RECORD COLLECTION
The CEO of hologram entertainment company Eyellusion just brought us The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa and DIO Returns. Now we hear of the sounds – that could become sights – in his extensive collection.
Jeff Pezzuti might work with creating hologram tours for the likes of Frank Zappa and Ronnie James Dio, but his record collection is pure prog…
“It was my father who introduced me to prog. I was about eight and he was blaring out Close To The Edge in our living room in Chester, New Jersey. I was captivated by the sound, without understanding the complexity of the music. This, and spending countless hours listening to various other bands, began my true appreciation of the genre. While I listened to lots of different music growing up, I always loved the complexity, uncertainty, and overall musicianship of prog. I can talk for hours about individual albums, songs, solos and production.
My dad loved Keith Emerson’s keyboard playing, and so he played me Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Brain Salad Surgery. From Karn Evil 9 I was hooked. While we all know what incredible musicians they are – Toccata is crazy – Greg Lake’s vocals are often overlooked. One of my favourite performances is Still… You Turn Me On, incredible. While I play a little guitar – don’t ask my future wife this question as she may not agree – I always dreamed of being able to play music at this level. And years later, running Eyellusion, it’s been great to meet Carl Palmer, who came to see our Zappa show, a dream come true. As a bonus, he really liked it!
When I got into junior high school in Oradell, I really went down the Yes rabbit hole exploring the back catalogue. 90125 really spoke to me. Maybe it was the return of Tony Kaye, or the perfect combination of epic songs and more commercially written arrangements. The record has no weak moments. I’ve seen Yes on every tour since the late 80s. I just wish Chris Squire was still with us, a true loss for his playing, stage presence and love for the band.
One day my dad came home from work with Asia by Asia under his arm for me. I remember hearing Heat Of The Moment for the first time on the radio and being mesmerised. This was the ultimate prog supergroup! Time Again is my hidden gem on this record. It’s a must-have for both prog and classic rock fans.
I first heard Genesis on the radio but my firstowned record was the self-titled one from 1983. However, as one does when we love a band, we go through the entire discography! Similar to
Asia, Genesis found a way to perfectly blend commercial rock with prog elements. Each record got more commercial, as if they were seeing where the line was. I love Abacab from beginning to end and it’s my favourite Phil Collins-fronted Genesis record.
I love metal. I also love prog. So, progressive metal is an obvious next love. I was introduced to Dream Theater by my best friend, Mike Pezzillo. Mike had purchased When Dream And Day Unite and played it for me. While I liked it, I wasn’t blown away with the vocals of Charlie Dominici. Enter James LaBrie and everything changed. Images And Words is the first record to feature James and had the very underrated Kevin Moore on keys. A truly great record, they are also always a great live band. I’m also a fan of all the Mike Portnoy’s projects too, especially Flying Colors and Sons Of Apollo.
I’ve been a fan of Fates Warning since 1986. I bought Awaken
The Guardian at the local Sam Goody store because of the cover art, and was hooked. This was heavy stuff, yet had the required prog elements, including time changes and non-commercial arrangements. I bought the previous two records, then the band released my favourite to date, Parallels, in 1991. While not as proggy as previous releases, it kills. Anyone who likes Dream Theater or Queensrÿche, this is a must-have record.
My Rush fascination began when I was about nine years old.
One of the older kids at school had a 2112 patch on the back of his jean jacket, and I thought it looked cool. I had no idea what they sounded like, and pre-internet, it wasn’t easy to investigate. Anyway, I got a compilation, Masters Of Metal, in 1984. It had Black Sabbath, Zebra, Dio and more, but the one song that really got my attention was Tom Sawyer. I was totally blown away. Then I bought Permanent Waves, which I still fucking love. As a music enthusiast, it’s great to discover bands by purchasing their back catalogue and hearing their progression, regression, and how their style changes throughout their career. Rush was one of my favourites to do this with, and that’s how I found Hemispheres, the one record that I felt was the perfect prog masterpiece from them. This was just the beginning for what was to come.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is truly is a rite-of-passage classic. Besides hearing the title track on radio stations such as 102.7 WNEW, I knew nothing about this record. It’s a deep, deep listen. Genesis were about to embark on a completely different journey post- this record, and you can tell. There are heavy elements, melodic interludes, and just some incredible songwriting and lyrics. A deep cut favourite is the epic The Colony Of Slippermen. I’m hoping this record gets passed down to the next generation so they can experience greatness as its best – maybe via a hologram tour…
The first time I heard Pink Floyd was when The Wall movie was released. My dad was going to see it, and told me I was too young for it. Seeing it years later, I have to agree! That didn’t stop me from listening to the music, though. I realised the greatness of both Roger Waters, as well as the musicianship of the band. So, after hearing The Wall, I did what fans do; explore. My favourite Floyd album is Wish You Were Here – the two incredible parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond are worth it alone. Well balanced, well-crafted songwriting, and some of the most incredible guitar work from David. It’s a record that could be released today and still sound fresh.
Yes’ Close To The Edge is the top for me, and always will be.
When I listen to this I’m back in our living room, as a young lad, just staring at the record sleeve. The ominous green cover with the logo and the title on top. The back cover, with the bandmembers’ names and track listing. And then opening the record, and seeing this world created by Roger Dean. Then, when the needle hits the groove, you truly are taken on a journey that only Yes can do.
Three songs… It’s like, who cares about radio edits? I could write a book about the title track alone, lyrically, musically, and in arrangement, it’s just unique in every way imaginable. Chris Squire changed bass-playing forever; where Jack Bruce started, Chris continued. But, when Rick Wakeman enters near the end of the song and the rest of the band joins… I sit back and take it all in.
Side two continues with my favourite Yes song of all time, And You and I. Words can’t express this song and what it means to me. My favourite Yes line-up features the players on this record, with Bill Bruford on drums, but I just love the band, all their line-ups, and their entire catalogue. They went with the times in the 80s, but always managed to come back to their core.”
Eyellusion are currently working on a Glenn Gould presentation. Find out more at www.eyellusionlive.com.
I’M HOPING THE LAMB… GETS PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION – MAYBE BY A HOLOGRAM TOUR…