as the first. One change was made to the set list, though: "On an Island" was replaced with "What Do You Want From Me" from The Division Bell. This is apparently David's first time performing that song as a solo artist. It sounded great, nonetheless. I got two pieces of merchandise before the show: a small women's tour tee and a keychain. I'm wearing the shirt now. It fits great and I've even received a compliment for it. The keychain is attached to my car keys. I wrote on Facebook that this is a spring break I am never going to forget. It was truly special and memorable. I got to see my musical hero twice. I will always remember that, because I thought for a long time that I would never get to see him.

I texted my dad to record tonight's episode of Jimmy Kimmel, since David is supposed to be performing on that show. I hear this is a rare occurrence, as David doesn't often perform on TV shows, let alone talk-show programs.

Anyway, aside from David, I drove back to campus today to start the third and final quarter of the year. Can't believe it's already almost done. It's as if yesterday I was just moving in. I am taking four classes this quarter, all of which are breadth requirements. Breadth requirements are also called general education classes, as they don't have anything to do with your major. They're just classes you have to take to graduate. I had two meetings today. The first was my new English class. This class is more about writing persuasive and argumentative essays. I think I can handle that. We're even reading The Hunger Games starting next week. I'm going home this weekend since dad and I are seeing Steve Hackett on Friday, so I will grab my sister's copy of the book to take back with me. The second meeting was a lab that accompanies the lecture for a computer science class. It's called Intro to Computing. The class description stated it would be about basic computer use. Sounds doable…

On the drive back, I played two albums: Dark Side of the Moon, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I played Dark Side because I have had a strong urge to play anything that features David lately. I played Sgt. Pepper because I hadn't heard it in a while and it is commonly mentioned in the prog rock history books and documentaries I have studied. I actually ended up liking a lot more than I remember. I can understand better why it was such a landmark album. From what I've heard, it was basically the first album to introduce the idea of songs running into each other, as well as a certain concept surrounding the entire record, even though it's debatable as to whether the album is in fact a concept album. I don't know. You make your own conclusion on that.

3/26/16

I got a couple of emails from the professors of two of my spring quarter classes. One is for an introduction to computing and the other is for a class about contemporary poetry. I spent some time taking notes on the books I will need to get. I decided to step things up a notch and take four classes instead of three this quarter, especially since that is the recommended amount of classes one should take in order to be considered a full- time student. The books for the computer class are all online only, so that will save me some space in my dorm and in my backpack. I know I’m going to be busy this quarter, but I want to finish my freshman year as best I can. I can’t believe I’m already almost done with my first year. It went by so quickly.

Anyway, I’m very excited for tomorrow. Never mind the fact that it’s Easter Sunday, I will be spending the evening enjoying Mr. David Gilmour again. He’s playing at the Forum in Inglewood. I haven’t been there since August 2014, when I saw Arcade Fire there. Our seats aren’t great but I am still glad that we are able to go at all. Many of my friends are also going to see him when he goes to Chicago and New York. Some people I know were at last night’s show at the Hollywood Bowl. I heard that he added another song to the set list: “What Do You Want From Me” from The Division Bell. That makes me wonder if he will add or subtract anything at tomorrow’s show. We’ll see…

I have decided that I would like to get a shirt from the merchandise stand. Lately, I have been getting just tour programs at concerts instead of shirts, but since this is so special to me, I would like to have a shirt as well. I don’t mind getting one from a person selling them outside the venue, since I have done that before. It beats standing in line for ages at the merchandise stand. Plus, the people outside the venue sell them for way cheaper. However, there comes a certain problem with being a female prog fan: it’s often very difficult (and sometimes impossible!) to find women’s shirts. Most of my prog shirts are men’s tees, unfortunately, either because that was all that was available, or I didn’t like the women’s shirts that were offered. The men’s shirts do tend to be better I have to say. It’s very hard to predict what will be available at prog merchandise stands. Again, we’ll just have to see…

What Happened Last Night

Normally, when I write about a concert experience, I describe the event in as much detail as possible. I usually begin with what I did before the show, and then take you through the entire show song by song. I think I will do things a little bit differently, since what I saw last night was something I would consider to be landmark moment in my life. I think instead of going through the whole setlist, I will just focus on the moments that meant the most to me. Last night, I watched David Gilmour for the very first time at the Hollywood Bowl. It was 3 emotional hours of magic. I told Dylan afterward that David is to me what Stevie Wonder is to him: the very best there is.

When I heard David was going to tour, it was July 2015. I had previously accepted that he was retired from touring due to the tragic 2008 death of Richard Wright. David was (and still is!) my favorite musician, but I guessed that I just wasn't meant to see him live, so the announcement of a new album and tour was a wonderful surprise. Actually, it was a dream come true. I had longed to see David ever since I first heard him back in 2009. He was the first musician whose music moved me to tears. I had made in my mind a concert "bucket list," putting him in first place, over any other band I wanted to see. I even told my dad that he would not have to ask me if I would rather see David or someone else if tours overlapped, since he should already know the answer. It was a very long wait (8 months to be exact), but it most definitely was worth it. Just as I did with King Crimson, I left my phone in the car once we parked so that I could experience this show as best I could without any distractions.

The show consisted of two sets, with a 15-minute break in between. The first half was mostly dedicated to playing material from David's latest solo album Rattle That Lock. The second half was mostly dedicated to Pink Floyd material. However, both sets were beautifully done. It was a great combination of sights and sounds. It was colorful, and music filled the entire venue.

I have seen well over 35 concerts since 2010, from performances in venues that seated from 150 to 90,000. But none of them moved me or impacted me nearly as much as last night did. Last night was a night I had dreamed of experiencing since I was 12 years old. Last night, I cried at 3 different points in the show. I had never cried before at a concert, not even when I saw Roger Waters in 2010 and 2012. The first time was during David's guitar solo in a song called "The Blue." I have always loved that solo, and he played it so perfectly that the tears started coming and wouldn't stop until the song was over. I didn't want to make a scene, but I was fortunately able to cry in peace. The other two times were during the moment I had always dreamed of experiencing: the performance of "Comfortably Numb."

I've been playing guitar for 8 years, and have been a Pink Floyd fan for 7 years. Through that time, I have heard many people cover the guitar solo for "Comfortably Numb," and even attempted to do so myself at one point. All were good, but the one musical moment I longed for more than anything else was to hear David himself play it live in person, and last night, that longing was fulfilled. I teared up plenty for the first solo, but I mainly wanted to hear him play the last solo at the end, which is nothing more than the most wonderful, emotional, and soulful guitar solo I have ever heard to this day, and I have heard many great guitar solos. Once that solo started, so did the tears. I actually cried pretty hard during that time. They were tears of pure joy and satisfaction. I never thought I would get to experience such a thing. It really reminded me of why music is so special to me. I thought of all the wonderful people I now have in my life because of music. I have shared many great experiences with them over the years. Without David or "Comfortably Numb," or The Wall, I probably never would have been inspired to branch out and explore other bands that also worked to create meaningful and timeless music. Also, given the current trend of musicians passing on, I am extra grateful I was able to get the chance to see David while he is still with us.

Last night is a night I surely will cherish always, and I look forward to living it all again this Sunday night.

A big 10/10

Comfortably Numb

When I was 12 years old, my guitar teacher showed me a song called "Is There Anybody Out There?" by this band called Pink Floyd. It was truly unlike anything I had ever heard before. When I came home from practice that day, my dad said that that song was part of this concept rock album called The Wall. He said I should listen to it since I really liked that song I heard. Well, eventually, I did sit down and give the album a complete listen. When that album was over, I knew that it had taken great effect on me. For the first time in my life, I learned how to connect with music on an emotional level. The moment where I realized this was when I heard "Comfortably Numb." That was the first time a guitar solo had driven me to tears. That was my introduction to the genius of David Gilmour. From that song, I realized that music didn't have to be complicated in order to be memorable. Before that album, I had been introduced to the likes of Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, and Jeff Beck. All are great of course, but I believed that in order to be a great guitarist, you had to be able to play as fast as they did. "Comfortably Numb" changed that for me. The simplicity of the chord progression and guitar solo structure is what caught my attention. I had also never heard an album that followed a specific storyline before. Still today, that is my favorite album of all time, and "Comfortably Numb" remains my favorite song of all time.

3/21/16

I played a lot of albums today on the new turntable. They all sounded great even though they were old copies. To be exact, I played the following albums: Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder, The Yes Album by Yes, Trilogy by ELP, A Question of Balance  by The Moody Blues, and Year of the Cat by Al Stewart. I hadn't played my vinyl copy of Year of the Cat in a while so I was eager to try it out on the new turntable. My Crosley turntable, which I've had for almost three years, is a good starter record player, but nothing more. It's supposed to be the cheapest one you can possibly get. The biggest flaw I think is the fact that the tone arm isn't weighted really at all. I ended up having to tape a quarter to top of it because the lack of weight would cause the needle to skip on any record I put on, including brand new ones. The quarter made a huge difference, because now it never skips, except on extremely rare occasion. It's also great that my Crosley record player is portable, with a carrying handle attached to the side of it. That makes me able to take it with me to and from campus. Spring break is only a week long but I didn't want to go that long without it so I brought it home with me.

I got an email a few days ago that Ian Anderson will be making a stop in Riverside this October with his new rock opera, Jethro Tull. I couldn't pass up the opportunity (even though it's on a Tuesday), so we were able to get a ticket. Just one though. My dad won't be able to make it since it's in the middle of the week. It won't be the same going by myself, but I am still looking forward to it. I read some Ticketmaster reviews of the show. It seems as though people either loved it or absolutely hated it. I didn't find many in-between reviews. Most of the bad reviews were from people who were complaining about the condition of Ian's voice or expecting to see the full Jethro Tull band.

Only three days left until David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl. I can hardly wait. Eight months passed by extremely quickly. I've said this before, but I can't believe that it's already here. It's surely going to be a great night. I've never been to the Hollywood Bowl before. I hear it's a great venue so I am really looking forward to that. King Crimson taught me the importance of "embracing the moment," so I don't plant to take any photos at the show. I think that will allow me to enjoy the show more instead of having to stress over getting photos.

3/17/16

We finally got my new turntable set up downstairs in the family room. I got it for my 18th birthday but we didn't have a good sound system to hook it up to. It took 14 months for this to happen but I'm glad we finally succeeded.

I only got Fulfillingness' First Finale yesterday and I've already heard it 3 times. It was the first album I played on the new turntable. Sounds much better than it does on my Crosley portable turntable. On the new one I also played side 1 of Diamond Dogs as well as some of my 45s.

I think I'll give disc 2 of that collection of The Nice recordings the owner of my local record store let me borrow yesterday. I really liked the first disc so I imagine I will like disc 2 as well.

Only a week left until I see David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl. David is my musical hero so I'm super excited for this. We got our tickets back in July so it's been a long wait. Hard to believe it's already almost here. Time really does fly. I got a vinyl copy of his new solo album Rattle That Lock so I could frame it in my dorm. I like his third solo album On an Island better, but I'm happy with this one too. I haven't looked up any past set lists because I want to go in surprised. I'm seeing David twice. Next Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl and next Sunday at The Forum. The first show I'm going to is the first night of his US tour, so I'm expecting there to be a ton of energy from everyone. We'll see…

3/16/16

I'm finally home for spring break! I can't believe the second quarter is already done. I think it went faster than fall quarter to be honest. I've heard people say they think spring quarter is the slowest of the year, but that's not how it felt to me.

Anyway, I went out for a few hours today because I was home alone and feeling bored. After I grabbed lunch, I made a stop at the record store I would go to almost once a week after school back in high school. It's a great place. It's small, but there's so much you can find there. My main goal was to look for Stevie Wonder vinyl because I really would like to explore more of his music since I've liked what I've heard so far. I picked up a copy of Fulfillingness' First Finale, since that is the next one Dylan recommended I get. He calls this album Stevie's "darkest" record, since it was released right after Stevie was in a bad car accident that put him in a coma for a bit. I played it as soon as I got home and really liked it. I think I will listen to it again before I go to bed.

That's not all I got. I also picked up a copy of The Yes Album as well as On the Threshold of a Dream by The Moody Blues. I do have a copy of that album, but it doesn't include the gatefold (I love gatefolds!) or lyric book, so I got a copy that had both of those things. When I went to pay for my records, the owner of the store noticed my Greg Lake Songs of a Lifetime shirt. He's seen me many times in the past but has only spoken to me a few times because I'm not much of a talker. Anyway, he asked if I had seen Greg in concert. I replied that I had and that I also met him after the show. The owner asked me what that was like. I told him Greg was definitely the kindest rocker I had ever met. We then started talking about the tragic death of Keith Emerson. He didn't understand why Keith had done what he did, so I told him that Keith had been suffering from depression for decades and also from a condition that was impairing his right hand. He then asked me if I had heard any music from Keith's first band, The Nice. I told him I had only heard their album The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack, but nothing else. As I was about to leave the store, he stopped me and offered to let me borrow a copy of a collection of The Nice recordings from 1967-1969. If I like it, I can come back and pay for it. If not, I can simply bring it back. I accepted the offer. I've only heard the first disc so far, but I definitely like it. Keith really was something special.

 I'm finding it a bit hard to listen to any ELP lately, as do some of my friends. I'm just taking this one day at a time.

3/13/16

Not much went on today. Woke up late due to daylight savings time and had brunch. Took the bus down to the train station to buy a ticket for the Tuesday afternoon train to LA Union Station. My last final is tomorrow but it goes until 2:30 and the last train leaves at 3:07, so I decided to leave Tuesday instead.

Anyway,  like many people, I am still very emotional over the loss of Keith Emerson. It's going to take a long time for me to come to terms with it, I think. I've talked to a few of my friends about it, and we are all devastated. More people are posting tributes and sharing memories of meeting him or seeing him in concert. I had to study for finals yesterday and Friday but it was very hard to concentrate because I had so much on my mind. I was thinking of everyone affected by the loss of Keith. I think we all wish we had known how much he was hurting, and that something could have been done to help him.

I bought a vinyl copy of the first ELP album yesterday, along with Blackstar by David Bowie. Blackstar has been a very enjoyable album to listen to. It was a great last album and I hope to share it with other friends who haven't heard it. The thing that hurts though, is that that was Bowie's way of telling us he was dying. Keith's death came without warning, and it was incredibly sad and shocking. I noticed that Greg Lake posted a statement yesterday that he isn't very surprised to hear about Keith's fate. I saw that many people commented on that saying it was "too soon" for Greg to be talking about this and that his comments about the seriousness of depression were "uncomfortable" to read. I guess it just goes to show you that mental illness is still considered by many to be a taboo topic, one that is better left ignored since it offends easily. I hope that changes one day.

I'm not trying to lecture any of you about the importance of addressing mental health, but as someone who has struggled with it, I can assure you that it is definitely not a topic that should be ignored. I think if more people talked about it, more people would get the help that they need, and then more people would still be here today. That's just my thought, though.

R.I.P. Keith Emerson

I really don't know what to feel right now, other than complete devastation. I know I have finals coming up, but this has been on my mind all day. What can you say when you wake up to find the following message on your phone?: "Keith Emerson has passed into eternity." As many of you are aware, Keith Emerson was a part of my second favorite band, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Like I always do, I checked for a confirmation. I found the following note from Carl Palmer. :

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, KEITH EMERSON. Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith.

Carl Palmer
March 11, 2016"

I am completely crushed at this news. David Bowie's death hurt a bit, Chris Squire's hurt a bit more, but this hurts particularly bad. ELP were the second prog band I was introduced to. The entire year of 2010 was devoted to me exploring their discography. I think I played Tarkus about once every day, along with Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery. In April of that year, I had the honor of seeing Keith with Greg Lake at the Orpheum Theater. This was my first show at the Orpheum, which is now my favorite concert venue. Little did I know that certain people who also attended that show would later become my friends. That is a reason why that show is particularly special. My dad says that Keith stole the show. He truly was remarkable to watch and listen to. He had great stories to tell about his past, just as many older musicians do.

Anyway, I'm not just hurt by his death, but also by how he died. As the day continued, several sources reported that Keith was found with a "single gunshot wound to the head," and that his death is being investigated as a possible suicide. That destroys me to think about. I heard that the nerve condition in his hand that he had been struggling with had come back in worse form, and basically made it impossible for him to continue playing the keyboards. As a result, he struggled with depression. Without giving too much away, I have had my own bouts of severe depression in the past, and so was able to somewhat understand the despair he may have been feeling.

I am now sharing in the grieving process with my friends who had the pleasure of meeting Keith as well as with millions of prog fans affected by ELP.

New Observations about In the Court of the Crimson King

I think that this essay is proving to be a great opportunity for me to exercise my current knowledge of prog as well as to develop new observations. Yesterday, I wrote that I told my professor that if he's going to listen to In the Court of the Crimson King, he should listen to the first track while studying the cover artwork. I explained that the artwork is basically an illustration of the first track. Let me put it this way: If the first track had a face, the cover art would be its face. I remember the story Greg Lake told when I saw him back in 2012 about the day he and the rest of the original King Crimson members saw the album cover for the first time. Greg described it like this: When they saw the image, they knew that they were staring directly into the face of the Schizoid Man. That's a powerful idea to me.

I even gave the album a complete listen last night on my turntable to make sure that it was a good album to write about in my essay. My opinion about it has not changed: It's too important to not write about, or at least mention. Now that I think of it, I can't name a book, article, or documentary about prog that doesn't mention that album at least once. To do so would be to skip a landmark moment in prog history. It would be like not talking about Dark Side of the Moon or Fragile. That's just my opinion.

Anyway, while I was listening to "21st Century Schizoid Man," I started to think something I hadn't thought of before. Whenever I describe the artwork, I always say something along the lines of it being the face of fear and terror. The lyrics to the song never made much sense to me and they still don't really today. However, I began to think the following: When we are afraid of something or terrified of something, more often than not, we don't think clearly when we speak. When I look at the lyrics to "Schizoid Man" I start to think it sounds like they were written by someone (or at least from the perspective of someone) who was afraid and not thinking clearly. Now, that's not to say that I think the lyrics are poor in quality. I think they're very interesting, mainly because they don't seem to make much sense. I think about them almost the same way I think about Yes lyrics. They are kind of like their own language. It's a language that not many can understand. The words may not make much sense, but they fit well with the music.

3/7/16

I met with my English professor this afternoon to talk about my prog essay. He's really excited about it and can't wait to read it. I have to say that I am too. I initially brought my books about prog with me for my own amusement. I never thought I would actually get to use them for an assignment.

We talked for a while. We discussed when the beginning of prog was, landmark albums, and specific songs/pieces that I feel truly help define what prog is and why it was created. I told him that it was sort of a rebellious movement, a deviation from the normal 3-minute pop songs everyone was used to. when we talked about landmark albums, one that came up quite a bit was In the Court of the Crimson King. He knew about King Crimson after reading my first essay but didn't know their music. I said it was a wonderful album, but part of what makes that album so special is the artwork. Without giving too much away, I basically told him that the artwork was an image of fear. If fear had a face, that is what it would look like. He thought that sounded really interesting and asked me to email him the names of some of the albums I was considering writing about in my essay. I chose Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson, Fragile by Yes, and Nursery Cryme by Genesis. I chose Sgt. Pepper as one of them because I have noticed, both in the books I have read and in the documentaries I have watched, that Sgt. Pepper is frequently referred to as the first real "prog" album, or even the first concept album. I also attached a jpg of the artwork for In the Court of the Crimson King. In the email, I urged him to listen to the first track on the album while studying the artwork in order to truly capture the emotions of the image.

I'm looking forward to hearing his thoughts on this.

3/5/16

I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my last entry! For my final essay for English class, we have to write about a concept of our choosing. My professor said it would be best if we wrote about something that interested us. I emailed him asking if it would be ok if I wrote about the concept of progressive music. He wrote back saying that would be a great idea.

I happen to have with me some books that I brought originally just to read on my own time. I never thought I would actually get to use them for an assignment, so I'm really happy about that. They're both written by Will Romano, interestingly enough: Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock, and Prog Rock FAQ. Both of these books are great and really informative, so I think they will work really well for this essay. I spent tonight looking through them and taking notes based on suggestions my professor made as to what I should focus on. He suggested writing about historical aspects, cultural significance, and musical analysis. I'm having a little trouble finding information on cultural significance, but I gathered a lot of information about the other two aspects from my two books as well as from a few documentaries.

I'm meeting with my professor on Monday to talk more about this. I'm really looking forward to it.

Week 9 Update

I'm sorry I haven't written anything in well over a month and a half. Can't believe it's already March and the middle of Week 9 of the winter quarter. Finals begin next Saturday for me. I have two on that day. Terrible day to have a final (let alone two!) if you ask me. We barely get any time to prepare for them.

Anyway, a lot has happened since I last wrote here. Firstly, I added a few more shows to my concert calendar for the rest of the year. On June 12 (on the one year anniversary of the Steven Wilson show in Anaheim!) I will be seeing Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills with my friend Xhana. I'm really looking forward to that because I haven't seen Justin since 2013 when I saw The Moody Blues at the NOKIA Theater in L.A.. Plus The Canyon Club is so close to my house. This will be my first time driving to a concert by myself. I've been on the freeway that goes to the venue many times in the past, so it's a pretty easy drive. I noticed that the Anderson Ponty Band will also be playing there in May I believe, but I saw them in November, so I'm ok with missing that.

A couple other acts are said to be coming to LA in October: Ian Anderson with his new rock opera called Jethro Tull and the Anderson, Rabin,Wakeman project. I think the statement that ARW will be in LA in October was just a rumor, but if it's true, I would definitely see that over Ian. From the reviews I read about the Jethro Tull rock opera, people either loved it or hated it. The most common complaint I read was the condition of Ian's voice which, I will admit, is not what it used to be. However, I will also say that the good reviews drastically outweighed the bad ones, so there's that too. I don't know. We'll figure it out when we find out for sure when the ARW shows are.

On February 20, I saw my first concert of the year: Al Stewart at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. He played two nights there, both of which were sold out soon after my Dad got tickets for the second show. It was a Saturday night so it was perfectly timed. It was a nice guitar shop. Business hours for the shop were closed so we couldn't look at any of the instruments, but they had a lot to offer. It saddens me that these types of places are so hard to find these days, with places like Guitar Center putting them out of business. Anyway, Al is 70 years old. However, I was blown away by how great his voice sounded. Literally, his voice sounds just like it did 40 years ago. Nothing about it has changed. That's amazing, considering that I've noticed that the voices of a number of older singers have reduced in quality. But Al's voice has held up amazingly. As expected, he played most of his biggest songs, like "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages." I think he played about half of the Year of the Cat album. After the show, I picked up an Al Stewart Broadway Hotel poster as well as a CD copy of his 2005 album A Beach Full of Shells. I got both of them signed by him and talked to him for a bit. He was really nice to me fortunately, and said that I had the look of a singer songwriter. I found that interesting. No one had ever said that to me before. I realize that one could probably say that to anyone, but I still appreciated hearing it.

This July, I will be traveling to Portland, Oregon to spend some time with my friend Dylan. He's been getting me into the music of Phish since the middle of last year. I've only heard a couple of their albums but I think they're a really good contemporary American prog band. Dylan texted me one day telling me that Phish were playing two nights this July at his favorite concert venue, The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington. From the pictures I've seen, it looks like a really nice outdoor venue. Outdoor venues are generally not my favorite, but Dylan insists that this one is unlike any other, so I will take his word for it. Anyway, on the Phish website, fans can enter for a chance to win what are called Phish "lottery tickets." If you win, you get these cool ticket stubs to the show you're going to that have interesting artwork printed on them. If you lose, then you have to hope that you're lucky enough to get tickets off of regular ticket retail websites before they sell out. Apparently, when general tickets went on sale, Dylan told me that it took less than 2 minutes for them to sell out. We got lucky with those lottery tickets. I have my plane ticket now and I'm really looking forward to this.

My record collection is continuing to grow every week. I try not to overdo it with the vinyl, as I only have so much space in my dorm. I've really been interested in exploring more of Stevie Wonder's albums. I managed to find an original copy of Songs in the Key of Life last month. That was really cool, considering that original Stevie Wonder vinyl hasn't been the easiest for me to find, at least not at the stores I've been to. On CD, I also got Music of My Mind. Yesterday, Dylan sent me what he calls a "rare" Stevie album called Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta. I gave it a listen last night. It features Stevie's first wife Syreeta Wright entirely on vocals. If Dylan hadn't told me, and I had just happened to hear a song off that album, I probably never would have guessed it was a Stevie album. So far, I like all of the Stevie Wonder albums I have heard. I look forward to hearing more soon.

Aside from Stevie, I've also been getting more familiar with David Bowie's music. I'm liking Blackstar more and more each time I listen to it. I've also heard Diamond Dogs, Hunky Dory, Space Oddity, Heathen, and "Heroes." There's still a ton of music left to go through by him, but I have gathered that he really was a special part of the music world. He's been gone for almost two months. Hard to believe. Time really does just keep on going, no matter what happens. I just keep reminding myself, that his body is what's gone. He is still very much alive through the music. That's what makes music (and any kind of art, really) so special. Even long after the artists are gone, the art doesn't die with them. In this way, the artist lives on.