All posts by Thaddeus Wert

High school math teacher and fan of all kinds of music, but most of all prog.
LITERATURE

Susan Howatch’s Absolute Truths: Book 6 of Starbridge

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Susan Howatch’s Absolute Truths is the sixth and final novel in her Starbridge Series. This is the second time I have read the series, and it has been an very rewarding experience; I have noticed so many details and internal references that I missed the first time around.

In a nice nod to symmetry, Howatch concludes the series with the same narrator who began it: Charles Ashworth. It is 1965, and he is now bishop of Starbridge, happily (ecstatically, actually) married to Lyle, who keeps his life ordered and on track, down to the smallest details. They have two adult sons, Michael and Charley. In terms of theology, Ashworth is a traditionalist who sees his calling as defending the Church’s “absolute truths” against the cultural onslaughts of the 1960s.

To read the full review, click here.

Music

Kevin Keller’s Altus: An Instant Meditative Classic

Readers of this site know how much I love and appreciate the music of American composer Kevin Keller. He is equally comfortable working in several genres, whether it’s deep ambient, chilly techno, sacred choral music, minimalism, or classical chamber music. Over a long career and many albums, he has produced a wide variety of songs, and I can safely say that he has never disappointed me. His melodies are some of the most beautiful and engaging ever composed, and his production standards are never less than outstanding. Simply put, Kevin Keller is a musical treasure, and we should be thankful he is such a productive one.

His latest offering is coming out October 30, and it is called Altus. It is all instrumental, and, as is often the case with Keller, it features a seamless mix of electronic and acoustic instruments. I am a subscriber to his VIP program, so I was able to download and get an advance listen to the tracks.

My overall impression of the album – and I believe it should be listened to as a whole, in one sitting – is of a meditative journey. It begins with the calm and relatively ambient “Mirror of Change”, which slowly metamorphoses over its seven minutes into a gently beating tune with hints of a choir.

The second track, “The Messenger”, is energetic and bouncy. Its ringing and joyous instrumentation brings to my mind the Christmas season, with all of its anticipation and excitement. Next up is my favorite song, “The Sacred Chord”. Some gorgeous acoustic piano plays the theme while tasteful synth washes create a sense of suspension – time and space no longer have meaning while I lose myself in all of this heavenly sound! If Satie was able to collaborate with Brian Eno, they might come up with what Keller has put together here.

By the time we reach “Illumination”, we are well into our journey. This is deep space music that is welcoming and comforting. The bass notes are mixed prominently as a languid melody unfolds. “The Quickening Air” brings us back to earth with a delightful and lively melody on acoustic piano. There is a gently insistent sequencer laying down the pulse, while the piano and what sounds like a hammered dulcimer(?) engage in a spirited duet.

We return to a more contemplative atmosphere with “Reflections Below”, as a simple motif is stated and gradually developed by both piano and synthesizer. “The Gatekeeper” continues the contemplative mood with deep bass notes adding a feeling of solemnity.

“Constellations of Silence” begins with a pipe organ playing a beautiful Bach-like melody. Keller’s production creates an atmosphere of peaceful, hushed stillness for the entire track. Then the opening notes of “The Motion of All Things” begin, and it is like slowly waking up from a restful and healing sleep. This track immediately felt like I was seeing a sunrise slowly unfold before me.

The album closes with the majestic title track, “Altus”. Featuring piano, synths, and subdued choral washes, the listener is completely refreshed and ready to face the world.

Altus  is a 51-minute journey into inner space that is extremely rewarding. I don’t know if Keller is religious, but I find his music has much spirituality in it. There is a respect for stillness, contemplation, and sheer beauty that is undeniable in all of his work.

You can pre-order Altus  here. I strongly recommend you check it out, if you appreciate serious 21st century instrumental music. With Altus, Keller has produced a masterpiece that encourages the listener to slow down and contemplate what is good, true, and beautiful. That definitely runs counter to our current culture, but I am grateful we have artists like Kevin Keller who aren’t afraid to promote those values.

 

History

Christopher Clark’s The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Committed Suicide

I love reading about history, and the early 20th century is especially interesting to me. I’ve always wondered how Europe could commit itself to the extraordinarily destructive first world war, the “Great War”. Christopher Clark’s book, The Sleepwalkers is an excellent explanation of how France, Britain, Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Russia, delicately balanced in various alliances, “sleepwalked” into armed conflict.

As Clark states in his Introduction,

This book thus strives to understand the July Crisis of 1914 as a modern event, the most complex of modern times, perhaps of any time so far. It is concerned less with why the war happened than with how it came about. Questions of why and how are logically inseparable, but they lead us in different directions. The question of how invites us to look closely at the sequences of interactions that produced certain outcomes. By contrast, the question of why invites us to go in search of remote and categorical causes: imperialism, nationalism, armaments, alliances, high finance, ideas of national honour, the mechanics of mobilization. The why approach brings a certain analytical clarity, but it also has a distorting effect, because it creates the illusion of a steadily building causal pressure; the factors pile up on top of each other pushing down on the events; political actors become mere executors of forces long established and beyond their control.

By focusing primarily on the actual events (and taking advantage of a huge number of original documents and memoirs), Clark presents a dispassionate account of how Europe found itself at the end of diplomatic options and mired in the deadliest war in human history. In his telling, the causes of WWI don’t involve easily identifiable “villains” and “good guys”, but mere humans, prone to making errors in judgment and trying to adjust to quickly shifting events. In Clark’s telling, Germany and Austria aren’t militaristic aggressors, but countries competing for security with equally, if not more, powerful nations, each pursuing its own interests.

To continue reading, click here.

Music

Glass Hammer’s Black Light: A Groovy Prog Treat

Tad: Hello Brad! It’s been awhile since we’ve had the time to collaborate. We’re both educators, and summer is supposed to be a time to catch our breath, but it wasn’t for either of us this year, was it? Anyway, there’s a very good reason for us to get together, and that’s the announcement from Glass Hammer that they are releasing a new album! You and I both love this band, which is pretty much founder Steve Babb’s project now. We’ve been avid fans for many years, and they have never made a dud of an album in my opinion, even though they have recorded in an amazingly wide variety of styles. But that’s what I like about them: they aren’t afraid to try new things, and they never get stuck in a musical rut.

Their new album is Black Light, and I’ve listened to it four times back to back now. Musically and lyrically, it’s another big change from Rogue, Arise, and the Skallagrim Trilogy. My first impression is how lively and playful these songs sound. What do you think, my friend?

Brad: Hello, Tad.  Man, I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed our dialogues.  Admittedly, the summer got in the way–a daughter’s wedding, some writing, a vacation, a number of talks. . . but, still!  I missed you.  Glad to be connecting again, as always, my great friend.

Yes, I’m totally with you.  I’ve listened to Black Light twice now, and I’m very much in love with it.  Babb has always been a brilliant bassist, lyricist, poet, novelist, and song writer (there are no limits to the guy’s creativity and drive), but, with this album, he’s become something much greater than all of these things: he’s become a composer.  Truly, the composition of this album is just staggering.  The flow is immaculate, the intensity is everything a prog fan would want, and yet, somewhat like Frost*There is a bit of witty whimsy here, too.

Tad: Brad, I think your comparison to Frost* is quite apt; these guys sound like they’re having fun, and the concept itself is even a tongue-in-cheek wink at some of progressive rock’s pretentiousness: a young rock musician in 1979 sees an intriguing black light poster in his band’s rehearsal space, and suddenly he’s inside the poster! In this trippy, dayglo world, he meets up with characters from throughout the career of Glass Hammer, which makes for a delightful experience for us longtime GH fans. I read through the liner notes, and they are hilarious! For example: Part 1. Concept-Album Excess – It Begins (In which I find myself stuck in a psychedelic dreamworld, a fluorescent paradise. For reasons unexplained, I begin singing, and stuff happens!)

I think my favorite track is the second one, Lost Horizons, which is a twelve-minute minisuite containing several beautiful passages. I think the three vocalists, Christopher Galen, Trevor Laake, and Olivia Tharpe, are all outstanding throughout. 

There’s a definite ‘70s vibe to the melodies and instrumentation, and there are quite a few sections where the band just jams. If I had to describe it, it’s as if Jethro Tull, Boston, and Kansas all got together and created a hybrid band. Every song has a delicious hook, especially on Return to The Shadowlands, which is a funky Celtic rocker, if that makes sense. Ferran Ligero’s guitar work is outstanding here.

Also in his notes, Steve Babb tells of his recent surgery to remove a (thankfully) benign brain tumor. I think that experience must have liberated him in many ways. He’s even said that he believes the surgery has altered the way he approaches composing now. All I can say is how much fun and enjoyable this album is, and how thankful I am that Babb is creating such great art. Speaking of which, I am a sucker for good bass (Chris Squire was my favorite member of Yes), and Babb really cuts loose on the closing track, Kaleidoscope Skies. 

Brad: Tad, thanks so much for this.  An excellent synopsis.  As you and I have said many, many times–so many times it should be an iron rule of prog–a band is only as good as its bassist.  And, man, is Babb a brilliant bassist.  I love his bass lines.  So thrilling and so captivating.

Tad, if you don’t mind, I have to recount my history with the band.  I was at a conference many, many years ago now, and one of my favorite colleagues in the history field, Amy Sturgis, knew how into music and especially prog I was.  She mentioned knowing two guys from Tennessee in the prog band, Glass Hammer, who had just released an album called LEX REX.  I had never heard of them or the album, but, of course, true to form, I immediately bought LEX REX, and I fell instantly in love with it.  I couldn’t believe the mixing of music with the profundity of the lyrics.  And, they weren’t afraid to be counter-cultural, especially in their embrace of tradition and Christianity.  But, it was an intelligent and artful Christianity, not an over the top in your face evangelicalistic propaganda which I find so deeply troubling.  If we really love Christ, our music doesn’t need to be about Christ, but we very much need to use the gifts Christ has given us in the music.  Glass Hammer did exactly this.

As I had done with my hero worship of Greg Spawton, I decided to take a chance and email Steve Babb to strike up a friendship.  Amazingly enough, he reciprocated.  When chance had it that I was to lecture in Tennessee, Steve and I met for dinner–the first time we had met in person.  I liked him instantly, and I think he felt the same.  Even though I’m a historian and he’s a musician, there was a definite kinship right away.  I thank God for that meeting and his friendship.

Being totally and unabashedly OCD, I immediately ordered all of Glass Hammer’s back catalogue, including a live concert DVD–which made me love the band even more–after I first heard LEX REX.  And, on one of those DVDs, Steve’s amazing and beautiful wife, Julie, showed up.  I was blown away by how extremely cool and normal Steve and his family were.

Admittedly, it doesn’t hurt that Steve and I view much of the world in exactly the same way–which, of course, make me love his music all the more.  Plus, the guy is an entrepreneur, a dad, a husband, a poet, and a novelist.  Is there anything he can’t do?

All of this leads me to Black Light.  As I mentioned previously, there’s something immensely special about Black Light.  This is not just another prog release, but a prog moment.  The album is equally parts intense, whimsical, creative, and brilliant.  Steve is so clearly having the time of his life.  As you mentioned, Tad, he’s just come out of major brain surgery.  You’d never know it except to say that Steve is so very, very happy to be alive.  It comes through in every note of Black Light.

Tad: Brad, I love hearing the back stories of how you first encounter different groups. I got into Glass Hammer because of your recommendation. Perilous was the first CD of theirs I bought. I then picked up Cor Cordium, and I assumed Jon Davison was their consistent vocalist. As I acquired more and more of their albums, I soon realized that Glass Hammer is more of a collective, organized around Steve Babb and Fred Schendel – a lot like Steely Dan was centered on Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. 

Anyway, I think we both enthusiastically give Black Light our “thumbs up”. It is one of Babb’s best efforts, and I am really excited to see the direction he is taking his music.

You can order Black Light directly from their store at https://glasshammer.com/. Support independent music and buy physical media!

Music

New Glass Hammer Album Announced

Glass Hammer, the progressive rock vehicle of founder and multi-instrumentalist Steve Babb, announces the release of Black Light for November 6th.
Created in the months after Babb underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, Black Light marks one of the most personal and stylistically distinct entries in Glass Hammer’s long catalog.
Centered around a quirky, surreal story of a young prog-rocker drawn into a 1970s black-light poster, the album explores themes of nostalgia, longing, and the dual worlds of artistic inspiration.
Black Light features an updated lineup and a vibrant, psychedelic sonic palette while remaining rooted in the band’s symphonic progressive style.

The updated lineup includes:

Christopher Galen – Lead & backing vocals
Trevor Laake – Lead & backing vocals
Olivia Tharpe – Lead & backing vocals
Ferran Ligero – Lead & rhythm guitar
Ken Kristiansen – Drums
Oliver Day – Acoustic guitar
Steve Babb – Keyboards, bass, percussion and
backing vocals


The album will be available on CD and digital platforms. Run time is 56 minutes.
Pre-order information and further details will be available at www.glasshammer.com.

LITERATURE

A Good Biography of Charles Dickens

As readers of this blog probably know, Charles Dickens is my favorite author. His writing is certainly flawed in many ways, but his novels are consistently entertaining, and they reward repeat readings. Back in 2002, Penguin publishers commissioned the American novelist Jane Smiley to write a biography of Dickens for its Penguin Lives series. I recently picked up a copy, and it is very good.

Smiley does not go into great detail in regards to Dickens personal life, instead describing significant milestones in it while referring to contemporaneous novels of his. I like this approach very much, as it gives me a greater appreciation of how his personal situations were reflected in his writing. As Smiley explains,

Biographies of Dickens, long and short, abound. A lifelong friend of his, John Forster, published the first authoritative one shortly after Dickens died. The most recent, by Peter Ackroyd, published in 1990, is more than a thousand pages long. It is, therefore, not the intention of this volume to lay out chronologically everything that we have come to know of Charles Dickens’s life as a result of some 130 years of industrious digging on the part of aficionados and scholars from all parts of the world (though admittedly mostly from England). The Charles Dickens we know is decidedly different from the man his contemporaries knew.

… In addition, I will offer interpretations of almost all of Dickens’s major works. One of the most interesting things about Charles Dickens is the way in which his style and his interest in social themes remained remarkably consistent throughout his career, while his vision shifted and evolved.

Thus, this relatively brief (207 pages) and readable biography is an excellent companion to someone who loves Dickens and would like to know the context in which he wrote his works. 

To continue reading my review, click here.

LITERATURE

Werewolf Cop: Law Enforcement Meets The Supernatural

Andrew Klavan has become one of my favorite living authors, and his current Cameron Winter series is excellent. His standalone novel, Werewolf Cop, came out in 2015. When first heard that Klavan considers it one of his finest works, I thought, “Maybe so, but what a silly title”. Well, despite the cheesy title, it is a terrific mix of horror, suspense, and straightforward murder mystery.

It begins with a crime scene involving several bodies that have been gruesomely cut to pieces in the NYC apartment of a small-time fencer of stolen goods. Zach “Cowboy” Adams and his partner, Martin “Broadway Joe” Goulart, are part of a special investigative unit: The Task Force for Extraordinary Crimes. All signs from this carnage point to a shadowy German gangster, Dominic Abend, who has been on international law enforcement’s radar for years, but he has kept a low profile. Such a low profile that there are barely any photographs of him. However, he seems to be involved in every kind of criminal enterprise imaginable, and it appears he is moving in to take over NYC.

While going over the apartment, Zach discovers a secret storage space in which a terrified little boy is hiding. He is taken to the station and during questioning he says he overheard somebody demanding to know where the “stoomp bassard” was. The social worker talking to him assumes he heard “stupid bastard”, but Zach decides to do a little research on his own.

After digging into the internet, he finds a reference to “Stumpf’s Baselard” in a paper written by a German university Professor Gretchen Dankl. It explores the mystery of a missing 15th century dagger called the Baselard. The paper has disappeared from the internet, but Zach is able to contact Dankl via email. She sends him a copy of her paper, but she will not communicate anything useful electronically, so Zach convinces his supervisor to sign off on him flying to Germany to meet with Dankl face to face.

His trip to Germany is an almost surreal experience, where Zach is so jet lagged he thinks he’s hallucinating things. There are all kinds of riots happening across Europe, and the political order there seems to be collapsing. Professor Dankl is a wizened old woman who appears to be crazy. She tells Zach that Stumpf’s Baselard is a dagger that is imbued with the power to prolong life and cure any wound. It was used to execute a notorious murderer who was suspected of being a werewolf in the 15th century, and after reappearing a few times in European history, seems to have disappeared. Dankl then shows Zach a photograph of a group of Nazi officers from WWII, and one of them bears a remarkable resemblance to Dominic Abend.

To continue reading, click here.

LITERATURE

Ultimate Prizes: The Third Book of Starbridge

I’m rereading Susan Howatch’s Starbridge Series, and I am noticing all kinds of details and themes I missed the first time around. The series chronicles three Church of England clerics: Charles Ashworth, the traditionalist theologian with a privileged background; Jonathan Darrow, the pious monk with incredible psychic gifts but potentially dangerous pride; and Neville Aysgarth, the Starbridge Archdeacon from Yorkshire who is a Modernist that dislikes any whiff of “Popery”.

The first book, Glittering Images, was narrated by Ashworth, and we soon learn that he is not the perfect man he appears to be. He suffers a breakdown, and through the effective counseling of Darrow, is able to emerge whole. Book two, Glamorous Powers, is narrated by Darrow, and he is shown to be extremely complicated. He also suffers a breakdown, and is healed by the empathetic counseling of his college rival, Francis Ingram. Near the end, Darrow butts heads with Neville Aysgarth, and it’s clear there is an immediate antipathy between them.

In the third book, Ultimate Prizes, Aysgarth is the narrator, and we see Jon Darrow from his perspective. But before Darrow enters the scene, we learn how Aysgarth is a young, ambitious Archdeacon with a gift for administration. It is set in 1942, and he is married to the perfect wife, Grace. They have five children – four sons and a daughter. The fifth child, Alexander, was a surprise, and Grace is exhausted taking care of him and their toddlers. She is unable to attend the social functions Aysgarth needs to “get on” in his career.

At one significant social event, a dinner with the bishop, Aysgarth meets a young socialite, Dido Tallent, and he is swept off his feet. He knows that to commit adultery is career suicide for a clergyman, so he resists his desire, but poor Grace soon realizes that something is wrong. Meanwhile, another character from Glittering Images shows up, the wily old Alex Jardine, who resigned his bishopric suddenly. He has mentored Aysgarth and assisted in his swift rise through the Church hierarchy, and he warns him to avoid all contact with Dido. Aysgarth takes strong offense to this advice and agrees to her request that he be her spiritual advisor.

To continue reading this review, click here.

Music

The Bardic Depths: Some Things Are Worth Remembering

Some Things Are Worth Remembering  is the fourth album from The Bardic Depths. Dave Bandana once again takes the reins, with lead vocals, bass, keyboards, and overall production, while Gareth Cole returns on acoustic and electric guitar, Tim Gehrt handles drums and percussion, and Peter Jones sings and plays sax and keyboards. The ever-clever and polyhistoric Brad Birzer supplies most of the lyrics, which, as the album’s title suggests, are full of reminiscences, longing, and nostalgia.

I’ve listened to Some Things Are Worth Remembering several times now, and my overall impression of the album is one of mellowness. There is a gentle vibe to most of the songs that wouldn’t be out of place on a early-to-mid-70s rock album. Given that I pretty much came of age in the 70s, I find Some Things Are Worth Remembering a most pleasant and entertaining listening experience.

The opening track, “Islands”, is, according to the notes provided by Mr. Bandana, Brad Birzer’s tribute to the classic Big Big Train song, “The Underfall Yard”. In that track, BBT expressed their admiration for the Victorian engineers who surveyed and constructed the railways that crisscrossed the UK. BBT sang how those engineers “using available light, they could see far”.  Birzer’s lyrics are a worthy tribute to the spirit of “The Underfall Yard”, as he writes, 

The song that longs to linger in our souls

Long after we’ve heard the last notes

A memory so pure so delicate

The song that cries to the skies

The song that hovers over that moment

Away from eternity

The music of “Islands” has a nice jazzy feel, thanks to the excellent saxophone work of Peter Jones. 

Next up is the very melodic “Fallen Leaves”, featuring beautiful wordless vocal harmonies that conjure memories of CSNY and The Beach Boys. 

Things get a little funky on the third track, “Arribabok”. Birzer’s lyrics explore how language is like a living thing, always evolving and mutating. I really like Bandana’s bassline on this song, and Cole’s sinuous electric guitar solo. The arrangement reminds me a bit of classic Peter Gabriel – shades of “Secret World”.

Side One closes with my favorite track, “October Sun”, which is Birzer’s ode to Michigan autumns. Maybe because autumn is my favorite season, this song really speaks to me with its evocation of “greens and reds and yellows and browns”. There is more to the song than mere colors, however:

The veil between this world and the next

Is ever so thin

It’s always twilight here

October holds its breath

In the dusk of it all

And on the verge of death

October sun shines through

I may be reading too much into these lyrics, but they remind me of Ray Bradbury’s memoir of small town America, Dandelion Wine, where natural beauty coexists uneasily with darker undercurrents. The music for “October Sun” is outstanding as well, with the final half consisting of an instrumental workout. Peter Jones’ sax and Gareth Cole’s guitar play a game of tag in the October sun!

Side Two opens with Peter Jones’ composition, “From Empty Trees”. He plays keyboards on this one, and it brings to minds Barleycorn-era Traffic. It’s a very fun track with a lot of drive.

The next song, “A View”, is, according to Bandana,  “about a man in space who awakes after his craft has been attacked and after finding out he is the only one left on board sees the Earth below in a totally different light.” Appropriately enough, the melody captures the longing and homesickness of that astronaut perfectly. 

“Harder to See” is the portrait of a man who is not the most likeable person. Bandana wrote the lyrics on this one, and he describes someone who is trying to find himself:

You make it I’ll break it you bake it I’ll take it

You grow it I’ll blow it you know it I’ll throw it

It’s not easy to please me it’s harder to see me

I like you can’t find me no ties to confine me

I need to get me a plan find out if I really can

I need to see where I am… see where I am as a man

Some Things Are Worth Remembering  closes with “Rewind”, which is Bandana’s recounting of attending a 1975 Genesis concert in London. Once again, there is a sense of longing for something that can never be recaptured.

I wish I could easily rewind my brain

All of the sights and the smells of old London Town

Sit and wait for the lights to die down

Music and drama and spells before our eyes

Stories of strange folk behind a disguise

I was there but I can’t remember now

Cole’s acoustic guitar work is outstanding, cleverly bringing to mind Steve Hackett from A Trick of the Tail-era Genesis. Cole also provides a muscular electric guitar solo that provides an intro to a beautiful vocal interlude. And when you think the song is over, we are given a wonderful pastoral coda that lasts almost five minutes. 

All in all, Some Things Are Worth Remembering is a fine addition to The Bardic Depths’ discography. I especially enjoyed Peter Jones’ saxophone work throughout, and Tim Gehrt’s work on drums and percussion is excellent. As I stated at the beginning of this review, this album is mellow – it’s a genuinely pleasurable listening experience that is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon (in October!). Even though there isn’t an explicit concept – such as the Inklings in their previous album, What We Really Like In Stories – a common thread of nostalgia and longing runs throughout all the songs. 

Finally, I noticed that the back cover has a disclaimer stating that, “No AI was used in the making of this album”. It’s a shame artists have to make that clear, but these are the time we live in. I hope Bandana, Cole, Jones, Gehrt, and Birzer continue to produce authentic music far into the future.

You can preorder Some Things Are Worth Remembering here.

 

 

LITERATURE, Music

Cecilia in Proghalla, Ep. 2: Phil Keaggy and Kevin Belmonte

In Episode 2 of Cecilia in Proghalla, Brad Birzer, Kevin McCormick, and Tad Wert have a wide-ranging conversation with the incredibly talented musician Phil Keaggy, and his gifted collaborator, author and poet Kevin Belmonte. They have a new album: Things of Heaven, that is a beautiful set of songs celebrating everything from Paul McCartney’s lost and then found Hofner bass to Easter and Christmas.

Along the way, we touch on Kevin’s new book, G K Chesterton on Life, and Phil’s fascinating career in music. Give it a listen: