Rickter Scale Show 180 - Galleon, Kinetic Element, Rare Blend, Platypus

[Rick and Roll]

airing Sunday, May 25 from 8-11 PM EST and Monday, May 26 from 1-4 PM EST (Memorial Day)

I was going to combine some of these with some Ayreon to create a futuristic show, but lost interest along the way. Just some things I bought and haven't played on the show yet.

Galleon - "Engines of Creation" (2007)

A.I.
The Assemblers
Signals
Engines of Creation
State Insane
Fog City
The Cinnamon Hideaway
Men And Monsters
Machine Mother
Lightworks

Galleon with balls! Another in a long line of discs I always hear after the year's over. Certainly one of the best of 2007. It has a very well-produced, modern sound, while maintaining the classic Galleon traits. Ulf Pettersson (keys) and Sven Larsson (guitar) never sounded so good. Goran Fors on bass and vocals adds his usual biting commentary on social issues. Finally Goran Johnsson replaces longtime member Dan Fors on drums. Really like this one. And again, another great Swedish band!

Kinetic Element - "The Powered By Light Suite" (2008)

Now And Forever
The Ascent
Riding In Time

Mike (The Organist) Visaggio, Michael (DragonStab) Murray, and Matt Harris have put together a nice EP, following up on MV's "Starship Universe" last year. The first song has a wonderful interplay between the instruments and memorable keyboard soloing throughout. Had the pleasure of seeing them perform this (and other things, including a dead-on "Blues Variation") at Orion a couple of weeks back with...

Rare Blend - "Evolution Theory" (2002)

Little Mean Baby
Lost 7/8
Catemaco
Belly Dancer
Chillin'
Techno Jam
Apochromatic Wanderings
Fifty Thousand Years
Rod's Migraine
So Cool

About the title, relax it's an instrumental record! Great group from Cleveland, third time at Orion I think - and nice bunch of folks. Bobbi Holt is on keys, Vic Samalot on guitar, and Jeff Scott on bass. On this and all of their other discs to date, Paul Stranahan is on drums. But when I saw them, Ivan George is now the drummer. That guy can PLAY! This disc completes the Rare Blend collection for me (four now I think).

Platypus - "Ice Cycles" (2000)

Oh God
Better Left Unsaid
The Tower
I Need You
25
Gone
Partial To The Bean (a tragic American quintology):
Intro Pompatous
Yoko Ono
Yoko Two-no
Yoko Three-no
Platmosis
Yoko Againo
Yoko Outro

A bit more ambitious than their "When Pus Comes To Shove" disc, still good basic rock with a fusion edge. Ty Tabor, John Myung, Rod Morgenstein, and Derek Sherinian. Skipped "Cry" for time constraints...

Enjoy this week, next week is some real contrasts in styles...