Josef's Music Links
Here are some links to the music that I have treasured in the teeth of much criticism over the years. There are more sites which I will have to add here so this page will continue to grow.
YES
For me, Yes are the most significant body of musicians
to step out of the sixties (most of them). I have followed their music
as it has grown, matured, and even taken some serious wrong turns, since
the early seventies and I still hang out for the newest offering from the
Yes ensemble. Here are some links which I have found as satisfying as the
band itself.
Rick Wakeman
As I was growing into Yes, I was also coming to
love the work of a Keyboard Artist who I had no idea was also
affilliated with that band (being young and foolish I never stopped
to read liner notes - when I discovered the truth about Wakeman
and Yes I never stoppped reading liner notes)Wakeman's solo work
is enchantinglly different from his work with Yes and as I followed
his history carefully I found his name linked to a number of classic
tracks as a session musician. At one time he must have seemed the ubiquitous
keyboard artist.
Hawkwind
For me Hawkwind was a discovery made via my love
of the writings of Michael Moorcock. Their roots are in space rock
and their early music has somewhat in common with Pink Floyd's
earlier period. My favourite of their albums are those which draw
lines between Moorcock's Fiction and their own musical universe.
In the face of much music criticism to the contrary, I LIKE Chronicles
of the Black sword
King Crimson
King Crimson are a wonderfully unexpected band. They play always at the edges
of new musical ideas. They have close links with many other Progressive Rock groups Particularly
Yes and ELP. Their music, however, is like neither of these bands. The sound of King Crimson is
strikingly different and challenging
Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix
This is a band close to my heart. True they have only produced one Album
(New Worlds Fair - recently re-released on CD, with additional songs, by Griffin Music)
but that single album is at the same time both sweet and bitter. A lovely sequence of
compositions at the softer end of space rock. And it has nothing to do with the fact that
Michael Moorcock is my favourite artist in any medium. (Well, maybe it is because of that)
Ferron
This Canadian singer-song writer produces haunting melodies paired with
achingly evocative lyrics. Her songs can reach right inside and twist at your emotional
core. She is my favourite solo artist and the discovery of each unheard recording is a
joy to me. Each song a musical gem and each lyric full of layered meaning. A poet who
shapes her world through song.
k.d. lang
Another Canadian artist - though much more widely known than Ferron.
k.d.'s roots may have been country (and few could do it better) but where she has
excelled is letting her to-die-for voice rip through torch material that could scorch
a wall at 50 paces. Langorous, intense and passionate.