Mostly Sophisticated Summer Music Mix 2014

This is a list of the cds I have in my 100 disc changer.  It is not a top 100 list, but it is all good music that I recommend.  Usually, I have posted this list every 6 months or so, such that normally this would have been posted in the beginning of June.  However, I haven’t been able to listen to cds much lately because on humid days, which are frequent, the amplifier’s “Protect” function shuts down the amplifier, supposedly to prevent damage.

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing (discs 1 and 2)

Porcupine Tree – In Absentia (discs 1 and 2)

Porcupine Tree – Lightbulb Sun

Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet

Porcupine Tree – Coma Divine

Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused to Sing

Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning (disc 1 and 2)

Flower Kings – Space Revolver

Flower Kings – Stardust We Are (disc 1 and 2)

Flower Kings – Retropolis

Flower Kings – Back in the World of Adventures

Flower Kings – The Rainmaker

Dream Theater – Dream Theater

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events

Dream Theater – Systematic Chaos

Dream Theater – Score (disc 1)

Dream Theater – Master of Puppets

Jordan Rudess – Notes on a Dream

An Evening With Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci

James LaBrie’s Mullmuzzler – Keep It to Yourself

Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door

Mix cd of Tony MacAlpine and Led Zeppelin

Wes Montgomery – Full House

Wes Montgomery – Fusion

Fates Warning – Chasing Time

Ozzy Osbourne – Tribute

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon

Alice In Chains – Dirt

The Mighty Mighty BossTones – Devil’s Night Out

Megadeth – Youthanasia

Megadeth – United Abominations

Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction

Ayreon – The Human Equation (disc 2)

Ayreon – Into the Electric Castle (disc 2)

John Coltrane – First Meditations

John Coltrane – Impressions

John Coltrane – Live at Birdland

Poison – Poison’s Greatest Hits 1986 – 1996

Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus

Symphony X – The Odyssey

Stryper – Seven

Extreme – II Pornograffitti

Extreme – III Sides to Every Story

The John Scofield Band – Up All Night

John Scofield – Pick Hits Live

The Who – Who’s Better Who’s Best: This is the very best of the Who

Amazing Journey – Disc 1

Metallica – Kill ‘Em All

Metallica – Ride the Lightning

Metallica – black album

Steve Morse – Coast to Coast

Dixie Dregs – Industry Standard

Dixie Dregs – What If

Dixie Dregs – Free Fall

Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland – Like Minds

Pat Metheny - Secret Story

Pat Metheny Trio – 99 00

Rollins Band – End of Silence

Stanley Clarke – School Days

King Crimson – The Power to Believe

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Abbey Road EP

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble – Greatest Hits

Soulive – Doin’ Something

Pantera – Far Beyond Driven

Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power

Phish – A Picture of Nectar

Steve Vai – Sex & Religion

Gil Evans Play Jimi Hendrix

The Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire

King’s X – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska

Radiohead – OK Computer

B.B. King – 20^th Century Masters

Joe Satriani – The Extremist

Bozzio, Levin, Stevens – Black Light Syndrone

Roy Hargrove – The Vibe

Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles

Green Day – Dookie

Niacin – Niacin

Testament – The Ritual

Transatlantic – smpte

Fear Factory – Transgression

Platypus – When Pus Comes to Shove

James LaBrie – Winter Rose

Death – Individual Thought Patterns

The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd

Pearl Jam – Yield

Deep Purple – Machine Head

Joe Pass – Virtuoso 2

Gorilla Biscuits – Start Today

Queensyrche – Here in the Now Frontier

Tool – Aenima

Bill Frisell – Live

Black Label Society – Kings of Damnation Era

Savatage – The Wake of Magellan

**** Spontaneous Combustion by the Liquid Trio Experiment – Mixes Well With Modern Jazz Fusion

I can totally see someone getting this album and being completely disappointed with it.  Unlike the Liquid Tension Experiment album, on these songs the musicians are just jamming away.  Seriously, this stuff is like hit the record button and run to your instrument as fast as possible and join the jam.  I have to wonder if this one sounds at all like John Myung’s Jelly Jam, because this jam is quite gelatinous.   

That this project was seemingly going nowhere is the reason why Mike Portnoy called up John Petrucci to join the jam (I think as legend has it), and at that point the Liquid Trio Experiment became the very famous 

Liquid Tension Experiment.

I know that the album is called Spontaneous Combustion, and looking back on it, that was probably a warning that this experiment wasn’t going to work out like Transatlantic, or Office of Strategic Influence, as far as having song hooks goes.  Spontaneous Combustion lacks the hook that would catch a fish.  However, this is darned good music, and that is how I came to look at this one in retrospective.  That is as the jazz content of my cd player increased, suddenly, the Liquid Trio Experiment’s Spontaneous Combustion album was mixing well with Wes Montgomery, Niacin, King Crimson, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and so many others.

Don’t mix this one in with a mix of heavy or light song structures that are very ridged.  This one won’t mix in that well, and it is a 4 star album rather than a 5 star album because this one can’t take the spotlight on its own, unless it is all by itself.

Bottom line, this really is a great album.  It is not for everybody by a long shot.  However, if you are a fan of progressive rock jazz fusion moderately aggressive jamming, then this one should fit the bill well!