Music Style Progressive Rock

Musical Influences AM Radio from '64 through '71, Bartok, Camel, The Carpenters, Aaron Copland, The Cowsills, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Druid, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Brian Eno, FM Radio from '70 through '74, Robert Fripp, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Steve Hackett, Happy the Man, Harlequin Mass, Heart, Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull, Kansas, King Crimson, Klaatu, The Moody Blues, Ohio Express, Roy Orbison, Oregon, Pink Floyd, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Pulsar, Queen, Renaissance, Return to Forever, Tommy Rowe, Randall Thompson, Three Dog Night, Tangerine Dream, Pete Sinfield, Van Der Graaf Generator, The Ventures, Yes.

Similar Artists Early Genesis, Gabriel, All the keyboard driven prog artists

Instruments Ensoniq TS-10, vocal chords

Albums PROG, PROG 2

Press Reviews "...the title of the album is most appropriate. Holdahl traffics in keyboard-laden prog music, and his compositions often resemble Yes without guitars. That might scare some folks off. It probably should. Holdahl's obsessive vision is impressive. He uses keyboards in just about every way possible, assembling line after line into his finished songs. These pieces are operatic in scope and self-indulgent to the extreme. No one else could make anything quite like this. No one else would want to make something quite like this. That said, I'm glad he did it. I have something of a craving for this kind of artistic purity. The stuff can get creepy, particularly when an artist exposes him or herself (Holdahl heads out to the edge time and again), but that voyeuristic thrill is part of the attraction here. Holdahl has something to say, and he says it in most interesting ways. The commercial potential is minimal, but the artistic side is unlimited." Jon Worley, Aiding and Abetting --==++==-- "Whoa!!! This is some mighty sweet Prog, baby! So many flavors, too few words to describe. Just listen. Listen and soak it in. It is big; it is multi-textured and multi-dimensional. Just good stuff. Not sure. I’m a little intimidated, when it comes right down to it. This kind of creativity should be banned; it causes the rest of us Prog artists to run for cover. Just kidding, of course. Enjoy!" Goocher, Progressive Rock Radio at mp3.com --==++==-- "A few months ago, I received a CD for review which featured electronic music. At the time, I was sort of surprised that someone mailed an electronica album to a progressive rock review website. But slowly, after listening to the music a few times, I realized that the composer of that music had some sort of prog rock background. The keyboard arrangements were especially prog-influenced. I soon learned that the composer of the music was the keyboardist from the 70s prog group Harlequin Mass(now on Mellow Records). Well, recently two CDs of Lyle Holdahl's prog compositions arrived in the mail, and they are quite good. Both CDs were done using keyboards(including drums, guitar, bass, etc), and Lyle's vocal. Now, this might turn alot of people off, but I have to let you know that, most importantly, the drums sound great. I would have never guessed that they were sequenced. The guitar, and bass, sounds featured on both CDs are also tastefully done on keyboards. Lyle's main source of inspiration is Genesis, and especially Peter Gabriel. In fact, if you don't listen too closely, Lyle practically sounds like Peter Gabriel. He has mastered Peter's various vocal techniques and characters. The combination of the music and Gabriel-like vocals sounds similar to what Genesis could have recorded in the late-70s if Peter Gabriel had stayed in the band. Yet Lyle also likes to spice things up a bit. Along with the Genesis sound, I hear touches of modern classical music. In fact, many tracks reminded me a bit of the 5uus, and even Arnold Schoenberg. Lyle likes to use just enough dissonance to throw his music a different direction. Prog 2 features Genesis-influenced compositions, modern classical explorations, and atmospheric symphonic interludes. If I had to recommend one CD over the other the prize would go to Prog 2. With a bit of editing this CD could easily sell on a small prog record label. Prog focuses more on the Lyle's Genesis-influeced compositions. So where does one find both of these CDs? Well, most of the music is up on mp3.com. In fact, you can listen to both albums in their entirety there. Overall, fans of neo-prog, and mid-70s Genesis will enjoy the music here." Zoltan's Progressive Rock Webpage

Location Horsham, PA - USA

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