Episode 151 – Styx & Kansas Part 4, 1977 – The Grand Illusion and Point of Know ReturnThe year of 1977 is a huge one in the Styx / Kansas timeline. Point of Know Return is the album that sent Kansas into the stratosphere. With the title track and the timeless Dust In the Wind, Point of Know Return is truly a classic album that you should listen to …

SCS33 – King’s X in Houston, May 2023Joe gets a chance to share his experience seeing King’s X for a second time as they toured to promote Three Sides of One. This show was in Houston in the spring of 2023. From the venue and the opening acts, it was a show to remember. Watching from the pit, Joe got to experience the full glory of King’s X as they…

Special Episode – Interview with Brian Heaton and Brian Naron on Roads to MadnessProgressive Palaver are thrilled to welcome back authors Brian Heaton and Brian Naron to discuss their new book Roads to Madness: The Touring History of Queensrÿche (1981 – 1997). Following on the heels of their first book Building an Empire, Roads provides a comprehen…

Episode 150 – Styx & Kansas Part 3, 1976 – Crystal Ball and LeftovertureIn this episode, the group covers 1976 in the combo Styx / Kansas timeline. Crystal Ball sees the introduction of Tommy Shaw to the Styx lineup. Some of the results are immediately remarkable and some of the results are as uneven as the rest of the catalog to this point. Crysta…

Episode 149 – Styx & Kansas Part 2, 1975 – Song for America, Masque, and EquinoxIn this episode, the group covers 1975 in our combined Kansas and Styx timeline with three strong albums. Song for America, the sophomore effort from Kansas, shows a band that is racing ahead in their development behind the strength of the title track and Lamplight Symp…

Episode 148 – Styx - Kansas Part 1, Preamble and 1972 to 1974In the start of our new combined segment on Styx and Kansas, we explore how we all got into these bands. Our plan is to cover these bands on a year by year basis, to the extent we are able. Family stories abound as we discuss our earliest experiences with these two American stalwarts. We …

SCS32 – King’s X in Dallas, November 2022Back at Thanksgiving of 2022, Joe and Sarah had the opportunity to see King’s X in Dallas. This was Joe’s first show with the band in a very long time and Sarah’s first show ever. A cold and rainy night combined with terrible club sound couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm. Both King’s X and the opening band, Beze…

Episode 147 – Whitesnake Part 1, Whitesnake (87)We know! We know! Whitesnake is decidedly NOT progressive rock, but the lure was too great. Take a carefree trip back to the kooky times of 1987 with us as we relive our high school times. This is an album that is remarkable for many reasons (production, lineup drama, old song reinterpretations) and w…

Special Episode – Interview with Mark Anthony K of Projekt Gemineye – Feb 2024For this special episode, we get to catch up with our friend Mark Anthony K (Projekt Gemineye, The Dark Monarchy, The Yes Music Podcast, and Kiss FAQ) to discuss the latest Projekt Gemineye release What’s On Your Mind?. Mark provides his usual fascinating level of detail …

SCS31 – The Cure in Philadelphia, June 2023The Palaver takes a side trip off the prog road to consider Ken’s experience seeing The Cure in Philadelphia. One of the most anticipated tours of 2023, The Cure delivered a show worthy of the hype. Ken is able to share his thoughts on many aspects of the show including the band, sound, and the state of th…

Bonus Episode – Ranking the Albums from Episode 139 Through 146 Everyone knows that we here at the Palaver love to rank things. It seemed obvious then to rank the albums in our most recent “Less Old” segment. How does one compare recent releases from the likes of Yes and Marillion to those from Tears For Fears and Porcupine Tree? Where does King’s …

SCS30 – Seal and The Buggles in Houston, April 2023On a trip to Texas, Paul and Ken had to opportunity to catch a concert of Seal with The Buggles opening. Falling squarely in the prog-not-prog category, this show provided ample opportunity to the group to appreciate top-tier songs and musicianship. From the dual role of the Buggles band through th…

Episode 146 – Sound of Contact Part 1, DimensionautThe Palaver finally gets to discuss an album that has changed our views of the world. Sound of Contact are deep in Palaver lore even if we didn’t know it at the time. We “discovered” this album long after SoC had gone their separate ways, but the impact is not in the least diminished. The quartet o…

Episode 145 – Tears For Fears Part 1, The Tipping PointThe group goes to the edge of prog-not prog for their first episode on Tears for Fears. A sublime album that was 18 years in the making. The group marvels in all aspects of this recording, amazed that such a gem exists. The Tipping Point find Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith in a fertile collabora…

SCS29 – Porcupine Tree, Philadelphia & Dallas, September 2022The group relives some of the highlights of seeing Porcupine Tree on the Closure/Continuation tour in the fall of 2022. Ken saw the show in Philly and Joe saw it in Dallas. The C/C tour was a sheer powerhouse of sound and sight. Excellent stage production and the addition of Randy McStine…

ProgStock 2023 Part 5 – ProgStockThe group relives their experiences at ProgStock 2023. Rutherford NJ seemed to be an inspired choice of venue. We cover all the highlights that we saw throughout the weekend. A huge shoutout to Tom and Ann and the whole ProgStock crew. It was a marvelous weekend!X: @progpalaEmail: progpala@gmail.comFacebook: www.fac…

Episode 144 – Porcupine Tree Part 1, Closure/ContinuationDespite the Palaver’s general love affair with Steven Wilson, we have never officially covered a Porcupine Tree album. This segment on (relatively) newer records opens the door for us to correct that. Closure/Continuation is a monumental album from a talented group of musicians that manifest …

SCS28 – Yes in Lititz PA, 2023In this Special Concert Series episode of Progressive Palaver Paul and Ken share their experiences seeing Yes in the dress rehearsal for their The Classic Tales of Yes Tour. The show was, as usual, performed at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, PA. Friend of the Palaver Ken Fuller has previously described the experience at…

Episode 143 – King’s X, Three Sides of OneIt was 14 long years between King’s X albums. That amount of time can create several different outcomes. We here at the Palaver were eagerly awaiting 2022’s Three Sides of One. We were not disappointed. Three Sides finds King’s X in an excellent creative and expressive place resulting in a truly delightful …

SCS27 – Kansas, Nashville TN with Len and Dave BoclairJoe’s brothers Len and Dave join the show for an all-Boclair palaver! A rare face-to-face discussion in Nashville a day after Len and Dave saw Kansas at the Ryman Auditorium on their 50th Anniversary tour. Kansas has been a shared understanding amongst these brothers for nearly 35 years and it w…

Special Episode – ProgStock 2023 Part 4, Matt DorseyIn our final installment of pre-ProgStock 2023 episodes, we have the chance to catch up with friend of the Palaver Matt Dorsey. We have a great conversation with Matt about the upcoming ProgStock including his own set and working with Dave Kerzner including the Sound of Contact special. Matt is, a…

Special Episode – ProgStock 2023 Part 3, Tom Palmieri and Ann RinaldiIn part 3 of our special ProgStock 2023 series, we manage to score some time with the duo responsible for all the wonderfulness that is ProgStock - Tom and Ann! They are able to provide their usual delightful level of insight into what it takes to make a prog rock festival happen.…

Special Episode – Progstock 2023 Part 2, Joe Deninzon of KansasIn this special episode, part 2 of our Progstock 2023 series, the group gets to meet Stratospheerius and new member of Kansas Joe Deninzon in anticipation of his performance at Progstock 2023 with the Dave Kerzner Band. Joe proves to be a thoughtful musician with a lot to say on his own…

Special Episode – Progstock 2023 Part 1, Dave KerznerIn this special episode, the group gets to catch up with Friend of the Palaver Dave Kerzner in anticipation of his performance at Progstock 2023. Dave is his usual forthright self, letting us in on some of his myriad projects. We talk about the series of albums he is planning as well as plans wit…

Episode 142 – Marillion Part 15, An Hour Before It’s DarkRegardless of what season it is, Marillion’s An Hour Before It’s Dark is a powerful experience. As the Palaver considers this collection of songs born of the pandemic, we struggle with where to put the meaning. Hogarth and company provide us a rich tapestry to consider. From the power of the …

Bonus Episode – Foundation Season 2 PreviewSPOILER ALERT – This episode contains spoilers for Foundation season 1 and all of Asimov’s published Foundation novels.On the eve of the second season, Joe and Sarah revisit the world of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation to celebrate the return of the Apple TV series. Our season 1 recap episode had some knowledge …

Episode 141 – Steven Wilson Part 5, The Future BitesAnother pandemic-impacted album with Steven Wilson’s The Future Bites. The group has an enjoyable time exploring Steven’s commentaries on modern life, presented over a more sparse and electronic musical bed. We continually play “spot the influence” and “what is the message” with this fantastic col…

Episode 140 – Yes Part 22, The QuestThe Palaver returns to the glory days of the pandemic to discuss The Quest from Yes. Other things kept some members away, so Paul and Joe take a stab at this record. While many have praised this record, we at the Palaver had a somewhat difficult experience. There are obviously some shining moments here, but we al…

Special Episode – Interview with Kevin Mulryne, Author of Yes - The Tormato StoryIn this special episode we have the chance to speak with friend of the Palaver, host of The Yes Music Podcast, and now published author. Kevin provides us some insight into his new book, Yes - The Tormato Story. We go into all the usual Palaver corners covering his mot…

Episode 139 – Yes Part 21, From a PageThe group returns to the late-model Yes catalog with From a Page. This release is a very welcome look back at the lineup-that-never-really-was. These tracks which were ultimately put aside for the sweeping (and wonderful) Fly From Here give us a glimpse of what the Oliver Wakeman, David, Howe, White, Squire con…

Special Episode – Interview with Matt Dorsey, April 2023In this special episode we have the opportunity to learn more about Matt Dorsey (former Sound of Contact, Progjekt, and others) and his first solo release, Let Go. We greatly enjoyed getting to know Matt, hearing about his process and inspiration for his songs. He was kind to share some of his…

Episode 138 – Yes Part 20, AwakenOn the heels of our episode ranking Yes epic songs, we thought we would take some time to dive deeper into (perhaps) our favorite Yes epic, Awaken. We considered five different versions spanning some 40 years. While there are many more that we could have ranked (and that we listened to), we focused on the original s…

SCS26 – Yes Close to the Edge 50, October 2022 with Ken FullerFriend of the Palaver Ken Fuller shares his experiences attending a rehearsal by Yes for their 50th anniversary tour of the Close to the Edge album. The rehearsal took place at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Ken F enjoyed the drive out to Amish country and scored himself som…

Episode 137 – Queensryche Part 12, Best of the RestThe group finishes out (we think) our Queensryche segment with this free-flowing episode where we explore the band’s general catalog post Promised Land. There is no format and each Palaver member brings up the things that caught their attention from Queensryche and related projects. Twitter: @progp…

Bonus Episode – Marillion Weekend Musings As Joe prepares himself to attend the 2023 Marillion weekend in Montreal, he is deeply immersed in the band’s music and has some thoughts to share. From past Marillion weekend experiences to the size and care of the Marillion catalog, this is just a fun, short collection of thoughts on various topics. Twitt…

Episode 136 – Queensryche Part 11, Take CoverGiven how Progressive Palaver has chosen to review Queensryche, it may seem surprising for them to tackle a late-model covers album like Take Cover. This episode actually came about because Ken and Joe wanted to fill a hole in the recording schedule. The original plan was to review Take Cover and then re…

Bonus Episode – 1977 Desert Island Palaver PredicamentThe group revisits a fun episode from our past; the desert island comparison. In this case, five albums from 1977 (A Farewell to Kings, The Grand Illusion, The Point of Know Return, Going for the One, and Animals) are considered. Our highest ranked album is declared. Then we consider which of th…

Special Episode – Interview with James Beach and Brian Heaton, Authors of Building an EmpireIn this special episode we have the chance to speak with two of the authors of Building an Empire: The Story of Queensryche. Brian and James bring a long history with Pacific NW and with the band. They are uniquely situated to provide insights into all facet…

SCS25 - Duran Duran, The Fixx, And Peter Hook & The Light - August 2022Ken and Joe take a side trip into our New Wave pasts to discuss a trio of live shows from August 2022. Joe saw Duran Duran and The Fixx on consecutive nights, while Ken saw Peter Hook and the Light independently. The feel for each of these shows was quite varied and Ken and Joe …

Bonus Episode - Duran Duran And The Fixx Pre-Shows & Immediate Reactions In the summer of 2022, Joe and friend of the Palaver, Sarah, saw Duran Duran and The Fixx on sequential nights in Fort Worth and Austin. This bonus episodes collects their pre-show discussions and immediate reactions after the shows. Think of this episode as a companion piece …

Star Wars Palaver – Andor, Season 1SPOILER ALERT – The episode will spoil Season 1 of Andor. If you do not want to be spoiled, watch the full season before listeningThe group spends some exploring the magic that is Star Wars: Andor. Excellent storylines and character development combined with first-class world-building make Andor the cream of the S…

Special Episode – Interview with Terry D and John R of Total Mass Retain – March 2023In this special episode we catch up with John Rittweger and Nad Sylvan lookalike Terry Dey of the Yes tribute band Total Mass Retain. On the heels of the Palaver seeing TMR in Philadelphia in January and their groundbreaking Chris Squire tribute show at Daryl’s Hou…

Special Episode – Interview with Mark Anthony K of Projekt Gemineye, March 2023We finally find some time to catch up with Mark Anthony K of Projekt Gemineye (and so many other things!) to discuss the upcoming release What Lies Beyond. We cover the inspiration for this new batch of songs and Mark treats us to a lively discussion of their topical nat…

Episode 135 – Queensryche Part 10, Promised LandPromised Land is the album that found Queensryche grappling with the impacts of their own success. As the last of what we proclaim “the main sequence” of Queensryche albums, Promised Land presents us with some delightful material to work with. Expansive and heavy. Introspective and questioning. Promis…

Bonus Episode – Ranking Epic Yes SongsInspired by seeing Friends of the Palaver, Total Mass Retain, the group returns to the world of Yes music to consider epic Yes songs. After arbitrarily defining an epic (original studio version runtime greater than 15 minutes), Progressive Palaver set off to discuss and rank the eleven songs that meet our crite…

Episode 134 – Queensryche Part 9, Empire Pt 2In this second episode on the monster album Empire, the group completes our discussion from Della Brown through the end of the album (with a bit of extra time on the bonus tracks). Hopefully, we will leave you pondering deep philosophical questions like does Empire have the Whitesnake production, but wit…

Episode 133 – Queensryche Part 8, Empire Pt 1Empire, the album that broke Queensryche wide open. This episode sees the group reliving more fond memories of our friendship as we consider the merits of this most excellent and yet commercial album. There is plenty of hyperbole on both ends of the spectrum fueling our palaver. Empire provides much to s…

Bonus Episode – Why Joe No Longer Supports Roger WatersIn this Palaver for one, Joe lays out his reasons for no longer supporting Roger Waters. Joe briefly explains his somewhat difficult history with Roger and frames the whole story with the live shows of 2017 and 2022. Ultimately the tale ends with an explanation of how Roger’s online behavior ha…

Episode 132 – Queensryche Part 7, Operation: Mindcrime LiveWe are not QUITE finished with Operation: Mindcrime. In this episode Joe and Paul, with a cameo from Ken in the middle, consider live performances of this epic concept album. Of course we have to start with the (apparently) timeless Operation: Livecrime. While Livecrime captures the band an…

Star Wars Palaver – The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1SPOILER ALERT – The episode will spoil Season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett. If you do not want to be spoiled, watch the full season before listeningThe group spends some time catching up on The Book of Boba Fett. As usual, we consider the general landscape of the series including, characters, plot po…