All posts by bradbirzer

By day, I'm a father of seven and husband of one. By night, I'm an author, a biographer, and a prog rocker. Interests: Rush, progressive rock, cultural criticisms, the Rocky Mountains, individual liberty, history, hiking, and science fiction.

Republic of Letters

Transatlantic Tour Dates, 2022

August 9, 2021 bradbirzer

Republic of Letters

Jeff Bezos & Richard Branson Spaceflights Should Be Celebrated | National Review

July 22, 2021 bradbirzer

A thirst for exploration has always been a crucial part of the American spirit, so it is fitting that both forays took off from the United States — Richard Branson’s from New Mexico, and Jeff Bezos’s from Texas. Americans should seek to build atop these admirable breakthroughs and to ensure that, 20, 30, 40 years hence, when the next vaultingly ambitious entrepreneurs try something astonishing of their own, they, too, find a safe and welcoming reception on American soil.
— Read on www.nationalreview.com/2021/07/to-boldly-go/

Music

NMB: “Bird on a Wire” Video

July 21, 2021 bradbirzer

Republic of Letters

Robby Steinhardt: RIP (Official Announcement)

July 19, 2021 bradbirzer

The Steinhardt Family announces the passing of legendary musician Robby Steinhardt.

Robert Eugene Steinhardt, was well recognized as a founding member and original violinist and vocalist for the rock band Kansas.

His violin and vocals on, “Dust in The Wind”, “Point Of No Return” and “Carry On My Wayward Son”, have etched Robby a solid place in rock history.

Robby had been recording his new album with producer Michael Franklin, who put together an all-star cast of famous musicians in support of Robby’s comeback.

Steinhardt was very proud of this project, slated for release in late 2021. He had begun rehearsals for a national tour when he became ill.

Robby is survived by his wife Cindy, and daughter Becky. Steinhardt was 71 years old.

He will be deeply missed by all he knew and his music will last forever. A memorial will be announced in the future.

–via Glass Onion and Michael Franklin

Republic of Letters

Big Big Train – Common Ground (Album Review) – The Prog Report

July 14, 2021 bradbirzer

Big Big Train matters. Common Ground matters.

A new release from Big Big Train is never just another release in the world of prog. Since 2009’s The Underfall Yard, the band has been one of the leading bands of third-wave prog, the signal marker and bellwether. Indeed, every release from Big Big Train for the past decade has manifested itself as a fundamental shift—a very rethinking of who and what we are as a community—of the genre itself. While there are innumerable great prog acts out there, none quite match Big Big Train when it comes to innovation, to creativity, and to cohesion. Is there any band with such a fanatic and determined fan base? If so, I’m not familiar with them. Big Big Train is as much a movement as it is a band.
— Read on progreport.com/big-big-train-common-ground-album-review/

Republic of Letters

My 103 favorite albums

July 12, 2021 bradbirzer 2 Comments

So, it’s the last day of vacation, and I just got back from a gorgeous hike in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. For some reason, as I unwind, it just felt right to list my favorite albums of all time. Here’s hoping you enjoy. . .

Anathema, Weather Systems
Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
Big Big Train, English Electric
Big Big Train, Grimspound
Big Big Train, The Underfall Yard
Catherine Wheel, Adam and Eve
Chicago Transit Authority
Chris Squire, Fish Out of Water
Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas
Cosmograf, Capacitor
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Changes
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out
Flower Kings, Flower Power
Flower Kings, Space Revolver
Flower Kings, Stardust We Are
Genesis, A Trick of the Tail
Genesis, Foxtrot
Genesis, Selling England by the Pound
Glass Hammer, Chronometree
Glass Hammer, Valkyrie
IZZ, Crush of Night
Jethro Tull, Benefit
Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick
Kansas, Leftoverature
Kansas, Point of No Return
Kate Bush, Aerial
Kate Bush, Hounds of Love
Kevin McCormick, Squall
Kevin McCormick, With the Coming of Evening
Led Zeppelin I
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy
Marillion, FEAR
Marillion, Marbles
Marillion, Afraid of Sunlight
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed
My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
NAO, Fog Electric
Neal Morse Band, The Grand Experiment
Neal Morse, Testimony
New Order, Low Life
Newspaperflyhunting, Iceberg Soul
Nosound, Lightdark
Peter Gabriel, Security
Peter Gabriel, So
Pink Floyd, Animals
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd, Meddle
Porcupine Tree, Fear of a Blank Planet
Porcupine Tree, Sky Moves Sideways
Pure Reason Revolution, The Dark Third
Riverside, Out of Myself
Riverside, Second Life Syndrome
Riverside, Wasteland
Rush, 2112
Rush, Clockwork Angels
Rush, Grace Under Pressure
Rush, Moving Pictures
Rush, Signals
Rush, Snakes and Arrows
Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends
Simon and Garfunkel, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
Simple Minds, New Gold Dream
Simple Minds, Sister Feelings Call/Sons and Fascination
Simple Minds, Sparkle in the Rain
Spock’s Beard, Snow
Spock’s Beard, V
Steven Wilson, Grace from Drowning
Steven Wilson, Hand.Cannot.Erase.
Steven Wilson, Insurgentes
Talk Talk, Laughing Stock
Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden
Talk Talk, Colour of Spring
Tears for Fears, Elemental
Tears for Fears, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair
Tears for Fears, The Hurting
The Connells, Boylan Heights
The Cure, Disintegration
The Cure, Pornography
The Doors, The Doors
The Sundays, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
The Tangent, Le Sacre du Travail
The Tangent, The Music That Died Alone
Thomas Dolby, Golden Age of Wireless
Thomas Dolby, The Flat Earth
Traffic, John Barleycorn Must Die
Transatlantic, SMPTe
Transatlantic, The Absolute Universe
U2, The Joshua Tree
U2, Unforgettable Fire
U2, War
Ultravox, Lament
Ultravox, Rage in Eden
Van Morrison, Astral Weeks
World Party, Goodbye Jumbo
XTC, Black Sea
XTC, Skylarking
Yes, 90125
Yes, Close to the Edge
Yes, Drama
Yes, Fragile

Republic of Letters

Neal Morse Band–Do It All Again

June 18, 2021 bradbirzer

Music

Big Big Train’s Apollo

June 11, 2021 bradbirzer

Big Big Train release new instrumental single ‘Apollo’
Track taken from forthcoming album Common Ground due out July 30th

“Apollo” is the second track to be taken from Big Big Train’s forthcoming album ‘Common Ground’ due out on July 30th, 2021 on English Electric Recordings. The new album, recorded during the worldwide pandemic, sees the band continue their tradition of dramatic narratives but also tackles issues much closer to home, such as the Covid lockdowns, the separation of loved ones, the passage of time, deaths of people close to the band and the hope that springs from a new love. “Apollo” is a seven-minute plus instrumental written by Big Big Train drummer Nick D’Virgilio and will be an undoubted highlight when the band tour in 2022. “When the time came to start coming up with ideas for the next BBT album, I felt very strongly that we should include a quintessential instrumental track. I wanted to write the band’s version of Genesis’s Los Endos and to make a track that really showed off the talent of all the amazing musicians in this band. I knew that the team could totally play anything I threw at them, and boy, did they prove me right! I thought about the unique instrumentation of BBT. We have so many wonderful ‘voices’ to play with and I wanted every one of them in this song. In the big end bit, I can totally envisage the crowd with their hands in the air going back n forth, all of the lights and haze on the stage, the band just absolutely slamming, the crowd singing along with the melody the BBT brass ensemble is playing, until we reach a glorious end.”
Watch the video for “Apollo” here:
https://youtu.be/88HHhbD1vFE

Tracklisting:1. The Strangest Times
2. All The Love We Can Give
3. Black With Ink
4. Dandelion Clock
5. Headwaters
6. Apollo
7. Common Ground
8. Atlantic Cable
9. Endnotes
‘Common Ground’ is available for pre-order now as Double Vinyl, CD, and Bandcamp Download at these sites:
https://burningshed.com/store/bigbigtrain
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com

‘Common Ground’ sees the band taking in wider musical and lyrical inspiration from artists such as Elbow, Pete Townshend, Tears For Fears, Elton John and XTC, as well as acknowledging their more progressive roots. As ever, Big Big Train will take listeners on a journey, be it waiting for the UK 5pm pandemic press conferences (’The Strangest Times’) to the library of Alexandria (‘Black With Ink’) to the bottom of the ocean (‘Atlantic Cable’).

For the ‘Common Ground’ tour, which will be their most extensive to date and which will culminate in the UK with a show at the prestigious London Palladium, Greg Spawton (bass), David Longdon (lead vocals, flute), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals) and Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals) will be joined by Carly Bryant (keyboards, guitars, vocals), who contributes vocals to ‘Common Ground’, Dave Foster (guitars), who plays on two tracks on the new album, Clare Lindley (violin, vocals) and by a five piece brass ensemble. The band expect to announce North American tour dates shortly.

BIG BIG TRAIN UK TOUR 2022

TUE, MARCH 15TH – YORK, BARBICAN
WED, MARCH 16TH – CAMBRIDGE, CORN EXCHANGE
FRI, MARCH 18TH – BIRMINGHAM, SYMPHONY HALL
SAT, MARCH 19TH – BATH, FORUM
MON, MARCH 21ST – GLASGOW, ROYAL CONCERT HALL
TUE, MARCH 22ND – MANCHESTER, BRIDGEWATER HALL
WED, MARCH 23RD – LONDON, PALLADIUM

TICKETS ON SALE HERE:
https://myticket.co.uk/artists/big-big-train

Big Big Train was initially founded in 1990 and went through several line-up changes, but in 2009 the band decided on a fresh start, and the core of the current version of the band was born. Since then, they have gone on to win four Progressive Music Awards, played sold out shows and seen their last album, 2019’s ‘Grand Tour’, reach #1 in the Official UK rock charts and break into the top 40 in the Official UK album charts. The band toured the UK for the first time in 2019, culminating in a sold out show at London’s Hackney Empire, subsequently released as the critically acclaimed Blu-ray ‘Empire’, and 2022 will see the band performing their largest UK tour to date along with their first ever dates in North America.

BIG BIG TRAIN online:
www.bigbigtrain.com
https://www.facebook.com/bigbigtrain/
https://twitter.com/bigbigtrain

Republic of Letters

Calvin Coolidge on the Finality of the Declaration

June 7, 2021 bradbirzer

About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.

The full speech (courtesy of Teaching American History . Org):

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/speech-on-the-occasion-of-the-one-hundred-and-fiftieth-anniversary-of-the-declaration-of-independence/

Republic of Letters

New Neal Morse Band Announced

June 1, 2021 bradbirzer

NMB ANNOUNCES “INNOCENCE & DANGER”

Hey, everyone!We’re delighted to announce details of the eagerly-anticipated new NMB album! Some incredible new music is coming your way. We will be starting pre-orders at www.radiantrecords.com on Friday, June 18th. Watch for our updates as we reveal some amazing exclusives relating to this release, plus another release only available from our website!

** OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE **NMB are pleased to announce the release of their much-anticipated fourth studio album Innocence & Danger on August 27th, 2021.With NMB’s previous two releases being concept albums, it’s perhaps remarkable that Innocence & Danger is a series of unrelated songs, but drummer Mike Portnoy says “After two sprawling back to back double concept albums in a row, it was refreshing to get back to writing a collection of unrelated individual songs in the vein of our first album.”Indeed, making this album came easy to the band; while the initial inspiration came particularly from Bill Hubauer (keyboards) and Randy George (bass), the ideas flowed from everybody from there on, as George recalls: “I am excited about the level of collaboration that we achieved on this one. We even went in with a lot of ideas that weren’t necessarily developed, and I think in the end we have something that represents the best of everybody in the band.”In fact – like its two acclaimed predecessors – Innocence & Danger is a double-album by inspiration, rather than design, as Portnoy explains: “As much as we wanted to try and keep it to a single album after having just done two double albums, we wrote so much material that we found ourselves with our third double album in a row! That’s pretty prog!”There is also plenty: “There’s one half hour epic and another that’s about 20 minutes long. I really didn’t realise that they were that long when we were recording them, which I guess is great because if a movie is really good, you don’t realise that it’s three hours long! But there are also some shorter songs: some have poppier elements, some are heavier and some have three part acoustic sections. I’m excited about all of it, really.”The album will be released as a Limited 2CD+DVD Digipak (featuring a Making Of documentary), 3LP+2CD Boxset, Standard 2CD Jewelcase & Digital Album, featuring artwork by Thomas Ewerhard (Transatlantic). Pre-orders start on the 18th June, and the full track-listing is below:CD 1 (Innocence):1. Do It All Again 08:552. Bird On A Wire 07:223. Your Place In The Sun 04:124. Another Story To Tell 04:505. The Way It Had To Be 07:146. Emergence 03:127. Not Afraid Pt. 1 04:538. Bridge Over Troubled Water 08:08CD 2 (Danger):1. Not Afraid Pt. 2 19:322. Beyond The Years 31:22The Neal Morse Band (now NMB) was formed in 2012, featuring long-time collaborators Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards and guitars), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals) and Randy George (bass), as well as Bill Hubauer (keyboards, vocals) and Eric Gillette (guitars, vocals). The band’s first album, The Grand Experiment, showed both a freshness and maturity that was further developed in 2016’s The Similitude Of A Dream, 2019’s The Great Adventure and 2021’s Innocence & Danger.Look for NMB on tour in North America in October 2021 and in Europe throughout May/June 2022. Tour dates coming soon!