DAWN

Well, I actually prefer this album to Ocean, though they are both very good. Eloy was one of the first "obscure" (in the USA anyway) prog bands I delved into. Initially, I liked them a lot. Especially this era which combines a Pink Floyd type approach with a rhythm section similar to that of Rush. This is not to say that Eloy really sounds like either of those bands. They definetly have their own unique brand of space rock, or perhaps space prog.

This album is supposedly a continuation of the story from the previous album, The Power and The Passion. Considering the ridiculous nature of that story, I'm glad to say this one is more interesting musically and lyrically. I couldn't really tell you what the story is though, as the lyrics, written by the drummer, are obviously not written by a person whos primary language is English. But that does not detract from the music at all. Bourneman has a strong German accent, which really doesn't bother me, but I can see how it might put some off. The first 5 songs form what is essentially a suite, as they segue together farily seamlessly and cover similar themes and lyrical ideas. These are probably the highlight of the album, along with The Midnight Flight. At least for prog fans. They feature interesting tempo, volume, and time signature shifts and dramatic changes. Probably the best Eloy has ever done, IMO. The rest of the album is much more spacy and almost minimalist, in the way that early 70's Floyd was. So not boring, but definetly space rock as opposed to prog. To add to the interest of this album, a small orchestra is present which really adds some emphasis and drama to the album that might not otherwise be there. Except for a couple of small parts, the orchestra is generally in the background and not a primary feature of the album.

All in all, a very good example of 70's prog / space rock. I personally love this album, but when compared to the mass of great prog albums out there, I could see it might not stand up so well for a lot of prog heads. Anyway, not essential, but I give it the 4 stars as I think it deserves at least that much.