Road Less Traveled (Points North album)

Last updated
Road Less Traveled
Road Less Traveled Points North cover220.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 13, 2012 (2012-03-13)
Studio Foothill College Studio 1100
(Los Altos Hills, California)
Genre Instrumental rock, progressive rock
Length50:48
Label Magna Carta
Producer Eric Barnett
with assistance from Dave de Villers
Points North chronology
Road Less Traveled
(2012)
Points North
(2015)

Road Less Traveled is the first studio album by the instrumental rock band Points North. It was recorded at the Foothill College Studio 1100 [1] [2] [3] and released on March 13, 2012 on Magna Carta Records. [4]

Contents

The album has been met with positive reviews with the music being compared with artists such as Joe Satriani, Steve Morse and Rush with a strong melodic sensibility. [5] [6] [7] The track "Steve's Morsels" is a nod to guitarist Steve Morse and "Grace Under Pressure" is a tribute to the band Rush. [8] [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Vast Horizons"3:32
2."High Wire"4:19
3."The Phoenix"4:43
4."Grace Under Pressure"6:04
5."Barney"4:24
6."Jubilee"3:41
7."Steve's Morsels"4:03
8."The Source"4:35
9."Delay Song"3:37
10."Maiden Voyage"5:53
11."Sweet Solitude"5:57
Total length:50:48

Personnel

Credits

Personnel and credits from CD artwork and AllMusic [10]

Related Research Articles

Dream Theater American progressive metal band

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to concentrate further on the band that would eventually become Dream Theater. Though a number of lineup changes followed, the three original members remained together until September 8, 2010, when Portnoy left the band and he was replaced several months later by Mike Mangini. James LaBrie has been the lead singer of Dream Theater since 1991, replacing Charlie Dominici who had left the band two years earlier. Dream Theater's first keyboardist, Kevin Moore, left the band after three albums and was replaced by Derek Sherinian in 1995 after a period of touring. After one album with Sherinian, the band replaced him with current keyboardist Jordan Rudess in 1999.

Liquid Tension Experiment American progressive metal supergroup

Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE) is an American instrumental progressive metal supergroup, founded by Mike Portnoy, then Dream Theater's drummer, in 1997. The band has released two albums through Magna Carta Records. A third album, with the absence of John Petrucci was released in 2007 under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment". A live album with the absence of Jordan Rudess (mostly) was released in 2009 under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment 2". Three live albums and two videos were released in 2009 by the complete band.

Echolyn is an American progressive rock band based in eastern Pennsylvania.

Mike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label. Amazon.com currently lists over 790 albums as being released by record labels founded or owned by Mike Varney. He is often credited with being the individual most responsible for popularizing the mid-1980s shred guitar boom, and has continuously specialized in producing highly acclaimed musicians within the genres of instrumental rock, hard rock, jazz, jazz fusion, blues, blues-rock, progressive metal and speed metal.

Shadow Gallery

Shadow Gallery is an American progressive metal band formed in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States, during the early 1980s, originally under the name Sorcerer. After changing their name to Shadow Gallery and recording a short 8-track demo, the band was signed to Magna Carta Records in 1991. Shadow Gallery's eponymous debut was released the following year in Japan and Europe. In mid-2005, Shadow Gallery released their fifth studio album, Room V, on the European-American independent label Inside Out.

Steve Morse American guitarist and composer

Steve J. Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the lead guitarist of Deep Purple since 1994. Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was briefly a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s. Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors.

<i>Song for America</i> 1975 studio album by Kansas

Song for America is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1975. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2004. The 10-minute title track was edited down to three minutes for release as a single. The 45 R.P.M. edit resurfaced 29 years later as a bonus track on the remastered release, which provided improved sound as well as expanded liner notes, rare photos, and a live version of "Down the Road".

<i>Silent Nation</i> 2004 studio album by Asia

Silent Nation is the ninth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2004. It was the last album with longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne, prior to the reunion of the original line-up in 2006.

<i>Planet X</i> (Derek Sherinian album) 1999 studio album by Derek Sherinian

Planet X is the first studio album by keyboardist Derek Sherinian, released on July 13, 1999 through Magna Carta Records. The album was devised after Sherinian left progressive metal band Dream Theater in January 1999. He then joined drummer Virgil Donati in forming a band also named Planet X, which released their own first album Universe in 2000. Guitarist Brett Garsed, who plays on Planet X, would later return on the band Planet X's album Quantum in 2007.

Uriah Duffy

Uriah Duffy is an American bassist. He is best known as the former bassist of Whitesnake. He is currently the bassist of the California-based progressive rock band Points North.

Collin Leijenaar Musical artist

Collin Leijenaar is the drummer for progressive rock/metal bands Affector, Dusk, Dilemma, Kayak and the former live drummer for Neal Morse.

Khallice is a Brazilian progressive metal act in founded in 1994. The band's founder Marcelo Barbosa (guitars) is the owner of GTR, a large guitar institute in Brasília, and currently is a member of Angra and Almah.

<i>Working Man – A Tribute to Rush</i> 1996 studio album by Various

Working Man: A Tribute to Rush is a tribute album to progressive rock band Rush recorded by various artists and released on Magna Carta Records in 1996. The album was mixed by original Rush producer Terry Brown at Town Music Studios in Toronto, Canada. Mike Portnoy was the main creative consultant.

Gary Wehrkamp is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is most notably a member of the American progressive rock band Shadow Gallery.

Flying Colors is an American supergroup composed of Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue, Casey McPherson, Neal Morse and Steve Morse. The band's mission, chartered by executive producer Bill Evans, is to combine complex music with accessible songwriting. Flying Colors, on Mascot Label Group, has released three studio albums, and three live albums, to commercial success and critical acclaim.

Ethan Brosh is a rock guitarist from Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for his solo work and for his work as the lead guitarist in the band Burning Heat.

Tiles is an American progressive rock band from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Tiles have released several albums on Inside Out Music and toured internationally since the release of their first album in 1994.

Points North American rock band

Points North is a California-based rock band consisting of guitarist Eric Barnett, bassist Uriah Duffy and drummer Kevin Aiello. The band has released two studio albums and is known for its high-energy shows. The band also does gigs as their alter ego Fred Barchetta in tribute to the band Rush adding Kristina Borja on vocals.

<i>Points North</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Points North

Points North is the second studio album by the instrumental rock band Points North. It was recorded at the Foothill College Studio 1100 and released on April 21, 2015 on Magna Carta Records.

<i>Symmetry</i> (Saga album) 2021 studio album by Saga

Symmetry is the twenty-third studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. It was released on March 12, 2021. It contains acoustic versions of previously released songs, some in the form of medleys or augmented with new interludes. The idea originated on the 40th anniversary tour in 2017, where the band would perform acoustically as their own support band "Pockets".

References

  1. "Foothill College Music Technology". Suzanne Weller.
  2. "Points North Thumbs A Ride On A "Road Less Traveled"". San Anselmo Patch.
  3. "The Heights - Passionate Faculty and Creative Students Tell Stories with Sound". Foothill College.
  4. "Points North". Magna Carta Records.
  5. "Review : Points North - Road Less Traveled : New Music Review : Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock : CD Album Music Review : Dangerdog Music Reviews - Craig Hartranft".
  6. "POINTS NORTH - Road Less Traveled (2012)".
  7. SeaOfTranquility.org, Greg Stewart, Webmaster/Developer. "Review: "Points North: Road Less Travelled" - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!".
  8. "Detailed Reviews [Points North - 2012 - "Road Less Traveled"] - ProgressoR".
  9. Oaks, The Lofty (21 March 2012). "CD Review – Points North "Road Less Traveled"".
  10. "Road Less Traveled - Points North - Credits - AllMusic".