RockRoast

I have recently rediscovered the glory and wonder of this fantastic song.

It’s from The Alan Parsons Project’s 1982 release entitled Eye in the Sky.  Although Eye in the Sky is best known for the songs “Sirius,” “Eye in the Sky,” and maybe “Old and Wise,” I find that “Silence and I” has by far the most replay value. It’s a song that I come back to every couple of months and suddenly realize how great it is.  The beginning of it is soft and emotional, but it breaks into this crazy instrumental jam partway through.  I remember thinking how ridiculous it sounded when I first heard the song. 

But it can’t be denied that, oddly paced or not, “Silence and I” has some brilliant musical moments, especially from the strings.  I’m especially a fan of Eric Woolfson’s melancholy vocals on this track, too.  The song also uses considerable brass instrumentation, something I’m not normally a fan of in rock music.  But Alan Parsons knew how to use it right, and he demonstrates his skill throughout “Silence and I.”   

In short, it’s a fantastic song that you should listen to right now, whether you’re familiar with it or not. The full track can be streamed from Last.fm here.

Enjoy.

It’s Friday.  Not only does it herald the coming of the weekend, but it’s also my favorite day for music. Metal Messiah Radio has a show on Fridays that I look forward to during the week.

The show is called When Prog and Power Unite, and it’s an apt description of the music it offers. It’s a healthy mixing of energetic power metal and the heavier side of prog rock. It’s like a musical molotov cocktail, except that when it explodes, it brings awesomeness instead of destruction.

Okay, not a very good simile. Anyway, I enjoy listening because the show brings me a pretty good balance of stuff I already know and stuff I haven’t heard before. I get to hear some of my favorites mixed in with similar sounds that I might be interested in. The show also has a couple clever little special features, such as the Obligatory Ballad and the Essential Epic. The Ballad is a quick melodic breather that pays homage to the fact that even the most frenetic power metal bands like to kick back for a few minutes and deliver a slower, calmer performance. The Epic is kind of the opposite. It’s a nod to progressive bands’ prediliction for penning deliciously bombastic songs of monstrous proportions.

When Prog and Power Unite is streamed from Metal Messiah Radio on Fridays from 6 to 9 PM EST.

For previous setlists, reviews, requests, and more information, check out WPAPU’s website.