Brainstorm: Ted Leonard

Q1Which prog guitar legend guested on Enchant’s 1993 debut album, A Blueprint Of The World?

TL: That would be Steve Rothery. He helped produced it too. A: Correct.

Q2Enchant appeared on the Genesis tribute album Supper’s Ready in 1995. Which song of theirs did you cover, and can you name another artist on that record? TL: The song we did was Man Of Our Time. Man, there was a cool solo artist on there who opened the album… A: That was Robert Berry, who did Watcher Of The Skies.

Q3Which major band was Enchant supporting in 2007 when you released third album Time Lost? TL: Marillion? A: Dream Theater.

Q4You were in Thought Chamber, whose second album Psykerion is a good old-fashioned sci-fi concept album. Can you name the protagonist and his ship? TL: The ship is the Kerapryps 1. And the protagonist. I should know this… A: He was Avakus.

Q5The opening line from which Xen track?: ‘Though it tends to work this way they say, if you seek you shall find’. TL: That is Red Letter Day?? A: From 84,000 Dharma Doors, yep.

Q6What’s the longest song on Harmagedon’s 2012 album Affector? TL: Let me think here… either Salvation or The Rapture. I’ll go The Rapture. A: Correct, all 14 minutes five seconds.

Q7You played the Prog Stage at London’s High Voltage Festival in 2011. Who topped the bill that day? TL: Kansas. A: Kansas didn’t play! It was Jethro Tull. TL: Oh bloody hell. Kansas was at Sweden Rocks - dammit!

Q8In which city was Spock’s Beard keyboardist Ryo Okumoto born? TL: He was not born in Tokyo, though he lived there a long time. I think he was born in Osaka. A: He was!

Q9Which two tunes did Neal Morse co-write on the Beard’s Endless Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep? TL: He co-wrote Waiting For Me, and the song I wrote the lyrics for which is [mysterious typing sounds] Afterthoughts. A: It was, and hey - NO GOOGLING!

Q10You’re supporting The Oblivion Particle with a European tour. Where are the first and last dates? TL: We almost always start in Verviers, Belgium. [Ruddy typing sounds, again…] A: Half a point off for cheating. Last one’s the Academy in Manchester.

General Prog

Q11Which Genesis album is marking its 40th anniversary this November? TL: Hmm, it’s not The Lamb… A: Are you sure about that? TL: Let’s go with The Lamb… A: Correct!

Q12Which song title on Kansas’ 1976 album Leftoverture connects them to Pink Floyd? TL: The Wall. A: Good!

Q13And can you name Kansas’ current album, released this year? TL: Bloody hell! I dropped off somewhere around In The Spirit Of Things. Don’t know. A: Miracles Out Of Nowhere.

Q14Which member of King’s X has also played in Platypus, Jughead and Xenuphobe? TL: [Straight away, no typing] Ty Tabor. A: Correct.

Q15And on which Ayreon album did Ty portray a character called Ty? TL: I would know that if I owned a single Ayreon album, and I do not. A: It’s 01011001.

Q16On which premium prog label did Jellyfish launch their sublime 1990 debut album Bellybutton? TL: I thought they were on a major. Oh dude… when you Wiki jellyfish it pulls up the animal [laughs]. A: [Pondering Brainstorm’s first disqualification] It was Charisma.

Q17And which Badfinger track did they record as a bonus track on that album? TL: [Immediately, Google-free.] No Matter What. A: Correct.

Q18What’s the name of the lead character on Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime. TL: It was probably in the liners, which’d rule me out. If it’s not in the lyrics I wouldn’t know. A: It was Nikki.

Q19‘It’s not that you’re not god, it’s just that we can make you better/Given that you u pay the price we can keep you youn and tender’. Lyrics from which Tears For Fears song from which album? TL: Is that Mother’s Talk? From Songs From The Big Chair. A: It is.

Q20Alt/folk/not-really-prog-at-all band Toad The Wet Sprocket get their name from a Monty Python sketch. Can you name the lead electric triangle player in the skit? TL: [Laughs] The sketch was ‘Rock Notes’ but I can’t remember the name. A: Rex Stardust.

TOTAL: 1120 “Oh man - thanks for including me, but I’ll have to brush up on my prog trivia!”

Grant Moon

A music journalist for over 20 years, Grant writes regularly for titles including Prog, Classic Rock and Total Guitar, and his CV also includes stints as a radio producer/presenter and podcast host. His first book, 'Big Big Train - Between The Lines', is out now through Kingmaker Publishing.