NOTES FROM THE PAST

This album was quite refreshing for me when it came out. I was deep in my Flower Kings fandom and grabbing up any side projects they put out (still do......in most cases now, I like the side projects better). This was a different sound than the Kings at the time, since all the material was written by Lundin. Still, Stolt's guitar sound is unmistakable, and his production talents and style are there as well. Patrick's vocals don't bother me on this one, with the exception of track 3 (which is kind of a lame song to begin with). In fact, I was quite impressed with them on this album (though that would change on later albums). Overall, aside from track 3, there are no weak songs on this album for me. In the Space...., is a not particularly interesting and Nite-Bike-Ride is the weaker of the instrumentals, but the rest appeals to me greatly. Stand out tracks would have to be The Name Belongs To You, A Road In My Mind (for Allena's fantastic vocals........a bit strained at times, but for me that adds to the charm), and Morganism for great playing by all the instrumentalists. My only real complaint is that it is so long (like many Stolt related albums.....though this is not always an issue). The first half is the weakest, but still pretty good. This dynamic works well, as the saving the best for last is always a good idea (unlike the next album where the first half is excellent and the second half dull). In any case, I'd rate this at probably about 3.75, meaning it is not essential if you are not a big fan of Stolt and Flower Kings related music, but essential if you are. So I'll round up to 4 with that one caveat.