BILL BRESSLER – A Second Past (Album Review)

The term American Prog might seem somewhat of an oxymoron given the overarching status of international progressive rock legends. Still, amidst some of the bigger names like Kansas, Dream Theater, and Spock’s Beard, plenty of American musicians have been inspired by the genre and end up writing their own intricate prog creations, often with impressive results. 

Bill Bressler came to our attention several years ago with his clever debut “Normal Boy”, putting South Orange, New Jersey, on the map as a prog enclave. Or something like that. At the end of our review of that album, we said, “…this is a thoroughly enjoyable album which hopefully will lead to bigger aspirations in the future.” Well, the future is now – and every other time period as well – as Bressler returns with a time-bending concept album using the double-entendre title of “A Second Past”. So, crank up your Delorean to 88, and let’s go time traveling together. 

Set in a utopian future, the main protagonist of the album, a certain Dr. Severin Maxwell, can’t stay content and for some reason decides to go meddle in the past with his cool new roadster called “The Asp”. A typical lonely scientist, he must not have a social life because although he wants some companions to travel to the past with him, he needs to conduct a lottery to find three lucky passengers. That sorted out, the foursome head back in time, each with a unique goal they wish to witness. Maxwell doesn’t seem to instill enough caution in his passengers when considering the implications of time travel, saying, “Let’s try to be discreet,” but adding, “But souvenirs – just help yourself, I think that would be neat.” What could go wrong? 

Musically speaking, Bressler has a ton of influences to draw from and the chops to pull it off when it comes to keyboards. For the other instruments, he brings in a host of additional musicians, primarily being Stephen Goldberg on lead guitar, Jeremy Abbate on acoustic & electrics, and Vin Tabone on bass. Drums are all programmed which usually isn’t a plus, but Bressler puts in the time and skill to make them an engaging part of the ensemble, along with Quinn Bressler on handclaps. Most importantly, John Wilkinson handles the bulk of the lead vocals and he’s a charming and convincing choice. Production & engineering are usually an Achilles heel for independent artists but, again, Bressler has put in the time so that the album can comfortably sit alongside releases from bigger bands with higher budgets. Mastering (and some bass playing) from Jacob Holm-Lupo in Norway helps achieve the sonic sheen. 

After starting out with an electrifying overture that would make Genesis proud – lead keyboard lines sizzling alongside Goldberg’s defining guitar lines and some wah-bass from Tabone – the story is cast with a “Sales Pitch” from Maxwell. While the scientist’s motives are still suspect, given that everyone lives in a freaking utopia already, the listeners get caught up in the accompanying music just like his passengers get caught up in the sales pitch. Soon they’re loading into The Asp as Maxwell declares a “victory for science” before a large crowd of spectators. All I’ll say is that if I were in the audience living in a perfect world, I wouldn’t be so happy about these renegades going off to meddle with the past, lest it leave the present dark. And keep it dark. Nevertheless, Maxwell cheekily declares, “Doc Brown, ya got nothin’ on me. Here we go!” 

The music for each song keeps the listener engaged alongside the story, drawing from a wide swath of prog inspirations, though Duke-era Genesis feels the strongest among them. While Bressler understandably roots the material in his keyboards, synths, and piano, there’s plenty of room set aside for his guest musicians to join in, such as a fine solo from Goldberg in “There In Time” as the momentum builds. Most of these songs keep the running times under 5 minutes, and the prog reined in but not without making an impact. For those who like shorter prog bordering on intricate pop, there are plenty of gems here like “Don’t Forget” and “The Girl From Salem”. 

Gratefully, the album is satisfying vocally, too. On the clever “St Helens UK” we get a vocal cameo from Peter Jones, who just happens to be portraying a “Mr. Jones” in the storyline. Wonderful to have Wilkinson and Jones singing on the same track. Later on, Rebecca Farnham delivers a strong vocal performance on “Girl From Salem”, describing a girl rescued during a harrowing choice for a time-traveling pit stop. Through it all, Wilkinson makes for a great protagonist, his singing lifting the storyline higher in its telling. Thanks to well-written layered harmony vocals in key spots, the vocal impact is as noticeable as the instrumental passages. 

“Insofar” is the longest piece here, featuring several choices ripping organ solos, proving that Bressler is no slouch on his core instrument. “It’s All We Can Do” tries to wrap up the storyline towards the end, but all the sing-song “Na Nana Nana Na”’s (think: “Hey Jude”) in the world can’t tie up the loose ends still dangling across the centuries from this time-travel-gone-wrong tale. While we don’t exactly know what happens when Maxwell and his companions return to the time they originally departed, it doesn’t bode well, and that’s even before we hear the car crash alarm sounds going off. 

As if the ending weren’t mysterious enough, the album finishes up with a dark instrumental Afterword called “As For McGee”, an unexpected interstellar jam, featuring Stian Larsen on rousing lead guitar. Let’s just say that the door is left open for at least one sequel, if not more. 

As on his first album, Bressler’s understated sense of humor shines through several tracks amidst the keyboard runs, with references to his boyhood past. “A Second Past” is an impressive, natural next step from “Normal Boy” for Bressler, a reminder that it’s worth seeking out independent artists to enjoy their original, whimsical, and talented music. For this moment in time, it’s time well spent.

Released By: Independent
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Genre: Progressive Rock

Musicians:

• Bill Bressler / Keyboards, Synthesizers, Guitars (played, bottlenecked, programmed and reversed), drums (played and programmed), Percussion, Optical Theremin, Vocals (track 6 and 10, as Mr. McGee), Backing Vocals, Vocoder
• Jeremy Abbate / Acoustic and Electric Guitars
• Rebecca Farnham / Vocals (Track 8) as the Girl From Salem, Backing Vocals (Track 9)
• Stephen Goldberg / Lead Electric Guitar (Tracks 1,3,6,8,9), additional electric guitar (Track 6)
• Jacob Holm-Lupo / Bass (Track 5)
• Peter Jones / Vocals (Track 5), as Mr. Jones
• Stian Larsen / Lead Electric Guitar (Track 10)
• Vin Tabone / Bass (Tracks 1-4,6-10), additional electric guitar (Track 4)
• John Wilkinson / Lead Vocals (Tracks 1-7,9) as Maxwell Severin and the Narrator, Backing Vocals
• Quinn Bressler / Additional Claps (Track 4)

“A Second Past” Track-Listing:

1. An Overture, A Sales Pitch
2. A Victory For Science
3. There In Time
4. Don’t Forget
5. St Helens UK 12-27-1982
6. Salem MA 7-18-1692
7. Insofar
8. The Girl From Salem
9. It’s All We Can Do
10. As For McGee