Charles Snider's blog

A second documentary on Magma is looking for backers, please give them a look if you are so inclined, I did!

Very sad news to report, Keith Emerson took his life today, Friday March 11th at his home in Santa Monica, CA. Evidently the keyboardist suffered neurological damage to his right hand which subsequently led to depression. Truly heartbreaking.

The Enid's Robert John Godfrey recently announced his retirement from touring due to health reasons, and also took the opportunity to "take a swipe at prog musos", including one Steven Wilson. To quote Mr. Godfrey, “The thing that pisses me off so much about the prog scene is that it is “all about” muso rock. It’s all about people like Steve Wilson who possess all the talent and all the production genius (and has made a great name for himself) … but who offer absolutely no content that is memorable or meaningful.

Ciro Perrino of Celeste and Il Sistema has released an early version of his 1980 electronic album Solare.

"I’ve found these tape-recordings in my archives. They witness how I would have liked that my first album solo should have been in 1979. The background’s sounds in the final version were completely deleted. Here we can find the atmosphere of the interstellar deep spaces. "

Former Tangerine Dream member and recording artist Peter Baumann returns with an album after many, many decades: "Machines of Desire is filled with many influences, not least of them, my time with Tangerine Dream. Recording this album has been a very rich experience that fulfilled my creative desires, with more to come. I’m delighted that German record label Bureau B will release the recording in May/June of this year."

Giorgio Gomelsky, first manager of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, and owner of the legendary Crawdaddy Club, died today in NYC after a battle with cancer. He was 82. The Georgian born Gomelsky was instrumental in the career of many progressive musicians, serving as the manager/impresario/sevengali to the Soft Machine, the Blossom Toes, Gong, Vangelis and Magma. RIP, Giorgio.

Just two day after releasing his latest album ★, David Bowie died Sunday January 10th at age 69 after an eighteen month battle with cancer. As a kid, Bowie was always on the radio. Those were such great songs (compiled on ChangesOneBowie), ones that I always wanted to sing along to, oh, and that guitar riff from Ziggy Stardust, it made me want to pick up a guitar and play! I remember the song he gave to Mott the Hoople, Little Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby on the TV, and the hype of the single Fame, the one he wrote with former Beatle John Lennon. As the years passed, so did records.

Anthony Phillips seminal 1978 record Wise After The Event is set to receive yet another remaster, this time from the good folks at Esoteric Recordings, but the great news is that the accompanying 4CD set will also feature a 5.1 surround sound mix in addition to the original stereo mix, a new stereo mix and a CD of outtakes, demos and extras.

Lemmy Kilmister passed away on December 28th at age 70, after a brief battle with cancer. He formed Motörhead in 1975 After anchoring Hawkwind for several years. From Dave Brock:
"So very sad to wake to the news that we have lost Lemmy. He was a character, a gentleman and a friend. I’ll miss him and especially our eccentric text conversations of recent years… We had a magical bond when we played together. He had a style all of his own and his legendary bass playing will live on forever…..We’ll miss you man, you’ll not be forgotten. DB"

"To mark 50 years since the tracks were recorded, Pink Floyd have released a limited edition set of two 7" singles, containing the band's first recordings. Entitled Pink Floyd 1965 – Their First Recordings, the songs include Syd Barrett compositions Lucy Leave, Double O Bo, Remember Me, and Butterfly, coupled with Roger Waters' Walk With Me Sydney, and I'm A King Bee by Slim Harpo. The band lineup was the original quartet of Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, augmented by Rado Klose on guitar, and, on Walk With Me Sydney, Juliette Gale on backing vocals.