by Michael Popke

After a decade of fits and starts, Italy’s Frontiers Records — a company that has long defined itself by giving such former major-label bands as Journey, Toto, Winger, Whitesnake and Asia new life — might (finally) have an anchored presence in North America.

Today, the label announced that Gentle Giant vocalist Derek Shulman’s 2Plus Music & Entertainment Inc. will coordinate artist acquisition and marketing for Frontiers on this continent and represent the label in its relationship with local distributors and promoters. Which hopefully means that Shulman and his associates will have better luck than the handful of other company’s Frontiers has struck deals with in the past. It should also mean that Asia’s latest CD/DVD, Spirit of the Night-Live in Cambridge 2009, will be readily available in stores and at a significantly lower cost than import prices online. (Right now, only select Frontiers titles make it to the U.S. as domestic releases, either directly via Frontiers or via poorly promoted partnerships with other labels.)

“It is very gratifying to work with people who are music fans and yet understand the dynamics of the ever-changing music business model,” Shulman said in a statement announcing Frontiers’ partnership with his New York City-based company, which formed in March. “Frontiers Records is committed to making the leap to become the premiere independent rock music company worldwide. I am very happy to lend my experience to my friends at Frontiers to realize this goal.”

If you have doubts about that ambition, consider that earlier this month, Frontiers announced the signing of Yes (looking rather dapper in that photo on the right) to a new worldwide deal. This is a band that has sold more than 33 million albums and boasts a history spanning more than 40 years. And they are working on fresh material for the first time in a decade. In prog circles, that’s huge.

Now, if only Shulman — who signed Dream Theater to Atco Records during his tenure as label president in the late 1980s and whose 2Plus roster also includes former Yes man Billy Sherwood — can help Frontiers nab the likes of Magna Carta and InsideOut refugees Kansas, Magellan and Enchant…

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Erik Norlander. Photo by Neal Hamilton

By Michael Popke

Keyboardist/producer Erik Norlander, perhaps best known for his band (Rocket Scientists) and his wife (vocalist Lana Lane), also plays in Asia Featuring John Payne. He has collaborated with science-fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson for a project called Roswell Six and toured or recorded with — among others — Joe Lynn Turner, James LaBrie, Glenn Hughes, Tony Franklin and Vinny Appice. So it’s no surprise that Norlander’s musical tastes are decidedly “progressive.”

Electric Light Orchestra: “Time”
This album introduced me to the idea of an album production combining synthesizers with pianos, a string section and a rock band, and then mixing phase shifters, echoes and reverb machines as a dominant force in the music. Although I don’t think this was much of a commercial hit, I consider this to be Jeff Lynne’s finest production.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: “Pictures At An Exhibition”
This was my introduction to the idea of “lead keyboards” in a rock band. What an amazing live album, with all the ephemeral aspects of a great live show, including even some out-of-tune (and out-of-control) modular Moog bits. So much great energy and personality from all three musicians.

Yes: “Tales from Topographic Oceans”
I loved the albums of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Kitaro growing up, but this was the first ROCK album that demonstrated the concept of “unhurried” music: two LPs, one song per side. They’re taking their time with each piece, and it’s brilliant. This album apparently drove Rick Wakeman out of the band. Too bad, because I think this is Yes at their peak.

Rainbow: “Difficult to Cure”
Don Airey’s keyboard work in a hard-rock/heavy-metal setting was both inventive and masterful. His CS-80 solo on “Spotlight Kid” still ranks as one of my favorite keyboard moments. Joe Lynn Turner, following in the footsteps of previous Blackmore vocalists Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio, brought a more-modern sound to the band and kept all of the fire, energy and fury from the previous vocalists. Rondinelli, Glover and Blackmore’s performances are fantastic also, but you already knew that.

Supertramp: “Crime of the Century”
Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” is an amazing album, but I think the award for “Audiophile Production of the ’70s” must go to “Crime of the Century.” Ken Scott’s production is clean and crisp in a way that sounds 20 years ahead of its time while still retaining the warmth and mood of a ’70s big-budget analog recording. Check out the multi-tracked pianos and electric pianos.

Rush: “A Farewell to Kings”
The standout album for the power trio of my generation. There was, of course, Cream about 10 years earlier. But Rush added some more modern elements, such as synthesizers, bass pedals and orchestral percussion, along with writing some very compelling long-form songs that do not come off as indulgent — but rather the right length for what they had to say.

UK: “Danger Money”
The first UK album was amazing, too, but “Danger Money” took the best of the band and condensed it into a power trio with new powerhouse drummer Terry Bozzio — an incredible prog drummer who apparently doesn’t consider himself “prog.” Eddie Jobson’s keyboard and violin work are astounding. The music is progressive, but not at the expense of great, memorable songwriting.

Blue Oyster Cult: “Secret Treaties”
Space rock done well! The band clearly had lots of classic-rock influences, from Clapton to Black Sabbath. But the science fiction element takes the music to another place. It’s no wonder they had so many successful collaborations with legendary sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock (also of Hawkwind!) on future albums.

Deep Purple: “Machine Head”
Rock historians will go back further than this, but I consider Machine Head to be the first proper heavy-metal album. Grinding Hammond organ with wide vibrato blues guitar, kinetic, figure-laden drumming with purposefully heavy-placed bass grooves create the formula for hundreds (thousands?) of albums to follow. Ian Gillan’s dramatic, wide vibrato vocals are the perfect crown to a royal rock classic.

The Alan Parsons Project: “I Robot”
A phenomenal production, again with skillful use of phase shifters and reverb effects, where keyboards and synthesizers mingle seamlessly with rock-band instruments and a real orchestra. Great and varied vocals, great songs, and a concept album without being too specific or heavy handed.
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By Carol Anne Szel

Carl Palmer truly embodies the show that never ends.  This legendary Asia and ELP drummer is heading out on tour this October and November in what is billed as “Carl Palmer & His Band – Celebrates The Music of Emerson Lake & Palmer.”   Bringing some of the classic instrumental ELP sounds arranged  with what his website calls a “bold” new stance, Carl Palmer will present a musical trio, sans vocalist,  of guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick on his first big solo tour in four years.

A while back I had the chance to catch up with Carl Palmer to ask him his thoughts about the past, present, and future of music.

How has the music industry changed over the years?
Carl Palmer: I think the media has completely changed. Radio is completely different in this country. If you want music, you can go straight to the Internet and download tunes or whatever you want. So the whole thing has changed rapidly.

What is live performance like today as opposed to back then?
CP: I think live performance is different now for most artists. I think people of our demographic like to be in a place where they can actually see the band instead of watching videos. So we have that to deal with. And then on the younger side, I’m sure there’s still a reasonable amount of people interested in bands playing big stadiums, who can watch a show for a couple of hours. It just seems to have changed radically, though, because there’s not as much of that happening as there used to be. I think for live performance and recording, the media has just changed. The media being sort of the governing body of it all. What gets played on the radio is very important, of course. Radio is still very strong, but it’s not as varied as it used to be. So we haven’t got that vehicle intact as much as we’d like anymore.

It seems as if an artist has to already have a hit to even be played on mainstream radio these days.
CP: That’s it, really. It is like that, and that’s very, very difficult. By the time it is a hit and people go out and play and do whatever they’ve got to do, they’ve not really perfected their craft. And their shows really aren’t that good. They have to have the smoke screen and the dancers. So there’s not the training ground there used to be. It’s all very quick. Careers come and go in a flash, and that’s the way it is.

Do you feel image plays a big role?
CP: Absolutely. Even CDs don’t have the impact from an art point of view. CDs are small; you don’t get the same kickback from it as if you were sitting looking at an album sleeve, which is fairly big and you can enjoy. We’ve now got videos. But where there’s a plus there’s a minus, and that’s the way it goes.

ELP were groundbreakers with their live show. You really set the bar high.
CP: I think we crossed a lot of boundaries at the time. Obviously we were trying to sort of play music that was new. We tried to involve technology as much as possible. We crossed all of that over with eventually going out with an orchestra and expressing the music that way. I think we were always trying. I think the art, the musicality that we produced, the standard remained high.

And today?
CP: We still have three tracks in the FM rock radio, however you want to call it, the Top 500, we still have three tracks there that are played on a regular basis. So that’s quite good. The music is still played and still heard, so it’s really good.

THE CARL PALMER BAND – ON TOUR – 2010

Tue 10/12/10      Hamilton, ON Canada      Studio At Hamilton Place
Wed 10/13/10     Toronto, ON Canada     Lula Lounge
Thu 10/14/10     Montreal, QC Canada     Gesu Theatre
Fri 10/15/10     Londonderry, NH     Tupelo Music Hall
Sat 10/16/10     Foxboro, MA     Showcase Live
Sun 10/17/10     Lakewood, NJ     Strand Center For The Arts
Tue 10/19/10     New York, NY     B.B. King Blues Club
Wed 10/20/10     Glenside, PA     Keswick Theatre
Thu 10/21/10     Annapolis, MD     Rams Head On Stage
Fri 10/22/10     Rockville, MD     Robert Parillia Performing Arts Ctr
Sat 10/23/10     Cleveland, OH     Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Sun 10/24/10     Detroit, MI     Jazz Cafe at Music Hall
Tue 10/26/10     Indianapolis, IN     Slippery Noodle Inn
Wed 10/27/10     Chicago, IL     Reggie’s Live
Thu 10/28/10     Milwaukee, WI     Shank Hall
Fri 10/29/10     St. Charles, IL     Arcadia Theatre
Sat 10/30/10     Iowa City, IA     Englert Theatre
Tue 11/02/10     Denver, CO     Soiled Dove Underground
Thu 11/04/10     Park City, UT     The Star Bar
Sat 11/06/10     Petaluma, CA     McNears Mystic Theatre
Tue 11/09/10     San Diego, CA     Brick By Brick
Thu 11/11/10     Agoura Hills, CA     Canyon Club
Fri 11/12/10     Santa Ana, CA     Galaxy Concert Theatre
Sat 11/13/10     Las Vegas, NV     Cannery Casino Hotel
Sun 11/14/10     Phoenix, AZ     The Compound Grill

by Michael Popke

Italy’s Frontiers Records used to be known, almost exclusively, for AOR and melodic hard rock. The label’s roster over the years has included Giant, House of Lords, Honeymoon Suite, Survivor and Talisman. Eventually, Frontiers expanded into prog and metal, although some of those releases were issued at a time when Frontiers CDs weren’t so readily available in the United States.

Times have changed, thanks to quality mail-order companies such as The Laser’s Edge and NEH Records, and now the label has reissued limited editions of three titles that at least deserve to be heard by progressive-rock fans, if not owned and slotted next to their Asia and Kansas CDs.

Wetton/Downes: Icon (2005)
The first true collaboration between vocalist/bassist John Wetton and keyboardist Geoff Downes since 1990 sounded a lot like Alpha- and Astra-era Asia – meaning it boasted plenty of those commercial hooks, layered vocals and dense synthesizers that made Asia one of progressive music’s most-loved and most-loathed bands. Wetton recruited longtime collaborators and prog vets John Mitchell (Arena, Kino) and Steve Christey (Jadis) to play guitar and drums on Icon, and guests included flutist Ian McDonald (Foreigner, King Crimson), cellist Hugh McDowell (Electric Light Orchestra) and vocalist Annie Haslam (Renaissance). Many of the songs on Icon were written on the same piano the duo used to compose Asia’s biggest hits. Back then, the problem was (and still is, quite frankly) that Wetton and Downes relied too much on keys for Icon. Regardless of the low-key material, it’s nice to hear them putting aside their differences (musical and otherwise) to make music together again. We all know what happened next, and fortunately the latest Asia album featuring the band’s origjnal lineup, Omega, is significantly better than Icon and its two successors. But this is where Asia’s second coming began, and for that it is a noteworthy release. This edition includes five bonus tracks.

Seventh Key: Seventh Key/The Raging Fire (2001/2004)
The magical musical partnership between Kansas bassist/vocalist Billy Greer and guitarist Mike Slamer has been quiet for too long. But back at the turn of the century, Greer and his old bandmate in Streets (Steve Walsh’s first post-Kansas project) unleashed a familiar sound in Seventh Key that recalled Kansas, Foreigner, Streets and Steelhouse Lane (another Slamer band). The self-titled debut included songs that were originally demoed for Kansas’ Power album and featured performances from Kansas members Steve Morse, Phil Ehart, Rich Williams and Walsh. This reissue adds two bonus tracks, while The Raging Fire – which saw Seventh Key evolve into a more stable unit with backing vocals from the stellar Terry Brock (Strangeways, The Sign) – includes one bonus track. Both releases are not as essential as Kansas’ material, but because Greer’s singing voice sounds a lot like Walsh’s, Seventh Key can be considered Kansas’ more mainstream little brother. After these two albums, Greer and company released Live in Atlanta and haven’t been heard from since. But according to Greer’s website, Seventh Key 3 is in the works.