Number 51 was borne of a pair of youngsters in first-year college drawing class (as most truly interesting bands are) whose common love was the Progressive Rock movement of the 70’s and 80’s. The year was 1988, and that mutual love of the genre and an interest in music forged a partnership that would last, well, not too long in its present state, but would ultimately go through many personnel iterations until today. This nascent mingling of musical interests allowed for the exploration of sound, experimental instrumentation, silly noises and voices, and of course, the occasional earworm-worthy riff and melody. Part of the allure of the band is its lack of spit-and-polish, that sort of back-room feel, like a garage band that gets you moving, but doesn’t really get anywhere. It’s kind of like that, but along the way, the concept is high, the themes are out-there, the instrumentation is interesting, and the message is clear: Progressive Rock is here to stay.

Each album is a project, not a product. The journey from start to completion may be a long one, and it’s littered with the remains of many a good idea that didn’t quite make the cut. Experimentation leads to innovation, and while nothing musically is new to the world at this point in history, hopefully this combination of bleeps, bloops, riffs, chords, notes, booms, sizzles, and growls, with the occasional voice or few thrown in, can enlighten even the most experienced ear. It is Number 51’s dream to make a listener say “hmm”…