C3X World Tour: Leg Two Week 15 – “May Day! May Day! May Day!”
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Greetings, one and all! Today is the First of May, which means today is May Day, a traditional celebration of spring and new life in many corners of the globe. What’s another traditional springtime excuse to party? That’s right: proms! What musical genre sort of sounds like “prom”? That’s right: prog!
And with that awkward segue, C3X would like you to join us on Topographic Oceans, in search of the Lost Chord somewhere past the Point of Know Return. That’s right, this week’s tour stop is on none other than…
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, where you will be wined and dined with some of the best music that prog, prog rock, prog metal and all other things prog have to offer!
Now let’s begin the show that just might never end!
Protest the Hero – Harbinger
Authored by FUGGNUTZ, Xane60 and GreenPanda12
Download – Download (2x bass pedal)
Since their inception in 1999, Protest the Hero has been pushing the limits of Progressive Metal forward. As one of the most well-known bands in the genre, their influence is apparent to all of their peers. Coming off of their 2016 EP Pacific Myth, “Harbinger” is a daunting song to tackle in-game, but it’s worth the effort. It presents a challenge on all instruments, and is a ton of fun to play.
The Human Abstract – Crossing the Rubicon
Authored by HellAshes and RealCheese
Download – Download (2x bass pedal)
Los Angeles metalcore band the Human Abstract released their debut album Nocturne in 2004, featuring “Crossing the Rubicon”. Fans of video game reviewer Angry Joe should definitely recognize the song, since Joe uses an 8-bit chiptune version as the theme to The Angry Joe Show.
Frank Zappa – Willie the Pimp
Authored by Septekka
For many, Frank Zappa needs no introduction – one of the most influential and idiosyncratic musicians in rock history, no stranger to bold social commentary and even bolder musical statements, and whose massive discography is practically incomparable to that of anyone else. His work – both with and without his group, the Mothers of Invention – ranges from satirical, oft-comedic experimental rock to majestically composed jazz fusion and prog records, and while some may find it to be too silly, too indulgent, or too inaccessible, he’s nevertheless managed to hold a sizable cult fanbase before and since his death in 1993. His 1969 solo record Hot Rats is perhaps the most acclaimed and enduringly popular example of the jazzy side of his discography, and for many, their first dive into the world of Zappa.
This cut from Hot Rats is actually the least jazzy, proggy track on the record, but it is a 9 minute song that’s about 85% guitar solo, and in any case, it’s Zappa (and one of his most well-known songs) so we’re making it fit! Starting with a solid, mid-tempo drum groove and a distinctive violin riff, the first couple minutes of the song feature raspy verses and manic whooping from fellow experimental musician Captain Beefheart. The remainder of the song (save for a short reprise of the intro riff at the very end) is basically one long guitar-led jam that gradually increases in speed and intensity as Zappa’s furious guitar work makes for a massively fun guitar track – though the other instruments are far from a drag, with drums getting quite tricky towards the end and the bass part constantly changing up throughout the song.
Opeth – The Moor
Authored by Septekka
Download – Download (2x bass pedal)
Opeth are oft-considered one of the vanguard bands of progressive metal – their blending of classic prog rock influences with Swedish death metal has proven appealing to many and given their music a tendency to ease newer metal listeners into appreciating more abrasive forms of the genre. Mikael Åkerfeldt’s songwriting typically embarks on lengthy journeys with a dramatic contrast between sections of heavy riffs and soft acoustic arpeggios, while still managing to come together cohesively. Throughout their career, they’ve gradually shifted the balance further away from metal and towards straight-up prog rock, a change which has polarized a good number of fans (myself included), but in any case their “classic” records remain widely beloved.
Although many fans will point towards the Steven Wilson-produced Blackwater Park as their best album, I feel that the preceding album, 1999’s Still Life, was their finest hour. “The Moor” is the opening track from that album and has a solid case for being my favorite Opeth track. It starts very soft, with a droning guitar melody slowly fading in, followed by acoustic guitars, until the full force of the band comes suddenly crashing in. The song takes the listener through a multitude of hard-hitting riffs, featuring both booming growls and graceful clean vocals from Mikael. In the middle of the song is a gentle acoustic interlude, before the growls, guitars, and double kicks come roaring back in for the finale. It’s a song that truly shows everything Opeth has to offer in their top form.
The Mars Volta – Day of the Baphomets
Authored by Septekka
Rising from the ashes of the iconic post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, the continued collaboration of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala in The Mars Volta has become one of the most inventive acts of the modern prog scene. While other bands take much of their influence from the 70s prog bands that came before them, The Mars Volta’s unique style combines elements of post-hardcore, latin, jazz, psychedelia, and more to create a truly deranged progressive fusion. TMV is a band that is almost constantly firing on all cylinders – there’s hardly such thing as a solo when the individual parts of each member could qualify as a solo in the context of any other group. Some might find this grating, but to me and other TMV fans, it’s absolutely astonishing. Their debut (and in custom author Septekka’s opinion, best) album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, still remained heavily indebted to post-hardcore, but on 2005’s Frances the Mute they began to dive even further into experimentation. Amputechture, which followed a year later (and from which we bring you a song today), is quite similar in style to FtM and was their last record with the best drummer of all time, Jon Theodore.
Now, that all-devil-tier rating is there for a reason – “Day of the Baphomets” is one of the most ballistic, balls-to-the-wall tracks the band has ever recorded, and considering the band in question, that says a lot. Cedric’s expansive vocabulary proves prominent as ever – you’ve never heard the word “slut” in this context before! The song gradually builds up with a lengthy snare roll and a BASS SOLO, before absolutely exploding into a wild sax solo while everyone else is still just going off in the background and I think that pretty much sets the tone for the whole song. The song goes through a couple verse and choruses, then gets to the REAL chorus, and then goes into a trippy interlude with a dueling guitar and sax solo, and then later it goes into this crazy part that’s alternating 11/16 and 13/16 and shits fuckin flying everywhere and then theres this other part thats like totally different from the entire rest of the song and then it goes back into the 11/16-13/16 thing but with a mad guitar solo this time and then theres this build up to a fuckin BONGO SOLO (that i didnt chart because i prefer to just play what the normal drummer is playing) and then theres these harmonies that go back and forth and then at the end it hits that fuckin CHORUS again and then POACHERS IN YOUR HOOOOOOOOOOOME and then it ends and fuck this song is wild as SHIT yall
(Editor’s note: The proceeding paragraph was brought to you without editing because editing would have blunted the author’s enthusiasm for the song, and we just couldn’t have that.)
Gentle Giant – Pantagruel’s Nativity
Authored by Septekka
Gentle Giant are one of the lesser-sung heroes of ’70s prog – not quite as iconic as say, Genesis, Yes, or King Crimson, but once you start digging a bit deeper, they’ll be one of the first things you hit. Their songs are often relatively short and concise compared to typical prog acts, and with less emphasis on the virtuosity of individual instrumentalists and more on having complex compositions as a whole. Said compositions took influences from numerous styles in classical, jazz, and more, and notably maintained a strong sense of playfulness and whimsicality, every song having a distinct sense of creativity and individuality and being progressive in a very literal manner. The band carried on for 10 years with a number of lineup changes, and albums ranging from the very eccentric and fanciful to the somewhat more hard-edged and “traditionally progressive” (if that makes sense).
Opening their 1971 sophomore effort Acquiring the Taste (which may be the best example of the “whimsical” side of their sound) is “Pantagruel’s Nativity”. It’s a tune with no shortage of variety, from the alien-sounding synth intro, to the fanfare-esque verses with flute, trumpet, and soft acoustic strumming; the atmospheric, mellotron-backed guitar refrain to the dark, heavy, odd-time riff; the back-to-back jazzy vibraphone solo and hard-rocking guitar solo to the bombastic bridge back to the original verse and refrain; and of course, one has to mention those strange, magnificent harmonies that follow the heavy riffs. Like many GG songs, it’s quite a unique and singular piece of music and one that’s quite enjoyable in-game as well.
maudlin of the Well – An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost
Authored by Septekka
Custom author Septekka writes, “I hold Toby Driver as simply one of the most genius musicians of our day – while there’s still a lot left of his work for me to discover, everything I’ve heard from maudlin of the Well to his later project Kayo Dot has blown me away somehow, and the work of these groups is not nearly as recognized as I feel it deserves to be. Kayo Dot’s Choirs of the Eye is, in my opinion, the greatest album ever – but it’s almost sacred to me, enough that I could bring myself to chart it. motW’s Bath is quite close, however, and although you could potentially say I have ‘plans’ for that, it’s not what I bring here today. Instead we’re looking at Part the Second, the band’s most recent album (from 2009) which was actually crowdfunded and released online for free following a hiatus of five years. Whereas the band’s earlier work (such as Bath and its sister album, Leaving Your Body Map) leans more towards progressive and avant-garde metal, this record is more mellow, more characterized as progressive or art rock (but still with quite experimental tendencies). As a fun fact, Driver claims that motW’s music is not composed but ‘brought back’ from the astral plane via astral projection – now, I’m sure that sounds like absolute horseshit, and it probably is absolute horseshit, but honestly I’d almost believe it just because their music is just that fucking good.
“‘An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost’ (what a mouthful) is the first track from Part the Second (a lot of openers today, huh?) and to put things simply, it’s breathtakingly gorgeous. It’s divided into four sections – the dreamy but brief first section starts out with a wandering guitar line in 7/8, with a switch to 4/4 as an elegant violin melody is introduced. The second part drops to a dirge-like pace – it has an ethereal stillness to it, with its shimmering chords and fragile vocals. The choruses slightly pick up the intensity, with the soft drums getting a bit less soft and the violins coming back in, then building into a third passage containing glistening, sparkling bells juxtaposed with heavy, downtuned guitar chords. An jaunty, upbeat transition brings the song into its final part, a lengthy buildup starting with a striking piano melody and twinkling guitars – all is calm for a moment, and then a driving drumbeat kicks in, propelling the song to the end as bright piano chords and soaring guitar leads are added.”
And now, for our cruise’s main event, we offer you prog, psychedelic and space rock legends Pink Floyd, who will share no less than twenty songs spanning their entire career, from the first time they stood at the Gates of Dawn to the final time they rang the Division Bell! Feast your eyes and ears on…
Pink Floyd – Astronomy Domine
Authored by bsbloom with AJFOne23
Piper at the Gates of Dawn was the first album by Pink Floyd, and this was the first track. “Astronomy” and “Interstellar Overdrive” were their Space Rock songs, and became staples of their live performances. The drum beat for this song is really something, and, of course, where else could you learn the names of various moons in our Solar System?
Pink Floyd – The Gnome
Authored by bsbloom
Several of Floyd’s early songs can sound very Beatles-esque, like this one, but with more humor than that other British band. The song was written by Syd Barrett, their leader, though he left the band midway through their second album.
Pink Floyd – If
Authored by bsbloom
“English folk at its deadly worst. It’s soft and silly.” So said the reviewer for Rolling Stone about this song from Atom Heart Mother, Pink Floyd’s fifth studio release. The song has won over fans and critics over the years, and some consider this ballad one of their best.
Written by Roger Waters, custom author bsbloom personally suspects that Waters wrote it because he loved the Malcolm McDowell film from a year or two earlier. bsbloom also suspects no one else holds that suspicion.
Pink Floyd – The Great Gig in the Sky
Authored by Sideshow, Chips and bsbloom
This song is from Dark Side of the Moon, Floyd’s eighth studio album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Their producer, Alan Parsons (that Alan Parsons), brought in a background vocalist for some of the tracks, the phenomenal Clare Torry. She does the lead on this, and what a range she has. This song is a classic.
Pink Floyd – Us and Them
Authored by Sideshow, bsbloom and AJFOne23
Dark Side produced two big singles, “Money” and this one. Both should be in every Floyd-fan’s XBox.
Pink Floyd – Have a Cigar
Authored by Sideshow, Oscarj08 and bsbloom
Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album from Pink Floyd. The album continues their tribute to their former leader, the ailing Syd Barrett. Custom author bsbloom thinks the entire album is fabulous (so does announcement editor FujiSkunk), and we now have virtually every song from Wish in our database!
“Have a Cigar” and “Welcome to the Machine” were released as a double-single. “Cigar” has great guitar riffs, and mocks their industry in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. “Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?”
Pink Floyd – Welcome to the Machine
Authored by Oscarj08, AJFOne23 and bsbloom
And here is the other half of the double-single from Wish You Were Here.
Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5)
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom with AJFOne23
Wish You Were Here‘s real gem is the incredible “Shine On” Suite. The 25 minute song is broken into two parts on the album, and this is the first part.
Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Dimaong (Parts 6-9)
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom with AJFOne23
And here is the second part.
Pink Floyd – The Thin Ice
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom
Floyd’s eleventh album was The Wall: part concept album, part Rock Opera, all big success. Six songs are featured from this album, adding to the many customs authors have already given us to enjoy!
Pink Floyd – Mother
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom
The Wall tells the story of Pink, a highly successful rock star who’s played one concert too many, and is now alone in his hotel room, contemplating his life and the emptiness his music has failed to fill. Why is it so hard to be normal and get along with people? Sigmund Freud might have a theory…
Pink Floyd – Empty Spaces
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom
And speaking of emptiness… What can you do when it consumes you?
Pink Floyd – Don’t Leave Me Now
Authored by Sideshow, Oscarj08, bsbloom and AJFOne23, with FujiSkunk
Among other things, Pink laments lost relationships, in particular his crumbling marriage. At one point in the story, Pink tries to make a collect call to his wife, and hears the operators wondering why “there’s a man answering,” before the line goes dead. Not a healthy moment in any relationship. Of course, Pink isn’t exactly blameless. Would you want to stay with someone who often beats you to a pulp on a Saturday night?
Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall (Part 3) / Goodbye Cruel World
Authored by Sideshow, Oscarj08, bsbloom and AJFOne23, with FujiSkunk
The biggest hit of Pink Floyd’s career was “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”, known to casual fans everywhere as “We Don’t Need No Education!” As the title implies, the song was actually part of a suite of three songs weaved through the first and second sides of the original 2-record, 4-sided release of The Wall. In Part 1, Pink yearns for the father he didn’t know, killed in World War II. In Part 2, Pink recalls his tortured childhood, made no easier by heartless teachers who cared only about obedience. In Part 3, Pink decides there is nowhere to go except out. “Goodbye Cruel World” is the coda to the “Another Brick in the Wall” suite, as Pink ultimately decides he is beyond hope…
Pink Floyd – Is There Anybody out There
Authored by Oscarj08 and bsbloom
…or is he? The wall he has built is high, but perhaps there is still hope. Is there anybody out there?
The rest of The Wall is Pink’s descent into insanity, where at one point he has even convinced himself he is a new political leader who will Make Britannia Great Again, before ultimately he puts himself on trial, to determine once and for all who he is and what he must do. If you’re a fan of prog concept albums and you haven’t heard The Wall in its entirety yet, you really should give this one a spin!
Pink Floyd – Signs of Life
Authored by bsbloom
A Momentary Lapse of Reason was Pink Floyd’s second to last studio album (not counting the post-mortem The Endless River), and the first without long-time songwriter Roger Waters. Singer, guitarist and (up until then) occasional songwriter David Gilmour took over leadership duties and let the world know Floyd wasn’t dead yet… even if Waters may have wanted it that way.
Pink Floyd – The Dogs of War
Authored by bsbloom
Momentary Lapse enjoyed a good life on radio, as “Learning to Fly”, “One Slip”, “On the Turning Away” and this song received respectable amounts of airplay.
Pink Floyd – Sorrow
Authored by bsbloom
“Sorrow” was not one of Momentary Lapse‘s hits, but Gilmour was particularly proud of the song. The 1987 and 1994 tours both featured the song, and later it appeared on Floyd’s 2-disc greatest hits collection, Echoes.
Pink Floyd – Marooned
Authored by bsbloom
The Division Bell marks Pink Floyd’s final studio album released while all the band members were still alive. The album also marks the first time the band won a Grammy for their work, earning Best Rock Instrumental Performance for “Marooned”. “Marooned” also happens to be custom author bsbloom’s favorite song on the album.
Pink Floyd – High Hopes
Authored by bsbloom
The Division Bell closes with “High Hopes”, a not-exactly-optimistic-but-still-hopeful look at both the past and the future. And so our show closes with this song as well. We hope you enjoyed the cruise and will continue to enjoy the songs, and remember, as you reach for the horizon, don’t lose sight of what, and who, are around you!
Announcement written by bsbloom, Septekka, FUGGNUTZ and FujiSkunk.
Thanks again for all the Floyd.
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_cheeky.001.gif” />Yep absolutely monster release. Even though it kinda leaked a day before, which is a first for us! Thanks for all involved.
I’m actually weirdly fond of the Division Bell, maybe one day I’ll do some missing tunes. “Poles Apart”, “What Do You Want From Me”, “Coming Back to Life”, “Lost For Words”, really solid stuff. Also I personally got to see Richard Wright’s last ever performance of “Wearing the Inside Out” – back in 2006 in Florence – so that song is personal for me. Also I like some Gilmour and Waters solo stuff.
Maybe someday!
“Well, I finally got all caught up on everything I have on drums and bass. Now if it’s a quiet week for downloads, maybe I’ll start making a dent in guitar.”
*checks database*
“Oh. OK, then.”
*head explodes*
, mad respect to the authors!
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