Merry Christmas! Why aren’t there more JC’s in the world! Why the disconnect between ‘Prog’? A marketing contest. With prizes! SnapChop! Tool. Periphery. Transatlantic. Butch Cassidy.

Roger CortonThe comments we got on our last Chat were mostly, “Are you guys fighting?”

JCHYears ago, when my ex and I were scouting locations for our wedding, we met with an old couple who had an old farmhouse they rented out for such events. They were talking about some memory and then they started having the most pleasant disagreement about whatever. And the old man said, “Dear, are we arguing?” And the woman said something like, “Well, I suppose we are. It doesn’t matter, Dear.” And then they both laughed and we moved onto some other topic. It took me a loooong time to realise that they really were arguing! That was their ‘argument’.

RCWhy did that stick with you?

JCHBecause that’s not an ‘argument’! It’s like in Crocodile Dundee where the mugger threatens Dundee […]

If you’re seriously about your art, you think of your work as your babies. Lyrics in Progressive Rock. Gay people kissing in public? Greg Lake, RIP. Those Moody Blues poems. The lyrics drive the music. Is a secular Bach even possible? A Dan Brown festival in every piece.

Roger CortonTwo years ago you ranted on Why So Serious? Despite my feeling that it is marketing death to indulge you, at that time I promised we’d get back to that. So here I am, keeping my promise to shoot you in the foot. Again. OK, you have the floor.

JCHWow. With my bleeding foot. So… remind me not to invite you to my funeral (laughs).

OK, I keep thinking about the new Dream Theater record (The Astonishing) from last time. Every fan I’ve talked to about the record says two things: a) How ludicrous they find the lyrics. b) But they simply don’t care. And you agreed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZF-2dZ5cM

RCI did. What can I say? We […]

A question we get a lot: Why doesn’t JCHMusic have a full-time band? Band Fantasy Camps. Dream Theater. Composing for the material vs. the band. Switching instruments can be tough as one ages. Max Headroom.

Roger CortonSo the response for Progress seems to be really good! You’re already on your second CD run. And you’ve been a busy boy. Already planning a solo tour! This is good!

JCHIt is good. I have to say that this is the first record I’ve ever done where I felt pretty good about it out the gate.

RCSo you’re going the solo tour route. One question we get a lot is ‘why no permanent band’? Care to address this? Again?

JCHSure. It bears discussion ever couple of years. Although, ya know, there’s the odd few billion dollars in it for the guy who can come up with a simple way to make web sites repeat relevant content periodically. Sort […]

Second details on an upcoming new album called “Progress”. Calculus or just derivative? Chaplin vs. Lucy and Ethel. Jon Anderson. Fusion guitar shredding. Guitar quartets at 120db. Self-driving cars and a total loss of control.

Roger CortonIn our last action-packed episode, we started talking about your new album progress, and the concept behind it. You said that you thought that “progress” was inevitable, or at least that we all think it is inevitable. We are so indoctrinated to the idea that progress is good that we can’t imagine life any other way. You even compared it to gravity; a hidden force that we all assume is ever present.

JCHWhat a concise summation, dear friend. I salute you.

RCAnd I salute your salutation. You also hinted at the music. Care to comment on that?

JCHSure. When I started thinking about this record, I fretted and fretted and fretted and fretted.

RCAnd not on the geetar.

JCHCute. As I was saying, I […]

Keith never made the turn into the great second career he deserved as a serious composer. On the other hand, he almost single handedly invented the position of keyboard player and that is more than enough for him to be remembered as one of the greatest musicians of our age.