Archive for April, 2008

(Review from progressor.net, progressiveworld.net)

Although this British band was formed in the beginning of the 90′s, all of the four instrumentalists had begun their musical careers long before their union came to be under the flag of Landmarq. Their neo-progressive sound is more than evident with strong references to Camel.

“Infinity Parade”, their second album features a a gentler Landmarq.

The album opens with Steve Gee on pipes, giving “Solitary Witness” a Celtic feel. Yes, the song here is the title of their previous album. This later became a habit, each new album having a track title of the previous album. Anyway, instead of the vocal gymnastics vocalist Damien Wilson used on Solitary (and much more so with his other former band Threshold), Wilson sings in a more controlled manner, which makes him sound a bit more like Fish and less like Robert Plant.

That isn’t to say Wilson doesn’t contort his voice around melodies – the carnival-like arrangement of “Gaia’s Waltz” gives him an opportunity to twist around an awkward rhythm, and he makes it seem so easy. This waltz is more tango than stuffy, formalized gliding across a polished floor. Because I have been absorbed in Arthurian Legend these past few weeks (the fruits of which will appear in the January issue of Progression), this track can’t help but make me think of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists Of Avalon. There is a point where Morgaine (Morgan Le Fey, in some versions) disappears into the land of fairy. In “Gaia’s Waltz,” she comes home from a day in the city, disrobes and begins to dance…essentially and eventually, entering the land of fairy and fantasy. Gaia (or Gaea) represents the Earth and references can be found in mythology.

“Landslide” in an energetic, rocking instrumental. Symphonic keys soften it and the solo, while nice, explores no new territory. There’s even a bit that borders on blues rock. Closing the album is the warm ballad “Embrace” – there is a certain accessibility here that would make it ideal for radio, though it would then be reviled as more pop than prog. I rather like it, though, and there is a nice guitar solo by D’Rose who wrote the music, the lyrics are Wilson’s.

The centerpiece here is the 16+ minute “Ta’ Jiang.” Ta’ Jiang means great river in Chinese, and the subject of the song is the declining state of riverside commerce and the pollution of the river itself. But this river is a microcosm for the destruction we are subjecting our planet to. A similar message as in “Suite: St. Helens” on Solitary… and in “Narovyla” on The Vision Pit. It’s starts out nicely enough with keys and vocals, full of tension. This gives way to a keening guitar and vocals, to which frenetic drums are added…all of this builds as the tension is released. The pattern begins again for the second phase of this first second – the track is broken into five parts, two of which are instrumental.

“Tailspin (Let Go The Line)” uses a vocal layering that could also be heard on Nolan’s first Shadowland album Ring Of Roses, specifically the bridge to “The Whistleblower.” “Tailspin” is an understated track, where Dave Wagstaffe’s bass seems to steady and precise to be real. Languid – that is the pace of this track. There is no hurry to get anywhere, though the pace picks up on the outro, the guitar lead becoming a little anxious. A song that is on the border between being beautiful and dull.

“The More You See The More You Lose” is the most accessible track, the most lively of the tracks excepting “Landslide”. Wilson’s vocal melodies carry you along, from verse to verse to chorus, though he speaks-sings the versus and doesn’t truly sing until the chorus.

Line-up:
- Dave Wagstaffe / drums
- Uwe D’Rose / guitars
- Steve Gee / bass, pipes
- Steve Leigh / keyboards
- Damian Wilson / vocals

Track List:
01. Solitary Witness (6:50)
02. Gaia’s Waltz (6:05)
03. Landslide (3:55)
04. Ta’Jiang (16:31)
05. Tailspin (let Go The Line) (8:37)
06. The More You Seek The More You Lose (5:41)
07. Embrace (6:30)

Links in comments.

First, I’m looking for a decent rip of If’s 1974 album, “Tea Break is Over”.

Also I have an album I got from a friend of a group “Dao”, the album named “Daytona” (or vice versa?), it has 10 tracks. Unfortunately I didn’t note down the track names at the time and now he can’t find the original CD. Moreover, I can’t find any information on such a group or album. If anyone knows of such an album/band, please let me know.

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

Muffins are a Canterbury influenced quartet formed in Washington in the year of 1973. The new group remains nameless until one day, while the trio are discussing upon potential names, a friend of there’s enters the house and shouts “The muffins are hear!” and conveying a tray of blueberry muffins, thus the band is born!

Manna/Mirage was the Muffins’ first official release, but not their first album’s worth of recorded material. After the departure of their guitarist, Michael Zentner, and drummer Stuart Abramowitz, the Muffins had chosen to abandon almost two hours of material and start from scratch. That which does not kill you only makes you stronger (and stranger), and through the adversity of personel shifts, the Muffins music became stronger. The resulting album of the Muffins’ rebirth is Manna/Mirage.

Manna/Mirage begins with the low key “Monkey with the Golden Eyes”, a lovely slice of whimsy that brings to mind a polite Frank Zappa. From the beginning it is hard not to notice the Muffins’ knack for sophisticated, yet sing-song melodies, as well as the clarity and directness in their compositions, a feature that even some of the best Canterbury and RIO groups lack.

“Hobart Got Burned” is a free improvisation beginning with the sound of skronking sax, before a Ratledgian electric piano pulls the track into Kent territory, with some of the wildest and most energetic moments of Canterbury ever, throwing chills down your spine as Scott and Newhouse just blow their lungs into their respective wind instruments. Fantastic, terrific.

Well, believe it or not, the first two tracks are just appetizers. The main course, the most musically nourishing part of Manna/Mirage, is in its two epic tracks. The first (and shortest) epic, “Amelia Earhart”, begins with exotic percussion and wind recalling the sound of a dense jungle shrouded in mist. “Amelia Earhart” proper asserts itself after this introduction with a fanfare like theme over a swingin’ 4/4 beat. After this bout of normality, things are never quite the same; the Muffins have abducted your brain. As you are held captive, the music will work its many spells on you. Fluid, yet strong melodies weave and duck through the multiple time and key changes. And as mentioned before, the Muffins’ knack for clear form is still evident even in the most elaborate passages. They show an almost classical balance of restraint, and inventiveness that make even the most angular material seem natural.

As impressive as “Amelia Earhart” is, “The Adventures of Captain Boomerang” is where the boys really pull out the stops. Beginning with an absolutely beautiful melody, which is reiterated at different times throughout the piece, “Captain Boomerang” is great study of ebb and flow. Rarely does a composition of such length contain enough thematic continuity as well as contrast to keep this reviewers attention. Although fairly conservative by, say, RIO standards, “Captain Boomerang” gives us some hints of what’s to come on the more aggressive and experimental <185> album, particularly in the wildly syncopated section at about 2:10 into the track. Energetic passages alternate with slower, more contemplative ones. Many moments also contain a dark, smoky jazz feel that is missing in the previous track.

Manna/Mirage makes a perfect soundtrack for a long, late night road trip.

Line-up:
- Billy Swan / bass, piano, guitar, percussives
- Paul Sears / drums, gong, xylophone, vibes, percussives, pots, pans, pennywhistle
- Tom Scott / piccolo, e flat, alto and c flutes, soprano, alto and baritone saxophones, b flat and alto clarinets, oboe, soprano recorder, percussives
- Dave Newhouse / pianos, organ, piccolo, flute, alto and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet, cereal box whistle, percussives
with
- John Schmidt / baritone horn and tuba
- Doug Elliot / trombone
- Larry Elliot / trumpet
- Steve Feigenbaum / guitar, underwater guitar
- Greg Yaskovich / bubble trumpet

Track List:
01. Monkey With the Golden Eyes (4:02)
02. Hobart Got Burned (5:59)
03. Amelia Earhart (15:47)
04. The Adventures Of Captain Boomerang (22:48)

Link in comments.

(Review from progarchives.com)

How does one better perfection? How could Mahavishnu Orchestra possibly top their incredible “Inner Mounting Flame” debut album? Well for one, they didn’t know that it couldn’t be bettered and for two, they actually did it by fiddling and twiddling the tiny imperfections and an increase tightness as they were now well acquainted with each other after pulling 300 concerts over two years, whereas for “Inner Mounting Flame”, Mahavishnu Orchestra had been together a matter of weeks. So in the early fall of 1972 came out “Birds Of Fire” with an outstanding artwork halfway between Rothko and Folon and incendiary music to match both the cover and the title. With an unchanged line-up, Mahavishnu Orchestra was now soaring so high that the air is getting thin.

Unlike the debut who had only one track under the 5 minute-mark, “Birds Of Fire” is made of a myriad of shorter tracks with the just two well over that same 5 minute-mark. One of those being the opening title track that sets the standard even higher than “Meeting” did on “Inner Mounting Flame”, with Hammer and McLaughlin trading riffs and links over a wild rhythm section, which violinist Goodman choose to accompany to great affects. This track is most likely imbedded in the vast majority of 40-something western music fans’ subconscious mind, because it sounds familiar to almost everyone. A slower Miles Beyond (obviously dedicated to the man with the horn) crescendoes slowly until a huge riff takes the track upside down and once there, only Hammer and Goodman are keeping it alive until McLaughlin and Cobham come to the rescue and bring it back on its toes.

The rest of the tracks on the first side are short thingies insuring quick changes, starting with Celestial Terrestrial Commuting, which obviously influenced Steve Hillage’s early solo works (“Fish Rising” to “Open”), “Sapphire Bullets” being just an electronic frenzy. A Spanish piano and guitar duo introducing a Flamenco ambiance where McLaughlin’s fiery guitar goes to extreme, while Laird’s bass provide plenty of underlying drama and the needle lifts off another “Meeting” motif reworking, this time called “Hope”.

The monstrous 10-mins “One World” (an oldie from the Lifetime days) opens up the flipside, first gently under Cobham’s gentle drive morphing into a martial beat and bringing the track up to 200 MPH, with Hammer, McLaughlin and Goodman trading licks, motifs and soloing away, before Cobham takes a solo and closing up the track with some powerful instrumental interplay. “Sanctuary” is a slow-developing track, opening on Goodman’s uber-absolute violin than the rest of the musicians slowly entering the track, in full restraint, the listener can hear the quintet containing their energies to avoid exploding and respect the superb track. “Open Country” joy is often a bit overlooked, with its pastoral violin line, then a slight explosion before bringing us to one of the world’s best album endings: “Resolution”, which starts on a solemn martial chill-inducing crescendoing track bringing the tension to a maximum allowable (Goodman’s violin is incredibly efficient at this) before the burst…. Which will never come as the track ends and the needle lifts off, leaving us to imagine the explosion of molten volcanic rock in fusion.

Well, Mahavishnu Orchestra managed to perfect perfection, and they probably did it without being aware of the feat and actually rushing it up. Indeed the album was done between two tours and most members think they could’ve twiddled a few more knobs and refined the compositions to better it further still. As can be heard in “One World”, the three soloists where in a very competitive environment and the egos where now acting up a bit, although in this album it remains at a healthy level.

Line-up:
- John McLaughlin / guitar
- Jerry Goodman / violin
- Jan Hammer / piano
- Rick Laird / bass
- Billy Cobham / drums

Track List:
01. Birds of Fire (5:41)
02. Miles Beyond (4:39)
03. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (2:53)
04. Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love (0:22)
05. Thousand Island Park (3:19)
06. Hope (1:55)
07. One Word (9:54)
08. Sanctuary (5:01)
09. Open Country Joy (3:52)
10. Resolution (2:08)

Link in comments.

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Tilt” is the amazing debut album by a band whose members were not newbies at all. The six musicians’ combined former experiences had led them to the roads of jazz and prog rock (even the very young, masterful drummer Furio Chirico had played in The Trip’s last two albums) for some time, so their expertise was quite obvious and quite impressive as well by the time “Tilt” introduced Arti e Mestieri to the eyes of the world.

The jazz-rock oriented sound delivered by the band serves as an appropriate field for the expression of every individual’s skill, while the compositions and arrangements are cleverly ordained in order to create an “orchestral” feel that keeps all individuals united in a fluid rapport with each other. It is precisely that “orchestral” feel which allows their sound not to be restricted by the habitual standards of regular jazz rock, but makes the band draw a bit closer to that special sensibility, that typical mix of baroque and Mediterranean folk so frequent in Italian symphonic progressive.

Some of this magic is expressed by the mellotron layers, the classically oriented lines that the violin and wind instruments indulge in at times, and the “suite-like” sequence of the linked tracks (1-4, 7-8). Given the immense diversity of the instrumentation (saxes, clarinets, violin and vibes join the usual ensemble of guitar-bass-keys-drums), it can be easy to rely on some extremely free stuff and go with a chaotic flow, but these guys prefer to act similarly as a small orchestra, giving every part for each instrument a proper place in the sonic landscape exhibited on each number.

Chirico’s superb drumming, Venegoni’s cadence on his guitar leads and picks, and Crovella’s subtle use of his piano/electric piano parts (at times complemented by the vibes, occasional courtesy of saxophonist/clarinetist Vitale), keep the listener well reminded of the jazzy essence of Arti e Mestieri’s overall sound. That’s where Vitale and Vigliar get some space to expand themselves on – in both the prog and jazz sides of the band’s sound, the violinist and the wind player play almost all leading roles. As for drummer Chirico, he clearly relies on Gallesi’s precise bass playing so he can beat and roll endlessly and become the other leading man.

This is not just all technique, the material is original, distinctive and highly infectious.. No wonder this album retains a hallowed place in many a progressive collection and deservedly so.

Line-up:
- Furio Chirico / drums and percussion
- Beppe Crovella / acoustic and electric pianos, synths, mellotron, Hammond organ
- Marco Gallesi / bass
- Gigi Venegoni / guitar, synthetizers
- Giovanni Vigliar / violin, vocals, percussions
- Arturo Vitale / soprano and baritone saxes, clarinets, vibraphone

Track List:
01. Gravita 9,81 (4:06)
02. Strips (4:38)
03. Corrosione (1:27)
04. Positivo / Negativo (3:34)
05. In Cammino (5:31)
06. Farenheit (1:15)
07. Articolazioni (13:41)
08. Tilt (2:29)

Link in comments.

(Review from amazon, wikipedia, allmusic)

Northern Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist Van Morrison plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums, and saxophone. Featuring his characteristic growl — a unique mix of folk, blues, Irish, scat, and Celtic influences — Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists.

Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Northern Irish band Them. A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career.

His second album “Astral Weeks” is about the magic of improvisation– the suspended thrill of playing (and listening) on the cusp of discovery. Employing a mixture of folk, blues, jazz, and classical music, Van Morrison spins out a series of extended ruminations on his Belfast upbringing.

“Cypress Avenue” deals with unrequited, perhaps forbidden love. “Madame George” captures the mixture of joy and sadness that comes with lost innocence, getting on “the train” that takes one away from a place of safety and comfort. “Ballerina” is a burst of effusive passion, but the object of the singer’s affection is separate from him, a spectral fantasy that he can only gaze on with paralyzed amazement. Fortunately these rough gems weren’t polished for radio consumption — their unique, spontaneous quality would have been ruined.

The album isn’t perfectly played. The songs aren’t polished. It isn’t Van Morrison’s strongest collection of songs. Yet as an emotional outpouring cast in delicate musical structures, Astral Weeks has a unique musical power — unlike any album before or since in Van Morrison’s vast repertoire of albums.

Line-up:
* Van Morrison – rhythm guitar, keyboard, saxophone, vocals
* Jay Berliner – guitar
* Barry Kornfeld – guitar (5)
* Richard Davis – bass
* Connie Kay – drums
* John Payne – flute, soprano saxophone
* Warren Smith, Jr. – percussion, vibraphone

Track List:
Part 1: In The Beginning
01. Astral Weeks – 7:00
02. Beside You – 5:10
03. Sweet Thing – 4:10
04. Cyprus Avenue – 6:50
Part 2: Afterwards
05. The Way Young Lovers Do – 3:10
06. Madame George – 9:25
07. Ballerina – 7:00
08. Slim Slow Slider – 3:20

Link in comments.

(Review from progarchives.com)

Myrbein (which translates as ‘ant leg’) debuted as a trio in 1977 doing mostly King Crimson cover songs. A trumpet player later joined in and they slowly expanded their influences to include more avant-garde bands. By 1979, they had developed their own experimental style, a zany Scandinavian cocktail of fuzz guitar, electric piano, organ, bass and drum, with the occasional saxophone or clarinet.

In some ways, they remind a lot of the other sole-album group from Sweden, Kultivator, who released their album roughly around the same time. The quartet manages to intrigue, baffle, dazzle and amuse — sometimes all at once. In many ways, a lot of groups that will be categorized later as avant-progressive will take many of the traits and characteristics you will find here on this album.

Of the 12 (rather-short) tracks making the album, you will be taken through a wild but weird series of climates ranging from the absurd folk theme of Fyra Standen (all of the members are multi-instrumentalists and they can make a full brass section) to the more serious RIO climates of Raus, silly singing (in Swedish) and all-around over-abundant energy, a semi Hatfieldian-Present feel of Kurt Pa Taket and an ever-ending stream of short humorous music ideas, that never hang around long enough for you to get used to them.

This edition comes with a King Crimson cover recorded in 1993 for the reissue.

Line-up:
- Bosse Lindberg / guitar, trumpet, guitar-synthesizer
- Mats Kroulhein / piano, organ, clarinet
- Anders Lonnkvist / percussion, vocals
- Johan von Sydow / bass, trombone, vocals

Track List:
01. Intruder (0:25)
02. De Fyra Standen (4:37)
03. G-Gosa (2:03)
04. Raus (4:59)
05. C’est Une Tres Bonne Maison (2:49)
06. Bara Du (5:06)
07. Ganglat Till Peson (3:54)
08. Ur Spar! (4:37)
09. Gjastsvamp (1:09)
10. Kurt Pa Taket (4:51)
11. Ar Du Forvirrad (4:35)
12. Disco-Baby (1:02)
13. Larks’ Tounges In Aspic (Part 2) (Bonus Live) (6:20)

Link in comments.

(Review from Gibraltar, Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

Andromeda started in the 60′s as session musicians, and members of the Cologne pop band The Tony Hendrik Five. On their sole album, however, they were hardly a proper band, but merely a duo aided by guests.

The band’s music is very varied, at its lightest resembling late-60′s The Beatles, though mostly it’s heavy and psychedelic rock — quite aggressive hard rock to classically influenced prog with dominating gentle piano. As the music’s often fronted by chunky organ, with blues and classical elements, hints of Brian Auger or The Nice are notable.

The album sleeve doesn’t list who does the vocals. There’s also a guest brass-section on some tracks as well as female backing vocalists.

Line-up:
- Peter Schild / keyboards
- Gunther Steinborn / drums
with
- Gerry Fleming / bass
- Tony Hendrik / guitar

Track List:
01. Andromeda – 5:25
02. Cosmos Main Road – 4:57
03. Galaxy Of Beauty, Galaxy Of Nightmares – 8:05
04. A World On A Star – 4:40
05. Space Trip – 7:33
06. Rockets – 8:27
07. Silvery Lady Star – 4:39

Link in comments.

(Review from progarchives.com)

A variant of progressive rock that some have called sophisto-rock. Supertramp is a band that was able to continuously turn out very good songs. Their music has been described as whimsy, lighthearted, fluff and a million other variations on this theme. This music is the kind of thing that you will put on while you and your wife lounging around after dinner. Mellow and very good. One other thing is that they also have the ability to inject some humor into their music now and then. Althogh most of the songs on the album are rock radio staples. This is something that is hard to find.

After their commercial peak, Supertramp returned with “Famous Last Words” in 1982, a darker and slightly more melancholic release. You can hear that the band isn’t as happy anymore, mainly because Roger Hodgson wasn’t quite satisfied with the band at that time, which resulted his departure soon after.

Whether the title itself is a deliberate reflection of what was about to happen, or nothing more than an unfortunate co-incidence, is open to speculation. The sleeve image of a trapeze wire being cut does however add to the evidence that it may already have been known within the band that this would be their swansong with Hodgson.

Hodgson is dominant throughout the album, his distinctive vocals enhancing most of the tracks (Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are listed as guest vocalists). Instrumentally, there are some great moments, such as the saxophone solo on “My Kind of Lady”, the rock guitar on “Waiting So Long”, and the softer lead guitar on “Don’t Leave Me Now”.

The tracks on side one of the album are generally shorter and more basic. Side two allows the band to stretch themselves more, away from the singles orientated music they had been moving towards on albums such as “Breakfast in America”.

“Famous Last Words” is a fine offering from the band, with many strong tracks. It deserved far greater success than it ultimately achieved.

Line-up:
- Roger Hodgson / guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Rick Davies / keyboards, vocals, melodica
- John Helliwell / keyboards, saxophone, vocals
- Bob Siebenberg / drums
- Dougie Thomson / bass
with
- Clair Diament / vocals, back vocals
- Ann Wilson / vocals, back vocals
- Nancy Wilson / vocals, back vocals
- Richard Hewson / string arrangements

Track List:
01. Crazy (4:32)
02. Put on Your Old Brown Shoes (4:20)
03. It’s Raining Again (4:25)
04. Bonnie (5:37)
05. Know Who You Are (4:58)
06. My Kind of Lady (5:12)
07. C’Est le Bon (5:32)
08. Waiting So Long (6:32)
09. Don’t Leave Me Now (6:25)

Link in comments.

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Formed by ex-Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulze, Manuel Gottsching and Hartmut Enke, Ash Ra Tempel was one of the pioneers of the progressive space-rock genre.

Their debut-album offers the perfect space-atmosphere. The two tracks on the album is both very spacey pieces, yet very different from each other.

“Amboss” opens quiet and relaxed, but soon bursts into a frenetic jam, highlighted with Gottsching`s excellent spacy guitar playing and Schulze’s energetic drumming. It’s quite facinating how such an energetic and noisy piece still can be so atmospheric and relaxing.

“Traummaschine” lives up to its title, and gives a clue about what Schulze later would do on his own solo albums. A very quiet and mysterious piece, with floating electronics and shimmering guitar.

The whole album gives you a feeling of flying through space in a pyramid and visiting planets with ancient temples. Yes, this really is space music.

Line-up:
- Manuel Gottsching / guitar, voice, electronics
- Hartmut Enke / bass
- Klaus Schulze / drums, electronics

Track List:
01. Amboss (19:40)
02. Traummaschine (25:24)

Links in comments.

(Review from dprp.net, progarchives.com, progreviews.com)

Strongly influenced by Gentle Giant, this outstanding band has enough musicianship to deliver original, powerful, intricate, yet beautiful progressive rock. The music is full of details, either in strong passages or in the quietest acoustic moods. The Gentle Giant like Fender Rhoades piano brings the music to a higher atmosphere on the quiet parts. Fabulous acoustic guitar is present all the time, to break the power stream at the right time – always.

The tone of this album is set by the gentle string and layered vocal harmonies of “Always The Same”, a brief introductory piece that leads directly into the album’s title track. A song delivered with intent, it sets out a manifesto for the rest of the album – keyboard and guitar mastery with a funky bass and rhythmic syncopation and those glorious vocals. The five minute song flies inviting the listener to come on in and sample more.

On “Uncle”, Weston lets rips with passion and the group, led by Buzby’s keyboards, display a slightly jazzier edge while on “How Long Have I Waited” Weston again shines with possibly his best performance on the album. The more acoustic based “Best Regards” is driven by Ramsey’s drums and Buzby’s piano with a central vocal interplay section remiscent of Gentle Giant. The strangely titled “The Cheese Stands Alone” is one of those songs with so much packed into it, it is as if the best bits of a dozen different songs have been merged together. It works marvellously and the end result is simply wonderful.

The tracks 7-11 comprise a suite of individual pieces grouped together as a collection of “Letters”. One wonders if the label were wary of including a 20 minute track on the album, as that is really what “Letters” is. Prose starts as a lovely piano and acoustic guitar duet which serves as an introduction to “A Short Essay” which continues the piano melody but with added strings. The quieter tone allows the group’s vocal abilities to really come to the fore and the added violin adds a nice counterpoint. “My Dear Wormwood” ups the tempo but despite containing some moments of great beauty is a bit fragmented. “Entry 11.19.93″ has an almost lounge bar feel to it in places; Buzby’s masterful orchestration backing Weston’s voice perfectly and the ever present harmonies lifting the whole song. Kull’s concluding guitar solo is mirrored by the keyboards before the orchestra takes thinks down providing a link into “One For The Show” which draws things to a neat finish.

The Wiblet is a brief instrumental based around a jazzy piano riff and then we are off into the final third of the album. “Audio Verite”, another great song featuring more vocal interplays, is followed by Settled Land, an excitingly crafted piece that exudes energy. A Habit Worth Forming, a number whose opening gentleness gives way to one of Kull’s best solos on the album, has a long fade-out before the orchestral introduction to Never The Same heralds the beginning of the end with an achingly beautiful ballad that is worth the price of the CD alone, with lyrics adapted from the poem by Mary Frye – “Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there I did not die, I say to you I will see you again, on the other side some day” – the song is definitely one of Echolyn’s best.

Although some might be put off by the increased commercialism of this release, this album does an excellent job of marrying progressive rock to what was going on in the 90s.

Line-up:
- Christopher Buzby / keyboards, back vocals, orchestra arrangement + conduction
- Tom Hyatt / bass, midi pedals
- Brett Kull / guitars, lead & back vocals
- Paul Ramsey / drums & percussion
- Ray Weston / lead & backing vocals
with
- Connie Ellisor / strings section leader, violin
- Ted Madson, Catherine Ulmstead, Pamela Sixfin, David Davison, Cate Meyer, Katherine Shenk, Carol Ellisor / violin
- Jim Grosjean, Alan Ulmstead, Kris Wilkinson / viola
- Bob Mason / cello
- Sam Levineb / piccolo, flute, recorder

Track List:
01. All Ways The Same 0:35
02. As The World 4:51
03. Uncle 6:54
04. How Long I Have Waited 4:44
05. Best Regards 4:11
06. The Cheese Stands Alone 4:48
07. Letters – Prose 1:46
08. Letters – A Short Essay 4:35
09. Letters – My Dear Wormwood 3:36
10. Letters – Entry 11.19.93 5:33
11. Letters – One For The Show 4:32
12. The Wiblet 0:47
13. Audio Verité 4:28
14. Settled Land 5:42
15. A Habit Worth Forming 4:30
16. Never The Same 7:55

Links in comments.