Thanks for this
very interesting interview, Frank. It's nice to know the stories behind the compositions. Listeners do have their own visions when listen to music, like my Open Book story if you have read that one, so...still...to know the real stories is great. That helps to understand why a composition is constructed the way it is. Who knew The Carousel story before this interview, not me anyways.
Funny you mentioned Head, Hands and Feet because I have heard a live concert on the radio of their Stockholm, Konserthuset (Concerthouse) performance in 1971. I was very impressed by the guitar player Albert Lee.
Some quotes:
Certainly some kinds of music are more appealing to the masses than others, and the progressives are generally well behind the curve of popularity at any given moment in history. This is probably true for any type of progressive art, not just music, but dance, painting, prose, architecture, etc. I believe what we are calling progressive music within the rock genre is closely parallel to certain progressive compositions in the classical world.
Yes, that's what art in every aspect has to deal with. The world is so mainstream.
The keyboardist was just amazing, doing Copland’s Hoe Down every bit as good as Keith Emerson ever could. This was Kit Watkins of course.
What an experience to hear Kit play Hoe Down.
While Crome Yellow Shine is actually part two of a three part composition that I wrote, based on an exploration of semantics and the concept that the map is not the territory; the word is not the thing. Part one is also recorded on the HTM Third album, At The Edge Of This Thought, and part three has not been recorded.
Why not record this music in complete? Please!
The band simply isn't popular enough to generate the kind of sales to support live performances. It costs so much to do a show you really need to sell lots of tickets, have some tour support, or have a deep basket of popular merchandise or you will not be able to do it. We tried...we failed.
Hm, sad it is, I would suggest you to arrange concerts with other bands who experience the same problem. That would make it some way easier and certainly very fun for the audience to watch more bands.
Il Quinto Mare, (The Fifth Sea) is a fantasy story of mine. It takes place in an imaginary world with all the fantasy trappings; dragons, magicians, knights in shining armor, unicorns and the like. It is an offshoot from another larger work that has not been recorded titled The High Places which is composed of five parts and is vocally intensive.
Please record it someday ;D