Welcome to my PROG "INTRO" page!
(This article was originally written circa 1997.)  




Pattersonic's Hopelessly Incomplete Guide to Eclectic, Obtuse, and Forgotten Music
-John W. Patterson
(originally published in fAZE3 magazine)

(Warning: Headbanging, "up-front fanatics, breaking down the barricades", into mindless power-chorded, rigormortised drumming, death-rattle, tuberculosis-laden vocals, ad nauseum . . . bear with me or just skip thru the text to find the buzz-word or band name you're into.)

INTRO:
Blue Cheer hit the charts with "Summertime Blues" -- we were hooked. Then came Hendrix -- alas, a supernova too big for the small universe of his fragile humanity. Cream, Jeff Beck, Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, and the rest plowed their aural visions into hormone flooded dreams of youth.

Now we sit, staring blankly, at a little hourglass greeting us from the World Wide Wait, a bit older, less hair, more belly, kids into Top 40, and chocked full of nostalgia for that distant teenage wasteland. Yet there remain open doors to the past, inspired recordings, locked in time that live again between our ears and behind our eyes. Walk with me down paths few bother to travel anymore. It is in the dim corners of obscurity you find the gems. Let's revive the eldritch things, flay gelid Cthulhu into wailing submission, and unleash the young ones to create a fresh edge on the dulled rock and roll ennui.
I play guitar, 30 years worth. I've done the practice/jamming out/band thing. I still get off on a great lead break, whirling tempo shifts, jazz-rock fusion, and Santanaesque sustain. So what.
Now at least you'll understand my biases.

AND NOW THE GUIDE:
Free yourself from the mediocre and expand your creative vision with these recordings and artists for starters.

Captain Beyond's (self-titled first 1972 release and others listed below)

Captain Beyond 
Sufficiently Breathless 
Dawn Explosion 
 
The Mahavishnu Orchestra's (Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire)

Mahavishnu John melts the frets!!

Return To Forever's (Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy)

Allan Holdsworth Guitarheads should get familiar with this guy's discography, (pass on his Velvet Darkness release, way rough!), and don't throw away your axe when you hear his liquid legato explosions. Wino of Washington, D.C.'s The Obsessed recommends Holdsworth!
Bill Connors (replaced by cocky, speed plunker, Al DiMeola), is a lot like Holdsworth but well worth the listen. His early acoustic solo efforts are not as pleasing as are his later plugged works.
Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, recovering from a really bad trip takes on Hendrix's mantle. Sample his (Strange Universe).
Tommy Bolin, get Zephyr's (1969 release), Private Eyes, Teaser, and Mind Transplant.
Go to the Tommy Bolin Archives Page!

Get more info on Tommy at Deep Purple Website
The legendary Bolin
Bolin's James Gang material is somewhat diluted and lacks freedom in trying to be a Joe Walsh replacement.
Steve Morse and the Dixie Dregs, Jazz-rock fusion with a Southern boy edge and twang.
Steve Hillage of Gong, Psychedelia and Raga riffs galore for the New Age. Many solo efforts.
Steve Hackett of Genesis, solo albums out the wazoo, buy Spectral Morning and Highly Strung and you'll cover the spectrum. Try Voyage of the Acolyte for his earlier Genesis sound.
Steve Tibbetts, Get Yr and Til We All Fall for interesting acoustic/electric/percussive adventures
into Himalayan hyperspace. Don't let the ECM record label scare you off.
Scott Henderson and Tribal Tech, frenzied jazz guitar pyrotechnics with Chick Corea and Weather Report influences. Approaches Holdsworthian speed at times.
Frank Gambale, fancy, novel, jazzy, Australian attacks on the guitar with finesse, (Don't bother with his Thinking Outloud release -- too laid back for me.)
Horslips, Irish-Celtic rock, try The Book of Invasions (1977).

MAGMA, mind-altering!! Check out Magma Live and Udu Wudu. Christian Vander contrived his own language for the apocalypse in these releases! Bass players gotta hear this stuff!!
Nova's,( Vimana) and (Wings of Love) say what Corrado Rustici can do to a Les Paul. Percy Jones of Brand X and Drummer Narada Michael Walden help out. Hot reeds found here!
801, Get the amazing Listen Now release. Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music is phenomenal!
King Crimson, the Red album has some decent stuff but things get more interesting when Robert Fripp teams up with Adrian Belew on other recordings.
UK, Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, blow it out!!, (self-titled first release best).
Bruford, drummer from Yes does memorable fiery, tight, jazz-rock fusion collaboration with some of the finest musicians on the Earth.
Brand X, John Goodsall, severely unknown, talented guitarist stretches out nicely. Have a listen to Live Stock, Do They Hurt?, or find Xtrax, (a best of collection). Goodsall has a solo release, I've never heard called Fire Merchants.
Lost Tribe, Dual guitar and mad sax interplay, very intelligent, polished stuff!!

I'm burning out now, so I end with this last listing of groups that deserve every serious musician give them at least a passing listen . . .HAPPY THE MAN(self-titled first and Crafty Hands), Happy Family, Boud Deun, Ozric Tentacles(Jurassic Shift, Arborescence), Terje Rypdal and the Chasers(Blue, The Singles), Focus, S.F.F.(Symphonic Pictures), FM(Black Noise), P.F.M.(Choclate Kings, Jet Lag), Prong(Beg to Differ), The Obsessed(The Church Within), Forced Entry(As Above So Below), Circle of Dust(Brainchild), Skinny Puppy(Rabies), Black Sun Ensemble(Lambent Flame), Cynic, Hatfield and the North(Rotters Club), Pekka Pohjola(Space Waltz), Amon Duul II(Wolf City), Roxy Music(Avalon), Mike Stern, the Bonzo Dog Band, and of course, Frank Zappa.

The 70's jazz-rock fusion/prog rock movement has unavoidably effected music today and serves to help many musicians break out of "the mold" or rut in which they periodically find themselves. For many passive listeners, high-energy, fusion, riffing is too complex to enjoy. It's up to you, you decide. I only hope someone out there discovers that special musical realm they thought didn't exist.

Happy tinglings up your spine and across your scalp. Til later.

(Note: Since I wrote this article many moons ago I ventured out into the deep waters of progressive music reviews and I've been deluged with quality tunes by artists from all over the world. The Internet has opened up exciting possiblities for bands that otherwise would have floundered in obscurity. In the future I hope to introduce visitors to this website, to more of the quality eclectic tunez you deserve after all the years of aural torture at the hands of the demon, Accessibilis horriblis, commonly referred to as "commercial potential". Support the music you love by making an end run around the mindless machines of the major labels. Perhaps they will wake up when they see independent labels' and vendors' steady growth and success. Well, at least it sounds nice.)

Get outta here and go home