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Posts tagged Max Werner
Kayak – Close to the Fire (2000) (@256)
25 Aug 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
Kayak disbanded for good in early 1982, shortly after the release of “Eyewitness” live recording album. 17 years passed before they got back together. The founding fathers of the band: Ton Scherpenzeel, Pim Koopman and Max Werner are back with a new album. The band picks up where they left off many years ago as if they have never been away.
The title track is a powerfully written track combining a rather complex arrangement with excellent (and memorable!) melody. Annet Visser (of Flairck fame) guests on this one, enriching the textures and nuances of the song with her wonderous flute.
“When Hearts Grow Old” is a sad, short melodic track, reminiscent of classic Kayak. A ballad follows, “Dream Child” flows nicely from beginning to end with the addition of backing vocals, accentuated with percussion work and vibraphone. “Frozen Flame” is bombastic and emotional. “Forever” has a happy mood, reminding the band’s previous studio album, Merlin. “World Aparts” features electric guitar softly combined with the piano, telling a sad story of a relationship.
“Crusader” has a nice flute work that makes this track attractive – it creates a classical feel during interlude and at the background of voice line. “Two Wrongs” starts of like a classic rock ‘n’ roll song, but later on it proves to be a real oldschool Kayak composition. “Anybody’s Child” brings back the classic style of Kayak music with great piano work, powerful vocals, orchestration and guitar interlude. “Here Today” is an enjoyable, accessible mellow track with a symphonic feel.
“Full Circle” has many tricks up in the sleeve — ambient keyboard exploration, traditional Celtic influence, violin and cello works, you name it. It even has Andy Latimer (of Camel) on guitar! The album closes with the re-recording of an early work, “Ruthless Queen” with Syb vd Ploeg singing as a guest.
Well, it’s great to see the guys are back.
Line-up:
- Pim Koopman / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, backing vocals
- Bert Veldkamp / bass, backing vocals
- Max Werner / lead vocals, percussion
- Rob Winter / guitars, backing vocals
Track List:
01. Close To The Fire – 8:14
02. When Hearts Grow Cold – 3:10
03. Dream Child – 3:32
04. Frozen Flame – 6:36
05. Forever – 4:40
06. Worlds Apart – 5:14
07. Crusader – 4:41
08. Two Wrongs (Don’t Make A Right) – 3:37
09. Anybody’s Child – 5:03
10. Here Today – 3:38
11. Just A Matter Of Time – 3:36
12. Full Circle – 5:59
13. Ruthless Queen (Bonus) – 5:00
Links in comments.
Kayak – Merlin (1981) (@256)
24 Aug 2008
(Review from amazon)
“Merlin” is a semi-concept album. Its first five tracks are part of Kayak’s masterful musical interpretation of the Arthurian legend. The early medieval atmosphere is captured perfectly, partly due to the use of additional stringed and brass instruments – such as flute and banjo. On the whole the balance tips over decisively in favor of ballad oriented material, giving Edward Reekers and Ton Scherpenzeel every chance to show off their preeminence on vocals and piano.
Still there is many a moment when Kayak prove they are very much a (high calibre) rock outfit, who know how to cut loose. Check out epic opener “Merlin” for instance, the dramatic buildup to its chorus featuring a plenitude of soaring guitars and pompous keyboards, rockers like “The sword in the stone” and “Can’t afford to lose” or the gorgeous guitar solo toward the end of the infinitely delicate ballad “Niniane (Lady of the lake)”. “Seagull” was a single release and, deservedly, a hit in the Netherlands. “Now that we’ve come this far” is another fantastic track, the lead vocals to this heartbreaking ballad are delivered with great pathos (in the best sense of the word). On “Love’s Aglow” Edward Reekers yielded his place behind the mike to Kayak’s helmsman Ton Scherpenzeel, resulting in a rather long-winded, dreamy song extremely reminiscent of Camel circa “Snow Goose”. Odd one out is the cheerful “Boogie heart”, a fair composition not lacking in merit, but not quite able to hold its own in this company of excessive overachievers.
Merlin showcases superior artistry, dazzling skill, awardwinning melodies, intelligent lyrics and unforgettable songs
Line-up:
- Edward Reekers / vocals
- Peter Scherpenzeel / bass
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, backing vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, backing vocals
- Max Werneer / drums, percussion, vocals
with
- Katherine Lapthorn / backing vocals
- Irene Lindner / backing vocals
Track List:
01. Merlin – 7:23
02. Tintagel – 2:41
03. The Sword In The Stone – 3:30
04. The King’s Enchanter – 2:41
05. Niniane (Lady Of The Lake) – 7:24
06. Seagull – 4:11
07. Boogie Heart – 4:12
08. Now That We’ve Come This Far – 4:30
09. Can’t Afford To Lose – 3:20
10. Love’s Aglow – 6:03
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Kayak – Periscope of Life (1980) (@256)
23 Aug 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
“Periscope life” is another competent collection of pop based songs, with simplistic structures, and straight forward instrumentation. The diversity of previous albums is maintained, perhaps even enhanced, although the 10CC/City Boy similarities are still very much to the fore.
There’s a bit more emphasis on funkier sounds this time, especially on the Jim Capaldi like “Stop that song”, the prosaic “Beggars can’t be choosers”, and the Billy Joel pop of the title track. The album improves substantially towards the end, the final four tracks being the most notable.
The instrumental “Lost blue of Chartres” has some fine Tony Banks like piano, while “Anne” moves through various atmospheres including medieval, stage show, and a sing-along 60’s sad ballad sound. “One way or another” is reminiscent of “Stackridge”, leading to the Bees Gees/Hollies influenced closing ballad “Sad to say farewell”. The orchestration and simple guitar solo on this track serve to enhance the retro pop atmosphere.
The overall feel is of a band playing so far within themselves, they redefine the meaning of the word introvert.
Line-up:
- Edward Reekers / lead vocals
- Peter Scherpenzeel / bass
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, backing vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, backing vocals
- Max Werneer / drums, percussion, backing vocals
with
- Jim Gordon / saxophone
- Jim Price / horns
- Peggy Sandwig / backing vocals
- Katherine Lapthorn / backing vocals
- Irene Linders / backing vocals
Track List:
01. Astral Aliens – 3:40
02. What’s in a Name – 4:10
03. Stopthatsong – 3:16
04. If You Really Need Me Now – 4:16
05. Periscope Life – 3:26
06. Beggars Can’t Be Choosers – 4:40
07. The Sight – 4:01
08. Lost Blue of Chartres – 3:36
09. Anne – 4:20
10. Oneway or Another – 3:21
11. Sad to Say Farewell – 4:26
12. Theme from Spelters (Part II) (Bonus) – 2:20
13. Ivory Dance (Bonus) – 1:56
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Kayak – Phantom of the Night (1979) (@256)
22 Aug 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
This follow up album to “Starlight Dancer” is very much a case of more of the same. Indeed, when heard back-to-back, the tracks flow seamlessly from one album to the next.
Once again, here we have short pop rock tracks, the longest lasting a mere 5 minutes. That of course does not in itself imply that there is a complete absence of anything progressive but the fact is that the tracks on “Phantom of the Night” are all based on simple pop structures and strong melodies.
Once again we have a mixture of 10cc influenced melodic pop rock, 60s style Beatlesque numbers and Alan Parsons Project like ballads. Vocally, there are similarities with America (of “Horse With No Name” fame). It is the ballads which appear to work best here, “Ruthless Queen” and “Phantom of the Night” both having slightly more to them compositionally than the majority of the faster paced pop rock songs.
A great album with big symphonic boundaries to cross.
Line-up:
- Ton Scherpenzel / keyboards
- Edward Reekers / lead vocals
- Max Werner / drums, percussion, lead vocal on “No man’s Land”
- Katherine Lapthorn / backing vocals
- Peter Scherpenzeel / bass guitar
- Irene Linders / backing vocals
- Johan Slager/ guitar
Track List:
01. Winning Ways – 3:35
02. Keep the Change – 3:35
03. Ruthless Queen – 4:49
04. Crime of Passion – 3:33
05. First Signs of Spring – 3:42
06. Daphne – 5:09
07. The Poet and the One Man Band – 4:13
08. No Man’s Land – 4:04
09. Journey Through Time – 3:22
10. Phantom of the Night – 5:04
11. Ballad for a Lost Friend – 3:53
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Kayak – Starlight Dancer (1977) (@256)
21 Aug 2008
(Review from connollyco.com, progarchives.com)
“Starlight Dancer” is a charmer, chocked full of clever arrangements and interesting musical themes. Elements of Genesis, Queen, Alan Parsons Project and Camel appear throughout without being derivative of those bands, and yet the most similar band is late 70s era Renaissance. Both bands fell to the left or right of progressive’s front echelon but will be remembered for carrying the standard when the front-rank fellers were fallen (or fiddling around). And both had a facility for incorporating orchestral arrangements into appealing melodies and making use of classical themes without sounding overly pretentious.
There is certainly a diversity of styles here, including The Beatles / Paul McCartney (“Daughter or Son”, “Golddust”), 10CC (“Let down”), and City Boy (“Turn the tide”). Ballads such as “Where do we go from here” and “ May” work well, often sounding similar to those of the Alan Parsons Project. The occasional instrumental interlude or even entire track (the beautiful, cascading “Irene” featuring some fine sax) show the band to be competent in that field, although they never appear to push themselves into anything which might be described as adventurous.
Line-up:
- Ton Scherpenzeel / pianos, synthesizer, organ, harpsichord, vocals
- Charles Louis Schouten / drums, percussion, marimba, vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, vocals
- Max Werner / Mellotrons, percussion, vocals
- Theo de Jong / bass guitar
with
- Fred Leeflang / soprano saxophone (5)
- Rick van der Linden / Yamaha GX1 synthesizer (6)
Track List:
01. Daughter or Son – 3:36
02. Starlight Dancer – 4:59
03. Want You To Be Mine – 3:37
04. Letdown – 2:48
05. Irene – 4:24
06. Golddust – 2:38
07. May – 4:21
08. Turn The Tide – 3:36
09. Dead Bird Flies Forever – 4:18
10. Sweet Revenge – 3:33
11. Where Do We Go From Here – 4:39
12. I Want You To Be Mine (Bonus) – 5:13
13. Irene (Bonus USA version) – 4:22
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Kayak – Royal Red Bouncer (1975) (@256)
20 Aug 2008
(Review from vintageprog.com)
Their third album also proved to be their most popular one.
The band moved into a more Supertramp-influenced pop-progressive style but better, tighter, more progressive and energetic. The songwriting and playing is of a very high class and the production is as good as it can get for an album from 1975. Catchy up-tempo tracks like “Chance for a Lifetime” and the title-track features complex arrangements and breaks, despite their obvious pop-leanings. There’s also some excellent woodwind-work on several of the songs. “Bury the World” and “Said No Word” are the most progressive and complex tracks of the bunch. There are also some truly wonderful ballads here, like “Life of Gold” and “Patricia Anglaia”. The latter is an instrumental-number with some word-less female vocals. “(You’re So) Bizarre” is pure pop, but not without the progressive quirkiness in the arrangement. “If this is Your Welcome” is a very tight and wonderfully constructed song that perfectly demonstrates Kayak’s talent for writing catchy, pop-progressive music.
This album is a tad less progressive and more pop orientated than their previous albums but it’s just as good in terms of musical quality.
Line-up:
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, vocal
- Johan Slager / guitars, vocals
- Bert Veldkamp / bass, vocal
- Max Werneer / lead vocals, mellotron
- Pim Koopman / drums, vocals
Track List:
01. Royal Bed Bouncer – 4:00
02. Life Of Gold – 3:25
03. You’re So Bizarre – 3:48
04. Bury The World – 4:21
05. Chance For A Lifetime – 4:14
06. If This Is Your Welcome – 4:55
07. Moments Of Joy – 3:59
08. Patricia Anglaia – 2:14
09. Said No Word – 5:15
10. My Heart Never Changed – 2:32
11. Alibi – 3:39
12. Mountain Too Rough – 3:56
13. Woe And Alas – 3:00
14. Mouldy Wood – 5:14
15. Lovely Luna – 8:19
16. Forever Is A Lonely Thought – 5:26
17. Still Try To Write A Book – 2:01
18. Give It A Name – 2:43
19. Bulldozer (demo) – 2:22
Links in comments.
Kayak – II (1974) (@256)
19 Aug 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
Kayak II is the perfect marriage of the band’s hard rock tendencies, their dazzling symphonic edges and the adventurous middle ground between the two. The songs are top-notch slices of upbeat, exciting progressive.
“Alibi” opens the album with an addictive dose of high energy, but it’s the second song, “Wintertime”, that really sets the tone. Somewhat melancholic in the verses, the chorus becomes almost Supertramp-ish in its brightness. Side 1 is rounded out by two very different songs: “Mountain Too Rough”, a mostly-mellow trip into folky atmospheres with some deliberately disruptive sound effects occurring. “They Get To Know Me” offers a killer momentum, symphonic and Genesis-like in spots, with a healthy bit of aggression, especially when guitarist Johan Slager takes over. It’s always so enjoyable to witness this song unfolding.
Side two is even more diverse in scope than side 1. “Serenades” is a bouncy number, hinting at the sound they’d perfect on the ‘Starlight Dancer’ album. “Woe And Alas” offers slightly tricky timing and an impassioned Max Werner vocal. Some gorgeous layers are built up as the song moves along. We get the more gentle side of Kayak with the caress of “Mireille”, a short, to-the-point instrumental that provides a good balance to the more involved stuff here. The album’s final moments couldn’t be better: “Trust In The Machine” has a demented bit of vocal from Werner and swirling keyboard sounds that envelop the rest of the music, that music being kinetic stuff that’s wild but never out of control. Almost Fripp-ish guitar squeaks by Slager rear their head in here. There’s even a fair bit of noise in the middle, making you feel like you’re visiting “The Waiting Room” again. This gives yet another facet to the song, a well-rounded journey, a song full of paranoia and triumph that is perfect in its completeness. “His Master’s Noise” ends things nicely, with vocals that almost sound like Paul McCartney (with a Dutch accent, of course). A simple track that is all vocal layers and straight piano. It offers a cooling off period that brings this eventful album to a satisfying close.
Line-up:
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, vocal, accordion
- Pim Koopman / percussion, vocals
- Johan Slager / electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
- Max Werner / mellotrons, percussion, vocals
- Cees van Leeuwen / bass guitar, harmonica
Track List:
01. Alibi – 3:41
02. Wintertime – 2:52
03. Mountain Too Rough – 3:58
04. They Get To Know Me – 9:19
05. Serenades – 3:34
06. Woe And Alas – 3:02
07. Mireille – 2:12
08. Trust In The Machine – 6:07
09. His Master’s Noise – 1:46
10. We Are Not Amused – 3:01
Link in comments.
Kayak – Last Encore (1976) (@192)
27 Jun 2007
(Review from amazon)
One of Kayak’s typical hallmarks was that they managed a good balance between 70′s pop sounds and progressive elements. “The last encore” from 1976 is the last one with Pim Koopman on drums. It’s also a special one because it contains an unusual large amount of Pim’s songs. Although main Kayak composer Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim are quite different songwriters, their songs integrate very nicely on this album.
Opening song “Back to the Front”, immediately sets the mood for this album. Here the listener is captivated by a stocato 2 fingered piano fill, and a soft whistle, and a varied assortment of keyboards, percussions (listen for a soft miramba) and both electric and acoustic guitars. It is this type of musicianship that makes each song on this album so unique. Keyboardist, vocalist, and principal songwriter Ton Scherpenzeel is a master of adding the unexplained to each song. Layering their songs with rich, overdubbed, and orchestral imagery. Take “Nothingness”, for example, for what may be random, we hear what seems to be Bendatictine Monks Choir adding a lush vocal arpeggio of fluctating high to low choral additions. But what makes it work, is that I can’t imagine the song without having that interlude in this particular song. And so it goes throughout. Instruments as varied as the accordion, clavinet, mellatron, zither, recorder and a marimba, that one wouldn’t generally hear being used, in these songs to not have them, the song wouldn’t be complete.
“Relics From a Distant Age” features piano mastery, with the soft sounds of a clavinet and a bass line by Johah Slager, this is as good as it gets. The sounds of birds open “Love Me Tonight/Get on Board” and at the same time you hear what sounds like an old victrola playing a old time vocal arrangement. Then suddenly you hear the band in the fashion of a 1920s carnival group. After a short interlude of silence, the songs starts up again, and the victrola sounds up again, and you can imagine yourself sitting on the open porch of a vintage Victorian Mansion on a warm summer evening.
After “Last Encore”, Pim Koopman decided to leave the band. This was due to health problems/stage fright, but it also helped that he was offered a job as a full-time producer. As a producer he was quite successful with Dutch artists.
Line-up:
- Pim Koopman / drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, mellotron, accordion, double bass, backing vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, backing vocals
- Bert Veldkamp / bass, double bass, saxophone, zither, backing vocals
- Max Werneer / lead & backing vocals, percussion, mellotrons
Track List:
01. Back to the Front (4:31)
02. Nothingness (3:57)
03. Love Of A Victim (2:50)
04. Land On The Water (2:27)
05. The Last Encore (3:59)
06. Do You Care (2:49)
07. Still My Heart Cries For You (4:32)
08. Relics from a Distant Age (4:54)
09. Love me tonight / Get On Board (2:40)
10. Evocation (3:50)
11. Raid Your Own House (3:35)
12. Well Done (0:52)
Link in comments.
Ekseption – Live in Germany (1993) (@256)
17 Jun 2007
(Info from progarchives.com)
Ekseption is a Dutch band that was famous during the late sixties/early seventies for the way it combined themes from classical composers with contemporary rock and jazz in a blend of dominating, virtuoso keys and trumpet plus sax(es).
Ekseption’s only live album was recorded during two German concerts in November 1993. Ekseption had a reunion for some live performances.
If you’ve always wanted to listen to Ekseption live, here’s your chance.
Line-up:
- Rick Van Der Linden / Farfisa 1-3 +5 and Grand piano
- Rein Van Der Broek / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Max Werner / drums
- Frans Muys Van Der Moer / bass
- Dick Remelink / soprano & tenor saxophone
Track List:
01. Toccata (5:23)
02. Your home (4:51)
03. Peace planet (3:43)
04. Concerto (4:02)
05. Haydn (3:08)
06. Air (3:57)
07. Rhapsody in blue (4:45)
08. Thoughts (3:57)
09. Summertime (2:50)
10. For example (9:43)
11. The fifth (3:12)
12. Italian concerto (4:03)
13. Sabre dance (3:35)
14. My pianoman (2:45)
Links in comments.
Kayak – Eyewitness (1981) (@256)
04 Apr 2007
For Salty Dog, sorry I forgot it :)
(Review from progressiveworld.net)
Originally recorded as a live album containing most of their “hits”, Eyewitness was in fact conceived in the studio! In fact, the band recorded the entire album with a live feel, but without an audience! All of the tracks were recorded in the famous Wisseloord studios in Holland. Later, 200 members of the band’s fanclub were dragged in so their applause could be recorded. The fake audience has not been included on this CD-transfer so what you get here is the “real” sound of the band, how they sounded live without the polished studio treatment.
“Ruthless Queen” remains one of the many highlights in the band’s remarkable career. There’s the funkiness of “Want You To Be Mine” (although I remember having seen Kayak live when I was young (gasp), and hearing that track more in a Uriah Heep fashion) and the driven force of “Chance For A Lifetime” including some superb Moog interventions! There’s an almost disco-feel with “Who’s Fooling Who” before Scherpenzeel can musically show his love for his wife in the instrumental “Irene”, which sounds very much like Camel what with Johan Slager throwing in some cool Latimer chords!
One of the all-time Kayak live favourites, “Starlight Dancer”, is also included here, although it sort of misses what made the studio version so special. Hard and driving is “No Man’s Land” with a versatile Scherpenzeel banging the ivories whilst Slager joins in with some stunning guitar licks. Two interesting bonus tracks have been added here. “Car Enchanter” is a specially recorded version from the Merlin album, recorded for Keystone products. “Ivory Dance ’94″ is a re-recorded instrumental with a nice minimal build-up.
Line-up:
- Edward Reekers / lead vocals
- Peter Scherpenzeel / bass
- Ton Scherpenzeel / keyboards, backing vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, backing vocals
- Max Werneer / drums, percussion, backing vocals
Track List:
01. Eyewitness (3:21)
02. Periscope Life (4:09)
03. Ruthless Queen (5:05)
04. Want You To Be Mine (4:48)
05. Lyrics (1:59)
06. Chance for a Lifetime (4:22)
07. Who’s Fooling Who (3:44)
08. Irene (3:12)
09. Only You and I Know (3:12)
10. Winning Ways (3:28)
11. Starlight Dancer (4:58)
12. No Man’s Land (5:32)
13. The Car Enchanter (Sikkens Song) (Bonus) (2:36)
14. Ivory Dance (Bonus) (2:51)
Link in comments.
Kayak – See See the Sun (1973) (@256)
27 Feb 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
An undeservedly underrated group is Kayak. Perhaps part of the reason for its relatively low profile is that it occupies a strange middle ground, with an unlikely combination of pop/rock vocal segments that owe more to Todd Rundgren than any main progressive rock group, interspersed with strong symphonic progressive rock as well. The vocals of Kayak’s first lead singer Max Werner aren’t that great, but are not a negative factor for me either while the classic line-up of Werner (vocals/mellotron), Tom Scherpenzeel (keyboards), Johan Slager (guitars), Cees van Leeuwen (bass) and Pim Koopman (drums) that cut the first two albums is highly competent, but far from flashy … even during the lengthy instrumental interludes.
To top it all, Kayak have made many line-up shifts and passed through a number of styles. While the current outfit is making strong, neo-prog tinged music, I’m one of those who thinks that this early progressive pop phase saw Kayak at its best. In fact, I don’t think it gets any better than See See The Sun.
Reason For It All ( with a healthy dose of Yes influences), the storming Mouldy Wood, the sparse, melodramatic Lovely Luna and the beautiful Beatlesque title track are probably my personal highlights, but this album has to be taken as a whole, for it is well balanced and possesses a great flow … best exemplified by the moment when the edgy rocker Hope For A Life comes right after the seduction of Lovely Luna. Kayak also prove that you don’t need length to be progressive … Mammoth goes through a number of phases in a period of less than three minutes! I really like this record, and even my least favourite track, the schmaltzy Forever Is A Lonely Thought has a very nice Scherpenzeel piano solo.
There is a light (but not lightweight) feeling about Kayak’s music that makes me think that this is one classic-era prog band that neo-prog fans will really enjoy. And even though they sound nothing like either ELO, Supertramp or the Alan Parsons Project (and indeed are emphatically more progressive) I do believe it is fans at this end of the scale who will derive the most joy from Kayak’s music. And See See The Sun, surely Kayak’s finest album, is the best place to start.
Line-up:
- Ton Scherpenzeel / piano’s Synths, organ, harpsicord, vocals, accordion
- Pim Koopman / drums, percussion, Marimba, vocals
- Johan Slager / guitars, vocals
- Max Werner / mellotrons, percussion, vocals
- Cees van Leeuwen / bass, harmonica
Track List:
01. Reason For It All (6:29)
02. Lyrics (3:42)
03. Mouldy Wood (5:16)
04. Lovely Luna (8:19)
05. Hope For A Life (6:49)
06. Ballet Of The Cripple (4:39)
07. Forever Is A Lonely Thought (5:26)
08. Mammoth (2:57)
09. See See The Sun (4:13)
10. Still Try To Write A Book (Bonus) (2:01)
11. Give It A Name (Bonus) (2:44)
Link in comments.