The Fusion Reactor on ProgPositivity!

Perú 6/18/2010-6/20/2010: Ministry in Lima, then home!

2010-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=188379&id=580751501

We'll start off with a confession... I don't really like Lima. I don't like the smog, I don't really like the beach, and I could do without the weather. However, there are some really stunning sights - that is, if you can see them through the smog.

Sleeping didn't help my sore throat. I wonder if I'm getting a cold or if it's just all the pollution. Drinking tea at breakfast didn't help either. The plan from yesterday afternoon (which was to help out at an orphanage and a school) was changed to "go to the market in the most dangerous part of Lima and do an evangelistic outreach." I liked plan A better, but I was obeying the "no complaining" rule and decided to make the best of plan B, even if I didn't like it.

We were strictly admonished not to bring any valuables... in fact don't bring anything. Then I was told to bring my guitar. That does seem to attract attention and if we have a crowd and a translator (our awesome hermano Peruano Franco) we can get something done. The bus took us there and Franco explained that this was not a safe place, the market doesn't sell anything that's not stolen. Stick together and keep an eye out.

It was cloudy as we got off the bus and started praying and asking God to move. Right then the clouds parted and it was a bit brighter. I'd say it was sunny but if you looked up you couldn't actually see the sun through the smog - but at least you could tell it was up there somewhere. We set off and were encouraged and reminded that God is in control and if He wants us to bring light to that dark place, He can provide the light. Franco met up with his mom there in the market and they hugged and cried for several minutes.

We walked around a bit so that people would know that there were a group of gringos in the market, then we set up shop in an empty spot and started playing some worship songs in Spanish. A few people gathered around, so we did our skit. That usually requires a CD player, but we didn't have one so I did my best at playing it on the guitar. I came pretty close, and it was obvious that it was having an impact even without the words to the song.

JD preached a little and we didn't get too much of a response, so we asked for anyone who wanted prayer for anything. Two girls (who said they were already Christians) came up asking for prayer for guidance on where they should go to college. Then a few more people came up, then a few more. Before I knew it, we had prayed for a whole bunch of people. Some were just standing off to the side and it was obvious they wanted prayer but didn't know how to ask. It was wonderful and I know at least two people that I prayed with became Christians today. There was a lady who got healed and so many others were encouraged and built up. It's great to see that God can work even when our attitudes aren't exactly where they should be.

We only had the one translator there - Franco - so when he was busy the rest of us had to do our best with our minimal Spanish knowledge. But God provides that too and I met a woman who was bilingual. She helped us identify the people's needs and prayed with us and even got new Christians hooked up with a local church.

One interesting thing that sets Lima apart from other Peruvian cities I've seen is that they don't look at us as foreigners nearly as much as other places. There are a good number of lighter-skinned people here so we blend in a bit. That's bad in a way because there isn't that draw that we saw elsewhere that allowed us to reach people we normally wouldn't because they wanted to see what those crazy looking gringos were doing. They also come right up to you and start talking a mile a minute in Spanish instead of (like in other places) asking first where we're from and if we speak any Spanish.

We got back on the bus and drove a few blocks to Franco's house (which is also not in the nice part of town) and met his lovely family. That was a really great time and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place as Franco poured out his heart about how we had been a blessing to him - just when we were thinking how he was a blessing to us! We prayed for them and took them all out to lunch. Then we were supposed to go to a school to do some more ministering but it didn't work out for some reason. That got lost in translation somehow.

Back at the hotel, my room mates and I spent some more time with Franco playing guitars and whatnot, then it was time to rest up a bit. We fancied some American food for dinner (one can only have so much chicken, even if it is delicious every time) so we went to Pizza Hut. There's another odd thing about Lima - it's like they want to be an American city and a Peruvian city at the same time. I don't know if that's necessarily a bad thing, but after seeing the poverty of Tingo Maria - and Franco's house - it seemed kind of odd to me to be gorging ourselves on pizza.

The next day we ate lunch at T.G.I. Friday's and some folks were complaining that the grease in the Pizza Hut was having a negative effect on their digestive systems. Other than the fact that my sore throat was turning into a full-blown cold, I didn't feel too bad. We went to the Inka Market in the afternoon and bought some souvenirs and such, then ate dinner at a Norky's (it's a Peruvian chain) near the airport.

At one of these restaurants I must have eaten or drank something I shouldn't have, although for the life of me I can't figure out what. The Perú flu hit me on the plane that night. Fever, chills, loss of appetite, and running to the lavatory every so often. Imodium seemed to slow it down a little, but let's just say it was an uncomfortable ride back to the U.S.

We got through customs in Newark in a decent amount of time, got our luggage re-checked, and got on the plane to Pittsburgh without any problems. We were split into two groups, the first of which had to catch their flight about an hour after we landed - and still get through customs and get luggage re-checked and everything. Somehow they did, because when we got to our gate for the later flight, they were already gone. Their luggage came back on our flight though, which wasn't a big deal.

The Perú flu was still in effect so I had to call off work for Monday. That was a bummer, especially right after being commended by my boss for never having used a sick day.

All in all, the trip was well worth it. This was my third time going and it was the best yet. Thanks to everyone who supported me and prayed for the team.

Perú 6/16/2010-6/17/2010: Tingo to Huánuco to Lima

2010-06-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=188367&id=580751501

For our last day in Tingo Maria, we planned on going to the Casa de Niños for lunch, then saying good bye to the kids and heading out to Huánuco.

There was some complication about getting luggage to Lima from Tingo Maria. You see, the plane from Huánuco to Lima is so small, we simply can't put all our luggage on it. We planned on sending it by bus through the mountains and getting it when we got to Lima (and living out of carry-on luggage for a day). We got the luggage to the bus station and they told us the buses weren't going to Lima due to a miner's strike in one of the towns there that has the roads blocked and last time they did this they killed anyone who tried to pass... with machetes. Don't worry, they said, the strike will be over by the 26th for the San Juan Bautista Festival. Just stay until then! Tempting, but no thanks.

One of the mototaxi drivers told us that he knew a pilot for Cielos Andinos, a cargo-only airline that flies out of Tingo Maria twice a week. The Tingo airport is currently closed to passenger planes - only cargo and the military use it. We stopped at Cielos Andinos and they told us it was too late to get anything on the next several flights out.

The next plan was to go to the Tingo airport and beg them to take it, even though there's nothing in it for them. While the runway there is dirt, the actual buildings are much nicer and larger than Huánuco's airport. However, the military guys with shotguns and AK-47s at the locked gates didn't seem very promising. That didn't work out either, but at least we tried.

Plan D was to take the luggage from Tingo Maria to Huánuco in taxis (car-taxis, not mototaxis) and get them to Lima through that airport. JD and Charo took them and we were to take more taxis after lunch and meet them there. Lunch was good and goodbyes were emotional, as expected, but then I got to ride back to the hotel on the back of Pastor Victor's motorcycle, which is a pretty cool way to see the city. Then we headed out in taxis through the mountains to Huánuco (the strike is between there and Lima, not Tingo and Huánuco) and that was a lovely ride as always. We got there and discovered that the strike had ended so we sent the luggage to Lima from there.

We met up with JD and Charo and had dinner with Kurtis and Theresa Smith and their kids, some missionaries from the World Mission Prayer League (http://wmpl.org for more info) who had been there for a month and were really glad to hear other people speaking English. It turns out Kurtis is a prog rock fan so he said he was going to check out ProgPositivity Radio.

We had some free time that evening so I got my show set up to run remotely (I didn't get to listen to it though, oh well) then went to bed. We woke up this morning to a lovely day in Huánuco. After breakfast we were able to walk around the city and talk to people. It is said that Huánuco has the best climate in the world, something like San Diego. It sure was pleasant there today. I could definitely live here if I had to. Or if God calls me to. ;-)

We headed out to the airport and flew to Lima. I was pretty tired so I slept for most of it, then a little more during the bus trip to the bus station to get our luggage (which had arrived in time, praise the Lord) and back to the Hotel Santa Cruz, where I am now.

We ate dinner in the very nice part of town - Larcomar, Miraflores. Then we looked at some of the shops there and walked back to the hotel - probably about a two mile walk, but it felt good. One thing that we noticed that's different here is that the people own dogs as pets here, whereas they're just strays in Tingo - I'm not sure about Huánuco. It's "winter" here, which means that it's about 60 degrees Fahrenheit and most of the Peruvians (and their dogs!) have their winter coats and hats on. I'm getting a sore throat though, not sure what from. Perhaps it's the pollution. I'll see if a good night's sleep helps at all.

Perú 6/15/2010: Last Work Day

2010-06-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=187439&id=580751501

We got a couple of hours worth of rain today. This wasn't the first time, but up until now it was all during the night. School devotions were canceled because they take place outdoors, but by the time we got to the children's home, it had stopped.

Today was supposed to be a bit easier. Here was the plan: Go to the children's home, continue working on installing sinks, toilets, and water tanks, then pay the Shipibo people a visit to say goodbye at 3:30. Then we'd have dinner at the children's home and have a goodbye party for the kids there. Go to bed on time and sleep in in the morning.

Obviously that didn't really work out. 3:30 rolled around and we found we were nowhere near ready to leave the water tank in their hands. Some pipe still needed to be run and the pump needed to be installed. We did eventually get that done, but the sun was already down by that point. Of course, it's "winter" here so the sun goes down early, plus since the town has mountains to the west (and pretty much every direction) that just makes it get dark even earlier.

Some people did get to visit the Shipibos, but I wasn't one of them. Apparently I give people the impression that I'm a plumber, but all I can say about that is that I've learned a great deal about it during the trip. Dinner was a very strange concoction, an exotic dish called Lasagna. Okay yeah it's pretty common in the U.S. and Italy. I wouldn't have minded something Peruvian like Pachamanca, but I kept to my rule and ate whatever they put in front of me. Not too bad.

The party at the home turned out to be more of a reunion. Some of the kids that had been living there a year or two ago were there tonight. They have a good testimony - their mother became extremely ill and was unable to take care of them(and their father was who knows where), so they went to the home. Then a few months later, just when it seemed she would die, she was miraculously healed and when she got back on her feet, the kids were able to move back home with her. It was definitely good to see them again.

Then we had to pack up our suitcases so that they can be shipped back to Lima on the bus - hopefully by the time we get there so we can get them back to the U.S. I have to help get them to the bus station in the morning, so I need to get some sleep now.

Perú 6/13/2010-6/14/2010: Church and Work

2010-06-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186731&id=580751501

6/13/2010:

Let me get a couple of things straight, first off. 1: Sunday is apparently *not* a day of rest in Peru. 2: The music in your church is *not* too loud.

There. Now, on to business. There were 5 church services today. I only attended 4 of them because the last two were happening simultaneously and I have this difficulty with being in two places at once. We started out at Pastor Victor's church, which is pretty much in "down town" Tingo Maria. These are the people who run the children's home. I was asked to help out with the children's service, and I know from past experience that that's a difficult but rewarding chore. The church holds a lot of people - I'm bad at estimating that sort of thing but I'm going to guess 400-500 in the main sanctuary and another 100 in the balcony. With that many adults in attendance, there end up being a lot of kids. They don't have four services for the fun of it, it's because they can't fit everyone in at the same time. All the services are pretty full.

Since I have some experience with Spanish, I was the one doing the lesson, although the girls got all the materials together. They led the songs too, I just danced around like a crazy gringo. They listened somewhat, especially during the first service. The second was not so successful. I nearly lost my voice trying to talk loud enough for them to hear me over the music going on in the main service two floors down.

Then we ate some lunch and rested for a bit. Then we went to the 4:00 youth service(basically ages 13-19 but there's a wider range than that there), which we were playing music at, and that was pretty incredible. At the end they invited people up for prayer and formed a line with the missionaries on one side and some people from the church who had been fasting and praying for a week in preparation for this service on the other.

Let's just say it was pretty amazing, in a "Book of Acts, New Testament" sort of way. Praying for people, anointing with oil, casting out demons (really!), things like that. I didn't hear about any healings going on but I wouldn't be surprised if there were. The music was quite loud. My ears were ringing by the end of it. It never occurred to me to bring earplugs to church, but I've been to rock concerts where the music was not this loud.

Then we went to Pastor Juan's church (these are both Assemblies of God churches, but this one is in the very poor part of town) which is just about the opposite of Pastor Victor's. The folks from this church have the outreach to the Shipibo people, and a number of them came to the service in a big blue truck. No, they seem to have no problem with putting a bunch of people in the bed of truck.

(The power is currently out here at the hotel. That actually happens fairly often, like once or twice a day. It's a good thing I'm on my netbook with battery backup. Oh there, it's back on.)

The atmosphere in Pastor Juan's church is very different too, and we played worship music there too, then Pastor Kimball (from Louisiana) preached. We got to pray for the people there too, then we each got to greet the people. Charo (the translator) didn't let me say my piece in English because she knew I had some Spanish experience. It worked out pretty well, I guess, except for a few words here and there. We got an opportunity to hang out with them and the Shipibos, and that was really cool.

We finally got dinner at about 10 PM, and we were hungry! Pollo a la Brasa at the famous (in our minds anyway) El Carbón. Now it's going on midnight so I should get some sleep. We're back to work at the Children's Home again tomorrow.

6/14/2010:

Today we worked at the children's home. I ran into the woodworking team first and Andrew needed help routing the boards for the bunk beds, so that's what I spent most of the day doing. And here I thought a router was used in computer networks, but apparently it also can be used to make the edges of wood round while it makes a loud noise - but not nearly as loud as a Peruvian church service. I think I read somewhere that 13 out of 11 Americans don't get their daily dose of sawdust, but we got ours today.

Some other people were also doing some sanding, and others - primarily the team from Texas who arrived on Saturday (and got plunged right into the fire with those intense church services on Sunday) - were beginning to assemble the bunk beds. Meanwhile the plumbing team was multitasking with installing toilets and sinks in the second floor bathroom and getting the water tank on the hillside hooked up. The latter task was accomplished and it was filling most of the afternoon - there's not a whole lot of water pressure, as the showers here can confirm. Hey, at least there's occasionally warm water.

Lunch was Chifa with Chufa (although they just call it Chifa), which is basically chicken and vegetables with fried rice. It's kind of like Chinese food but with a Peruvian flavor. The kids wanted us to play soccer again after lunch but there was still more routing to be done and we don't have a lot of days left here in Tingo Maria, so we had to get back to work. We got most of it done before we had to leave, and the router began to get so hot it was slowly burning my hand. Finally someone got smart and got a pair of gloves.

We had a fun time trying to teach the Peruvians working with us how to say "Git 'er done" because we wanted them to say it to the Texas team the next day. They have a little bit of difficulty making our American "r" sound, but then for the rest of the week, that became the rallying cry for everyone - and we all adopted a Peruvian accent to say "Git air down!"

When we got back to the hotel we started to shower and get ready for dinner when the power began to go off and on several times, for between 10 and 60 seconds each time. It finally did stay on but I think something went wrong with the internet equipment because we've been offline ever since. Yes, I tried power cycling the router, which apparently is not just a woodworking tool but also has blinking lights and doesn't help you connect to the internet. It's not my internet connection and I felt odd looking for their ADSL station in a hotel that's not mine. See? While it might look like I'm in paradise, it's got its problems (and I haven't mentioned the bugs yet) and I'm thinking paradise might cost more than about $300 a week.

After dinner we went to the street evangelism and as usual it went well. I prayed with several people and got to talk to them in Spanish and that was great. Someone said it was our last night attending that, which is kind of sad. It's always a great time. Back at the hotel, we spent some time looking up at the stars, because the sky was perfectly clear. The Milky Way spiral arm was quite visible as well. Beautiful! We're far enough north to be able to see the Big Dipper, at least early in the evening, but far enough south to see the Southern Cross. Those are the only two constellations I recognized.

Well it's after midnight, as usual, and since I'm not on the Texas team (ahem, sleeping until after we left for the job site, leaving early, etc.) it will be an early morning tomorrow.

Perú 6/12/2010: Clean Water for the Shipibos

2010-06-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186717&id=580751501

We went to the Shipibo village outside Tingo Maria. These are indigenous Peruvians, not descendants of the Conquistadores... or Incas, apparently. Anyhow, they speak Shipibo, but some of them have learned some Spanish too. The village holds about 200 people and their old well was not very good. See this link to hear about why we were there to help with their new well:

http://twitvid.com/Q1PN3

They had the hold partially dug and there were two of three concrete "donuts" that were going to make up the walls in place. I'm not sure why they didn't dig the entire hole and then put the concrete donuts in, but they have probably dug more wells than I have. There happened to be a large rock underneath the donuts once we got down to a certain point in the digging, and we spent most of the day working around that stone. Long story short, we finally got it down to where the top of the second donut was level with the ground, then put the third one on top. We prayed over the well and the village, and they sang us a song in their native tongue. There's a video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7MeSZF-fyA

There was also a Shipibo vs. Gringo soccer game. I don't want to get into the score, and after a while we ended up with several Shipibos on our team as well. It was all pretty cool, except that it was very hot and the bugs were pretty bad there.

I tested out the swimming pool at the hotel and it seemed to work. I approve. Dinner was Pollo a la Parilla and of course it was very good. Why there aren't more Peruvian restaurants in the United States is beyond me - all the food here is delicious.

We finished the night up with more street evangelism in the plaza. We were in a different place and it seemed like a huge crowd gathered. I was a bit distracted by some of the kids from the church who kept trying to talk to me throughout the evening, but I was able to pray for several people and again it was a blessed time in the Lord.

We spent a little bit of time talking with various people afterwards and they (especially the kids) wanted to learn English words for various things. Getting them to say "beard" was pretty amusing, they have trouble with our "r" sound and it comes out more like "beeld."

It's a good thing the Lord gives us strength because all these late nights and early mornings would normally get to me. Tomorrow is another early start with the first of 4 (or is it 5?) church services starting at 8.

Perú 6/11/2010: Second Work Day

2010-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186658&id=580751501

Hello all!

Today was just about a mirror image from yesterday. Not that yesterday was bad and today was good, or vice versa, it was just a lot different. After breakfast we went to the children's home and got the water tank up on the roof. After that I put myself on bunk bed detail to see how the other half of the group was faring. They had a pretty good system down for cutting, routing and sanding the different sized boards to build the beds. I got put to work staining these boards. A few had been done the day before, and it's not a stain color I would have picked, but it's what they had so we went with it.

"We" consisted of two Peruvians and myself. José was a former tenant at the Children's Home but now he lives in the town, along with his brothers and sister. He is teaching himself English, so we had a interesting time with him talking to me in English and me answering him in Spanish. We got all of the long boards done before lunch and finished the short ones after lunch. There were also medium boards but we only just started with them because they were the last to be cut by the others.

They discovered that the boards had been stained the day before had the grains sticking out - apparently that's pretty common - but it wasn't very acceptable for kids to use. Pastor Kimball decided we should put some lacquer on them, then sand that and put another coat on. They got the lacquer and I tried a coat, and something odd happened. The lacquer began to actually pull the stain off the wood. I don't have any experience with lacquer, but no one else had ever seen that before either. We tried some thinner in the lacquer and it seems to be better but still not exactly what we expected. In the end we decided to go with unstained wood.

After that I had to leave because they were doing a very important ministry with the kids at the home - an ice cream ministry. They needed all available adults to walk with the kids and hold their hands in traffic. Oh and we had to eat some ice cream, unfortunately. ;-)

Then a few of us went to the church to practice songs for Sunday with their team and work out the technical aspects. We ate dinner and went back out for street evangelism. We started at about 9:30 and the girls all went to the church for women's ministry. Believe it or not, 9:30 was too early. There was some sort of festival today and there were fireworks and other goings-on in other parts of the plaza, but once that ended we drew a rather large crowd.

We did the second skit we had prepared (only without the girls), then both Justin and I felt led to ask if anyone wanted healing. Two people came up and we prayed with them. Then we gave an invitation for anyone who wanted prayer and all of a sudden there were about 50 people in front of us wanting prayer. That was pretty amazing. I didn't bring my guitar to the plaza this time and I'm so glad because otherwise I would have been playing and missed out on some good prayer time.

Now we're back at the hotel and I'm looking forward to getting some rest. While we're not working at the children's home tomorrow, apparently we're digging a well for the Shipibo people outside of town. They are the people who many of them don't even speak Spanish - they speak Shipibo.

FYI - you can also check out http://www.justindriscoll.net/peru/ for other updates and photos. Stay tuned...

Perú 6/10/2010: First Work Day

2010-06-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186642&id=580751501

It's been a long day and we're all pretty tired so this may be a bit short. This morning we split up into two teams: school devotionals and work detail. I was in the latter group. We went to the Children's Home and got a tour of what had been done since last year and what needs to be done this year. Two main projects were taking place: water supply and bunk bed building. I ended up in the water supply group.

You see, the water has been in place for the first floor ever since it was finished, but there is no water on the second or third floor yet. There are to be two sources, one on the hillside behind the home and one on the roof. We began digging a trench for the supply pipe on the hillside. The tools they gave us were woefully inefficient, and the Maestro (basically the foreman) had said that the pipe we were looking for was about 20 cm. down, but we found it about 3 inches down. Because of that, Mike D. ended up breaking that pipe. That actually worked out well because the water ended up softening the ground where we had to dig.

We ran into a lot of leftover concrete from the foundation but managed to finally get the proper tools and break through it. The bunk bed team got a bunch done too but I'm not too sure how far along they are. We worked until about 3:30 when someone said it was time to get ready for the evening, but the kid had also arrived home from school and they talked us into a Peruvians vs. Americans soccer game.

After dinner (some *amazing* Pechuga de Pollo) we went to the church and met up with the ministry team there, then went out to the plaza and began to gather a crowd. We put on the skit we've been practicing so much and it went really well. A couple people gave testimonies and Justin gave the call for salvation (all this through a translator of course), and some people responded. It went well and we met up with a lot of old friends from previous years.

Like I said, we're all pretty tired - these 7 AM to 11:30 PM days are pretty tough. I do have some scheduled days like that with my job, but we don't do hard manual labor all day.

Tomorrow looks like it should be pretty similar, but we'll see what God has in store!

Blessings and thanks for the prayers!
Moses

Perú 6/8/2010-6/9/2010

2010-06-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Photos are here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186620&id=580751501

6/8/2010:

We got off the ground in Pittsburgh EARLY, believe it or not. There were no delays getting in to Newark, so from what I've heard there must have been a move of God for that to happen. No problems with the Newark to Lima flight either. There was one passenger who started choking and the flight attendants began to give him the Heimlich but it wasn't working. Mike S. from our group was right there and he gave it a try. That worked, praise God!

At some point during that 8-hour flight I began to get a headache, probably due to lack of sleep. I tried to get some shut-eye, but couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. As is the case with me, if I don't get rid of a headache in a reasonable amount of time, I get an upset stomach. I knew I had brought some ibuprofen, but I was quite sure that it was in my checked bag. So yeah, I ended up losing the delicious airline lunch in the lavatory. It didn't get any better until we got to the hotel last night.

I feel much better this morning, and it turns out my ibuprofen was in the carry-on all along! Well we're about to do a devotional before we head out to the airport to finish our travels, first to Huánuco, then to Tingo Maria by late this afternoon.

6/9/2010:
It was another travel day today, but now we're in place and ready to do some serious ministry tomorrow. I'm trying not to think about the fact that we will have to do all that traveling in reverse next week.

Shortly after my last email, we returned to the Lima airport and, after a delay, got on our plane to Huánuco. This was truly a tiny plane, with room for only 16 passengers. We had 14 of those taken just for our team, so it was sort of like traveling in a private bus. A flying bus. Except usually you can stand up in a bus.

We took off and left the pollution-smog of Lima pretty quickly. The flight was really cool, although there seemed to be clouds over much of Perú today. Every so often there was a hole in them and we could look down on the stunning Andes mountains, green valleys, huge glaciers, bluer-than-blue lakes and tiny human cities. Huánuco is situated in the middle of these mountains so when the plane is ready to land, they have to go down QUICK! I tried to get some pictures, we'll see how well they turned out.

There were taxis waiting for us at the Huánuco airport (which might be smaller than your house), so off we went to Tingo Maria. These taxis are really interesting. They look just like old cars we have in the U.S. - they're not painted yellow or anything - but they run on liquid propane. Oh and the speedometer doesn't work. Or the odometer. Or the gas gauge. Or the radio. Or the air conditioning. The rear-view mirror was broken off, and the wind shield had two very large cracks in it.

Nevertheless, we made it safely through the 85 (or so) miles to Tingo Maria in about 3 hours. Sure, you're doing the math and seeing that we averaged about 28.3 miles per hour. I'm quite sure that we were frequently doing about 50 and occasionally 70 down these winding mountain roads.

At last we pulled in to the lovely Oro Verde hotel and got situated in our rooms. (Yes, there's Wi-Fi here too!) Dinner was what is probably my favorite Peruvian dish: Lomo Saltado! That's a great start in my book, and of course I appear to be completely recovered from yesterday's digestion difficulties. We spent the evening practicing for the skits and songs we'll be doing in VBS and street evangelism and I'm looking forward to getting over to the Children's Home tomorrow morning and doing some work there.

Until then, I'll be signing off! If I'm not completely exhausted, perhaps I'll be able to get you another update tomorrow evening.

The Fusion Reactor #250 - Take A Break

2009-07-02T20:34:00.001-07:00

I've been tossing around the idea, and I've decided to take a break from doing The Fusion Reactor. This unspecified break will last until I change my mind. It seemed like episode #250 was a good place to leave off.

Take A Break Today (7" Single) (*) - Triumvirat 3:45
Adenosine Breakdown - Blotted Science 3:10
Hard Break - Science NV 3:17
Proggy Mountain Breakdown - Guitar Garden 3:41
Daybreak - Eloy 3:41
Breakdown - Parsons, Alan 3:52
Can't Break My Heart - Powell, Doug 4:10
Daybreak - Visual Cliff 4:13
Cellist Takes a Smoke Break - Kalon 4:55
Breakthrough (With Sinead O'Connor) - Wright, Richard 4:20
I'm Trying to Contain an Outbreak Here and You're Driving the Monkey to the Airport - Forever Einstein 4:26
Breakdown - Horne, Jim 4:31
Daybreak Delight - Passport 4:39
Lunch Break: Peak Hour - Moody Blues 5:29
Outbreak Monkey - Foster, Jack III 6:17
Breake Through - Gong 6:56
Break It Down - Levin, Tony 7:03
Breaking The Spell - Pendragon 9:19
Outbreak - Chambers, Dennis 10:58
When The Water Breaks - Liquid Tension Experiment 16:58

The Fusion Reactor #249 - Don't Touch That!

2009-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have a little translator that goes between Spanish and English. It's the very cheap model, and it isn't very good. My friend wanted to look up how to say something ordinary and very helpfully told him how to say "May I smell it?" or "May I touch it?"

Tonight's show is based on things that might not be so good to touch. But then again, maybe they are OK to touch, we just have the idea that they're not.

Frog	Isotope	2:27
Snake Oil	Tony Williams Lifetime	6:30
Snake	Passport	4:39
The Flyman and the Snake	Timothy Pure	5:21
Snakes Got Legs	Michael Manring	5:00
The Worm	Steen Grøntved	5:04
The Snake	Joe Satriani	4:43
Engembert the Inchworm	Sun Caged	4:36
Diet Of Worms	Doug Powell	5:04
Snakes And Apples	Kit Watkins	9:34
Grow Worm	Sleeping People	4:19
Snake Charmer	Byron Nemeth Group	8:23
Quantum Leapfrog	Proto-Kaw	5:44
Worms	Medeski Martin & Wood	5:06
Terra Sancta	Frogg Cafe	9:42
Land Of The Bag Snake	Soft Machine	5:07
Blood Of The Snake	Derek Sherinian	6:09
Shiny Golden Snakes	Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic	3:06
My Dear Wormwood	Echolyn	3:36
T-Tigers & Toasters	Mahogany Frog	11:11

The Fusion Reactor #248 - Opposites Attract

2009-06-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still in Peru, but I thought it would be fun to bring you some polar opposites for this show. For example, I normally live in the northern hemisphere, but Peru is in the southern hemisphere. But I'm not playing any Rush this show.

Big Church	Martone	6:01
Little Church	Davis, Miles	3:17
Overland	Ad Infinitum	8:43
Underland	Sleeping People	3:22
Overture 2015 (instrumental)	Scenery Channel	5:20
1984 Overture	Wakeman, Rick	3:52
Hold On	CAB	4:38
Let Go	Sol Surfers	8:05
Sister Andrea	Mahavishnu Orchestra	8:45
Brother John	Satriani, Joe	2:11
Answer	Forwardhead	4:13
Questions	Holdsworth, Allan	4:07
Lost	Bozzio Levin Stevens	6:24
The Things I Found	Extol	6:24
Course Epique	Outre Mesure	10:36
: A Short Essay	Echolyn	4:36
Loudest Shop Vac In The World	Don Caballero	8:56
Quiet Stalker	Violent Silence	18:02

The Fusion Reactor #247 - The Fusion Reactor Powers The Universe

2009-06-25T19:03:00.001-07:00

You wondered what the universe ran on, didn't you? Well, it turns out that it runs on the stuff The Fusion Reactor puts out. Music, huh? Well, I got a telegram the other day saying that they needed more power because they're planning on something big. So instead of taking the week off while I was in Peru, I had to play these POWER-ful songs.

Firepower	Fripp, Robert & David Sylvian	10:27
Austin Powers	Machacek, Alex	6:04
Strong But Power Less	Osada Vida	6:25
The Power Of Emotion	Moraz, Patrick	6:01
Inside The Power	Unitopia	4:32
Power	Chaibaba	6:24
Power to Mend	Cryptic Vision	10:03
Bring Me to the Power	Yes	7:25
Power	Clarke, Stanley	7:22
Power and the Passion	Mastermind	12:47
The Power To Believe II	King Crimson	7:44
Antichrist II - The Balance Of Power	Saviour Machine	8:01
The Trilogy: I:Time II:Your Power III:Song of Victory	Pursuit	14:34
Powerless	Sleepytime Gorilla Museum	9:33

The Fusion Reactor #246 - Music To Go Somewhere With

2009-06-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

In less than a week from this post, I'll be getting on a plane to go to Peru. I thought I'd put together a playlist of songs to go somewhere with. Traveling music, if you like.

Traveling Through Dangerous Scenery	Aireline	4:46
Soul Travels	Fonya	5:06
Five Travellers	Cold Fairyland	4:33
Cosmopolitan Traveler	Dixie Dregs	3:04
Traveller In Time	Uriah Heep	3:20
Arkansas Traveler	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	3:06
Travels With Myself - And Someone Else	Bruford, Bill	6:14
Time Traveller	Ivory	4:20
The Traveller's Lament	Magenta	1:18
Time Travel	Hiromi	8:37
Traveller	Currie, Billy & Steve Howe	3:22
Travelling the Great Race	Ozric Tentacles	4:07
Solo From 'More Travels'	Metheny, Pat	3:40
The Traveller	Passport	4:04
Traveler Waits For No One	5uu's	3:29
Astral Traveler	Yes	5:49
Mysterious Traveller	Weather Report	7:22
Traveling	Grobschnitt	6:46
The Best Way to Travel	Moody Blues	3:12
The Traveler	Livgren, Kerry	6:33
Traveling Ohm	Yahowa 13	7:23
Days Are Numbers (the Traveller)	Parsons, Alan	4:53
Fluff's Travels	Phish	11:39

The Fusion Reactor #245 - Good Thing, Bad Thing

2009-05-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

This show plays off the improv game "Good Thing, Bad Thing." In the game, the players tell a story "round robin" style, only they must build on the story with one saying something good, and the next saying something bad. So obviously, the story has its ups and downs.

For the show, I tried to keep that theme going with positives and negatives, although so many of them depend on the situation. But here are the songs:

Waiting For Wonderfulness	Salem Hill	6:51
Air Over/Crossing The Line	Yamashta, Stomu	7:09
Hoping For A Miracle	Section A	9:20
Walking Backwards	Space Ritual	5:02
Waiting For A Miracle	Sudakow, James	5:39
Falling	Revelation Project	7:31
Light Gathering	Tunnels	6:10
Walking On The Wind	Spock's Beard	9:09
Alpine Skiing	Soniq Theater	5:30
Holding Thunder	Scale the Summit	6:46
Draining This Pond	Uz Jsme Doma	5:19
Chasing Rainbows	Reasoning, The	6:07
Holding On	Yes	5:25
Holding Back	Ten Point Ten	5:12
Setting Iron John Free	Watkins, Kit	7:23
Killing the Thing That You Love	Styx	5:36
Striking Out A Single Note For Love	Simon Says	11:08

The Fusion Reactor #244 - Things To Try This Summer

2009-05-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some suggestions for things to try if you find yourself bored this summer. Some may be easier said than done, though.

Moving to Bohemia	Lee, Geddy	4:26
Falling Down, Rising Up	Manning	7:57
Dancing on the Wall	Iona	5:27
Walking Through Walls	Pravda	2:58
Awakening	Mahavishnu Orchestra	3:32
Watching Birds	Ponty, Jean-Luc	5:02
Aiming Higher	Narnia	5:14
Killing All The Flies	Mogwai	4:35
Traipsing	Lake Trout	4:33
Walking On The Moon	Kobayashi, Ron	6:57
Looking Thru	Passport	7:44
Dancing In The Dark	Pohjola, Pekka	5:40
Swingin'	Klock, Marc	5:14
Sliding And Gliding	Ozric Tentacles	4:53
Throwing Stones at the Wind	Pallas	5:16
Walking the Wire	Livgren, Kerry	3:47
Climbing Up The Walls	Radiohead	4:45
Moving Mountains	Kids In The Way	3:06
Walking From Pastel	Jobson, Eddie	2:04
Moving	Ra Quintet	4:43
Falling Down	Mosher, Scott	5:01
Leaving My Seat at the Table	Orphan Project	6:11
Dismantling Utopia	Metheny, Pat	6:53

The Fusion Reactor #243 - Would You Rather?

2009-05-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. Sometimes when we're doing those things, we start to think "I'd rather be doing anything but this." But have you considered exactly what that other thing might be? Here are some possibilities, brought to you by some prog, fusion, and even jazz artists.

I'd Rather Be...	With...
Writing on the Wall	Belew, Adrian	3:57
Up and Running	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	4:26
Spending Time With You	Gabel, Derryl	5:26
Waiting For Farewell	Cold Fairyland	7:42
a. Searching For the Right Door - b. Spectrum	Cobham, Billy	6:34
Floating	Eloy	4:02
Delivering the Groceries at 138 Beats per Minute	Don Caballero	5:49
Swimming In The Big Sky	Djam Karet	4:36
Swimming	Birdsongs of the Mesozoic	3:09
Remembering	Abercrombie, John	4:25
Going on 17	Goodman, Jerry	7:17
Drilling Holes Through Space	Collapsar	5:36
Stepping Through Time	Happy The Man	6:35
Shaking The Spirits	DiMeola, Al	6:31
Dancing On Frith Street	Bruford, Bill	4:15
Sailing	Harrison, Gavin & 05Ric	4:43
Feeling Funky	Crusaders, The	3:02
Breaking Glass	Bowie, David	1:53
Sailing on a River	Glass Harp	3:41
Bicycling In Bombay	Garaj Mahal	6:13
Streaming	Hoelderlin	7:13
Attaining	Coltrane, John	11:25

The Fusion Reactor #242 - The Light, Part 3

2009-05-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Finishing up the Light saga:

Available Light	Rush	5:05
The Perfect Light	Salem Hill	2:48
Arise Awake/Light Versus Darkness/Jim Jeannie	Santana, Carlos	6:12
Darkness and Light	Scelerata	5:54
Sunset Lights	Sfogli, Marco	5:38
Sacred Moon's Light	Sol Surfers	7:39
The Light	Spock's Beard	15:33
Underwater Twilight	Tangerine Dream	5:53
Trip the Light	Tripod	4:10
Light Gathering	Tunnels	6:10
In the Dead of Night/By The Light Of Day/Presto Vivace And Reprise	UK	13:09
The Invisible Light	Univers Zero	3:12
Uriah Heep	Light Of A Thousand Stars	3:57
Vangelis	Red Lights	3:55
Wingdom	Lighthouse Part II	12:29
Yes	Lightning Strikes	4:35
Z-Axis	Slow Glass/Smoke & Mirrors/The Light Of Other Days	6:24

The Fusion Reactor #241 - The Light, Part 2

2009-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

A continuation of the Light theme.

Morning Sunlight	Magenta	2:41
Sunlight	Metheny, Pat	3:53
We All Need Some Light (Transatlantic Reunion)	Morse, Neal	8:50
Light Years	Mosher, Scott	4:56
The Last Bright Light	Mostly Autumn	8:14
Starlight on Seaweed	National Health	3:08
Towards the Light	Nexus	5:04
Second Light	Nolan, Clive and Oliver Wakeman	2:00
Half Light in Thillai	Ozric Tentacles	5:35
Arctic Light	Panta Rhei	3:20
Light Of The World	Parsons, Alan	6:20
Daybreak Delight	Passport	4:39
Slave To the Traffic Light	Phish	10:46
Light Up Your Eyes - Who	Pineapple Thief	7:56
Let There Be More Light	Pink Floyd	5:38
The Sighted Light	Pohjola, Pekka	5:04
Collapse The Light Into Earth	Porcupine Tree	5:53
Light As A Feather	Return To Forever	11:01
Moonlight	Rosselli, Alex	4:38
Stay In The Light	Roth, Uli Jon	6:30
The Inner Light	Rule, Cyndee Lee	2:35

The Fusion Reactor #240 - The Light, Part 1

2009-04-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Let There Be Light	21st Century Schizoid Band	3:38
Lighting the World	Afromantra	6:18
Light At The End Of The Tunnel	Ajalon	6:04
Encoded In Light	Bellas, George	4:06
Black Light Syndrome	Bozzio Levin Stevens	8:46
Light Years	Corea, Chick	4:21
Night Meets Light	Dixie Dregs	9:01
Starlight	Edison Glass	3:59
Reach For The Light	Expedition Delta	7:05
Lighthouse	Flock, The	5:19
Light Walls	Howe, Steve	3:45
Light Reflected	Iona	5:12
Coming Like Light	Izz	11:41
Lamplight Symphony	Kansas	8:18
Medley: Evensong/Twilight/Forever Joy	Keaggy, Phil	7:05
The ConstruKction Of Light	King Crimson	8:23
Mister Greenlight	Kull, Brett	3:14
Tema Light	La Gota	4:51
Rivers of Light	Levin, Tony	4:26
Turn on the Lights	Livgren, Kerry	4:28

The Fusion Reactor #239 - The Dark Side Of The Prog

2009-04-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

I don't usually go to the dark side, but when I looked at my library and saw all these great songs, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play these for you. What's odd is how many of these "dark" songs are actually point to the light. Enjoy!

Dark Side Of The Moog	Colosseum II	6:17
Dark Matter	Tetrafusion	8:26
Dark Eye Tango	DiMeola, Al	5:26
Dark Blues	Levin, Tony	3:40
One Dark World	Livgren, Kerry	5:23
Darkside	Niacin	4:27
Darkly	Hunter, Charlie	6:58
Darkness	Van Der Graaf Generator	7:23
Sorrow in a World of Darkness	Mosher, Scott	10:11
Dark Corners	Bozzio Levin Stevens	8:33
Dark Heart	Last Exit	6:22
Into the Dark	Tr3nity	9:41
Prince Of Darkness	Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey	6:29
Echoes In The Dark	Uriah Heep	4:45
Darkness Fades	Wollan, Greg	9:41
Under The Wind/Heal(intro)/Good/Open/Dark II	Isildurs Bane	14:11

The Fusion Reactor #238 - Less Is More

2009-04-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

This week I played less songs than usual. That means... well, you know what that means.

They're long songs! Well, most of them.

Majestic Dance	Return To Forever	5:01
Matrices	Schleigho	25:49
Intro > And Furthermore > We Deflate > And Furthermore > Down	Anastasio, Trey	26:20
Intermezzo	KBB	4:49
2nd Movement	Hellborg, Jonas	27:07
Theme From Jack Johnson	Davis, Miles	29:03

The Fusion Reactor #237 - The Keys of Fusion

2009-04-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

This week I thought I'd feature a bunch of keyboard players stretching out and doing their thing. So we've got eleven tracks full of ivory-tickling excitement. Pianos, synths, and 'trons oh my!

It's a short playlist this week. You know what that means... long songs!

Finale (Medley - Fanfare, America, Rondo)	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	14:41
Sleight of Hand and Foot	Lucas, White & Edsey	7:56
Dying To Live	Kuprij, Vitalij	8:03
Bootleg Jeans	Niacin	7:01
Enneagram	Egg	9:10
Hypnotized	Medeski Martin & Wood	13:37
Double Personality	Hiromi	11:57
Catherine Howard	Rick Wakeman	9:18
Turn it Out	Soulive	9:26
Hidden Shadows	Hancock, Herbie	10:15
Tale of Daring, Chapters 1-4	Corea, Chick	15:52

The Fusion Reactor #236 - West, South, East

2009-03-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, it makes a big C. But this week I thought I'd tackle the other four directions (since North was a few weeks ago). This is what I played:

Facing West	Pat Metheny	6:06
Westwinds	Steve Howe	4:32
Western Sabbath Stomp	Alex Skolnick	5:24
Central Park West	Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey	6:17
Going West	Tangerine Dream	7:34
The West Country	Béla Fleck & the Flecktones	4:30
All Points South	Peter Banks	6:38
Southern Pacific	John Scofield	5:14
South Side Of The Sky	Glass Hammer	9:25
Southbound	Glass Harp	3:54
South Side	CAB	7:26
Southern Landscape	Phil Keaggy	7:40
East Timor	Ginger Baker Trio	4:42
East	Waking Vision Trio	5:13
East Wes	Eric Johnson	3:27
East Side West Side	Mahavishnu Orchestra	4:49
Eastern Sundays	Moraz and Bruford	6:55
East Hastings	Godspeed You! Black Emperor	17:58

The Fusion Reactor #235 - In The Beginning

2009-03-19T20:11:00.001-07:00

This week, I thought I'd go back to the beginning and play all sorts of "beginning" prog and fusion.

New Beginning	Gravity	5:39
Back To The Beginning	Bruford, Bill	7:25
The Beginning	Sun Ra	6:30
New Beginnings	Kobayashi, Ron	4:41
Wishful Beginnings	Bowie, David	5:09
The Beginning	Tetrafusion	10:15
Small Beginnings	Flash	15:24
From The Beginning	Keaggy, Phil	3:13
In the Beginning/Lovely To See You	Moody Blues	4:43
The Beginning	Blivit	2:30
Beginning Of The End	Section A	7:40
A New Beginning	Cross	10:08
The Beginning Of A New Era	Fiorletta, Simone	5:06
Eternity - No Beginning, No End	Iona	6:51
Hello Friend, This Is My End...The Beginning	Rumah Sakit	9:42
Beginning To End	Overhead	20:19

The Fusion Reactor #234 - Just Like Second Grade

2009-03-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Did your teacher seat you or have you line up like this? Was it a punishment one year and a privilege the next? The boy-girl-boy-girl thing is the subject of this week's show. The classic jazz track makes a comeback too!

Boy Meets World	Counter World Experience	4:15
It's Almost Impossible To Concentrate In This Cafe With All These Leggy Belgian Girls Walking Around In Miniskirts	Forever Einstein	6:05
Slo-Boy	Birdsongs of the Mesozoic	4:29
Saturday Girl	Giltrap, Gordon	2:40
Boy	Ten Point Ten	4:46
Marin County Girl	Isotope	2:07
The Boys in the Band	Gentle Giant	4:33
Fripp for Girls	Sleeping People	7:28
A Boy Like Me	Simon Apple	4:40
Indian Girl (Meets Austrian Boy)	Machacek, Alex	8:19
Slidey Boy	Govan, Guthrie	4:35
Just a Girl	Izz	4:16
Fat Shoulder Boy	Rosselli, Alex	5:00
The Irish Girl	Legg, Adrian	5:27
What Boy?	Lake Trout	4:44
Desert Girl	Planet X	6:06
A Dog and His Boy	Lucas, White & Edsey	4:49
Girl's Eyes	Who, The	3:51
Gingerbread Boy	Vital Information	4:29
Joyful Girl	Soulive	6:17
Boyz in the Ud	Tunnels	5:47
The Girl Next Door	Adderley, Cannonball	12:08

The Fusion Reactor #233 - Mental Floss

2009-03-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

A little bit behind here, but here's a show that will test your progimental abilities.

Mental Floss	Stratospheerius	6:27
End of the Road [Instrumental]	Umphrey's McGee	3:16
Hip Address (instrumental)	Hammer, Jan & David Earle Johnson	6:20
Mental Instra	Williams, Keller	4:39
Mental Medication	UK	7:11
The Sentimental Chain	Echolyn	1:40
Escape (instrumental)	Scenery Channel	5:25
In A Sentimental Mood	Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey	7:12
Sentimental Institution	Hackett, Steve	2:44
The Fundamental	Birdsongs of the Mesozoic	2:51
Seven Trumpets (Instrumental)	America Gomorrah	6:04
Sentimental	Porcupine Tree	5:26
Temperamental	CAB	9:40
Mental Telepathy By Proxy	Perricelli, Marcangelo	12:22
Magdalen (Instrumental)	Phillips, Anthony	6:51
Back to the Magic of Childhood: Exploring Life, Pt. 2 [Instrumental]	Pagan's Mind	9:16
The Last Performance of The Royal Regimental, Very Victorious and Valiant Band	Syn, The	3:25
Morphing into Nothing [Instrumental]	Andromeda	7:34
The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing	Hackett, Steve	3:01
May I? (Instrumental Version)	Soft Machine	2:44
Mental Floss	Brand X	3:21

The Fusion Reactor #232 - Song For My Friend

2009-03-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

Song For My Friend	CAB	4:42
With Lady and Friend	Gilgamesh	4:30
Friends Of Mine	Mirage	11:19
Who My Friends...	Jobson, Eddie	6:33
Your Close Friends	Gypsy Carns	2:52
Three Friends	Gentle Giant	5:27
Yesterday's Friends	Black Bonzo	7:10
Journey's Friend	Unitopia	16:31
Friends	Satriani, Joe	3:29
Message To My Friend	Scofield, John & Pat Metheny	6:13
Goodbye To A Friend	Passport	4:25
My Friend, My Friend	Phish	6:10
The Only Way To Have A Friend	Livgren, Kerry	4:19
What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Variation)	Coleman, Ornette	4:39
User Friendly	Morse, Steve	3:43
Friendship´s Door	Iona	7:17
The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part 1), Snake Eyes, The Ace Of Swords, Nothing Left To Lose, The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part 2)	Parsons, Alan	16:21

The Fusion Reactor #231 - Northern Fusion

2009-02-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

OK there's actually more than the usual amount of prog on this one, as well as some ... other stuff.

Peter North	Metao	13:07
North Point	Soft Machine	4:05
In The Sides Of The North	Livgren, Kerry	4:26
Up North	Bruford, Bill	5:28
Riding North In a VW Bus	Faber, Lo	6:15
The North Side of Heaven	Zenpool	5:35
A Whaling/North For The Winter	Different Kong	5:06
Man Facing North	Yellowjackets	7:45
Northern Lights	Errorhead	4:30
Northern Lights	Dixie Dregs	3:15
North Point	Oldfield, Mike	3:33
North Star	Fripp, Robert	3:12
Back To Northumberland	XII Alfonso	3:34
Northern Star	Pallas	4:07
Northern Tibet	Glass, Philip	3:23
Northern Lights	Asia Minor	7:49
True North	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	4:54
The Knight Of The North	Glass Hammer	24:39

The Fusion Reactor #230 - No Theme

2009-02-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

It's just a bunch of fusion this week with no special theme.

Bluzak	Stratospheerius	5:11
Somehow With The Passage Of Time...Kings & Queens 33 Years Later	Delta Saxophone Quartet	6:56
Nemo's Dream	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	5:08
San Marco (Moderna)	Dimeola, Al	4:55
Fairy Tale	Passport	7:33
Paris on Mine	Chambers, Dennis	6:08
Susie's Dingsbums	Tribal Tech	7:42
Cloud Cover	Combination Head	5:09
Quiet Afternoon	Clarke, Stanley	5:10
Sacred Treasure	Vital Information	5:51
Rangoon Creeper	Isotope	5:52
Beacon	Weckl, Dave Band	6:05
Space	Corea, Chick	6:08
Blackthorn Rose	Weather Report	5:05
Soweto's Where It's At	Hunter, Charlie	6:23
Time Flies	Hiromi	8:01
Hymn to Him	Mahavishnu Orchestra	19:20

The Fusion Reactor #229 - Initial Fusion

2009-02-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

This episode of The Fusion Reactor stands for something!

E.E.G. Tracings	Blotted Science	4:04
T.G.B.	Livgren, Kerry	6:08
S.C.O.	Scofield, John & Pat Metheny	4:46
P.E.T.R.O.L.	Orbital	6:21
Q.E.D.	Bruford, Bill	7:50
Mr. T.C.	Vital Information	4:52
Mr. D. C.	McLaughlin, John	7:07
D.M.Z.	Brand X	8:41
Little Fugue In 'G'/Father O.S.A.	Styx	8:25
Cicatriz E.S.P.	Mars Volta, The	12:29
P.S.A.	Jimmy Chamberlin Complex	5:47
Clover Rd. A.B.C.	Combination Head	9:53
U.F.O.	Gamalon	5:04
4.W.D. (Low Ratio)	Jethro Tull	3:42
E.D. Hambone	Soulive	5:06
UFO S.H.A.D.O. Theme	Rocket Scientists	3:35
Dy's Eye/Bone Fire/Tarabos/D.I.S.	Soft Machine	13:12

The Fusion Reactor #228 - Fusion By Numbers

2009-01-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

Well we're back to a theme this week. I did a bit of a prog and fusion connect-the-dots this week, counting up to 20. I would have liked to have lingered on some of those numbers, so perhaps one day I will. But I still think it turned out to be a great show as is, so enjoy these fine selections:

One for the Road	CAB	7:01
Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars	DiMeola, Al	5:12
Running Of Three	Brand X	4:30
Four Levels Of Joy	DeJohnette, Jack	3:12
Five G	Bruford, Bill	4:46
You Are Number Six	Behold The Arctopus	8:51
Sevens	Govan, Guthrie	5:57
Hard Eights	Mays, Lyle	7:35
Nine	Keneally, Mike	4:52
The Tenth Dimension	Palace Terrace	9:16
Eleven	Ten Point Ten	3:19
Day Twelve: Trauma	Ayreon	9:24
Thirteen Winds	XII Alfonso	5:06
Fourteen	Combination Head	3:52
September Fifteenth (dedicated to Bill Evans)	Metheny, Pat	7:45
The Sixteen Men of Tain	Holdsworth, Allan	6:28
Seventeen	Aerial View	4:06
9/18/02	Bozzio, Terry	8:16
Nineteen Strong	Little King	4:01
Mach 20	Anderson, Laurie	2:48

The Fusion Reactor #227 - Stories

2009-01-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Not a whole bunch of story songs, although that would be a fun theme. I was always into folks like Bob Dylan and Neil Young who could tell stories in their songs. But that wouldn't be very fusiony, would it?

Instead, I decided to pick some songs and tell stories or anecdotes about the artists. So musically, there's no theme. Just a bunch of fusion with a little bit of "other" mixed in. If you like it, maybe I'll do this type of show more often.

Discontinuous Spiral	KBB	7:17
Eloquence	Passport	5:05
Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant	Return To Forever	11:27
Birds of Fire	Mahavishnu Orchestra	5:48
Man Of Leo/Stellar/Space Theme	Yamashta, Stomu	7:53
Monday Mourning	Loureiro, Kiko	4:22
Wild & Lonely	Bourelly, Jean-Paul	4:29
Raymond	CAB	6:30
Yellow Pages	Machacek, Alex	6:16
Vicky Samba	Berlin, Jeff	5:14
30 Seconds Over Your Land	MCM	4:23
Your Good Thing	Cold Blood	5:19
Paradisio	DiMeola, Al	7:20
Drum Ddu	Brand X	5:51
Love And Laughter	Hiromi	9:03
Hazy	Moraz and Bruford	6:33
Rumble	Corea, Chick	13:23

The Fusion Reactor #226 - No Theme

2009-01-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

Again, no theme. Just music.

Weekend Overdrive	Morse, Steve	4:07
Sunlight	Belew, Adrian	4:26
The Unmaking	Golden Death Music	5:02
Knew You When	Lake Trout	5:14
Sahara	Passport	5:32
Let There Be More Light	Pink Floyd	5:38
Armor and Sword	Rush	6:36
So Long	McCrite, Mark	6:50
Presidents	King Crimson	7:04
Better Man	America Gomorrah	7:13
Unbreakable	Seventh Wonder	7:19
Jessica	Dixie Dregs	7:19
Sense of Doubt	Glass, Philip	7:23
Silently	Vanden Plas	8:31
Faith Hope Love	King's X	9:22
Real Love	Yes	8:49
(Got My) Rock Pants On	Turing Machine	9:42

The Fusion Reactor #225 - In The Moment

2009-01-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

This show is a compilation of semi-randomly selected songs, carefully placed in the order you'll hear them. There's no theme to them.

In The Moment	Baker, Ginger Trio	4:31
Expecting Fulfillment	Smokin' Granny	2:25
Wili (Part 2)	Davis, Miles	10:44
Eventually	Coleman, Ornette	4:23
What You Know	Gong	3:41
Fly Away	Ten Point Ten	4:04
Shop Talk	Cold Blood	7:18
Continuum	Pastorius, Jaco	4:32
House of Marc	Tunnels	7:40
Inside Game	Katché, Manu	5:11
The Hammer Song	Beegle, Dave	4:52
Morning Sickness	Coryell, Larry	5:23
Pale Glider	Berlin, Jeff	5:15
Sweet Child	Livgren, Kerry	4:45
As The World 2000	Echolyn	4:38
Vulcan Princess	Clarke, Stanley	4:01
Coconut Boogaloo	Medeski Martin & Wood	3:57
On the Beach	Schon & Hammer	5:21
Trane to Conamarra	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	6:49
Istanbul	DiMeola, Al	8:01
Sorrow & Promise - IX. Make Me More Like You	Divine In Sight	9:31

The Fusion Reactor #224 - Everything New Is Old Again

2009-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

This week we're exploring newness.

New Worlds Discovered	Bellas, George	7:41
The New American	Foster, Jack III	7:22
New Morning Improv	Jordan, Stanley	7:07
New Dawn	Afromantra	7:28
New Arabia	Bozzio, Terry	4:47
The Emperior's New Clothes	Bruford, Bill	5:31
New Meeting	Garaj Mahal	8:05
A New Song	Mike Duncan Project	5:18
New Throb	Plastic Crimewave Sound	3:48
Brave New World	Hammer, Jan	3:37
New Laws	Don Caballero	5:54
The Beginning Of A New Era	Fiorletta, Simone	5:06
New Horizons	Moody Blues	5:10
Hoy Es Un Nuevo Dia (Today Is A New Day)	Planeta Imaginario	4:23
New Day	Sun Ra	5:51
There's a New Sheriff in Town	Machacek, Alex	6:27
New Funk (Re-visited)	Rosco Il Est Content	9:10
New Marimba	Fripp, Robert & Andy Summers	3:39
New City	Combination Head	5:08
Song for a New York Rainmaker	Eleventh House	4:42

The Fusion Reactor #223 - Stars Without the Dancing

2008-12-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

An audio treatise on stars... of Bethlehem and otherwise.

Dark Star	Oldfield, Mike	2:16
Star Maiden-Mysterio-Quasar	Colosseum II	6:25
Stars Fell On Alabama	Hunter, Charlie	3:57
Sons of the Stars	Project Creation	6:12
Starlight on Seaweed	National Health	3:08
Starborn	Galleon	7:58
Bright Star	Livgren, Kerry	5:43
A Million Stars	Iona	3:21
Highway Star	Skolnick, Alex	6:29
Cold Star	Farpoint	3:11
Stars Die	Porcupine Tree	5:07
Starz Scarz	Martone	5:17
The Motion of Stars	Vangelis	4:19
Morning Star	Violent Silence	2:17
The Third Star (Alternate Mix)	Gunn, Trey	3:43
Starry Nights	Wackerman, Chad	4:39
Star-Filled Skies Parts 1-4	Bainbridge, Dave	14:48

The Fusion Reactor #222 - Non-Standards

2008-12-18T19:57:00.001-08:00

There was some talk on the CProg list about standards - meaning songs that are frequently covered. I put together a show of some less-often covered songs, or at least covered in a non-standard way.

Peaches En Regalia	Dixie Dregs	3:24
Naima	Jordan, Stanley	8:17
Teen Town	Pilo, Craig	4:49
Crescent	McLaughlin, John	7:42
Michelle	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	5:10
Bold As Love	Phish	6:45
In The Bleak Midwinter	Keaggy, Phil	5:32
Softly As In a Morning Sunrise (live)	Schleigho	6:30
IMV/The Trooper	Skolnick, Alex	5:20
Ana	Naima	5:21
King Kong (Frank Zappa)	Niacin	7:21
Ue Wo Muite Aruko	Hiromi	8:43
Fred	Holdsworth, Allan	8:44
Strawberry Fields Forever	Pyle, Pip	4:56

The Fusion Reactor #221 - Natural Science Fiction

2008-12-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

This week it's quite a variety. Yeah, just like always. We're being more-or-less scientific this week.

Stella By Infra-Red High Particle Neutron Beam	Tribal Tech	6:26
Cosmic Microwave	Canvas Solaris	7:18
Aggressive Biological Behavior	Darling	6:30
Natural Science	Rush	9:17
Starlight	Edison Glass	3:59
Microcosm	Jaco Pastorius Tribute	8:34
Flip-Book Oscilloscope	Turing Machine	7:26
Grab A Micron Fork	Coma Lilies, The	4:17
Maniacs from the Fourth Dimension	Forever Einstein	4:21
Mine For The Taking, I. Path, II. Pathos, III. Pathological	Groves, Carl	9:10
Stethoscope	Bartlett, Kevin	8:16
Paraphernalia	Davis, Miles	12:42

The Fusion Reactor #220 - Searching For God

2008-12-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

This week I thought I'd explore a very big topic: God. There are plenty of songs on the subject, to say the least. We're running the gamut from heavy prog to lighter fusion here, and beyond.

Postcard To God	Vanden Plas	6:16
Have A Talk With God	Spitting Image, The	4:16
Oh God	Platypus	4:16
Prosthetic God	Ahleuchatistas	6:35
God And War	Foster, Jack III	8:00
God of War	Tescee, Ian	2:43
In the Hands of God	Nexus	14:46
Said God	Hunter, Charlie	6:09
Evidence Of God	Moore, Geoff & The Distance	5:43
All God Does	Ad Astra	5:09
Voice of God Cry Out	Glass Harp	4:04
The Revealing Science of God: Dance of the Dawn	Yes	20:24

The Fusion Reactor #219 - I'm Thankful For Prog

2008-11-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Quick note... the clothing drive and homeless outreach were a great success. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, which made me start Thanksgiving a week early. So speaking of which, I thought I'd put together a show of some (yeah only some) of my favorite prog and fusion artists.

Medieval Overture	Return To Forever	5:14
Dream	Mahavishnu Orchestra	11:10
Cardeosa	Mclaughlin, DiMeola, De Lucia	6:36
Leviathan	Morse, Neal	6:06
Koroze (Corrosion)	Uz Jsme Doma	7:11
Kinetic	Violent Silence	7:12
You Enjoy Myself	Phish	9:50
You Can Never Go Home	Moody Blues	4:15
Turbulence	Howe, Steve	4:56
Backside Edge	KBB	7:47
Miracles Out Of Nowhere	Kansas	6:29
Starless	King Crimson	12:35

The Fusion Reactor #218 - Clothing Drive

2008-11-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

The title is pretty funny because on Saturday of this week we are doing an outreach to the homeless folks in Pittsburgh. We've been collecting clothing for the last few weeks.

But yes, this is from Ted's suggestion, and even includes his song 'request.'

Bootleg Jeans	Niacin	7:01
Puttin' On The White Shirt	Gunn, Trey	7:59
Right Sock Brown, Red Leg Blue	Ahleuchatistas	3:48
New Underwear Dance	Rumah Sakit	6:22
What's That On Your Shirt?	Forever Einstein	2:21
My Friends Made Fun Of My Pants	Forever Einstein	2:11
Ants In the Pants	Stratospheerius	2:42
Wear Your Seat Belt	Martinez, Cliff	3:10
Belted Sweater	Don Caballero	2:09
Shoe Shine	Don Caballero	5:32
Can't Afford No Shoes	Zappa, Frank	2:39
Led Boots	Hiromi	6:34
Cat In Clark's Shoes	Gong	7:43
Todobot - (Shoefiller)	Uz Jsme Doma	3:59
(Got My) Rock Pants On	Turing Machine	9:42
Emotional Shirt	Bruford, Bill	4:48
Seat of my Pants	moe.	11:29

The Fusion Reactor #217 - The Classical Reactor

2008-11-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, there were plenty of directions I could have gone with this. But what we end up with is a bunch of original prog pieces and one "improvised excerpt" done - or at least named - in a classical style. There's quite a bit of fusiony stuff in there as well, you can rest assured.

You'll be treated to my fake British accent introducing the following:

Childrens' Concerto	Moraz and Bruford	5:05
War Suite Concerto	Mattsson	14:02
Improvised Excerpt From Bela Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra, 2nd Movement	Jordan, Stanley	9:53
Lamplight Symphony	Kansas	8:18
Hamburger Concerto	Focus	20:20
The American Advert Concerto	Wakeman, Rick	5:08
Epilogue: Machine Symphony	Farpoint	5:31
Symphony No. 2: First Movement	Egg	20:41

The Fusion Reactor #216 - Reactorful of Secrets

2008-11-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you the theme this week. But you can probably figure it out for yourself with a little bit of sleuth work.

Rock Balls/Destination Unknown	Platypus	7:41
Secret Touch	Rush	6:35
The Secret Life of Walter Riddle	French TV	8:13
Destination Unknown	Shadow Gallery	7:01
Top Secret - UFO	Isildurs Bane	5:09
Secret Names	Ozric Tentacles	5:29
Unknown Soldier	Young, John	14:19
My Song is Love Unknown	Joanna	4:14
Secret Places	Colosseum II	3:57
Anonymus Two	Focus	26:21

R.I.P. Mike Baker from Shadow Gallery.

The Fusion Reactor #215 - Songs I Wanted To Play

2008-10-30T19:53:00.001-07:00

That's right folks, there's no theme this week. Just some songs I wanted to play for you. Enjoy!

Axiomatic Fragment	Collapsar	9:23
Tríska (Splinter)	Uz Jsme Doma	5:50
Ostinato	Passport	7:28
Looking Thru	Passport	7:44
The Joy Gem	Salem Hill	15:04
Pass The Clock - Parts 1-3	Mostly Autumn	12:10
The Inquisition	Colosseum II	5:50
The Scorch	Colosseum II	6:03
Deathwatchbeetle	Hoelderlin	17:37

The Fusion Reactor #214 - Crosswords

2008-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Something was on my mind this week... can you guess what?

Crosswind	Cobham, Billy	3:33
Cross-Collateral	Passport	13:11
Boxed & Crossed	Muffins, The	5:39
Crosscurrents	Gong	6:07
Feel the Cross	Magellan	6:35
(Cross the) Heartland	Metheny, Pat	6:55
Crossing Paths	Weckl, Dave Band	7:13
Crossfire	Izz	8:33
Crossing Enemy's Line	Mindflow	12:18
The Crossroads	Morse, Neal	5:27
Carrying No Cross	UK	12:19

Sorry for the singing...

The Fusion Reactor #213 - To The Oasis

2008-10-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to play "Horse With No Name" but I did want to provide a refreshing change from last week's theme. So while we're still in the desert, we've got some oases, rivers, and camels. I avoided mirages this week also.

Train Oasis	Ozric Tentacles	2:46
Sahara	Camel	6:45
Oasis in Stasis	Norlander, Erik	6:04
Oasis	Weckl, Dave Band	8:40
A Christmas Camel	Procol Harum	4:49
The Nile Song	Pink Floyd	3:26
Delta Skelta	Garage a Trois	5:18
Camels Dance	Freehand	6:23
Big Ben On The Nile	Keaggy, Phil	4:43
Kamel Uten Filter - Camel Without a Filter	Panzerpappa	6:04
Camel's Night Out	Johnson, Eric	5:17
Down To The Delta	Cockburn, Bruce	6:17
Chronicle Of The Invisible River Of Stone	Birds And Buildings	9:18
It Must Be A Camel	Zappa, Frank	5:16
River Of My Heart	Mahavishnu Orchestra	3:41

The Fusion Reactor #212 - Through The Desert

2008-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Honestly, this one was totally inspired by the arrival of the latest disc from Hiromi's Sonicbloom. It's full of excellent fusion renditions of some jazz and other songs, and you should check it out if you're into that sort of thing. Since I didn't want to play the whole album this week, I thought I'd just go with one song and build a theme around that. So we're in the desert this week.

Agah Bahari - Protectors Caravan
Antidepressive Delivery - Desert Machine
The Crusaders - Soul Caravan
Wertico - Desert Sky
Philip Glass - Caravan Moves Out
Patrick Moraz - Oral Contact: Shout!/Talisman(Caravan Theme)
Hiromi's Sonicbloom - Caravan
Hiromi - Desert On the Moon
Planet X - Desert Girl
KBB - The Desert of Desires
Alex Masi - Disembodied In Mojave
Stanley Clarke - Desert Song
Toto - Dune (Desert Theme)
Smokin' Granny - Road to the Desert
Eric Johnson - Desert Rose
Project Creation - The Desert Planet

The Fusion Reactor #211 - Promises, Promises

2008-10-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

The deal this week is that I have been so busy with work and other stuff that I've only been home to sleep. And sometimes not even that. So I was at work last night trying to figure out when I was going to have time to put on the show that was about to go on in less that 24 hours, with a bunch more work and other stuff between then and airtime.

I mentioned to one of the kids at work and they suggested that I do a show on promises. That's an interesting topic, so I went with it and came up with a bunch of songs to play for you. The odd thing is that there is absolutely *no* fusion this week. However, there's a lot of prog and we're leaning a bit towards the heavy side, so you're getting a different side of my musical tastes this week... enjoy!

The Promise of Truth	Mosher, Scott	6:40
Gnihton'S Promise	High Wheel	3:54
The Promised Land	Ajalon	6:49
Promise	Dream Aria	5:34
Lost in a Promise	as U R	5:35
The Seven Sacred Promises	Pagan's Mind	6:29
Love Promise	Lynne, Bjorn	4:33
Promise	Emerald Vein	4:32
Promised Land	Queensrÿche	7:58
The Promise of Shadows	Gabriel, Peter	2:13
I Promise You	Amaran's Plight	2:57
The Promise	Morse, Neal	2:52
Promised Land	Mad At The World	5:26
A Promise of Love	Ten Point Ten	4:51
A Promise Kept	Keaggy, Phil	4:43
Promise	Revelation Project	2:18
The Promise	Saviour Machine	10:35

Oh yeah and you get to hear me sing a little bit... sorry!

The Fusion Reactor #210 - Back To The Fusion, Part 2

2008-09-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly the same thing as last week, or else the songs would be the same. It's the same sort of thing though - just a bunch of fusion. Perhaps a little bit more laid back this time. I was kind of in that mood when I picked the songs. We've got some nice high-energy stuff too.

No Fly Zone	Skolnick, Alex	4:29
Everybody Knows You When You're Up & In	Berlin, Jeff	7:33
Joban Dna Nopia	Chick Corea & Bela Fleck	6:29
All Over Again	Clarke, Stanley	5:04
Clarendon Hills	Mahavishnu Orchestra	6:05
Fannie Mae	Pastorius, Jaco	7:33
Early Reflections	Maupin, Bennie	5:46
Between the Dog and the Wolf	Wackerman, Chad	5:29
Classique	Gong	7:13
Party At Kinsey's	Tribal Tech	3:57
Frank's Beard	Tunnels	9:07
Clubbing	Katché, Manu	7:08
Blue Miles	Corea, Chick	12:02

The Fusion Reactor #209 - Back To The Fusion, Part I

2008-09-18T20:01:00.001-07:00

We've returned to playing fusion, as promised. Enjoy!

Thinkin' One Thing and Doin' Another	Davis, Miles	6:40
People	Hunter, Charlie	6:41
Airway To Seven	Gong	4:38
Happy Hip Hop	Isildurs Bane	5:16
Allegory	Passport	3:40
Jungle Waterfall	Return To Forever	3:04
4 on 6	Schleigho	4:05
Big Country	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	5:31
The Emperor's New Clothes	Bruford, Bill	7:46
Dracula	Medeski Martin & Wood	4:19
Circa 45	Williams, Tony (Lifetime)	6:28
Church Of Hype	Brand X	5:55
Not Later Than Now	Maupin, Bennie	2:38
Have You Heard	Metheny, Pat	6:47
Transformation	Skolnick, Alex	5:55
Hound Of Heaven	Corea, Chick	6:16
Resolution	Mahavishnu Orchestra	2:10

The Fusion Reactor #208 - The Post-Rock Reactor

2008-09-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm exploring post-rock. There are admittedly some similarities between this and math rock, although generally the post-rock rhythms are not as complex. The wikipedia "definition" mentions using rock instruments to make non-rock music, and I guess that's a place to start, although it doesn't completely cover it. You'll just have to listen...

Look at That Car, It's Full of Balloons!	A Minor Forest	8:38
Like Herod	Mogwai	11:45
Golden State Overnight	Tarentel	4:57
Jetty	Tortoise	8:22
Tteraj - I. Invitation	Mandrake Project	1:23
Tteraj - II. Arrival & Acceptance	Mandrake Project	5:56
Tteraj - III. Exit	Mandrake Project	1:38
Jeweled Turtle	Guapo	13:09
She Dreamt She Was A Bulldozer, She Dreamt She Was Alone In An Empty Field	Godspeed You! Black Emperor	18:58
Hafssol	Sigur Rós	12:25

And next week, we'll go back to fusion, I promise!

The Fusion Reactor #207 - The Math Reactor

2008-09-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

There has been some discussion recently as to exactly what "math rock" is. I thought I'd answer that question with a show.

Someone mentioned (much to my surprise) that they liked my radio voice. That's rather odd to me since, as some people seem to have a "face for radio," I've always thought I had a "voice for instrumental music." Math rock is primarily instrumental music, so I should be perfect for it, right? Then again, fusion is primarily instrumental as well.

Well, here are some very mathy and some not-so-mathy bands. Two hours worth - I hope you're up for it!

The Rancher of Neverland	Ebu Gogo	4:20
Rhythmic Displacement	Kalon	7:51
Birds Flying Into Buildings	Birds And Buildings	9:12
Bring On the Cobras	Rumah Sakit	8:19
Synchronicity III	Turing Machine	8:51
Memento Mori	Coma Lilies, The	8:53
The Eating Contest	Tabula Rasa	6:00
Shinkai	LITE	5:23
Slaughbaughs' Ought Not Own Dog Data	Don Caballero	4:43
B + T	Battles	6:09
Song on a Record You Can't Get	Speaking Canaries, The	4:54
The Buffalo Song	Bellini	3:15
The 2nd Perpetuate the Beautiful	Storm & Stress	4:09
Empathievery	Ahleuchatistas	6:26
viii	Cancer Conspiracy, The	6:15
Ransom Stoddard	Volta do Mar	6:55
Will's Red Bed	Hosemobile, The	7:18
Kaleidoscopic Tower	We Are The Music Makers	6:56

The Fusion Reactor #206 - What's In A Name?

2008-08-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Just from browsing through some song titles, I found a bunch with the same names in them. Here are just a few:

Blues For Tony	Holdsworth, Allan	8:48
Tony Mac	CAB	8:30
Tony's Jam	King Crimson	12:59
Billy Preston	Davis, Miles	12:37
Ocean Billy	Umphrey's McGee	6:37
Billy's Saloon	Gamalon	5:46
Bill's Solo	Par Lindh Project	5:53
Waltz For Bill	Kobayashi, Ron	4:56
Bill Me	Scofield, John	8:44
William Barras (1803-1835)	Manning	14:46

The Fusion Reactor #205 - Three Rivers Prog Fest, Part 3

2008-08-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

The last in the series of 3RP bands. The ProgPositivity broadcasts are before the festival, but the Aural Moon broadcasts will be after. Oh well! Enjoy...

Escape	Rocket Scientists	10:03
Mariner	Rocket Scientists	11:30
After the Revolution	Rocket Scientists	13:00
Ghost Riders On The Storm	California Guitar Trio	5:55
The Marsh	California Guitar Trio	5:01
Bohemian Rhapsody	California Guitar Trio	5:44
Road to Sanctuary	Flower Kings, The	13:48
The Judas Kiss	Flower Kings, The	15:43
Timelines	Flower Kings, The	7:44

The Fusion Reactor #204 - Three Rivers Prog Fest, Part 2

2008-08-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

We're continuing on with the bands that will be at the Three Rivers Prog Festival.

At the End of the Day	Spock's Beard	16:34
With Your Kiss	Spock's Beard	11:47
Cradle To The Grave	Morse, Neal	5:23
The Door	Morse, Neal	29:47
The Outsider/Sweet Elation	Morse, Neal	5:20
Masochists	Kalon	8:13
Jigatanu	Kalon	8:57
Ex Gemma Ex Flore Nusquam	Kalon	7:01
Star Evil Gnoma Su	IZZ	9:20
Where I Belong	IZZ	10:19
My Best Defenses	IZZ	4:19

The Fusion Reactor #203 - Three Rivers Prog Fest, Part 1

2008-08-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I'm getting geared up for the Three Rivers Prog Fest by playing a bunch of songs by each of the artists. Three songs worked well last week, so we'll continue that this week. I'm looking at this being a 3-week process to feature all the bands.

Seventh Heaven	Manifesto	5:48
Floydian Slipp	Manifesto	6:01
Random Axis	Manifesto	5:37
An Ode To The Spacemen	Mandrake Project	8:28
Walking Music (w/ postscript I)	Mandrake Project	8:20
The Economy Of Motion	Mandrake Project	9:26
Allan Qui?	Gongzilla	7:22
Aquila	Gongzilla	8:21
Image	Gongzilla	8:00
The Healing Colors Of Sound	Spock's Beard	21:01

Hmmm look at that. Only enough time for one Spock's Beard song. Don't worry! There will be more next week. Yes, I picked one of the Neal-era songs because I heard a little rumor that he'd be joining them for a bit. :-)

The Fusion Reactor #202 - 3 Bands, 3 Songs, 3 Million Notes...

2008-07-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

...give or take.

I picked three bands I've been jamming to recently and decided to feature them each on the show. Each gets about a half hour, which seems (in prog & fusion terms) to mean three songs. I tried to mix things up and pick songs that were older, middle, and newer in their careers - even though some have been around longer than others. The bands:

D.F.A.
1. Space Ace Man (1997)
2. Caleidoscopio (1999)
3. The Mirror (2008)

This Italian band has put out some really neat stuff. I picked songs from their studio albums Lavori In Corso, Duty Free Area, and 4th. If you haven't heard 4th yet, check it out! It moves the band in more of a proggy instrumental fusion direction rather than the fusiony prog sound in their earlier albums.

Mahavishnu Orchestra
1. One Word (1973)
2. Vision Is A Naked Sword (1974)
3. Pacific Express (1984)

Always great to hear these guys. I picked songs from Birds Of Fire, Apocalypse, and Mahavishnu. This covers their three basic lineups, from 5-piece shredding outfit to orchestral monster to mature 'modern' fusion.

KBB
1. Divine Design (2000)
2. Shironiji (2003)
3. Stratosphere (2007)

They haven't been around long enough to really have different eras, really, but I played one from each of their studio albums Lost And Found, Four Corners Sky, and Proof Of Concept. There have actually been some lineup changes and they've definitely evolved in terms of composition and songwriting. They've also moved more squarely into the fusion camp, with less of a foothold in the instrumental fusion category. But they're always amazing.

The Fusion Reactor #201 - A Tribute To Miles Davis

2008-07-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Miles Davis has affected the worlds of jazz, fusion, and prog. Here's a tribute to him.

Blues For Miles - Corea, Chick 15:10
Dewey (For Miles) - Yellowjackets
Miles to Go - Rare Blend 5:04
Miles Beyond - Mahavishnu Orchestra 4:42
Miles Out - Mahavishnu Orchestra 6:44
Miles Away - Keaggy, Phil 7:08
Miles Away - Queensrÿche 4:34
Miles Away - Electric Outlet 6:15
Miles Mode - Pilo, Craig 5:26
500 Miles High - Return To Forever 9:11
Stuff - Davis, Miles 17:03

The Fusion Reactor #200 - The Long And Short Of It

2008-07-18T07:56:00.001-07:00

I'm finally back in town long enough to put together show #200! I decided on a bunch of longer and shorter songs for this show. Mostly fusion, but with a bit of new prog in there too.

Run For Your Life - Yellowjackets 8:04
Amazing Grace/Return Expedition - Jordan, Stanley 20:46
0274 - Holdsworth, Allan 7:46
The Harvest - Brighteye Brison 20:27
Haniface - Gongzilla 4:13
Eastern Sundays - Moraz and Bruford 7:28
Mosoq Runa - D.F.A. 18:58

The Fusion Reactor #199 - "Live" From Peru, Part 2

2008-06-29T12:22:00.001-07:00

This show is again recorded (well, the parts where I talk are) live in Tingo Maria, Peru. There is commentary about what was going on this week as well as a bunch of music.

Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord - Santana, Carlos & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin 15:45
And And And, He Lowered The Twin Down - Don Caballero 4:14
Bioptic Void - Fuze 8:16
Empty Me - Orphan Project 5:00
Return to Whatever - Morse, Alan 5:47
The Eating Contest - Tabula Rasa 6:00
The Oracle - De Fenestra 13:19
Jam & Toast - CAB 6:07
Test For Echo - Rush 5:56
Rite Of Spring: Festival - Moraz, Patrick 5:54
Tiempo De Festival - Weckl, Dave Band 12:43

The Fusion Reactor #198 - "Live" From Peru, Part 1

2008-06-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

It was a little bit more difficult this week to put together a show. Since I'm in Peru, I thought I'd just record little excerpts from my thoughts on the trip interspersed with some songs. Here's what we have this week...

Time Travel - Hiromi 8:37
Travels With Myself - And Someone Else - Bruford, Bill 6:14
Cosmopolitan Traveler - Dixie Dregs 3:04
Solo From 'More Travels' - Metheny, Pat 3:40
Traveling - Grobschnitt 6:46
Lightworks - Galleon 9:11
Workin' Man - Clarke, Stanley 6:27
Do A Little Dirty Work - Niacin 5:49
Working John, Working Joe - Jethro Tull 5:04
Questions Of My Childhood - Kansas 3:41
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child - Birdsongs of the Mesozoic 4:10
Children Of Time - Iona 5:34
Children's Dance - Passport 3:23
Children's Song - Return To Forever 2:51
Go Children Slow - Schleigho 8:59

I may well be able to do a similar show next week. Hope you enjoyed this one and can tune in again next week!

The Fusion Reactor #197 - On The Way To Peru

2008-06-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving on an airplane to Peru when this show originally broadcasts on ProgPositivity. I should be there already but on a 12-hour bus ride when it replays on Friday. The Aural Moon broadcasts are a few days later, and I'll be in Peru for them as well, so it's very likely that I won't even hear this show during any of its broadcasts. This is ironic because it's basically a bunch of fusion that I haven't listened to in a while! I guess I won't be hearing them this time either! No real theme to speak of, just fusion.

Return To Forever - Medieval Overture
Metheny, Pat - Facing West
Hunter, Charlie - Return Of The Candyman
Schleigho - Continent
Passport - Sambukada
Davis, Miles - Zimbabwe, part 2
Skolnick, Alex - Highway Star
Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones - Zona Mona
Chick Corea Elektric Band - Alan Corday
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Be Happy
Bruford, Bill - Triplicity
Brand X - Why Should I Lend You Mine (When You've Broken Yours Off Already...)
Williams, Tony (Lifetime) - Lonesome Wells (Gwendy Trio)

It's quite possible that there will not be a new show for a couple of weeks, as I don't expect to return to the States until June 29th.

The Fusion Reactor #196 - The New Breed of Fusion, Part 2

2008-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

I got a bunch of suggestions about stuff to include in the "new fusion" show, so here's a part 2. Many of the suggestions are included for your enjoyment.

MCM - Them Ain't Us
Mahavishnu Project - Eternity's Breath
Metheny, Pat - The Awakening
Garaj Mahal - Celtic Indian
CAB - One for the Road
Planeta Imaginario - Biomasa (Biomass)
Machine and the Synergetic Nuts - Texas
Hiromi - Time Flies
Megaphone Man - Bubble Hat

The Fusion Reactor #195 - The New Breed of Fusion

2008-05-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd take a look at where fusion went (directionwise, of course) after the 70's "golden age." This show focuses on newer stuff, mostly from the 90's and 00's, with one inclusion from a very important 80's album.

7for4 - Spiral Dance
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Radio-Activity
Gamalon - Cabin No.14
Whoopgnash - Tiny Bone
Rosco Il Est Content - Outoksaï
George Brooks Summit w/Steve Smith-McCoy
Tribal Tech - Susie's Dingsbums
Wackerman, Chad - Holiday Insane
Tunnels - 7,584,333,440 Miles Away

The Fusion Reactor #194 - Keys To The Kingdom

2008-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

I realized that there are some really great keyboard players out there, and so I wanted to feature them. Well, some of them. That's what this show is all about!

Par Lindh Project - Suite In Progress (16:05) (In Concert - Live In Poland)
Corea, Chick - Johnny's Landing (10:39) (To The Stars)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Piano Concerto No. 1 (18:28) (Works Volume 1)
Hiromi - Spiral (10:04) (Spiral)
Niacin - High Bias (6:06) (High Bias)
Wakeman, Rick - Catherine Howard (7:24) (Simply Acoustic: The Music)
Hancock, Herbie - Hornets (19:35) (Sextant)

Most of them ended up being epics, because that's just a lot of fun!

The Fusion Reactor #193 - Urban Life

2008-05-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've got to find myself a city... find myself a city to live in.

This week's show focuses on urban life in various cities and towns. Mostly fusion but some other interesting stuff as well.

The City	Wackerman, Chad	7:56
Downtown	Bruford, Bill	5:45
Ghost Town Nightmare	Cold Fairyland	6:23
Liberty City	Carlsson, Patrik	4:04
Forty Mile Town	Johnson, Eric	4:13
There's a New Sheriff in Town	Machacek, Alex	6:27
Severity Town	Grobschnitt	10:03
City on the Hill	Wollan, Greg	4:27
Goin' to Town	Dixie Dregs	3:39
Uptown Rendezvous	Passport	3:30
Teen Town	Weather Report	2:52
Teen Town	Pilo, Craig	4:49
Paintin' The Town	Keaggy, Phil	6:20
New City	Combination Head	5:08
A Dark Night In Toytown	Hackett, Steve	3:38
Last Side of Town, Pt. 2	Speaking Canaries, The	6:06

The Fusion Reactor #192 - Here And There

2008-05-08T19:58:00.001-07:00

A bunch of here and there songs.

Here and Now	Salem Hill	5:45
I am not here.	KBB	9:14
It's A Jungle In Here	Medeski Martin & Wood	3:48
Dada Was Here/Thank You Pierrot Lunaire/Have You Even Been Green?/Pataphysical Introduction Pt II/Out Of Tunes	Soft Machine	9:00
From Here to There	Fourth Estate	4:23
There Comes a Time	Williams, Tony (Lifetime)	6:02
I Wish You Were Here	Bostic, PJ	6:20
Jdi Tam, Nevim Kam, Prines To, Nevim Co (Go There, I Don't Know Where, Bring It, I Don't Know What)	Uz Jsme Doma	7:01
Hereafter	Spock's Beard	5:02
Take Me There	Metheny, Pat	3:39
Up There	Hunter, Charlie	8:41
I Can See Your House From Here	Scofield, John & Pat Metheny	7:47
Here	Cross, David	10:52

The Fusion Reactor #191 - Japan

2008-05-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

I've only got one spare hour to do a show this week, so one hour is all you get. Enjoy it while it lasts, there are some real killer "Japan" tunes. Some from Japanese musicians, others from musicians from elsewhere writing songs about Japan.

Time Control, or Controlled by Time	Hiromi	8:29
please tokio, please THIS IS TOKIO	Don Caballero	11:18
M-B	Machine and the Synergetic Nuts	7:19
Stratosphere	KBB	9:09
Crystal Japan	Bowie, David	3:11
Live In Japan	Keneally, Mike	4:47
Good Days, Bad Days	Kenso	8:14
Japanese Sunshadows	Wakeman, Rick	5:34

The Fusion Reactor #190 - Drummers, Part 3

2008-04-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

I like drums. It's odd that I play guitar, not drums. At least, I don't play drums very well. Anyhow, here's the third installment of The Fusion Reactor's spotlight on the guy with the sticks behind the kit.

Introduction	Chad Wackerman	6:39
Walking In 5	Billy Cobham	9:53
Sangria For Three	Tony Williams Lifetime	13:21
Land's End	Bill Bruford	10:19
Red Clay	Craig Pilo	8:58
7 Sisters	Pip Pyle	8:50
Miracle	Gregg Bissonette	7:43
Desert Sky	Paul Wertico	8:24
Sorcery #1	Jack DeJohnette	13:54
Amanecer	Dave Weckl Band	8:30
Ginger Blues	Ginger Baker Trio	5:10
Shadow of Lo	Return To Forever	7:31
Esnuria	Gong	8:02

The Fusion Reactor #189 - The Spirit Of Radio

2008-04-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

You can't do a themed radio show without a show about radio! OK, maybe you can, but I thought it would be fun to do so. Therefore, here is one. No "I have a cold" voice this time, instead you get my "Radio DJ Attempt" voice.

Moon Radio	Violet Burning, The	4:29
Radioactive Toy	Porcupine Tree	10:10
Radio Repairman	Chroma Key	4:16
Radio People	Shadow Circus	5:47
Radio Reminiscence	Lady Lake	4:44
The Spirit of Radio	Rush	5:13
Radiophonic I	Fripp, Robert	11:11
Radio Waves	Waters, Roger	4:58
Radio Hypnotic	Gak Omek	6:55
1971-03-23 Radio Bremen	Soft Machine	20:08
Intergalactic Radio Station	Vangelis	7:44
Radio-Amatoroj	Sonic Youth	29:21

The Fusion Reactor #188 - Soul Music

2008-04-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight's show is all about the soul. You also, as a free bonus, get to hear what my voice sounds like when I've got a terrible cold. But back to the music. I've got the usual mix of prog and fusion, light and heavy, short songs and epics. Things start off a bit ... how should I put it ... *extreme* and end up at the sublime. To my tastes anyhow. The playlist:

Soul Deprived	Extol	3:26
Soul Eternal	Patrick Moraz	13:16
Rubber Soul	Herbie Hancock	6:40
Wretched Soul	Pineapple Thief	4:58
Strip The Soul	Porcupine Tree	7:22
Soul In Your Mind	John Macaluso& Union Radio	5:45
Soul Power	T.J. Kirk	4:28
Factory Of Magnificent Souls	Iona	5:07
The Uplifting Spirit of Our Soul	Afromantra	5:59
How My Soul Cries Out for You	Kansas	5:46
Wildflower Soul	Sonic Youth	9:05
Broken Soul	Visual Cliff	4:48
Soul Diversion	Niacin	5:04
Lost Souls	Monster Island	4:35
Stranger In Your Soul	Transatlantic	30:00

The Fusion Reactor #187 - Show #187

2008-04-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

No theme tonight, just prog and fusion. Enjoy!

The Heat Of The Day	Metheny, Pat	9:45
Sumo	Schleigho	9:46
Waiting For Water	Grand Stand	9:40
The Pinnacle	Kansas	9:44
Skont	Proto-Kaw	9:40
Return of Kung-Fu World Champion	Hiromi	9:39
Classic War	Kuprij, Vitalij	9:42
Nessa no Kioku	KBB	9:42
Yog-Bar-Og	Ozric Tentacles	9:41
Darkness Fades	Wollan, Greg	9:41
The Endless Night	Return To Forever	9:41
Illusions	Corea, Chick	9:47

The Fusion Reactor #186 - Flying Music

2008-03-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

It struck me the other day how many proggers are obsessed with the idea of flying. This is only scratching the surface here, and I didn't play too many long songs so I could fit in a bunch of "flying" songs.

Fly Like An Eagle	Hunter, Charlie	4:31
To Fly Over The Rainbow	Fiorletta, Simone	5:05
Fear Of Flying	Skolnick, Alex	5:12
Flying In A Blue Dream	Satriani, Joe	5:24
Flying Saucer Dudes	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	4:51
Fly	Gungor, Michael	4:27
Learning to Fly	Emerson, Lake & Powell	3:51
Fly On A Windshield	Genesis	4:23
Fylingdale Flyer	Jethro Tull	4:36
Flyin' High	Gong	5:49
Flying High (Live)	Eloy	3:31
I Can Fly	Kansas	5:22
To Fly With You	Ajalon	5:03
Fly	Mike Duncan Project	5:26
Sky Flying On Fire	Big Big Train	6:05
Time To Fly	Ferris Mudd	6:52
Fly Away	Lightspeed	7:01
The Fly-Toxmen's Land	Univers Zero	4:52
May-Fly	Underground Railroad, The	3:51
Fly	Norlander, Erik	7:54
We Will Fly	Allen, Russell	7:54
The Divine Art Of Flying	Kopecky	5:26

The Fusion Reactor #185 - Off The Cuff

2008-03-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to do a show of improvised music. Here it is! Two hours of almost entirely improvised songs from various prog and fusion artists.

Improv #2	Plastic Crimewave Sound	4:59
Piano Improvisations	Emerson, Lake & Palmer	11:53
Improvisation No. 4	Metheny, Pat and Jim Hall	2:37
Improvised Excerpt From Bela Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra, 2nd Movement	Jordan, Stanley	9:53
Acoustic Guitar Improvisation 3	Morse, Neal	20:35
Hard to Find EtCetera Improv 1	Et Cetera	8:30
Three Minute Warning Parts 1-5	Liquid Tension Experiment	28:36
Improvisation Ajoutée	Sonic Youth	2:55
Improv: The Rich Tapestry Of Life	King Crimson	27:18

The Fusion Reactor #184 - Part 4s

2008-03-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

A short selection of long (mostly) part fours:

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Four (14:00) (The ConstruKction of Light)
Miles Davis - Black Beauty Part IV (15:40) (Black Beauty)
Invisigoth - Dark Highway Part 4 - Take The Blood (10:09) (Narcotica)
Porcupine Tree - Phase IV (13:41) (Voyage 34 - The Complete Trip)
Patrick Moraz - Archetypes: Movt. 4, Lost Way (4:12) (Windows Of Time)
Guapo - Five Suns - IV (12:56) (Five Suns)
Mike Oldfield - Incantations Part Four (16:56) (Incantations)
Grobschnitt - Solar Music Berlin, part 4 (7:31) (The International Story)
Magic Pie - Circus Of Life: IV-Trick Of The Mind (21:50) (Circus Of Life)

The Fusion Reactor #183 - Part 3s

2008-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Part threes. And other things that indicate that it's the third part, even if it doesn't specifically say "part 3" in the title.

Nexus - So Close To The Fire (Metanoia Level 3) (7:17) (Metanoia)
Pat Metheny - The Way Up - Part Three (15:54) (The Way Up)
Patrick Moraz - Archetypes: Movt. 3, Initiation (4:08) (Windows Of Time)
Alan Morse - Track 3 (4:22) (Four O'Clock and Hysteria)
Guapo - Five Suns - III (10:30) (Five Suns)
Miles Davis - Zimbabwe, part 3 (8:05) (Pangaea)
Miles Davis - Gondwana, part 3 (10:01) (Pangaea)
Don Caballero - Don Caballero 3 (9:42) (What Burns Never Returns)
4/3 De Trio - D.dar (ii. Part Three) (7:22) (Ersatz)
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - Part Three (3:26) (Petrophonics)
King Crimson - No Warning/Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part III (9:14) (Live In Japan)
Sonic Youth - Heady Jam 3 (27:02) (SYR 6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui)

The Fusion Reactor #182 - Part 2s

2008-02-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

It's something of a continuation of last week's theme. Some of the Part 1s from last week's show are here in their second part, while other really nice part 2s have been added even though part 1 wasn't played last week. Regardless, here's the playlist:

National Health - The Bryden 2-Step (For Amphibians) Part 2 (5:33) (Complete)
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Eternity's Breath, Part 2 (4:50) (Visions Of The Emerald Beyond)
Vertú - Topasio, Part Two (5:01) (Vertú)
Gong - Pentanine (ii. Part Two) (2:11) (Pentanine)
Tangerine Dream - Song Of The Whale, Part Two: To Dusk... (10:54) (Underwater Sunlight)
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part Two (7:07) (Larks' Tongues In Aspic)
Rhythm Buddies - Thunderbird In Thirds Part 2 (15:01) (Thunderbird Suite)
Isildurs Bane - Sea Reflections Part II (6:38) (Sea Reflections)
Miles Davis - Moja (Part 2) (12:39) (Dark Magus: Live At Carnegie Hall)
Magma - Kohntarkosz (part Two) (16:04) (Kohntarkosz)
Visual Cliff - (Part II - Battle Soul) (5:16) (Key To Eternity)
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - Part Two (3:26) (Petrophonics)
Pat Metheny - The Way Up - Part Two (20:29) (The Way Up)

The Fusion Reactor #181 - Part 1s

2008-02-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

This week I'm looking at "Part Ones" of multipart songs in the prog and fusion genres. There are so many good ones, it's tough to choose from among so many.

D.dar (i. Part One) - 4/3 De Trio 6:35
Eternity's Breath, Part 1 - Mahavishnu Orchestra 3:10
Topasio Es Puro Corazon, Part One - Vertú 4:47
Kohntarkosz (part One) - Magma 15:24
Pentanine (i. Part One) - Gong 3:28
Hazard Profile (Part One) - Soft Machine 4:49
Borogroves (Part One) - National Health 6:35
The Endless Enigma (Part One) - Emerson, Lake & Palmer 6:42
Song Of The Whale, Part One: From Dawn... - Tangerine Dream 8:21
Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part One - King Crimson 13:35
Thunderbird In Thirds Part 1 - Rhythm Buddies 15:01
Part One - Birdsongs of the Mesozoic 2:29
The Way Up - Part One - Metheny, Pat 26:27

The Fusion Reactor #180 - Songs Of Hope

2008-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Hope is a good thing. Seven is a good number. Here are seven songs about hope:

Salem Hill - Sweet Hope Suite (27:09)
Magellan - Killer of Hope (10:02)
Ayreon - The Fifth Extinction: Glimmer of Hope/World of Tomorrow Dreams/Collision Course/From The Ashes/Glimmer Of Hope(reprise) (10:29)
Goodman, Smith, Levy & Burbridge - Glimmer of Hope (6:45)
Soft Machine - Hope for Happiness (13:23)
Patrik Skantze - Gleam of Hope (11:08)
The Bearded's Project - Hope Part I-VII (37:53)

The Fusion Reactor #179 - Trumpets

2008-02-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight's show features a whole bunch of trumpet players. I picked mostly longer songs because those are so much fun.

Herbie Hancock - Hornets (19:35) (Sextant)
The Wrong Object - The Unbelievable Truth - Parts 1 & 2 (10:20) (Stories From The Shed)
Frank Zappa - Big Swifty (17:22) (Waka/Jawaka)
John Coltrane - Focus on Sanity (12:15) (The Avant-Garde (With Don Cherry))
Bruford & Levin - Presidents Day (6:28) (Upper Extremities)
Wertico - We Needed The Rain (6:46) (Stereonucleosis)
Jon Hassell and Bluescreen - Blue Night (7:45) (Dressing for Pleasure)
U2 - Red Light (3:45) (War)
Davis, Miles - He Loved Him Madly (32:17) (Get Up With It)

The Fusion Reactor #178 - Oh Brother!

2008-01-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

A show about brothers. Mine's having a baby soon. Well, his wife, actually... Anyhow.

Brother Of Mine	Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe	10:22
My Brother	Ivory	13:58
The Guo Brothers / One Flower	Imaginary Landscapes	1:32
Brother Up In Heaven	Parsons, Alan	4:02
Brother Luke	Winter, Edgar	3:56
Sweet Little Brother	Ambeon	6:07
Threnody For The Victims Of Brother Theodore	Dreadnaught	4:08
Don't Cut The Wire (Brother)	Asia	5:20
Say The Brother's Name	Scofield, John & Pat Metheny	7:22
Wolfman's Brother	Phish	13:51
Brother Where You Bound	Supertramp	16:32
Brother Where You Bound	Simon Says	26:33
Brother John	Joe Satriani	2:10

The Fusion Reactor #177 - No Theme

2008-01-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Just a bunch of songs I felt needed to be played. Enjoy!

The Long Passage	Corea, Chick	10:46
Lila's Dance	Mahavishnu Orchestra	5:37
At Last We Meet Again	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	5:35
Dakar	Hunter, Charlie	3:56
Girl's Eyes	Who, The	3:51
Back To Shalla-Bal	Satriani, Joe	3:14
You Eat Them Pears	Muffins, The	5:08
The Truth Will Always Be	Metheny, Pat	9:16
Blackout	Skolnick, Alex	5:05
Another Day	Lake Trout	3:31
Smoke Blisters 3 & 4	Sonic Youth	3:20
Perpetual Reality	Dixie Dregs	5:33
Shadow of Lo	Return To Forever	7:31
Taste	Phish	4:07
Jimmy Bond	King Crimson	7:07
Lull Your Skull	Ozric Tentacles	3:03
7 Things I Fear	Schleigho	3:49
Inamorata And Narration by Conrad Roberts	Davis, Miles	26:30

The Fusion Reactor #176 - The Beat Goes On

2008-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

This edition of The Fusion Reactor focuses on the all-important beat. Without it, we'd just be listening to soundscapes... not that there's anything wrong with that. But here are a bunch of prog and fusion beats, for your listening and dancing pleasure, followed by an epic tune that kind of defies classification. But it's got plenty of beats.

Beat 70	Metheny, Pat	5:06
Eurobeat	Counter World Experience	6:18
Buzz Beat	Woodenhead	7:00
Delivering the Groceries at 138 Beats per Minute	Don Caballero	5:49
Beatnicks and Bohemians	Ghosts of Pompeii	3:57
Quick Is The Beat Of My Heart	Styx	3:52
Heartbeat	Hancock, Herbie	4:52
Two Hearts Beat As One	U2	4:04
Heartbeat	Eloy	6:12
Heartbeat	King Crimson	3:55
No Heart Beats	Iona	4:49
Croquette for Electronic Beating Group	National Health	3:52
Beat the Heat	Gamalon	4:32
From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser	Jethro Tull	4:08
Beat The Drum	Pallas	9:18
Beat The Drum	Mermaid Kiss	6:36
Beat Box Guitar	Belew, Adrian	5:09
The Box	Orbital	28:26

The Fusion Reactor #175 - Rock On!

2008-01-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

A show completely dedicated to rock. Prog, fusion and classic rock bands all write about rock. Check it out:

The Rock	Who, The	6:37
Got To Rock On	Kansas	3:22
I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)	Moody Blues	4:15
Rock And Roll Dream	Asia	6:52
Rock & Roll Feeling	Styx	3:04
Rock & Roll Stew	Traffic	4:22
The Rock Thing	DeJohnette, Jack	4:16
Rock Balls/Destination Unknown	Platypus	7:41
Painted Rock	Tunnels	5:25
Piece for Rock Orchestra	Passport	5:41
Rock for Nations	Volta do Mar	1:04
(Got My) Rock Pants On	Turing Machine	9:42
Rock - Paper - Scissors	Chinese Firedrill, A	9:22
White Rock	Wakeman, Rick	3:15
Grunt Rock	Fourth Estate	3:04
Arena Rock	Morse, Steve	4:02
Turtle Rock	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	4:13
Rock Island	Jethro Tull	6:54
Enchanted Rock	Fonya	5:24
Gulland Rock	Gryphon	5:20
Rocker	Umphrey's McGee	5:29

The Fusion Reactor #174 - Spheres

2008-01-03T19:51:00.001-08:00

I was juggling earlier today. I'm definitely not an expert juggler by any stretch, but I can get by with three spherical object fairly well. I'm not good at juggling anything oblong, and asking me to juggle four of something is like asking me to drop at least three of them within 5 seconds.

So today's theme is spheres. There are lots of them, and this was a fun show because the majority of the songs are longer and therefore inherently more prog. Right? Here's the playlist:

Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres	Rush	18:08
Conjunction Of Upper Spheres	High Wheel	6:22
Biosphere	Coleman, Ornette	4:23
Harmonic Spheres	Wolters, Joop	2:11
Inside the Atmosphere	Atmosfear	9:20
Japanese Folk Song [Kojo No Tsuki]	Thelonious Monk	16:43
Eternal Spheres	Priam	9:20
Stratosfear	Tangerine Dream	10:39
Stratosphere	KBB	9:09
Sphere Of Innocence	Holdsworth, Allan	5:59
Reflections From The Spheres Beyond	Eloy	12:59
Atmosphere	Fripp, Robert	11:57

The Fusion Reactor #173 - Movie Night

2007-12-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

All right, we're going to the movies! Or at least listening to songs that have titles that indicate that they might be about a particular movie. You've got links and comments this time. Click on the artist link to find out about the artist, and click the song title to check out the movie.

Charlie Hunter - Nothin' But Trouble (6:34)
I saw part of this once. Very odd movie, and not quite as funny as you'd hope. Good thing the song is really swingin'.

Stratospheerius - The Perfect Storm (5:44)
This one wasn't too bad. Kinda left me with an "eh" feeling though. Or maybe I'm thinking of White Squall. I know I've seen both.

Tunnels - Boyz in the Ud (5:47)
I'm pretty sure I didn't see this film. I just thought that the title was rather clever (referring to the instrument in the song) and so there it is in the show.

Pip Pyle - Seven Year Itch (3:36)
Definitely didn't see this one. I hear it's a classic. But it's nice to hear Pip play the drums.

Allan Holdsworth - Equus (7:15)
I did see this one, in psychology class in college. So not recently. I don't remember what the point was. I do remember a psychologist and a kid with troubles. Since I'm now working with troubled kids, perhaps I should revisit this movie? Or perhaps not, it's surely more of a movie than a treatise on how to deal with troubled kids.

Byron Nemeth Group - Chocolate Factory (6:48)
One of many movies with remakes. I've actually seen both versions. I'm sure many have. They each have their strong points, I guess, so I won't make a strong declaration of which I prefer. But the song really rocks!

Tony Williams - China Town (8:33)
Another "classic" I haven't seen. I guess I should make a list or something and see some of these. Tony put together a great lineup for this album, and no, he doesn't sing on it. There are some killer songs on this one.

Kiko Loureiro - Havana (5:28)
Haven't seen it, haven't been there. Heard the scorching guitar playing in the song though.

Garaj Mahal - Madagascar (5:22)
Ditto above. Haven't seen it, haven't been there. I like the "world beat" feel to the song. Garaj Mahal is a band I need to check in to more closely, there's some real talent there.

Isotope - Illusion (3:49)
There are at least 10 movies I could find with the title "Illusion" so take your pick. I haven't seen any of them. I did see The Illusionist though. Enjoyed that.

John Coltrane & Don Cherry - The Invisible (4:11)
Sounding like a broken record... haven't seen it. Since this song is so much older than the recent film, maybe it's hidden somewhere in the soundtrack... maybe playing in a diner or something? Just a thought. Funny how the album title is "The Avant Garde" and it probably sounds tame by todays standards. But at the time...

Medeski Martin & Wood - Dracula (4:19)
Speaking of remakes! There are tons of Dracula films out there. Yes, I've seen some of them. And if you're looking to get into MMW, Shack-Man is a great place to start.

The Crusaders - Chain Reaction (5:39)
I've seen this one. Unfortunately. If you're looking for something mindless and somewhat action-filled, you still might want to look elsewhere.

Frank Gambale - The Italian Job (5:30)
Saw the remake. It was ok. I just don't think "caper" films are my favorite genre. I'd rather listen to Frank Gambale than watch the movie.

Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Footloose & Fancy Free (9:01)
Bill tries to sneak in two movies on us! Well, except for the fact that I don't know of a movie called "Fancy Free." But that doesn't mean there isn't one. If you're playing the Kevin Bacon game, you can now connect him to Bill Bruford because of this song.

Moongarden - Solaris (13:00)
Now this one has a remake and I've actually seen both versions. I saw the more recent one (with George Clooney) and didn't know if I really liked it or not. I was intrigued though, so I watched the original. Liked it less. The new one has a great soundtrack, which I quickly bought after hearing it in the movie. This Moongarden song is my favorite from their new album, I love the overlapping vocal stylings. Very tasty. The song might even actually be about the movie. I'm not sure.

Weather Report - Jungle Book (7:23)
I saw this as a youth. Don't remember a lot about it, and have little desire to run out and rent it. Perhaps when I have kids. This song, with a title like that, can hardly be about anything other than either the book or the movie.

James Sudakow - Red (10:15)
I did see this. It's in French, if I recall correctly. I seem to remember the cinematography being beautiful, although I remember very little of the plot. Why James Sudakow's "Red" instead of King Crimson though? Well, I'm pretty sure you've heard the awesome King Crimson song so I thought you'd want to hear someone else's take on the color red. This song rocks and is a great way to close out the show.

The Fusion Reactor #172 - A Tribute To Thelonious Monk

2007-12-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

This week I thought I'd pay tribute to one of my favorite jazz artists - Thelonious Monk. He was progressive in his own way, at least compositionally and rhythmically. So here's a mixture of Monk songs, Monk covers, Monk tributes, and ... songs about monkeys. =)

Misterioso	Thelonious Monk	10:56
Bemsha Swing-Lively Up Yourself	Medeski Martin & Wood	5:41
Monkey See	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	3:17
Funk For Monk	Kobayashi, Ron	6:30
Epistrophy	Hunter, Charlie	3:41
We See	Garage a Trois	3:53
Sprung Monkey	Garage a Trois	6:15
Stomping Grounds/Untitled Instrumental/Green Chimneys	T.J. Kirk	5:34
Cross the Track/Thelonious	T.J. Kirk	4:45
Off Minor	Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey	4:26
I'm Trying to Contain an Outbreak Here and You're Driving the Monkey to the Airport	Forever Einstein	4:26
Thelonius	Beck, Jeff	3:16
Initiatic Quotient Of The Monk: Hypereyes	Priam	10:45
Initiatic Quotient Of The Monk: Birth Of Ucbald	Priam	3:05
Initiatic Quotient Of The Monk: Spiral .Irregular .End	Priam	13:08
Straight No Chaser	Baker, Ginger Trio	5:34
'Round Midnight	Bruford, Bill & Michael Borstlap	5:40
Monkey Businessman [Live]	Manring, Michael	3:48
The Main Monkey Business	Rush	6:02
Trinkle, Tinkle	Thelonius Monk With John Coltrane	6:41

The Fusion Reactor #171 - No Theme

2007-12-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

No theme this week. Just a bunch of fusion that just absolutely needed to be played. So I did.

Freedom Tickler	-	Hunter, Charlie	5:41
Ersatz	-	4/3 De Trio	8:09
Unique New York	-	Scofield, John	5:00
Keep It In the Car (live)	-	Schleigho	11:01
Finding and Believing	-	Metheny, Pat	10:00
Hate Zone	-	Brand X	4:34
Jocelyn - The Commander	-	Corea, Chick	5:02
Fire Walking	-	Passport	3:17
Inner Worlds Part 1 & 2	-	Mahavishnu Orchestra	6:37
Earth Jam	-	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	5:55
Celebration Suite Part I	-	Return To Forever	8:27
Celebration Suite Part II	-	Return To Forever	5:32
Come to Dust	-	Bruford, Bill	10:53
Funky Tonk	-	Davis, Miles	23:29
Money	-	Skolnick, Alex	5:14

The Fusion Reactor #170 - Music Machine

2007-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's odd how much a part of our everyday lives machines have become. You require a machine to listen to the music on this show. You have a machine that transports you to work, where there are probably lots of machines. Do the machines outnumber the people? They do in this show.

Music Machine	Norlander, Erik	6:39
Warming Up The Machines	Project Creation	4:54
The Machines Became Cognizant	Ahleuchatistas	3:41
Neutral	Machine and the Synergetic Nuts	7:49
Welcome To The Machine	Pink Floyd	7:33
Like a Machine that Only Works When It's Working Right	Muffins, The	1:59
The Human: Machine	Mosher, Scott	7:01
Washing Machine	Sonic Youth	9:34
Machine Messiah	Yes	10:21
Machine Mother	Galleon	6:25
Careful With That Fax Machine	Rumah Sakit	5:12
Musmjölkningsmaskinen (The Mousemilkingmachine)	Samla Mammas Manna	6:36
Black Light Machine	Frost*	10:07
Swiss Grid	Turing Machine	10:38
Two Witnesses	Saviour Machine	3:42
Infinity Machine	Passport	5:04
Kings & Queens	Soft Machine	9:14

The Fusion Reactor #169 - Something Sometimes

2007-11-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

This show is a bit ambiguous as to exactly what and when. However, you'll get the idea pretty soon that the "what" is prog and fusion, and the "when" is when The Fusion Reactor is running!

Something She Said	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	3:37
Something Left Unsaid	Mays, Lyle	4:53
Something Spiritual	McLaughlin, John	3:29
Something For Nothing	Rush	4:00
...Or Something	Schleigho	12:58
Of Sounds and Something Else	Sun Ra	2:54
Doin' Something	Soulive	6:46
Something Special	Williams, Tony (Lifetime)	5:43
Something I Should Have Said	Rule, Cyndee Lee	6:04
Something In You	High Wheel	6:12
Sometime Ago-La Fiesta	Return To Forever	23:14
Sometime After Midnight	Mosher, Scott	6:17
Sometimes There's a Buggy	Ahleuchatistas	5:03
Sometimes I See	Metheny, Pat	6:01
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child	Birdsongs of the Mesozoic	4:10
Sometime	Harrison, Gavin & 05Ric	6:55
Sometimes It Is Not as Always	Ozone Player	1:09
Sometimes in the Suburbs	North Star	7:03

The Fusion Reactor #168 - I'm Thankful For Fusion

2007-11-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some fusion bands I'm thankful for. They've impacted my musical life in a positive way.

Casino	DiMeola, Al	9:30
Trickster	Apetrea, Coste	10:01
Downwind	Gong	12:13
Deadly Nightshade	Brand X	10:26
Deep Into the Night	Hiromi	9:02
Elvin	Finnforest	8:36
Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant	Return To Forever	11:27
Pursuance/Psalm	Coltrane, John	17:51
Dream	Mahavishnu Orchestra	11:10
Matrices	Schleigho	20:13
Bing, bing, bing, bing	Hunter, Charlie	7:58
In a Silent Way / It's About That Time	Davis, Miles	19:57
Azzura	Mclaughlin, DiMeola, De Lucia	7:58
Tom Sawyer	Skolnick, Alex	6:35
Shironiji	KBB	13:03

The Fusion Reactor #167 - Epics!

2007-11-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

This week I decided it was epic time again. It's always a fun time. Just four songs this week:

The Way Up - Part One	Metheny, Pat	26:27
1st Movement	Hellborg, Jonas	32:19
Yesternow	Davis, Miles	25:35
Kingdom Come	Jeremy	35:24

Fun, fun, fun and fun.

The Fusion Reactor #166 - A Double Puzzle

2007-11-09T04:35:00.000-08:00

It was something of a puzzle to put this show together. It was a lot of fun and allowed me a lot more liberty than the usual themes seem to do. What happened was this: I picked a song, then went with a different artist with a similar song title, then a different song by the SAME artist. Then the process repeats based on that last song. If you're confused, you'll get it when you see the playlist.

So in effect, you're getting two songs from each artist I'm playing. One is based on the previous song title, and the other one is merely one I felt you absolutely needed to hear. It was fun to put together, get it to fit in about two hours, and get it to wrap around so that the first and the last match up.

Puzzle	Altizer, Rick	4:36
Puzzle	Cold Fairyland	4:15
Forest Dance	Cold Fairyland	4:52
The Enchanted Forest	Izzizzari, Massimo	5:25
Wordgame	Izzizzari, Massimo	5:05
Game Maker	Return To Forever	6:46
Song to the Pharoah Kings	Return To Forever	14:23
Pharaoh's Dance	Davis, Miles	20:00
Black Comedy	Davis, Miles	7:30
Black Coffee	Wackerman, Chad	5:58
The View	Wackerman, Chad	5:06
Three Views Of A Secret	Jaco Pastorius Tribute	9:12
Punk Jazz	Jaco Pastorius Tribute	6:34
Punk China Doll	Zorn, John	3:06
Lonely Woman	Zorn, John	2:46
Quiet Alley and Lonely Terrain	Volta do Mar	5:24
Another Air Strike Called Love	Volta do Mar	3:28
Holy Love Transmitter	Altizer, Rick	3:35

The Fusion Reactor #165 - The Fire Reactor

2007-11-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of "fire songs" out there. I was listening to "Crossfire" by Kansas and remembered that they also have a song called "Fight Fire With Fire" and got the idea to do an incendiary show such as this:

Firepower	Fripp, Robert & David Sylvian	10:27
Spiritual Fire	Ajalon	5:32
Fire and the Wind	Ten Point Ten	6:51
Birds of Fire	Mahavishnu Orchestra	5:48
Fire In the Sun	Kuprij, Vitalij	5:57
Clown On Fire	Darling	4:53
Sky Flying On Fire	Big Big Train	6:05
Pillar of Fire	Levin, Tony	7:00
Crossfire	Kansas	6:33
That, That Is: Togetherness/Crossfire/The Giving Things/That Is/All in All/How Did Heaven Begin...	Yes	19:15
Fire Over Thule	Hermetic Science	10:15
So Close To The Fire (Metanoia Level 3)	Nexus	7:18
In the Fire	Morse, Neal	7:25
Wind, Water & Fire	Iona	13:45

The Fusion Reactor #164 - Eschatology Part 2

2007-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

It's part 2! Enjoy these end-times favorites:

Revelation	Amaran's Plight	13:10
Revelation	Iona	7:01
My Dear Wormwood	Echolyn	3:36
Black Horse	Glass Harp	2:51
Dan Bornemark - Let Truth Reveal the Beast	Giant Tributeurs	3:54
The Beast	Saviour Machine	5:36
Mark Of The Beast	Saviour Machine	4:04
Image Of The Beast	Saviour Machine	3:59
Seraphim	Imogene	4:27
Coming Into View III: Gazing Down on Golden Streets	Orphan Project	7:01
Streets of Gold (Chapter 14)	Saga	4:12
River Of Life	Cosmic Mercy	4:55
River Of Life	Keaggy, King, Denté	4:07
The River	Ten Point Ten	5:50
Tree of Life	Age of Nemesis	6:43
Xylon (The Tree)	Livgren, Kerry	5:55
Glory	Revelation Project	5:57
Supper's Ready	Genesis	22:51

The Fusion Reactor #163 - Eschatology Part 1

2007-10-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

The book of Revelation has a lot of cool imagery in it that prog and fusion artists seem to like to fit in to their music. Here's part one of a show about that sort of stuff.

John the Revelator	Keaggy, Phil	8:04
Alpha	Finnforest	8:16
Alpha Omega Ad Infinitum	SourceCodeX	10:09
Seven Trumpets (Instrumental)	America Gomorrah	6:04
Rapture - The Seventh Seal	Saviour Machine	6:56
A Thief In The Night	Ajalon	6:26
New Jerusalem	GPS	8:27
The Four Horsemen	Martone	8:37
Abaddon's Bolero	Amarok	8:06
Apollyon	Salem Hill	5:34
Hordes Of Locusts	Satriani, Joe	5:11
Seven Thunders Wide	Man On Fire	4:08
Hydra	October Equus	4:00
Almost Babylon	Helmet of Gnats	8:26
The Fall Of Babylon	Saviour Machine	5:11
Millennium	Rocket Scientists	7:15
Millennium	Revelation Project	5:14

The Fusion Reactor #162 - All Sevens

2007-10-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

So seven is a popular prog time signature. Many of the songs on tonight's show may be in seven, but that's not what this show is about (but it may show up on a future Reactor sometime). This is about the number seven in general.

Anthem Of The Seventh Day	Ajalon	4:25
Sevens	Govan, Guthrie	5:57
Seventh Crusade	Soniq Theater	5:03
The Seventh Dimension	Wakeman, Rick	4:29
Seven Moons	Atlantis1001	6:38
Lucky Seven	Squire, Chris	6:55
Seven Stones	Genesis	5:12
Seven by Seven	Hawkwind	8:53
The Seventh Sign	Section A	8:52
Seven Days	Mind's Eye	6:23
All Sevens	Wackerman, Chad	8:13
Seven Dead-Lies	Medeski Martin & Wood	10:56
One in Seven	Soulive	5:17
Seven Days	Metheny, Pat	4:05
System Seven	Fleck, Béla & the Flecktones	4:17
Spiral Seven	Jazz Mutants	7:52
Beyond the Seventh Galaxy	Return To Forever	3:15
Seven Sisters	McLaughlin, John	10:17

The Fusion Reactor #161 - Prog En Español

2007-10-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd practice my Spanish, so here are a bunch of songs about or with titles in Spanish. Great songs, I might add, from a host of different countries.

Spain	Return To Forever	9:51
Mexico	Ergo Sum	3:34
Metambo	Nexus	5:44
Cristo - Nacimiento Muerte y Resurreccion	Vox Dei	12:26
Tiempo De Festival	Weckl, Dave Band	12:43
Mambo De Luna (Para Cachao)	Caribbean Jazz Project	6:56
Donde Comienza el Día	Estigma	7:19
Invito Al Cielo	Sonic Youth	20:54
La Estiba	Mclaughlin, DiMeola, De Lucia	5:51
Hard Headed Rio AKA Rio Cuca Dura	Garage a Trois	4:14
Reliqua Tempora	October Equus	3:43
El Fin De La Infancia	Tempano	24:29

The Fusion Reactor #160 - Sound Chaser

2007-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Songs are naturally made up of a bunch of sounds... and sometimes silence. It occurs to me that there are a bunch of songs about sound, or bands named after sound. This is only scratching the surface, I didn't even get to the onomatopoeia yet. Maybe another time...

Sound Chaser (Detroit 1976)	Yes	11:18
Sound Museum	Coleman, Ornette	6:17
The King's Enchanter	Soniq Theater	12:24
Without A Sound	Simon Apple	3:15
Love Sounds	Abigail's Ghost	6:49
Sonic Garden	Fareri, Francesco	2:33
Spanish Moss - A Sound Portrait a) Spanish Moss b) Savannah the Serene c) Storm d) Flash Flood	Cobham, Billy	16:55
Telling England By The Sound	Masi, Alex	4:33
Schizophrenic Playground	Sonic Pulsar	10:08
Ancient Hieroglyphics	Sonic Music	6:51
The Sound of No-One Listening	Porcupine Tree	8:14
Sounds From Below	Lake Trout	4:16
Let Me Drown	Soundgarden	3:52
The Diamond Sea	Sonic Youth	19:36

I tired to shoot for some more "sonically explorative" songs instead of just your run-of-the-mill prog and fusion. In some cases I found it. Personally, I love the last song, but I'm sure some will absolutely hate it.

The Fusion Reactor #159 - New Additions

2007-09-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

It's been an extremely busy week. I didn't have a lot of time to put something together and I haven't done this type of show for a while, so here they are: Some new additions to the ProgPositivity library, whether it's stuff I bought or stuff that got sent from record labels. So you've got it all: Prog, Fusion, Metal, ...other.

Speckulation	Fournier, Chris	6:19
The 4.15 Bradford Executive	Allan Holdsworth	8:29
Window of the Soul	Vendetta	6:18
Rock - Paper - Scissors	Chinese Firedrill, A	9:22
Down the Dolce Vita	Gabriel, Peter	4:42
Devil's Staircase	Tunnels	8:35
Open Your Eyes	Asia	6:26
Voyage of the Dragonfly	Project Creation	9:47
Inca Roads	Zappa, Frank	8:45
The World Fades to Gray	Mosher, Scott	11:08
Life Like Homes	Speaking Canaries, The	8:26
Pandora's Musical Box	Mind's Eye	10:58
Song Of The Whale, Part Two: To Dusk...	Tangerine Dream	10:54
In My World	Moody Blues	7:22