KINO

"Radio Voltaire" is the second full-length studio album by UK, progressive rock act Kino. The album was released through InsideOut Music in March 2018. It´s the successor to "Picture" from 2005 and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as drummer Chris Maitland has been replaced by Craig Blundell (Frost*, Steven Wilson). Kino formed in 2004 but after releasing "Picture" they folded in 2006. In 2017 Guitarist/vocalist John Mitchell however pitched the idea to ressurrect Kino to bassist Pete Trewavas (Marillion, Transatlantic) and they soon reunited with keyboardist John Beck (It Bites) and recruited Blundell to complete the quartet lineup.

Stylistically "Radio Voltaire" continues the pop/rock oriented progressive rock sound of "Picture" but maybe with a slightly more progressive songwriting approach. It´s still predominantly relatively simple vers/chorus structured music and it often reminds me of the most pop/rock oriented songs by Spock´s Beard because of Mitchell´s voice and singing style, but also the way the piano is used. It´s a warm, pleasant, and atmospheric release, which is packed in a professional, organic, and detailed sound production, suiting the material well.

So upon conclusion "Radio Voltaire" is a good quality sophomore release from Kino and a worthy representation of the pop/rock oriented end of the progressive rock scale. A few more progressive songwriting ideas wouldn´t have hurt, but it´s probably a matter of the ears that hear. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

A modern album in a progressive world not yet ready! 1. Losers' Day Parade and 9 minutes of pure prog metal with a rough air at the start, a Beatlesian break, like Charisma country label; 2005 was once again the end of the prog, revival or other era and apart from RIVERSIDE it was with KINO that prog could imagine a future; so yes the drum of PORCUPINE TREE, the keyboard of IT BITES, the bassist of MARILLION and John of ARENA we couldn't imagine better; this piece is of delightful beauty, the voice is beautiful, Melissa's vocals melting, an air which smacks of the madness of QUEEN with this hardcore guitar, the progression oozes from everywhere and the heavy side gave its letters of nobility which avoided the soporific vintage revival 2. Letting Go follows on a melodic ballad with a keyboard in the background eyeing that of the WHO and a languorous guitar; the rhythm slowed down, more symphonic, romantic-rock with the rose of Provins; it's more marshmallow and the group already seems to be searching for a typical sound 3. Leaving a Light On with a soft prog metal ballad, well delivered; you have to wait halfway through to get your dose of prog break with synth and drums then John's heavy solo which finds its marks well with a heaviness in its notes, the plus of this title 4. Swimming in Women delicate piano, crystalline arpeggio, it goes up, hold a SUPERTRAMP tune in the distance, this sound really varies; the variation continues on the Arabic keyboards for a sensual piece; rolling of notes, crescendo bringing the hairs into custody, simple and effective 5. People for a melodic piece where the keyboard plays on the fingers of Tony from GENESIS; the voice starting with that of Ray WILSON in fact; the orchestration starts with an ARENA-style guitar solo, yes riff and mixed keyboards

6. All You See piano arpeggio starting a marshmallow melodic title, musically speaking dripping with catchy spleen tones; it's beautiful, it's made to embrace oneself and begin a languorous dance 7. Perfect Tense flirting with 80s AOR ambiances for stadium rock 8. Room for Two follows with a fruity pop rock with its dose of keyboards to have a good time without more 9. Holding On with one more guitar arpeggio introducing a similar piece at the start; yes but its length allows an evolving break based on the drums and keyboards, John performing like no other in this register; in fact we don't wait for the guitar solo with ardor, we let ourselves go, invaded by both; at one point time stops we are there no longer dissecting, blissfully listening to prog magic when you hold us! 10. Picture as outro, solemn, intimate title on a piano arpeggio which accompanies the voice becoming monotone, cold (4.5)

This album by the crossover / neo-prog group Kino was basically blamed for the pop-influences on this 2005 album 'Picture'. I myself am discovering the vinyl re-release of InsideOut in 2020 and I am quite surprised by how this criticism endures when so many celebrated neo-prog groups have become equally easy to listen to (Mystery for example). Furthermore, the neo style keyboards are soaring here and the symphonic guitars of John Mitchell (of Arena fame) can get quite heavy. The band does focus on song-writing and offers no random sequences of instrumental passages that deviate from the overall atmosphere of the song. There are some nice instrumental passages and the overall fairly melodic song-writing reminds me a bit of 21th century Kayak - albeit Kino has a more dreamy sound-pallet. Some of the hooks are really memorable, like for instance the opening melody of 'All You See' or the keyboard riff of 'People'. The opening track is a neo-progressive tour the force as well. The solo's of Mitchell sound reminiscent of his work with Arena of that same time. His vocals are a bit more lively and expressive than on the more recent Lonely Robot albums, but his vocals still sound a bit like a backing vocalist doing frontman 'duty'. Though I really like most songs, the album could perhaps have done without its most accessible songs ' Leaving A Light On' and the cheesy 'Room for Two'. The fine production of the album does sound slightly dense (as in contrast to spacious) and the vinyl remaster isn't that different from the original. The quality of the vinyl is fine. Listeners of the vinyl can also consider listening only to side 1, 2 and 4, skipping some of the more poppy material. All in all a rather unoffensive and rather enjoyable offering of a side-project band (by former members of It Bites, Arena, Marillion and Porcupine Tree) that perhaps wasn't even meant to be a 'supergroup' in the first place.

Second effort from the British neo-prog super group Kino!

This time without the ex-Porcupine Tree drummer Christ Maitland, who is substituted by Craig Blundell. Nevertheless, this change cannot be really heard in this Radio Voltaire, which follows the style of the first album of the band named Picture with a mixture of neo-prog melodies, pop influenced choirs and the typical John Mitchell's stylish and epic melodies.

Maybe this Radio Voltaire contains stronger guitars and riffs, making the album a bit more hard rock oriented.

But sadly, this Radio Voltaire suffers from the same problems that Picture had. Some cool prog tracks like Radio Voltaire and Idlewild are mixed with much more inconsistent, repetitive and flat ones, making this record not really interesting for true prog-rock lovers and also flawed for AOR or hard rock fans.

Best Tracks: Radio Voltaire (great guitar melodies at the beginning) and Idlewild.

Conclusion: harder in style than Picture but even more irregular in quality and songwriting, Radio Voltaire is difficult to recommend to any prog rock fan because it's too dull and repetitive in the long term.

Maybe if you are a die-hard fan of other projects of John Mitchell like Frost* or The Urbane you will find Radio Voltaire attractive, but for me it's rather forgettable.

My Rating: **

Kino, this kind of neo-prog super group made their debut back in 2005 with picture!

And this is an album which showcases mainly the personality of John Mitchell, with his unmistakable mellow and epic guitars and his soft vocals. The keyboards of John Beck give also an attractive and romantic 80's feeling to the music, and Pete Trewavas and Chris Maitland made also a good job.

The problem is this album is that it is a bit irregular in my opinion. Loser's Day Parade is an incredible piece of the best modern neo-prog-rock, while Letting Go has very beautiful vocal melodies and harmonies.

But sadly, almost the whole rest of the album despite being fine, pales in comparison to the first two tracks with a mixture of pop melodies and simple structures which are closer to AOR than prog-rock.

Best Tracks: Loser's Day Parade, Letting Go and Holding On.

Conclusion: Picture is an interesting album from this super group with a pair of wonderful songs and a bunch of just fine ones.

Nevertheless, the brilliant moments that it contains and the splendid musicianship of all the members of the band, make this debut from Kino an album which still deserves some attention.

My Rating: ***

One-shot Neo Prog gathering, featuring members mostly of the British movement.John Mitchell, who appears on guitar and voices, is among the leaders of Arena, Pete Trewavas is the lifetime bassist of Marillion and Transatlantic, drummer Chris Maitland has been a close collaborator of Steven Wilson on early Porcupine Tree and his side-project Blackfield, while keyboardist John Beck was among the founding members of Art Pop/Progers It Bites and also a member of Karnataka.With a couple of guest singers they recorded their only album ''Picture'' at the Outhouse Studios in Reading, it was released in 2005 on Inside Out.

Kino played a safe Neo Prog with emphasis on melodies and quirky, catchy atmospheres with the guitar of Mitchell being the absolute highlight, at the very end they remind me of what JADIS were doing around the same time, moving some inches away from the classic British Neo Prog sound to find peace in rockier, guitar-driven compositions.But unlike Gary Chandler, who appeared a bit tired after all these years, Mitchell & co. marked a fresh, new collaboration with the aim to come-up with melodic and accesible compositions, which do not lack heaviness or more intricate instrumental parts.All tracks are pretty strong with passages including romantic tunes, modern rock aesthetics, some great riffs and also tons of interesting melodies.As usually with such kind of albums the material is rewarded by the ability of the musicians to come up with memorable themes and well-crafted musicianship and this team of veterans did a pretty nice work.The keyboards are balanced with some flashy lights and mainly some good background moods with a discreet grandiose sound, Mitchell's guitar work and voice are the driving forces and, needless to say, both are almost flawless, while the pieces are characterized by intense choruses, nice hooks and this old-styled Neo Prog feel with emphasis on the atmospheric creativity.

The same year Kino release an indendent collection of demos and live recordings, titled ''Cutting room floor'', which also meant to be the swan song of the band (even if It Bites' Bob Dalton replaced Chris Maitland at some point).A project to remember, accesible still challenging Neo Prog with striking tunes all over the place.Not for fans of ultra-complex music, still this comes strongly recommended, great little break between more adventurous listenings...3.5 stars.

I have heard various tracks from this album over the last couple of years but had not heard the album in its entirety until last week, when I finally purchased a copy of it.

Being a lover of modern symphonic prog, strong melodies and production, this album hits the spot for me. There is definitely a pop-rock influence but it does have a strong prog flavour. It is disappointing that the group members didn't continue with the project as it is a very strong album that could have been developed very successfully I believe.

I believe this album is an excellent addition to any prog collection. The tracks are optimistic and up-beat and the vocals reflect the enjoyment the group members clearly had making this album. Musicianship is very strong and the production is excellent. Having listened to the album a few times now, it is still sounding very good; a sign of an album of hidden depths, in spite of the seemingly pop orientation. I would seriously recommend this album if, like me, you enjoy the music of Frost*, Moon Safari, Karmakanic, Dec Burke, Touchstone, Mystery, IQ or Neal Morse (to mention but a few!). It is no longer available from most of the suppliers I regularly use but you should be able to find it via Amazon. It's a worthwhile album and I would recommend it.

I discovered this album at the time of release while I was heading London for a ''Musical Box'' concert at the Royal Albert Hall together with my brother. Wen I was aware of the band members, there was no question that I would attend the gig at the London Astoria.

The guys were pretty enthusiasts on stage and needless to say that they are bloody skilled. Sometimes they sounded a bit hardish and John Mitchell might not be the best vocalist on earth, but the music they play is rather fresh yet accessible and very pleasant.

The highlight is of course the great opener: ''Losers Day Parade''. It holds a lot of what the neo-prog genre has to offer: a hard attack, great rhythmic, decent vocals (even if they remind me of the Marillion Mark II).

It is true to say that there are no great tunes available on this album. The experience of effectively see those guys was far much interesting than this studio work. It is easily understandable when you get them in front of your eyes. But the story is of course different when you ''only'' listen to their record which features the good (as I have already mentioned) and the worse (''Letting Go'').

Still, any neo-prog lover should be pleased with this work. There are fine melodies available, great guitar breaks of course (''Leave a Light On'') which are of course 200% neo prog oriented. To have seen this band turned into the prog related genre is an extreme surprise. I will definitely try and bring them into the genre they ought to be.

Apart of this discussion, it is true to say that there are some flaws in here. A song as ''Swimming in Women'' is just a filler IMO. And it is not the only one available. It should be difficult of course when you get a bunch of those guys together to raise the level of an album as high as each of them could have doe in their according band (with the exception of Marillion II of course).

It is obvious that when you are listening to such a good track as ''People'', the heresy of having this band catalogued as prog related is quite questionable, isn't it? Even if there are some average tracks as ''All You See''. Vocals overall remind me a lot of Ray Wilson ones on ''Calling All Stations'' and even if a track as ''Picture'' sounds popish, it holds some fine melodic lines and a catchy beat.

This album might well be a deception for some reviewers. Maybe that they were expecting too much of this band (or group of persons). Still, this work should please any neo-prog lover. Don't try to find the closest relation (Marillion Mark II, Arena, PT or It Bites) because it is a useless exercise.

This is just a good neo-prog album performed by skilled artists who wanted to have some fun playing together. Three stars.

"Picture" is the debut full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Kino. The album was released through InsideOut Music in November 2005. Kino formed in 2004 and consists of four relatively prolific prog rock musicians in John Beck (It Bites) on keyboards, John Mitchell (Arena, The Urbane) on vocals and guitar, Chris Maitland (Ex-Porcupine Tree) on Drums, and Pete Trawavas (Marillion, Transatlantic) on Bass. Kino folded again in 2006, but reunited in 2017 and released the 2018 "Radio Voltaire" sophomore studio album.

The music is mainstream oriented pop/rock with some progressive tendencies. It reminds me a bit of Jem Godfrey´s Frost* project (a band Mitchell would soon join) but it´s not quite as progressive inclined. The music features a warm sound and lots of layers of guitars and keyboards. The vocals are in focus most of the time though although the tracks feature the occasional guitar- or keyboard solo. The most progressive structured song is the opening track "Losers' Day Parade" which with its 9 minutes of playing time is also the longest track on "Picture". "Losers' Day Parade" shows what Kino are capable of and it´s overall a pretty impressive composition. The other tracks are good quality compositions too but arguably less progressive and closer to commercial pop/rock in their compositional style and songwriting ideas. The chorus on "Leaving A Light On" is for example incredibly catchy and pop oriented. Although there is generally a bit more punch to Kino´s sound the 1997 "Calling All Stations" album by Genesis is a valid reference. There´s the same warm and pleasant atmosphere present on "Picture".

"Picture" features a well sounding production job, which is detailed, clear, and powerful, perfectly suiting the material, and upon conclusion it´s a good quality release from Kino which is somewhere between mainstream oriented pop/rock and progressive rock in the lesser progressive end of the scale. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

I bought this disk after I heard some promising things about it and because of the fact this "project" includes members like John Mitchell and Pete Trewavas. I'm always very curious about new projects with (some of) my favourite participants. But after I listened to it several times I found out this wasn't quite what I had hoped for.

In one of the forum topics this was compared with the Frost-project and that one came up to my expectations a lot more. One of the reasons for that is simply the contribution of John Mitchell. On the Frost album he shows his full potential (which I enjoyed optimally) but on this disk that is absent I'm afraid. Picture is a much more accessible album containing almost pop-like songs, on itself nice sounding but hardly truly progressive to me. I wonder if they did that intentionally or that it just turned out like this. Because the bandmembers are true proggers, so why ? Anyway I like (and expected) the more progressive sort of music but leaving that aside I will try to give this a fair review. The first track is immediately the highlight to me. It's the most progressive and versatile song of the album but at the same time that's actually disappointing because it's a good track but no more than that. So where leaves that the other ones ? The other songs are more or less of equal quality but in rating terms that's somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars (Losers day parade scores just about 4 for me). All you see and Holding On are the more ballad-like tracks though the second ends up as a much more energetic composition.

All in all not bad of course but not really what I'm looking for in progressive music. Even for neo-progressive standards this is minimal in that respect, probably the reason this band is categorized as prog related. The execution and production are ok so I will give it 3 stars (3,3).