The Po90 Website Reviews page

	Posted Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:16 by todds PO90 “Jitters” reviewed by the PROGBOYS site P.B Rating 10/10 I am very privileged and proud to have the opportunity to be the first person to listen to and review the new album by PO90 “Jitters”. Andy Tillison has returned to his original roots after a break of 7 years during which time he has become a household name in the world of progressive rock thanks to the success of “The Tangent” The last release from PO90 was the excellent double compilation called “A Can Of Worms” which featured the very best of their output with additional unreleased tracks it is an essential release and perfectly captures their unique but very accessible sound. The first track the instrumental interlude starts with the line “They'd wish they they'd seen it coming” and immediately sets the standard for the rest of the album,the track is underpinned with a superb guitar riff overlayed with some understated but very effective keyboards and sound fx. It is an exciting and very inventive start and leaves you just wanting to here what is next. A very subtle piano intro brings in the next track “Standalone” which initially sounds like Porcupine tree,before Andy Tillison heartfelt vocals kick in and PO90 just write their unique signature all over this track.Tempo changes galore,the guitar and keyboards just seem so effortless on this track.A perfect mix of melody and atmosphere the PO90 way,my favourite song on the album. “Threesome” is a very industrial post punk influenced song with a superb bass line and more of an aggressive vocal this time,full of spoken word sound effects,it deserves to be played a few times before you hear the full potential of this song,not as immediate as “Standalone” but eventually just as rewarding. A very interesting bass line starts the next track “Entry Level” it immediately draws you into the song,i love the laid back vocals on this track and the way that they compliment the superb soundscape that is created. The track to me has a very mystical but very modern feel to the sound you almost forget all the high quality instrumentation and just feel lost in the music. “Backup” has quite a dark feel to it initially with another superb riff coming to the forefront,with some majestic keyboard work yet again. It has an almost choral vocal sound at times with a sing along chorus. Yet again and this is the thing I like about PO90 as much as there is such a superb variety of sounds on offer it never sounds overproduced it seems like they are having some real fun on this track and can I imagine this track will sound superb live. So “Jitters” the title track begins with a very slow rhythmic beat and a trademark sound fx ridden vocal. You just never know what direction the music might take and this track certainly doesn't disappoint on that front. I found myself just waiting for the next surprise,guitar and keyboard stabs galore are yet again perfectly mixed with an almost spoken vocal at times,the track just reinforces everything I love about the PO90 sound. “The Dock Of The Abyss” starts slowly with another spoken intro,i have always loved songs that start this way and it adds a certain atmosphere to the proceedings. Andy Tillison sings sitting on the dock of the abyss wasting time along to a very quiet but effective guitar sound,before it builds up to a very effective and anthemic chorus which you just cant help joining in singing with. Probably the most uncomplicated song so far but still progressive in the true sense of the word,and it is probably the first and last time that you will hear the first few lines from the otis redding classic "Sitting On The Dock Of the Bay" in a prog song. The album ends with “On The Death Of Jade” with an almost eastern mystical atmosphere to it at first,a very methodical vocal that seems to mesmerize at first before revealing itself later in the song.The sound effects are very effective on this track and compliment it brillantly.I love the vocals on this track and the direction in which it takes you, it guides you without holding your hand to the perfect ending for what is without doubt a superb album. It is very difficult to find any fault with this album,it is an A-Z Masterclass in Modern Progressive Rock. This album should be on every progressive rock fans wanted list it is that good. The album is officially released in mid-November on Omegatunez,you can pre-order from www.po90.com and also listen to some song samples from the album. Todds REVIEWS of the recent compilation in a variety of languages! http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200908.php#po90D Parallel Or Ninety Degrees, the great Yorkshire band that released six CDs to often great critical acclaim but seemingly not much in the way of popular recognition. Having been dormant since 2002, largely due to the success of The Tangent, it has just been announced that the band are working on a new album for release later in the year. As all the original CDs are scandalously out of print, this remastered double compilation CD, featuring the cream of their output in addition to several unreleased gems, will have to suffice until the new album is completed and the back catalogue can be reissued. But back to the beginning and the roots of the band way back in the late 1980s and a group known as Gold Frankincense And Disk Drive. In their time they released three or four LPs (that's vinyl folks!) and, in 1992, a cassette of Peter Hammill songs called No More Travelling Chess (taken from a lyric by said Mr Hammill). GFDD seemed to have a fairly fluid line-up with the exception being Andy Tillison Diskdrive. The last line-up also featured Guy Manning who apparently opted to move to Germany the day the group decided to change their name to PO90D! No More Travelling Chess was reissued on CD in 1999 under the new name and is represented on this compilation by Modern, a very Hammillesque (eh?) take on this Hammill solo number which is notable for its addition of drums to the song. The first album, The Corner Of My Room was recorded in 1996 by the duo of Tillison and Sam Baine, both keyboard players, although Tillison did play guitar and beat the occasional drum. The Media Pirates shows that even at this early stage Tillison's vision of the band was pretty much in place - long form pieces split into different sections and inspired by classic progressive rock. An earlier version of the band had started to record an album which was abandoned. However, a rough version of a 17-minute epic A Gap In The Night was included on the CD reissue, which is worth looking out for if only for the fact that it features Hugh Banton from Van Der Graaf Generator. As the CD was limited to 501 copies and it looks unlikely that PO90D will get round to recording a proper version one day (a desire expressed in the CD booklet) one has to hope that this album, along with all the others, will one day get a re-release. Encouraged by their own endeavours, although precious few sales, the duo decided to make another album but this time got some other people involved as well - enter Graham Young (guitar), Lee Duncan (drums), Jonathan Barrett (bass) and Malcolm Parker (Cyclops Records). Yes, a small but dedicated label that wanted to release the next album, 1997's Afterlifecycle. This album contained probably the most ambitious composition from the band, the 28-minute title track. The compilation neglects to name all the sections, which are: Introduction, Dead On A Car Park Floor Part 1, Afterlife What? Part 1, Gears Meshing With Dandelions, Dead On A Car Park Floor Part 2, Moving Lights In A Tunnel, Afterlife What? Part 2, and Lifecycle. Interestingly, the version here is the complete sequence presented as a single track; originally the last section (Lifecycle) came at the end of the album separated from the rest of sequence by 24 minutes. The Time Capsule, released in 1998, saw guitarist Young being replaced by Gareth Harwood. Another music packed CD, clocking in, like its predecessors at over 70 minutes, the style had not changed at all, with another epic title track of more than 20 minutes duration. Three tracks from this album feature on the compilation, the gentle balladesque Promises Of Life with its excellent fretless bass playing, lovely vocal and some ersatz Frippertronics, the lively and engaging The Single (which wasn't) featuring a guest appearance by Guy Manning on guitar, and Unforgiving Skies which, although not mentioned on the sleeve, has been almost doubled in length to sixteen minutes (the sleeve gives the original time of 9 minutes). The extra material is not really an extension of the song but an additional instrumental section, which is rather pleasant and makes a decent ending to the CD. By the following year, Duncan and Barrett had also departed to be replaced by Ken Senior and Alex King, respectively. The album the new line-up complete and released in 1999 was Unbranded: Music From The E.E.C. Surplus. The most diverse album yet, there were elements from much wider sources of inspiration, many introduced by the new members. Representing 'Unbranded' we have the title track with its excellent lyrical take on the pressures of conforming to fashion, and Space Junk which is the epitome of modern progressive rock. Around this time Tillison began kicking some musical ideas around with old accomplice Guy Manning for a project they thought to be a sideline to their own respective groups. Before these ideas came to fruition there was another PO90D album to be considered, this time with fresh, young blood in the form of Dan Watts who had taken over guitar duties from Harwood who had decided to emigrate. The resulting album, and Alex King, respectively. The album the new line-up complete and released in 1999 was More Exotic Ways To Die, continued and expanded on the variety of styles explored on Unbranded going so far as to include avant garde experiments with house music (Drum One) and early synthesiser music (The One That Sounds Like Tangerine Dream, later explored more fully by Tillison on his solo album Fog). Petroleum Addicts is more of a progressive number the subject of which is somewhat self-explanatory. A Man Of Thin Air and Embalmed In Acid are the second and third parts of More Exotic Ways To Die with the latter track being one of the strongest in the bands repertoire, featuring a great arrangement, excellent use of backing vocals and a haunting melody to boot. The band were convinced that this was their most important album to date, a summation of all they had learnt and experienced and would set them on the road to wider recognition. Typically, it didn't. Returning to the side project with Guy Manning and bringing in some friends along the way, Tillison and Baine became part of The Tangent whose debut album outsold the entire PO90D back catalogue in less than one month. Somewhat surprising as the music of the 'new' band was not a million miles away from what PO90D had been releasing, a situation that has become increasingly more apparent with each subsequent release by the 'side project'. That brings us to the unreleased items on the compilation, starting with a track that was originally released on The Time Capsule. Blues For Lear, a classic PO90D song if there ever was one, was being considered for inclusion on the first Tangent album but ultimately was rejected because of the amount of new material composed. This version, surprisingly, features the entire PO90D line-up but with the addition of Roine Stolt on guitar and vocal. A lovely version with a great solo by Dan Watts in the middle of the piece and some lovely bluesy embellishments from Stolt makes this a welcome addition to anyone's collection. The remaining three tracks were recorded for a new PO90D album but the success of The Tangent and the resulting commitments on Tillison and Baine combined with the 'pressure' to release a follow-up, meant the album was never completed and the recordings were shelved, as was the band. Four Egos One War may seem familiar as it was re-recorded and included on Not As Good As The Book the most recent Tangent album. An intense track about the Iraq war that doesn't seem to let up, it is interesting to compare the two versions. Fadge Part 1 has a really gritty guitar sound with vocals uncharacteristically pushed far back into the mix. Lots of synths add a spacey feel but the overall impression of the track is that PO90D were looking to continue exploring new musical directions. In complete contrast, A Kick In The Teeth starts off in a more laid back manner before ramping up to a heavier mode. Again, in the louder sections the vocals are not as immediate as in the quieter sections. The two tracks in particular, sound somewhat incomplete, although it is great to have the opportunity to hear these pieces that would otherwise have been gathering dust. There is one further track that is not mentioned in the album artwork. Following the end of Petroleum Addicts there is a somewhat rough (quality wise) live version of The Third Person the first ever song written and recorded by PO90D, a nice way to wrap up the musical career of this sadly underappreciated band ...so far. With the group back writing and recording and this fine compilation providing a summary of what has gone before, there is still hope that Parallel Or Ninety Degrees will get some of the recognition they deserve. With the success of The Tangent it is hopeful that more people will be encouraged to check out A Can Of Worms, I assure you, if you like The Tangent, you'll love PO90D! Conclusion: 9 out of 10 MARK HUGHES www.neildaniels.com An obscure band, Parallel or 90 Degrees have a cult fan base that has remained steady since they released their debut CD 'The Corner Of My Room' back in 1996. Mainman Andy Tillison has another band called The Tangent but this band are lesser known and has been put into a coma for some time; the last album release was 2001s 'More Exotic Ways To Die' although they did regroup for some recording sessions in 2002. 'A Can Of Worms' covers material from 1996, the year they formed, to 2001. Spanning across five albums, it's weird and eclectic but utterly addictive in some respects. Any decent compilation should serve as an archive of material and thus include b-sides, live tracks and unreleased material. This two disc set includes four previously unreleased songs. There are some avant-garde pieces and more approachable songs like 'The Single' but on the whole it's wildly inventive stuff. www.progplanet.com Parallel or Ninety Degrees, has released a double album. Entitled: "A Can Of Worms" with the undertitle:The Best of 1996-2001. The keyboard based duo Andy Tillison & Sam Baine created Parallel or Ninety Degrees, way back in 1996. After the first (Instrumental) album & "The Corner of My Room" the band extended to a five piece thus creating "Afterlifecycle" 1997. Andy Tillison´s side project: The Tangent, meanwhile stole the attention. The Tangent, being very popular in prog circuits! Anyhow, this superb comprehensive double release features: a compilation/selection of all five albums from mentioned band! Plus some new and unrelased tracks from the 2002 album! Now the music: I am really impressed by the high quality of the music herein, old and new! Ive heard this double some 9-10 times and it grows with every spin! Lets take it backwards... Disc # 2: "Afterlifecycle" sequence incl. "Dead on a Carpark Floor" ringing in at some 28:00 minutes. This is pure great epic track bliss for every progfan, with superb composition, great delivery and excellent varied thematics. With leanings to the great Van Der Graaf G, only the music more melodic & vocals are more soothing, though reciting at times !! "Enbalmed In Acid" another beautiful track, still reminding this reviewer of VDGG, yet with that very personal sound that Parallel or 90 Degrees has developed! "Four Ego´s One War" one of the unreleased tracks, starting out like a ballad, with acoustic guitar and a soft vocal, that could have been a Porcupine Tree/ Blackfield ballad!! After the 3 minute mark the tempo grows and hardens, lots of hammond keys and great lead guitar. Yet again changing pace at the 6 minute mark with an interval of finely crafted sologuitar midtheme, beautiful! This track holds so many breaks/intervals it is almost unbelievable!! total time: 20:14. Superb stuff! This disc #2, holds 2 more unreleased tracks: "Fadge part One" & " A Kick In The Teeth" ending with the brilliant track: "Unforgiving skies" from the album "Time capsule" 1998. Disc #1: holds 8 tracks from the 5 Parallel or 90 Degrees albums and one unreleased track: "Blues for Lear" with Roine Stolt on vocal & guitar. Let me mention just a few of these tunes: "Unbranded" from the album of the same name, a great varied powerful song, with excellent guitars from Harwood! This fine track flows seamless into the next "Modern" from the album "No More Travelling Chess", which again has uncanny resemblance to the sound of VDGG, well actually this time not that surprising, since the song was written by Pete Hammill! A quite rough edge sounding tune! "Promises Of Life" a beautiful gentle ballad from the album "Time capsule". "Blues For Lear" is just that, a fine blues tune which of course are the odd one out, since it is musically no where near the other songs on this fine double release! Now, dont get me wrong I kinda like this track and it is always a pleasure to hear Stolt, especially when he handles that sixstring! Superb!! So, what do I think of this double cd release?! I think that it is a brilliant release, for all into fine progmusic to discover or re-discover the excellent sonic´s of Parallel Or 90 Degrees!! Tillison is truly a remarkable and unique musician & songwriter. Please observe that I havent commented on all 15 tracks on this outing, I will leave it up to you dear reader/progfriend to find your own favourite tunes! So, go buy it, why dont you...it really is worth your time and money!! ENJOY!! www.proggnosis.com First things first! I must confess I've always liked this band, even way more than for instance The Tangent (which seems to be much more successful in the prog circles). Yet the concept of a Best-Of from PO90 just has to be a bit strange, a tad bizarre to say the least. First because this has never been (unfortunately) such a successful band, and then because the scope of its musicality (the exact contrary of 'commercial') always makes such a selection a controversial exercise with short (to impossible) possibilities of status quo. Curiously enough I do find the resulting selection on this double cd quite good and accurate, while there would be 2 or 3 tracks I would add it in (like Shoulder to shoulder from Unbranded, for instance). Overall it seems to me that the tracks for this release were thoughtfully chosen no matter the above mentioned subjectivity. A very important aspect of this release is the possibility it provides us to listen to some of the never previously released tracks that should have been part of a new album (back in 2002). The booklet accompanying the album is very informative on the reasons for this best-of, as it is about the complete history of the band (in stand-by status for quite a while). The music of the band has always been challenging and very contemporary. A demonstration that the late 90s and early 00s progressive rock produced some real gems and innovative and inventive bands. PO90 has always been influenced by Peter Hammil and VDGG, but it did construct a very personal signature on top of those reminiscences, adding them a sort of a alternative vibe, a heavier approach and a unique atmosphere that amazingly pin-point incorporated the emotional and sometimes aggressive vocal styling mused by Peter Hammil. In fact one of the most awkward yet brighten characteristic in this band has always been the capacity of Andy Tillison to sing in a emotionally descriptive way, like he is really feeling deep every word of the lyrics (yet again, just like PH). This is a terrific add-on to the instrumental architectures, already very complex and challenging. While many times it seems like it is the keyboard playing that is driving the music (and many times it is providing that aggressive touch), there is a sense of melody provided by the guitars that can take the music from harmonically odd to simply ear-friendly in a second and then back to semi-chaotic again. The music is, therefore, a balanced mix between melody and aggressiveness, between pure and nihilistic. And this is something that PO90 has been perfectly capable of capturing and frame into a colorful sonic painting, filled of subversive aspects and details that constantly take the music in apart directions, like in an emotional maze, a mind labyrinth. I could never give other recommendation than tell you to go buy this record immediately, especially if you are one of those that like this band but dont own an original recording. And if you never heard this band but are into modern complex prog that has strong connections to the emotional Hamillesque approach, then really, ¦what are you waiting for??? www.soilchronicles.fr Sacrée surprise que la réception d’un nouvel album de PO9D, groupe prog unique et hors castes, dont je croyais le split consommé depuis quelques années. Le combo des claviéristes Andy Tillison et Sam Baine, formé en 1996, avait pourtant délivré jusqu’en 2001, cinq opus bien appréciables avant d’être mis entre parenthèses au profit d’un autre projet : The Tangent. Ce dernier dessein devenant rapidement une pointure internationale dans la sphère du rock progressif, plus de nouvelles du groupe nous intéressant entraina de ma part une conclusion hâtive. En guise de quoi le label ProgRock Records nous propose ici une compilation (en 2 Cds) de leurs offrandes, assortie d’une part de trente minutes de nouveaux titres, et d’autre part de plages enregistrées en 2002 pour un album qui ne vit finalement pas le jour. Ceci en raison du succès concomitant de The Tangent auquel fut donnée la priorité. Une bonne sélection de titres qui permettra aux plus jeunes de découvrir –et redécouvrir pour les plus âgés- un groupe résolument à part. Un prog/rock band du Yorkshire anglais, foncièrement différent, et à la notoriété restée somme toute assez underground malgré le talent dont les musiciens ont toujours fait montre. Un prog technique teinté seventies que certains qualifieront de véritable anachronisme, mais qui associé à une maturité, une expérience et un modernisme choisi, feront se délecter tous les amateurs du genre. Les facettes ambiantes et évolutives typiques à ce style sont véritablement ciselées; et quand certains se remémoreront les Yes, Genesis (période Nursery Crime, Foxtrot) ou autres Pink Floyd, les autres y verront tout simplement du Muse… Pour les novices progueux, ou pour ceux désirant découvrir l’excellence de l’œuvre de PO9D, on ne peut que conseiller d’auditionner par exemple « Four eyes one war ». Ce titre est le véritable reflet du panel de ce genre, finalisé avec art et perfection. L’ultime degré dans la magnificence d’un style rock si décrié. Ce « A can of worms » est pour résumer, une parfaite introduction/initiation ; ou un parfait testament c’est selon … Pour découvrir l’unicité et l’appréciabilité de l’univers musical des anglais. Le seul reproche que l’on pourra leur faire sera de ne plus trop être dans l’air du temps. Mais ceci est une autre histoire, la mode n’étant pas forcément gage de qualité… 7/10 http://www.proggies.ch Andy Tillison feiert gegenwärtig mit The Tangent durchaus erfolgreiche Momente. Mit seiner Vorgängerband Parallel or 90 Degrees klappte es allerdings bis jetzt nie so richtig. Woran mag es wohl gelegen haben? Fakt ist, dass The Tangent gewaltig auf der Retroschiene fährt, während sich PO90 im wesentlichen viel experimenteller zeigt, sogar Elemente des New Artrocks verbirgt und Tillison‘s Hang zu elektronischer Musik der Berliner Schule schon vorwegnimmt. Diese Compilation, zusammengestellt vom Meister himself und veröffentlicht durch ProgRock Records verschafft einen interessanten und breiten Überblick über das Schaffen dieser Band mit seinen 5 Alben. Durch den Einsatz von zwei Keyboardern (Tillison und Sam Baine) wirkt der Gesamtsound natürlich etwas tastendominant. Doch bei einigen Stücken bekommt die Gitarre mächtig Spielraum und setzt gewaltig Druck auf. wie z.B bei A kick in the teeth. Im grossen und ganzen gefällt mir Cd 2 etwas besser. Der Longtrack Afterlifecycle ist eigentlich gar kein epischer Song. Die Spielzeit beinhaltet verschiedene Stücke des Albums aus dem Jahre 1997. Passt aber alles wie die Faust aufs Auge. Ob bluesig, sphärisch oder rockig bzw poppig, es ist alles vorhanden. Ein weiteres Highlight finde ich den starken Progrocker Four egos one war. Scheinbar wurde dieser Track in veränderter Form auf einem The Tangent Album veröffentlicht. Auf jeden Fall der Höhepunkt dieser Compilation. Was fällt auf? Tillison ist ein ausgezeichneter Organist und Synthesizer Freak. Er schreckt auch vor Drum‘ n Bass Einsatz nicht zurück und das stellt ihn in den direkten Vergleich zu Steven Wilson. Parallel or 90 Degrees leben ihren Hang zu verschiedenen Musikstilen aus und lassen sich in keine Schublade stecken. Vorallem bei Cd 2 finde ich durchaus Befriedigung wie ich sie seinerzeit bei Porcupine Tree fand, bevor sie dachten, sie müssten einen auf Metal machen. Nur schon die instrumentalen JamParts voller Synthispielereien bei Afterlifecycle sind sackstark. Auch die restlichen Tracks sind mehr oder weniger imposant. Das Manko der Band ist und bleibt die Stimme Tillison’s, die aber gerade durch diese Waters mässige Intonation polarisiert. Nicht alles erschliesst sich beim ersten Hördurchgang. Auch scheinen einem manchmal die Parts etwas zu erdrücken. Ich denke, diese Mucke ist je nach Lust und Laune zu ertragen und zu geniessen, kann aber auch tierisch auf den Sack gehen. Fazit: Parallel or 90 Degrees bleiben wohl ein Geheimtipp im Underground. Erfolge werden sie wahrscheinlich nie feiern, dafür ist das Dargebotene einfach etwas zu speziell. Vielleicht kann aber diese Compilation etwas dazu beitragen, dass der Name PO90 etwas mehr in der Progszene diskutiert wird.

PO90 “Jitters” reviewed by the PROGBOYS site

P.B Rating 10/10

I am very privileged and proud to have the opportunity to be the first person to listen to and review the new album by PO90 “Jitters”.

Andy Tillison has returned to his original roots after a break of 7 years during which time he has become a household name in the world of progressive rock thanks to the success of “The Tangent”

The last release from PO90 was the excellent double compilation called “A Can Of Worms” which featured the very best of their output with additional unreleased tracks it is an essential release and perfectly captures their unique but very accessible sound.

The first track the instrumental interlude starts with the line “They'd wish they they'd seen it coming” and immediately sets the standard for the rest of the album,the track is underpinned with a superb guitar riff overlayed with some understated but very effective keyboards and sound fx. It is an exciting and very inventive start and leaves you just wanting to here what is next.

A very subtle piano intro brings in the next track “Standalone” which initially sounds like Porcupine tree,before Andy Tillison heartfelt vocals kick in and PO90 just write their unique signature all over this track.Tempo changes galore,the guitar and keyboards just seem so effortless on this track.A perfect mix of melody and atmosphere the PO90 way,my favourite song on the album.

“Threesome” is a very industrial post punk influenced song with a superb bass line and more of an aggressive vocal this time,full of spoken word sound effects,it deserves to be played a few times before you hear the full potential of this song,not as immediate as “Standalone” but eventually just as rewarding.

A very interesting bass line starts the next track “Entry Level” it immediately draws you into the song,i love the laid back vocals on this track and the way that they compliment the superb soundscape that is created. The track to me has a very mystical but very modern feel to the sound you almost forget all the high quality instrumentation and just feel lost in the music.

“Backup” has quite a dark feel to it initially with another superb riff coming to the forefront,with some majestic keyboard work yet again. It has an almost choral vocal sound at times with a sing along chorus. Yet again and this is the thing I like about PO90 as much as there is such a superb variety of sounds on offer it never sounds overproduced it seems like they are having some real fun on this track and can I imagine this track will sound superb live.

So “Jitters” the title track begins with a very slow rhythmic beat and a trademark sound fx ridden vocal. You just never know what direction the music might take and this track certainly doesn't disappoint on that front. I found myself just waiting for the next surprise,guitar and keyboard stabs galore are yet again perfectly mixed with an almost spoken vocal at times,the track just reinforces everything I love about the PO90 sound.

“The Dock Of The Abyss” starts slowly with another spoken intro,i have always loved songs that start this way and it adds a certain atmosphere to the proceedings. Andy Tillison sings sitting on the dock of the abyss wasting time along to a very quiet but effective guitar sound,before it builds up to a very effective and anthemic chorus which you just cant help joining in singing with. Probably the most uncomplicated song so far but still progressive in the true sense of the word,and it is probably the first and last time that you will hear the first few lines from the otis redding classic "Sitting On The Dock Of the Bay" in a prog song.

The album ends with “On The Death Of Jade” with an almost eastern mystical atmosphere to it at first,a very methodical vocal that seems to mesmerize at first before revealing itself later in the song.The sound effects are very effective on this track and compliment it brillantly.I love the vocals on this track and the direction in which it takes you, it guides you without holding your hand to the perfect ending for what is without doubt a superb album.

It is very difficult to find any fault with this album,it is an A-Z Masterclass in Modern Progressive Rock.

This album should be on every progressive rock fans wanted list it is that good.

The album is officially released in mid-November on Omegatunez,you can pre-order from www.po90.com and also listen to some song samples from the album.

Todds

Parallel Or Ninety Degrees, the great Yorkshire band that released six CDs to often great critical acclaim but seemingly not much in the way of popular recognition. Having been dormant since 2002, largely due to the success of The Tangent, it has just been announced that the band are working on a new album for release later in the year. As all the original CDs are scandalously out of print, this remastered double compilation CD, featuring the cream of their output in addition to several unreleased gems, will have to suffice until the new album is completed and the back catalogue can be reissued.

But back to the beginning and the roots of the band way back in the late 1980s and a group known as Gold Frankincense And Disk Drive. In their time they released three or four LPs (that's vinyl folks!) and, in 1992, a cassette of Peter Hammill songs called No More Travelling Chess (taken from a lyric by said Mr Hammill). GFDD seemed to have a fairly fluid line-up with the exception being Andy Tillison Diskdrive. The last line-up also featured Guy Manning who apparently opted to move to Germany the day the group decided to change their name to PO90D! No More Travelling Chess was reissued on CD in 1999 under the new name and is represented on this compilation by Modern, a very Hammillesque (eh?) take on this Hammill solo number which is notable for its addition of drums to the song. The first album, The Corner Of My Room was recorded in 1996 by the duo of Tillison and Sam Baine, both keyboard players, although Tillison did play guitar and beat the occasional drum. The Media Pirates shows that even at this early stage Tillison's vision of the band was pretty much in place - long form pieces split into different sections and inspired by classic progressive rock. An earlier version of the band had started to record an album which was abandoned. However, a rough version of a 17-minute epic A Gap In The Night was included on the CD reissue, which is worth looking out for if only for the fact that it features Hugh Banton from Van Der Graaf Generator. As the CD was limited to 501 copies and it looks unlikely that PO90D will get round to recording a proper version one day (a desire expressed in the CD booklet) one has to hope that this album, along with all the others, will one day get a re-release. Encouraged by their own endeavours, although precious few sales, the duo decided to make another album but this time got some other people involved as well - enter Graham Young (guitar), Lee Duncan (drums), Jonathan Barrett (bass) and Malcolm Parker (Cyclops Records). Yes, a small but dedicated label that wanted to release the next album, 1997's Afterlifecycle. This album contained probably the most ambitious composition from the band, the 28-minute title track. The compilation neglects to name all the sections, which are: Introduction, Dead On A Car Park Floor Part 1, Afterlife What? Part 1, Gears Meshing With Dandelions, Dead On A Car Park Floor Part 2, Moving Lights In A Tunnel, Afterlife What? Part 2, and Lifecycle. Interestingly, the version here is the complete sequence presented as a single track; originally the last section (Lifecycle) came at the end of the album separated from the rest of sequence by 24 minutes.

The Time Capsule, released in 1998, saw guitarist Young being replaced by Gareth Harwood. Another music packed CD, clocking in, like its predecessors at over 70 minutes, the style had not changed at all, with another epic title track of more than 20 minutes duration. Three tracks from this album feature on the compilation, the gentle balladesque Promises Of Life with its excellent fretless bass playing, lovely vocal and some ersatz Frippertronics, the lively and engaging The Single (which wasn't) featuring a guest appearance by Guy Manning on guitar, and Unforgiving Skies which, although not mentioned on the sleeve, has been almost doubled in length to sixteen minutes (the sleeve gives the original time of 9 minutes). The extra material is not really an extension of the song but an additional instrumental section, which is rather pleasant and makes a decent ending to the CD. By the following year, Duncan and Barrett had also departed to be replaced by Ken Senior and Alex King, respectively. The album the new line-up complete and released in 1999 was Unbranded: Music From The E.E.C. Surplus. The most diverse album yet, there were elements from much wider sources of inspiration, many introduced by the new members. Representing 'Unbranded' we have the title track with its excellent lyrical take on the pressures of conforming to fashion, and Space Junk which is the epitome of modern progressive rock. Around this time Tillison began kicking some musical ideas around with old accomplice Guy Manning for a project they thought to be a sideline to their own respective groups. Before these ideas came to fruition there was another PO90D album to be considered, this time with fresh, young blood in the form of Dan Watts who had taken over guitar duties from Harwood who had decided to emigrate. The resulting album, and Alex King, respectively. The album the new line-up complete and released in 1999 was More Exotic Ways To Die, continued and expanded on the variety of styles explored on Unbranded going so far as to include avant garde experiments with house music (Drum One) and early synthesiser music (The One That Sounds Like Tangerine Dream, later explored more fully by Tillison on his solo album Fog). Petroleum Addicts is more of a progressive number the subject of which is somewhat self-explanatory. A Man Of Thin Air and Embalmed In Acid are the second and third parts of More Exotic Ways To Die with the latter track being one of the strongest in the bands repertoire, featuring a great arrangement, excellent use of backing vocals and a haunting melody to boot. The band were convinced that this was their most important album to date, a summation of all they had learnt and experienced and would set them on the road to wider recognition. Typically, it didn't.

Returning to the side project with Guy Manning and bringing in some friends along the way, Tillison and Baine became part of The Tangent whose debut album outsold the entire PO90D back catalogue in less than one month. Somewhat surprising as the music of the 'new' band was not a million miles away from what PO90D had been releasing, a situation that has become increasingly more apparent with each subsequent release by the 'side project'. That brings us to the unreleased items on the compilation, starting with a track that was originally released on The Time Capsule. Blues For Lear, a classic PO90D song if there ever was one, was being considered for inclusion on the first Tangent album but ultimately was rejected because of the amount of new material composed. This version, surprisingly, features the entire PO90D line-up but with the addition of Roine Stolt on guitar and vocal. A lovely version with a great solo by Dan Watts in the middle of the piece and some lovely bluesy embellishments from Stolt makes this a welcome addition to anyone's collection. The remaining three tracks were recorded for a new PO90D album but the success of The Tangent and the resulting commitments on Tillison and Baine combined with the 'pressure' to release a follow-up, meant the album was never completed and the recordings were shelved, as was the band. Four Egos One War may seem familiar as it was re-recorded and included on Not As Good As The Book the most recent Tangent album. An intense track about the Iraq war that doesn't seem to let up, it is interesting to compare the two versions. Fadge Part 1 has a really gritty guitar sound with vocals uncharacteristically pushed far back into the mix. Lots of synths add a spacey feel but the overall impression of the track is that PO90D were looking to continue exploring new musical directions. In complete contrast, A Kick In The Teeth starts off in a more laid back manner before ramping up to a heavier mode. Again, in the louder sections the vocals are not as immediate as in the quieter sections. The two tracks in particular, sound somewhat incomplete, although it is great to have the opportunity to hear these pieces that would otherwise have been gathering dust. There is one further track that is not mentioned in the album artwork. Following the end of Petroleum Addicts there is a somewhat rough (quality wise) live version of The Third Person the first ever song written and recorded by PO90D, a nice way to wrap up the musical career of this sadly underappreciated band ...so far.

With the group back writing and recording and this fine compilation providing a summary of what has gone before, there is still hope that Parallel Or Ninety Degrees will get some of the recognition they deserve. With the success of The Tangent it is hopeful that more people will be encouraged to check out A Can Of Worms, I assure you, if you like The Tangent, you'll love PO90D!

An obscure band, Parallel or 90 Degrees have a cult fan base that has remained steady since they released their debut CD 'The Corner Of My Room' back in 1996. Mainman Andy Tillison has another band called The Tangent but this band are lesser known and has been put into a coma for some time; the last album release was 2001s 'More Exotic Ways To Die' although they did regroup for some recording sessions in 2002. 'A Can Of Worms' covers material from 1996, the year they formed, to 2001. Spanning across five albums, it's weird and eclectic but utterly addictive in some respects. Any decent compilation should serve as an archive of material and thus include b-sides, live tracks and unreleased material. This two disc set includes four previously unreleased songs. There are some avant-garde pieces and more approachable songs like 'The Single' but on the whole it's wildly inventive stuff.

Parallel or Ninety Degrees, has released a double album. Entitled: "A Can Of Worms" with the undertitle:The Best of 1996-2001. The keyboard based duo Andy Tillison & Sam Baine created Parallel or Ninety Degrees, way back in 1996.
After the first (Instrumental) album & "The Corner of My Room" the band extended to a five piece thus creating "Afterlifecycle" 1997.
Andy Tillison´s side project: The Tangent, meanwhile stole the attention. The Tangent, being very popular in prog circuits!

Anyhow, this superb comprehensive double release features:
a compilation/selection of all five albums from mentioned band! Plus some new and unrelased tracks from the 2002 album!

Now the music:
I am really impressed by the high quality of the music herein, old and new! Ive heard this double some 9-10 times and it grows with every spin!

Lets take it backwards...
Disc # 2:
"Afterlifecycle" sequence incl. "Dead on a Carpark Floor" ringing in at some 28:00 minutes. This is pure great epic track bliss for every progfan, with superb composition, great delivery and excellent varied thematics. With leanings to the great Van Der Graaf G, only the music more melodic & vocals are more soothing, though reciting at times !!

"Enbalmed In Acid" another beautiful track, still reminding this reviewer of VDGG, yet with that very personal sound that Parallel or 90 Degrees has developed!

"Four Ego´s One War" one of the unreleased tracks, starting out like a ballad, with acoustic guitar and a soft vocal, that could have been a Porcupine Tree/ Blackfield ballad!! After the 3 minute mark the tempo grows and hardens, lots of
hammond keys and great lead guitar. Yet again changing pace at the 6 minute mark with an interval of finely crafted sologuitar midtheme, beautiful! This track holds so many breaks/intervals it is almost unbelievable!! total time: 20:14. Superb stuff!

This disc #2, holds 2 more unreleased tracks: "Fadge part One" & " A Kick In The Teeth" ending with the brilliant track: "Unforgiving skies" from the album "Time capsule" 1998.

Disc #1:
holds 8 tracks from the 5 Parallel or 90 Degrees albums and one unreleased track: "Blues for Lear" with Roine Stolt on vocal & guitar.

Let me mention just a few of these tunes:
"Unbranded" from the album of the same name, a great varied powerful song, with excellent guitars from Harwood! This fine track flows seamless into the next "Modern" from the album "No More Travelling Chess", which again has uncanny resemblance to the sound of VDGG, well actually this time not that surprising, since the song was written by Pete Hammill! A quite rough edge sounding tune!

"Promises Of Life" a beautiful gentle ballad from the album "Time capsule".

"Blues For Lear" is just that, a fine blues tune which of course are the odd one out, since it is musically no where near the other songs on this fine double release! Now, dont get me wrong I kinda like this track and it is always a pleasure to hear Stolt, especially when he handles that sixstring! Superb!!

So, what do I think of this double cd release?!
I think that it is a brilliant release, for all into fine progmusic to discover or re-discover the excellent sonic´s of Parallel Or 90 Degrees!!

Tillison is truly a remarkable and unique musician & songwriter.

Please observe that I havent commented on all 15 tracks on this outing, I will leave it up to you dear reader/progfriend to find your own favourite tunes!

So, go buy it, why dont you...it really is worth your time and money!!

ENJOY!!

First things first! I must confess I've always liked this band, even way more than for instance The Tangent (which seems to be much more successful in the prog circles). Yet the concept of a Best-Of from PO90 just has to be a bit strange, a tad bizarre to say the least. First because this has never been (unfortunately) such a successful band, and then because the scope of its musicality (the exact contrary of 'commercial') always makes such a selection a controversial exercise with short (to impossible) possibilities of status quo.

Curiously enough I do find the resulting selection on this double cd quite good and accurate, while there would be 2 or 3 tracks I would add it in (like Shoulder to shoulder from Unbranded, for instance). Overall it seems to me that the tracks for this release were thoughtfully chosen no matter the above mentioned subjectivity.
A very important aspect of this release is the possibility it provides us to listen to some of the never previously released tracks that should have been part of a new album (back in 2002). The booklet accompanying the album is very informative on the reasons for this best-of, as it is about the complete history of the band (in stand-by status for quite a while).
The music of the band has always been challenging and very contemporary. A demonstration that the late 90s and early 00s progressive rock produced some real gems and innovative and inventive bands. PO90 has always been influenced by Peter Hammil and VDGG, but it did construct a very personal signature on top of those reminiscences, adding them a sort of a alternative vibe, a heavier approach and a unique atmosphere that amazingly pin-point incorporated the emotional and sometimes aggressive vocal styling mused by Peter Hammil.
In fact one of the most awkward yet brighten characteristic in this band has always been the capacity of Andy Tillison to sing in a emotionally descriptive way, like he is really feeling deep every word of the lyrics (yet again, just like PH). This is a terrific add-on to the instrumental architectures, already very complex and challenging.
While many times it seems like it is the keyboard playing that is driving the music (and many times it is providing that aggressive touch), there is a sense of melody provided by the guitars that can take the music from harmonically odd to simply ear-friendly in a second and then back to semi-chaotic again.
The music is, therefore, a balanced mix between melody and aggressiveness, between pure and nihilistic. And this is something that PO90 has been perfectly capable of capturing and frame into a colorful sonic painting, filled of subversive aspects and details that constantly take the music in apart directions, like in an emotional maze, a mind labyrinth. I could never give other recommendation than tell you to go buy this record immediately, especially if you are one of those that like this band but dont own an original recording. And if you never heard this band but are into modern complex prog that has strong connections to the emotional Hamillesque approach, then really, ¦what are you waiting for???

Sacrée surprise que la réception d’un nouvel album de PO9D, groupe prog unique et hors castes, dont je croyais le split consommé depuis quelques années. Le combo des claviéristes Andy Tillison et Sam Baine, formé en 1996, avait pourtant délivré jusqu’en 2001, cinq opus bien appréciables avant d’être mis entre parenthèses au profit d’un autre projet : The Tangent.
Ce dernier dessein devenant rapidement une pointure internationale dans la sphère du rock progressif, plus de nouvelles du groupe nous intéressant entraina de ma part une conclusion hâtive.

En guise de quoi le label ProgRock Records nous propose ici une compilation (en 2 Cds) de leurs offrandes, assortie d’une part de trente minutes de nouveaux titres, et d’autre part de plages enregistrées en 2002 pour un album qui ne vit finalement pas le jour. Ceci en raison du succès concomitant de The Tangent auquel fut donnée la priorité.

Une bonne sélection de titres qui permettra aux plus jeunes de découvrir –et redécouvrir pour les plus âgés- un groupe résolument à part. Un prog/rock band du Yorkshire anglais, foncièrement différent, et à la notoriété restée somme toute assez underground malgré le talent dont les musiciens ont toujours fait montre. Un prog technique teinté seventies que certains qualifieront de véritable anachronisme, mais qui associé à une maturité, une expérience et un modernisme choisi, feront se délecter tous les amateurs du genre. Les facettes ambiantes et évolutives typiques à ce style sont véritablement ciselées; et quand certains se remémoreront les Yes, Genesis (période Nursery Crime, Foxtrot) ou autres Pink Floyd, les autres y verront tout simplement du Muse…

Pour les novices progueux, ou pour ceux désirant découvrir l’excellence de l’œuvre de PO9D, on ne peut que conseiller d’auditionner par exemple « Four eyes one war ». Ce titre est le véritable reflet du panel de ce genre, finalisé avec art et perfection. L’ultime degré dans la magnificence d’un style rock si décrié. Ce « A can of worms » est pour résumer, une parfaite introduction/initiation ; ou un parfait testament c’est selon … Pour découvrir l’unicité et l’appréciabilité de l’univers musical des anglais. Le seul reproche que l’on pourra leur faire sera de ne plus trop être dans l’air du temps. Mais ceci est une autre histoire, la mode n’étant pas forcément gage de qualité… 7/10

Andy Tillison feiert gegenwärtig mit The Tangent durchaus erfolgreiche Momente. Mit seiner Vorgängerband Parallel or 90 Degrees klappte es allerdings bis jetzt nie so richtig. Woran mag es wohl gelegen haben? Fakt ist, dass The Tangent gewaltig auf der Retroschiene fährt, während sich PO90 im wesentlichen viel experimenteller zeigt, sogar Elemente des New Artrocks verbirgt und Tillison‘s Hang zu elektronischer Musik der Berliner Schule schon vorwegnimmt. Diese Compilation, zusammengestellt vom Meister himself und veröffentlicht durch ProgRock Records verschafft einen interessanten und breiten Überblick über das Schaffen dieser Band mit seinen 5 Alben. Durch den Einsatz von zwei Keyboardern (Tillison und Sam Baine) wirkt der Gesamtsound natürlich etwas tastendominant. Doch bei einigen Stücken bekommt die Gitarre mächtig Spielraum und setzt gewaltig Druck auf. wie z.B bei A kick in the teeth. Im grossen und ganzen gefällt mir Cd 2 etwas besser. Der Longtrack Afterlifecycle ist eigentlich gar kein epischer Song. Die Spielzeit beinhaltet verschiedene Stücke des Albums aus dem Jahre 1997. Passt aber alles wie die Faust aufs Auge. Ob bluesig, sphärisch oder rockig bzw poppig, es ist alles vorhanden. Ein weiteres Highlight finde ich den starken Progrocker Four egos one war. Scheinbar wurde dieser Track in veränderter Form auf einem The Tangent Album veröffentlicht. Auf jeden Fall der Höhepunkt dieser Compilation.
Was fällt auf? Tillison ist ein ausgezeichneter Organist und Synthesizer Freak. Er schreckt auch vor Drum‘ n Bass Einsatz nicht zurück und das stellt ihn in den direkten Vergleich zu Steven Wilson. Parallel or 90 Degrees leben ihren Hang zu verschiedenen Musikstilen aus und lassen sich in keine Schublade stecken. Vorallem bei Cd 2 finde ich durchaus Befriedigung wie ich sie seinerzeit bei Porcupine Tree fand, bevor sie dachten, sie müssten einen auf Metal machen. Nur schon die instrumentalen JamParts voller Synthispielereien bei Afterlifecycle sind sackstark. Auch die restlichen Tracks sind mehr oder weniger imposant. Das Manko der Band ist und bleibt die Stimme Tillison’s, die aber gerade durch diese Waters mässige Intonation polarisiert. Nicht alles erschliesst sich beim ersten Hördurchgang. Auch scheinen einem manchmal die Parts etwas zu erdrücken. Ich denke, diese Mucke ist je nach Lust und Laune zu ertragen und zu geniessen, kann aber auch tierisch auf den Sack gehen.
Fazit: Parallel or 90 Degrees bleiben wohl ein Geheimtipp im Underground. Erfolge werden sie wahrscheinlich nie feiern, dafür ist das Dargebotene einfach etwas zu speziell. Vielleicht kann aber diese Compilation etwas dazu beitragen, dass der Name PO90 etwas mehr in der Progszene diskutiert wird.