A PLACE IN THE QUEUE

Andy Tillison makes clear his devotion to "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in the liner notes, even encouraging you to search your Dad's (or Grandad's) record collection for a copy, but this is no Tales clone. Can The Tangent cope with the loss of Roine Stolt? Yes, no problem. The keyboards are more prominent anyway on this album but Krister Jonsson puts in some great solos when required. The rhythm section is brilliant and the flute and brass work of Theo Travis is outstanding.

"In Earnest" is the first, and best, of the two epics about war veterans who are only appreciated one day a year in November. Excellent lyric (noteable for rhyming "Forties" with "sport his") and a great song, featuring some nice jazzy instrumental sections.

"Lost in London" is about trips Andy Tillison made to London in the 80s in search of a recording contract. Reminiscent of some of Caravan's lighter numbers, this may be the first time Brent Cross Shopping Centre has had a mention in a prog song. Nice flute work.

"DIY Surgery" is a bizarre poem set to VdGG-style music by Theo Travis.

"GPS Culture" is the best of the "non-epic" tracks, mainly thanks to a wonderful organ riff which Wakeman would have been proud of. Features another brilliant instrumental section. My favourite track.

"Follow Your Leaders" is a typical faster Tangent number with an excellent synth solo.

"The Sun In My Eyes" is the "disco" number about the perils of being a Yes fan at school instead of a Sweet fan. Too poppy for my liking and doesn't really fit in. The title track is the 2nd epic and takes a while to get going, but explains the overall concept behind the album.

The second CD in the special edition features some tracks that didn't make it onto disc one. "First day at school" is very nice and possibly should have been on the album instead of "DIY Surgery". The remix of Sun in my eyes is an improvement, but the best things here are the last 2 instrumentals - "Grooving in Mars" is a great jazzy number, recorded live, featuring a great sax motif and "Kartoffelsalat Im Unterseeboot " is a wonderful ambient electronic piece. The extra for the special edition is worth it for this track alone. A definite 4 star effort. Shame they're not touring all round the UK!

I truly think The Tangent is one of the best progressive rock bands of the post 2000 years. If you listen closely to their music you could be under the impression this music was conceived in the mid seventies. Especially the organs & keyboards sound timeless. More than ever, the sound of this band is reminiscent to the Canterbury scene and bands like Hatfield & the north or Caravan ; especially the gentle vocals or the fairy tale character of the flute parts. On the debut album these influences were just part of a tribute section to H & N. Here, these elements are incorporated in a more natural way. But these are just some of the influences that appear in the sound. You can also notice some shades of Yes in the harmonic vocals and in the guitar parts of "GPS culture" . This can't be a coincidence as some of the lyrical subject are directly linked to that band "they didn't realise the sun was in my eyes ; Nous sommes de soleil". Keith Emerson comes to mind in some of the excellent keyboard parts. The melodies that are provided by the organs are more accessible due to the repetition of some tunes. A marvellous track like "GPS Culture" illustrates perfectly the feeling of a road trip musically. This doesn't mean The Tangent hasn't got its own unique trademarks. The nice atmosphere of this complex music enables you to enjoy this wonderful music from the very first listen. There's a succession of different parts & atmospheres in every track. Sometimes the mood is calm & smooth with delicate sounds on the back while on other moments it's quite jazzy like on the little funny track "DIY surgery". Some parts of this album are symphonic and occasionally pompous. Each excerpt impresses me by its stunning sound & sparkling melodies of vocals and instruments, it's almost unbelievable that they manage to maintain the quality level this high all the time. Both the opening track & the title track are large epics of the same kind. On these long epics the band takes the time to explore the extended parts full of musical creativity& emotional beauty. Here the instrumentation is enriched by the use of orchestral sounds. The sound of an odd track like "Follow your leaders" includes compelling keyboard parts & stunning melodies. Alongside the variations of organ, there's also some wonderful floating keyboards with a space/astral feel. Originally The Tangent started off as a solo project from Andy Tillison but once the other musicians were involved they became a band before the first album was finished. Each record release saw the entrance and the leaving of some band members. Guy Manning, Jonas Reingold & Theo Travis were part of the band from the beginning and the acoustics, sax and bass lines are played decently. For the third studio album Roine Stolt is replaced by Krister Johnsson on guitar. Unfortunately you can notice this. Not that Johnson is a bad guitarist, far from it, his guitar lines serve the music quite good. It's just that the band sounded just a tad better with those characteristic guitar lines of Roine Stolt. For the lyrics Tillison still seems very much in charge of this band. He gives the listener insight to his views on modern society issues like mass consumption, leadership & place of the individual in a society. These themes are recurring several times in different forms through the tales of his own life & observations from the past and the present. Take "London life" for example. The lyrics are clear and comprehensive. Musically the atmosphere is gorgeous, a succession of calm & up- tempo moments. This has to be one of my favourite tracks of the album. Lyrically this is a tale from Tillison's past. He recalls one trip to London where he was involved in the Falkland war protest. You can find more explanations of the concept in the sleeve notes. Sometimes it rather sounds as someone is telling a tale than a real lyric. It never bothers because of the stunning music underneath. The extensive instrumental interludes leave plenty of room for soloing. If you're not familiar with the sound of the voice of Tillison, it can sound a bit odd at first. He's not one of the best vocalists around but I always liked his voice. During some excerpt he's sounding smooth and delicate but the next moment his vocals are really powerful.

Unfortunately there's one weak point in this album. I suppose not many listeners of progressive rock will like "The sun in my eyes" which seems intended as a single heading for chart success. The commercial arrangements which consist of electronics & a blazer section may not please the fan. Underneath there's quite some decent melodies to discover. In either way this song is a lightweight when compared to the other tracks of the album.

The special edition contains another 40 minutes of new music. That's what I call bonus material ! Although these tracks aren't sounding competed and don't really fit in, this material is worthwhile of checking out. Musically The Tangent explores new musical ground with a satisfying result. "Promises were made" holds elements from gothic prog metal. "Forsaken cathedrals" is an extension of the musical elements that are used in "DIY Surgery". Most interesting are the jams in "Grooving On Mars" and "Kartoffelsalat Im Unterseeboot" which sometimes remind me of some ancient Porcupine Tree soundscapes. The explorations don't seem to go anywhere at some points but that can be fun too.

Conclusion : I treasured the two previous Tangent albums for their splendid sound, inspired melodies & interesting lyrics and "A place in the queue" , the third album, is no exception to the rule even though there's nothing really new to discover on this album.

A Place in Perfection

The Tangent's third Studio album A Place in the Queue is breathtaking, mesmerizing, and an amazing effort by one of modern symphonic prog's most revered projects. It's the quintessential modern symphonic prog concept album dealing with different political and social aspects of society including economics to war. The album's concept becomes increasingly clearer with each listen and increasingly more addictive.

Andy Tillison is the creative force behind the project. He does most of the keyboards and Moogtrons along with the lead vocals and depth guitars. Tillison's keyboard skills are top class showing off incredible soloing skills and creative sounds from both his keyboard and the Moogtron. Tillison's vocal performance is good as well. He clearly enunciates every lyric and never finds himself off key. Tillison did an amazing job composing and performing this album.

Jonas Reingold is one of my favorite bassists, and he was one of the reasons why I decided to buy this album the second I picked it up. Reingold is definately the leading figure of bassists in the modern symphonic prog world. His walking lines add so much depth behind the melody and his solo in Follow Your Leaders is nothing less than amazing. Reingold shows how bass can lay down the groove but play extremely techincal and melodic lines throughout every performance.

Jaimie Salazar does a great job on drums. His jazzy style is perfect for the variant influences of Andy Tillison. The second track Lost in London shows just how jazzy this band can get, but also how quickly they can switch into heavier styles with poignant instrumental parts.

Krister Jonsson must take quite a bit of influence from Roine Stolt, who played on earlier Tangent albums. Jonsson's performance is so strong that I really don't feel like Stolt did any more for the band. Jonsson's performance may never reach the acclaim of Stolt's, but in terms of quality, these guitarists are equally matched.

Theo Travis' contribution on woodwinds is essential. Without those excellent improvised Sax and Flute solos, this album would miss the character that makes it so amazing.

Guy Manning does a spectacular job on acoustic guitars and other assorted strings (12 strings, mandolins, and etc). Manning's playing shows the variation of this group switching from strong, dark, and heavy tones to soft, light, and jazzy tones.

Sam Baine adds a very unqiue flavor to the project. The Tangent is able to use two keys players. Tillison on Moogs, organs, and pianos collaborating with Sam Baine on synths and pianos. This creates a unique and interesting atmosphere with two keyboardists playing in harmony. The two keyboardists add not only a great array of tones, but also unique intervals that are quite open and resolute and other times being close and dissonant.

The production is top quality, just like the rest of this album. Every note is audible. The keyboards and Moogtrons have inventive tones and not just the standard guitar center stock tones. The guitars are thick and buttery when they need to be, but retain a softer jazzier character. The drums cut through and the cymbals are pleasant with some slight force. The bass is audible and clear as always from Mr. Reingold. The vocals are clear, enunciated, and huge. They really fill the space of the recording. All in all, perfect production.

This is definately a five star effort.

It Will Go into Top 5 Prog Albums of 2006!

Oh what kinda musical taste that I have? It's too broad, I think . and it's probably undefined. After having reviewed what so called prog met album from Andromeda, now I'm moving into different kinda music which is totally different than the Andromeda kinda thing. Oh taste taste taste . what kinda taste? It doesn't matter, really, as long as the music is okay with my ears, I would go ahead enjoying the stream of music produced by different bands with different styles. That's the beauty of having no preconceived mind about certain type of music. But . there is another part of the coin: so many wish list that I've made for good CDs that will create serious dollar from my pocket. Never mind! I have to work very very hard (of course with prog spirit) to finance my needs for good CDs. What is work for prog man? To purchase CDs!

Yeah, let's get started with this great album by The Tangent. Roine Stolt, one of the best prog musicians we have nowadays, is out from The Tangent in this record. But, the music of The Tangent is still great- even it's much better than their second album "The World That We Drive Through". One thing, Roine Stolt is great, but the band still demonstrates excellent musical quality even after he is not involved in the project. Like its previous predecessors, this album offers you great prog music combining musical styles of Canterbury music like National Health, Hatfield and The North, Egg with Return To Forever music and also some flavors of rock music. It's definitely an album that no one who claims himself/herself as prog lover miss it. Yeah, it's powerful full stop.

It kicks off softly with great jazzy piano and heavy vocal section in "In Earnest" (20:03). You might be wondering that this long duration track will get you bored - it's not at all. It's terrific! There are multitudes of styles and tempo changes with great textures of organ / keyboard sounds and solos, plus powerful vocal line. The music sometimes turns complex with all instruments play difficult chords with some solos: piano, guitar and keyboards. Oh yes, if you love Canterbury, this track is definitely yours. No doubt. I can sense sometime the music resembles a style of Brian Auger but also a bit of ELP. Krister Jonsson who plays electric guitars also demonstrates his solo stunningly in the vein of classic rock music. It's an awesome song with great composition and structure. I know the track is long but I always repeat the track whenever I listen to it.

"Lost In London" (8:08) opens up in jazzy style combining vocal, flute, drums and bass. Flutes play in some lyrical segments wonderfully with high energy. This track might favor those who love jazz music. Even though there is practically no complexity offered in here, I do enjoy this track. I can see the positive energy cast by Andy Tillison when he sings this song. You can hear beautiful organ sounds along the track. Wonderfully composed!

"DIY Surgery" (2:16) pushes the music further into a bit of avant-garde style, maintaining the original sound of Tangent. The singing style is also different. Saxophone solo is really great in the middle of the track. Well, actually I do not favor sax, in general, but this track offers an attractive sounds and style. Drumming is also top notch! "GPS Culture" (10:07) has different style in terms of rhythm section composition but it's similar in terms of singing style of track 1 and 2. Pulsating organ sounds combined with guitar work make the music is rich in textures. Oh yeah . you might love how the organ is played at the back. Awesome! There are some riffs that remind me to Kansas' "Carry On wayward Son" followed with acoustic guitar work close to the middle of the track. The intertwining work of organ and guitar, played by Dan Watts of Parallel or 90 Degrees is truly stunning; especially when it's combined with silent part using flutes as interjecting sounds. Oh man . this is really cool ..!!!

"Follow Your Leaders" ( 9:21) starts off with dynamic organ punch followed with good guitar rhythm, augmented with dazzling drum. The music is presented differently than other tracks with relatively fast tempo. Andy's vocal quality still proves to be a good enjoyment thing of this one. Oh yeah . I never mention the basslines yet. Yes, it's a great bass guitar playing by The Flower Kings' Jonas Reingold. This tracks offers relatively long keyboard solo combined with flute. It's better playing this album in relatively high volume at your power amplifier.

"The Sun In My Eyes" (3:44) is like a poppy music with heavy brass section - it sounds like R&B music. But .. again, the singing style of Andy Tillison has made this song is different from any other pop songs. I even view this track serves as a "break" after enjoying wonderfully crafted and a bit complex composition. It's a disco song, but it's dynamic and it's nice . it's okay for a break. Why not? It does not jeopardize the cohesiveness of this album. Good.

Now we enter the album title track "A Place In The Queue" (25:19) which serves like an epic that concludes the album. It starts with music using sax as its solo, performed in medium tempo. When the silent part enters with beautiful acoustic guitar fills and rhythm, the clarinet (or alto sax) takes the lead melody very nicely - touchy, indeed. Vocal enters in ambient style in a bit of bluesy texture. The keyboard solo at approx min 6:00 combined with saxophone is well laid out in the whole structure of this epic track. One must pay attention to this part which in my case has made me "nggeblak" (sorry, am using my local language which means: my mind is totally paralyzed listening to this music segment and cannot think sane anymore. Scary isn't it? Well, am not exaggerating .). At approx minutes 10:00 the music changes dramatically in terms of style as the tempo moves quickly. Oh, I love the guitar rhythm at this part. The ending part of this track brings the music back to the intro part with saxophone as main melody, in relatively slow tempo.

What can I say after penning a long review about this album? In fact, I can make the review as long as a novel. But I'm sure, you're not gonna read it. Hey, you don't need to read this review actual, just take a recognizable action: buy this CD!. Oh by the way, the artwork is great! The sonic quality is excellent!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

3.4 Stars

While I really disliked it at first listen, I have to admit that this extremely derivative album has clicked on me. It seems like it is a prog supergroup Unfortunately, the singer is not very good, but I have to admit that the rhythm section is the same one as the Flower Kings' Space Revolver, which is a great combination. Also, the keyboard player is a Wakeman/Bodin hybrid that also experiments with wild hammond organ runs, although his synth tone selections sometimes are disappointing.

In Earnest begins the album with a strong note and is the most enjoyable song of the album. It begins with the best vocals of the record and a beautiful melancholic piano. The music unexpectedly explodes into prog rock bombast and has some amazing hammond organ playing in spots (it can even lead me to rewind over and over to hear that particular riff and solo in minute 5). "nineteen forty fiiiiiive" ... man, that singer can be awful at times though. Anyways, expect to hear great musicianship and good songwriting in this epic, and plenty of moments where you think "Where have I heard that before?". 8/10

Lost in London is a very jazzy piece. While not very complex, it holds my interest and is nicely composed. The melodies are good here despite the weak vocals, and the hard-edge bursts are well done. 7/10

DIY Surgery is an unusual jazz-fusion track with bizarre vocals. It reminds me of Van Der Graff Generator, so I don't like it a lot. 5/10

GPS Culture: Another epic with a fantastic intro: a rocking hammond organ switching time signatures every measure (I think). That theme is repeated during parts of the epic, which is excellent and a highlight of the album. It is similar in style to the opener, but it doesn't sound similar. I say similar because it makes you think of a thousand bands influences. 7.5/10

Follow Your Leaders is a fast-tempo rocker with prog elements and Jonas' bass at his best. Good track. The keyboardist sounds like Charly Garcia here, and is really good. 7/10

The Sun in My Eyes is a fun disco-pop track and the catchy spot in the album. There are references to Yes' Ritual with "nous sommes du soleil" and "We Love When We Play" 7/10

A Place In The Quene is harder to get into, but it is a moody song that feels more like the One "Epic" of the album. It really has that epic-feel and goes through many moods. The songwriting and singing is on par with the opener, but I prefer the musicianship in The Earnest. Still, this is a very satisfying 70s sounding epic that deserves to take 1/3 of the album's length and close it. 7.5/10

So, this is an album to recommend if you don't mind retro prog. It is very good, and now Im intrigued that the guitar player of this band used to be none other than the man of Sweden: Roine Stolt himself! Anyways, after he left, they did a good job at not focusing a lot on the guitars and makings the fan miss the virtuosity of Roine. This album is dominated by rhythm, organs, flutes and saxophone.

Highlights: In Earnest, GPS Culture, A Place In The Quene

Let Downs: DIY Surgery

My Grade: C+

Having read some reviews of this album I was a bit curious about the music in it...but if I say thats the reason I bought this I would be lying. The fact is I saw this album in a record store and was amazed by the cover...and the fact that this album was available for me to buy it (cause as I have said ohhh so many times, prog is quite hard to find in Argentina)! I would have bought it right there, but there was a problem...the price! It was a bit expensive to say the least, and as I had already made my mind about the albums I was gonna buy that day, I did not buy it. The next week I started to read and read more and more reviews about this album...cause I was really curious about it, in a way I had not been in quite a while about an album. So I started a thread in the forum asking if this album was recommended and if buying it would be a good (sane) choice. The awnsers where unanimous: YES!!! So...I bought it...and I am more than glad to have done it!!! The music is very ´70 symphonic inspired yet it sounds very modern and fresh, in a way this is how I thought The Flower Kings sounded like before I listened to them... Now, song by song.

In Earnest - Absolutly, positivly the best song of the record and a real favorite of mine!!! This song, this epic has it all...jazzy pianos, great Hammond solos, an astonishing riff, great guitar solos, flutes, saxs, great vocals...yes, this song is absolutly brilliant!!! And its deffinitly in my personal top 10 of all time epics!!!

Lost in London - This one has more of a cantembury feel to it. Its actually very good, and although its like 8 minutes long it seems to be quite straight foward with Tillison narrating a story about his trip in London...

DIY surgery - This song is 100% about the saxs of mr Theo Travis. Very short, very pleasent and with rubish kind of lyrics.

GPS culture - If you want to know the meaning of "light prog"...search no more, this is it! A very "happy" song, with an excellent "sing a long" chorus. There are some great keys in this song...impossible not to like it!!!

Follow your leaders - This is for me the weak track. It stars out good, but they strech the song just to much, making it unnessesirly long...although its not that bad anyway, but maybe the album would be better off it.

The sun in my eyes -Well, this kinda has the same problem than the the previous song...and at the same time it doesnt. The thing is, this is not a bad song...but it has nothing to do with the rest of the album, its just to popish...again, the album could have done without it...yet as an individual song its better than Follow your leaders...

A place in the Queue - The other epic of the album, maybe the most important because it carries the name of the album...? Maybe, but In Earnest is better hehehe. This is one song you have to listen to a few times before it grows on you. The first times I did not like it one bit, thought it was boring and the changes in it where not well done...but after many litenings...I have come to appreciate it and to like it. Maybe a bit too long, but in the end its a very good track.

Well...I paid big money...but I gain big music, so it was worth it all the way!!! Keep it going Tillnson!!! Keep it progging!

This is a band and an album that I knew almost nothing about when I bought it, but fortunately it comes with extensive liner notes full of stories, lyrics, credits, and just plain interesting little tidbits of reflection. A pretty darn good piece of work overall, and especially the few songs that include extensive personal pictures of people’s lives and worlds.

The album starts off with the wonderfully descriptive character sketch “In Earnest” about an aging war veteran fiddling with a short-wave radio and reminiscing (somewhat bitterly) about his days as a WWII fighter pilot. The lead-in piano is accentuated with gentle percussion, acoustic guitar and flute, and sets both a nostalgic and somewhat wistful mood. At just over twenty minutes, the work is expansive in exploring a range of emotions as it paints a picture of a man who seems to feel his best days were those spent as a dashing war ‘hero’, and who now is trying to find some meaning in his memories. This is one of the most striking portraits of war and personal sacrifice I’ve ever heard. Unlike most war-themed songs, it doesn’t specifically condemn the practice, but does cause the listener to pause and think about those whose lives have been given (not only in death) to the pursuit of nations confronting other nations. Like the rest of the album, the music is heavy on keyboards and percussion, with occasional bursts of energetic electric guitar injected through the numerous tempo ebbs and flows. The extended instrumental passage in the middle isn’t quite improvisational, but does seem to follow a fairly loose pattern that I imagine will vary quite a bit in a live setting. The up-tempo climax has a very familiar and comfortable 70s feel to it that is quite appealing.

“Lost in London” is another character sketch, this one about the singer Andy Tillison and his journey from a small town to the big city in search of his destiny as a professional musician. Many of the landmarks and cultural references are probably familiar to Englishmen, but the general theme about the cold and impersonal tempo of a large metropolitan area resonate with anyone who has left familiar surroundings to mingle with strangers in a large and strange city. The music here is also very nostalgic, and I can’t shake the feeling that this reminds me very much of a lot of the music Al Stewart made in the 70s – perhaps it’s just the accent.

The jazzy instrumentation of “DIY Surgery” and synthesized vocals set a strange mood for a song about do-it-yourself surgery, a strange concept and an even stranger inclusion on the album. The blend of saxophone and clarinet enhance the jazzy feel to this one, but I really don’t get the point.

Several reviewers have mentioned the Wakeman-like feel of the organ in “GPS Culture”, and I can definitely hear the influence. The music has a bit of a late-70s Yes feel to it, with animated keyboards, minor chords and an odd time signature, and also the staccato vocal accompaniment. This isn’t really a strong track, but is kind of an interesting one, although a bit bombastic to my mind – could have been a bit shorter than its ten minutes without losing much.

“Follow Your Leaders” has a bit of a Canterbury feel to it with peppy synth keyboards, sporadic brass, and rather sarcastic but melodic lyrics. Theo Travis delivers some excellent flute work as well. Even after many listens I can’t help but compare Tillison’s vocals here to 70s lounge-pop act Rupert Holmes (“The Pina Colada Song”).

I have to believe “The Sun in My Eyes” is a joke – a disco-driven throwback to so many forgettable late 70s/early 80s MTV dance band one-hit wonders. This probably would have been a hit twenty-five years ago, but seems really out of place here.

Finally, “A Place in the Queue” is a rangy, epic-like wandering mix of spacey, jazz, improvisational, sometimes borderline metal, but always entertaining journey of sound. This one is a synopsis of the whole point to the album, which is all about those who follow the well-trodden path in the queue and the cost to our individual freedoms, life choices, and experiences. It’s kind of tough to follow, and requires many listens before it will really start to grow on you, although it almost certainly will.

The accompanying “bonus” CD includes some interesting tracks of mostly previously- unreleased studio and live tracks. Some are pretty good – “Promises Were Made” with its heavy keyboard emphasis and Sam Baine’s very appealing vocals (nice to hear a female voice after about an hour and a half of Tillison!); the gentle “A First Day at School” demo track; and the spacey mood music of “Grooving on Mars”. Others are forgettable, most notably an extended and even more danceable version of “The Sun in My Eyes”, and Kraftwerk-like “Kartoffelsalat im Unterseeboot” (maybe a good song, but not personally my type of music).

And that’s pretty much the story of this album. At first couple of listens, I wasn’t really sold on this as a solid piece of work. Much of it seemed derivative, and that’s not a word I use often. But after a while I’ve started to think of the ‘familiar’ sounding passages as being intentionally constructed the way they were in order to evoke very specific moods and emotions that those sounds will inevitably have for those of us who have specific memories attached to them. And in that respect, this album was well done. I don’t own any other Tangent albums, and this album was completely an impulse buy based on a few reviews I’ve read. I have to say that it was a good purchase, and I find myself tossing this one on pretty regularly when I need some deeper-thinking background music for quiet, reflective moods. Definitely four stars.

peace

The many reviewers who came before me must have given readers a fairly good idea of what this album is like, so let me just add this: if you like classic symphonic prog of the 1970s, you'll most probably love this album. The Tangent's compositions are highly ambitious, and this album contains enough first-rate playing to keep any prog-freak happy. Flutes, saxes, electric and acoustic guitars, a superb rhythm section, and the quirkiest keyboard solos to come out of the U.K. since the late seventies - all that makes for sheer delight.

I've got just two gripes with this album. First of all, there's A PLACE IN THE QUEUE as a 'concept'. Apparently Andy Tillison, the leader of the Tangent (and an artist I really admire) intended to record a new and original album along the lines of A PASSION PLAY (Jethro Tull) and TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS. Some of Tillison's work can certainly be compared with epic tracks such as 'Supper's Ready'. As a composer, he's trying to resurrect the kind of symphonic suite that was abandoned by the first generation of classic prog groups after 1977. But does he succeed?

Before I go on, I must admit this was the first album by the Tangent I heard. (And to be honest, I liked it so much that I immediately bought the others too.) So when I first played it, I was virtually unaware of the Tangent's previous connection with Flower Kings singer-guitarist Roine Stolt. To my feeling, the Tangent were, first and foremost, Tillison's band. Now there's a positive side to this, and a somewhat less positive one.

The positive side can be summed up as follows. Andy Tillison writes intelligent, first-rate lyrics that are far more interesting than those of his Swedish and American peers. The Flower Kings and the Beard tend to make me squirm with embarrassment, but there's no danger of this with the Tangent. To make things worse, Roine Stolt and Neal Morse have an overbearing, theatrical way of singing. On many of their tunes they sound O.K. for a minute or two, but they really get on your nerves after that. That kind of problem does NOT exist with the Tangent. Andy Tillison's vocal delivery is subdued and very English.

Now for the negative side. Although A PLACE IN THE QUEUE's first epic track, 'In Earnest', is sung with great passion (and sounds totally convincing), the (even longer) title track seems truly disjointed. Tillison's ruminations on our willingness to take our 'place in the queue' are not uninteresting, but they would be far better dealt with in a five-minute pop song. No matter how pertinent they may seem, they're simply not gripping enough for an epic 25-minute track. Each time Tillison resumes singing after yet another fabulous keyboard solo, you feel like shouting: come on, man, don't you have any NEWS?

'Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)', 'Supper's Ready' and A PASSION PLAY keep your interest alive because their lyricists chuck a number of images at you which keep getting crazier and more and more surreal (or even, in the case of 'Nous sommes du soleil', more and more moving) while the music builds towards an irresistible climax. Tillison has all the (musical) climaxes he needs - but not the images that move you.

This brings me to my second gripe. A PLACE IN THE QUEUE doesn't contain the 'immortal melodies' it so sorely needs. I admit that 'Lost in London' and 'The Sun in my Eyes' are endearing, but to my disappointment there is nothing on this album as majestic as: 'Can't you feel our souls ignite, shedding ever changing colours...' Perhaps Roine Stolt would have come up with a melody like that (there are similar moments on FLOWER KINGS albums) but then HE would have spoiled it with squirm-inducing lyrics... (Sorry, Roine, no offense - I really like your guitar.)

Oh well. I guess you can't have everything. And maybe I'll keep discovering more 'hidden melodies' on this album as time goes on. That's the way it went with many classic prog albums. I certainly didn't want to slag off the Tangent; I just wanted to, ahem, share my thoughts. Let's hope the Tangent will treat us to many more first-rate albums in the years to come.

Another album that seems to be out of time. If it would be done in 70's perhaps it would be a great album. Even so, it lacks passion, the feeling that classic bands of the 70's marked in their efforts. Not even close does this reach the magnificiency, the sublime sensibility of Yes classics. The efforts of bands like Tangent, Flower Kings or Spock's Beard makes us think: is symphonic progressive rock dead?

Without the presence of Flower King's guitarist, I thought that it could be created the space for inovation, at least some originality. But with the listenings of the album, I prove myself wrong. Every music line, every word of the lyrics, every comic moment, seems to be a deja vu, but without the deepness of the classics. Symphonic is probably the kind of music which gives more space to high sensibility. Listening to works as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky makes this album almost seem to be garbage, so lack of feelings it presents.

Still, as I said before, for those who seek new melodies of the 70's classic formulas, this might be quite entertaining. The band shows, as those refered before, a reasonable songwriting and ability with the instruments, but, at the level of creativity, almost null.

I guess this is quite an enjoyable album for people who like the older progressive rock music like King Crimson and Yes. To me it doesn't really make sense that a band releases an album in 2006 sounding like it has been made some 30 years ago.

Musically I must give those guys some slack, because I must admit A Place in the Queue has some fine moments, but I personally don't find Andy Tillison's voice all too amusing. After a while I simply get bored by it and I personally also can't relate to the lyrics either. To me the music too often sounds like "easy listening music", also known under the name of "elevator music".

Take the 1st track In Earnest for example. To me the 1st ten minutes are pure "elevator music" and the song only stars to get interesting during the second half. At 10:30 we get some great instrumental part which I could listen to for the next 10 minutes of this song easily, but the first half of the song has already ruined it for me. Therefore it is very difficult for me to really get into The Tangent's music.

Conclusion: if you like older progressive music and an album that is "easy to listen to" A Place in the Queue might be an album to your taste. If you like more variety and are in for a bit "more recent sounding" and/or heavier music I would stay away from it.

For the reasons mentioned above I can't possibly rate this album higher than 2 stars. It is probably closer to 2.5 though.

From all the rave reviews I had heard about this CD I felt I couldn't miss out. It seemed like it is on everyone's top ten for 2006 list from whatever prog-radio station or website you might investigate. Don't be mad at me but I just disagree. I have listened to this CD 8- 10 times since I bought it including just before I wrote this review.

First off let me state what I liked. I can appreciate great musicians and all of the guys who play on this CD are that. There are some really brilliant moments on this CD but moments of the epic (over 20 minutes in length) tracks I could find possibly 8 minutes each that would satisfy me. There are some incredible instrumental parts especially with the keys and the bass that just soar. There are even a couple of vocal lines that are worthy of emotional lift. OK done with the good.

Andy Tillson should just get over himself as being a singer. He is a great keyboard player and he should be content with that. His voice sounds like Ian Anderson with no balls or range and he cannot write decent and consistent vocal line. The beginning of In Earnest the discordant vocal line for the first 2+ minutes I cannot take at all! Of course he needs to revisit this again in the last 4 minutes of the song as well. Why? On top of that the lyrics are stupidest I have heard since Greg Lakes Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman. For all the heat Neal Morse gets for his lyrics at least they fit together. For the length of some songs just because a song can go on for 25 minutes does not mean it should. You don't have to repeat every musical line two or three times and there are times where creating and expanding on a specific theme to create its own identity is OK.

Seeing all the high marks this CD gets maybe its just me but man if this was about 15-20 minutes shorter and had no vocals I would give it a 4-5 star rating but I just can't. I can only go with 2.

Third and, up till now, Tangent´s best CD. Although losing two of their Flower King´s connections, guitarrist Roine Stolt and drummer Zoltan Czörsz, the sound got more symphonic and improved with each release, regardless of the line up changes. Andy Tillson is surely one fo the most creative and insightful prog songwriters to emerge from England since the 70´s. The man is simply a genius and is surrounded by some of the best musicians around. The ironic note is seeing Jaime Salazar replacing Czörsz on the drums (when Salazar was himself replaced by Czörsz in the Flower Kings).

The CD is, like its precedors, a wonderful mix of old and new prog. spiced with some jazz and avant gard influences here and there (Yes, King Crimson, etc et tal). The difference now is that the music became more intricated, bolder and better with time. And, quite unsual, Tillson´s lyrics are as precious as the music itself. The playing is flawless as you would expect from such a team of brilliant musciains. Production is also top notch.

Of the songs the only weak track is DIY Surgery, not surprisingly the sole tune Tillson did not write himself. Fortunatly this turkey is very short. On the other side we have two fantastic epics (In Earnest and the title track), plus some shorter tunes that are varied and very pleasant. The odd song here is The Sun In My Eyes, a wonderful piece of fake disco, with a humorous lyric. It is nice to see that Tillson is capable of writing a simple song and make it work as fine as the complex epics. With apologies to my fellow reviewers who think In Earnest is the best track here, I still found A Place In The Queue to be the Tangent´s highlight, as much as Stardust We Are is for The Flower Kings.

New millenium symphonic prog music at its best. 4,5 stars.

Talking about this double album is talking about the two terrific epics to me. I already know for several years that In Earnest and the title track are tremendous but after listening to them once again lately I have to say: I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. These two and mainly In Earnest are simply unbelievable and I even consider allowing them in my personal 50 best songs ever and if you know that number 1000 in my list is already very very good then you will understand how good these two songs are. What astounded me mostly was the details of In Earnest I obviously never gave enough attention to and also the emotional lyrics behind it, I mean this is a composition to perfection. I already had huge respect for Andy Tilison but that has increased after this performance. And this also goes for other tracks on the album like Lost in London, GPS Culture, Follow your leaders and the extended version of The sun in my eyes. If these 6 songs would have been the entire album it would have meant 5 stars without hesitation. But, and now we come to the only downside and criticism I have: they had to make some fillers as well and especially the bonus CD has some useless tracks. I mean a song like Kartoffelsalat im Unterseeboot is a song way below Tangent standard and almost a disgrace they put it on the release.

And it's also a pitty because it ruined a 5 star rating and forces me to give 4. But I will have to finish positively: The Tangent has definitely moved up the rankings of my personal favourite bands due to compositional and executional performances. What a fantastic bands this appears to be. Hope to hear them for a long time to come !

Hard to write a short review for such a mastodon. But "And the beat goes on", as would so often boldly state Uncle Frank! The Tangent are prolific buggers, this third album surprising many a prog pundit with some more colossal artwork from the genial Ed Udetsky, the drum stool switch from Csörsz to Salazar (Flower Kings reversed!) with Stolt yielding to Krister Jonsson of Karmakanik fame. As long as "basso supremo" Jonas Reingold (one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet) steers the ship, you just know it can't be crap. Theo Travis continues his impressive work on his assorted flute/sax/recorders arsenal. Reading the copious liner notes (How I used to adore that, back in the glory days!) makes this an even more entertaining adventure; bless your heart Andy, dedicating this to Yes' "Tales from Topographic Oceans"! My jaw has rolled under some distant table, would you kindly fetch it, love? "In Earnest" blasts off on a 20 minute historical antiwar voyage that sets the tone tout de suite, discussing the good ole days when life seemingly mattered and yet where World War II had altered the universe by nuking it twice! The playing is exceptional, the mood breathtaking with plenty of piano, flute and sizzling guitar. Hey, this is music that you can sink your mind into. Reingold proudly displays the chops that make him the premier prog bassist today. The quirky autobiographical "Lost in London" emits a complete Caravan/Hatfield aroma, funny music biz lyrics really alluding to Falklands/Irak , flute ablaze and a refreshing ditty that elicits an instrumental intermezzo with a wonky synth solo, some playful organ rips, very Canterbury until a flute flight returns to the story with aplomb. "DIY Surgery" is a brief Travis composition that showcases a wild sax solo, hinting at some Mel Collins type wanderings. "GPS Culture" mocks the mindless technology that we absent mindedly rely on to further dilute our intellect (the innuendo -laden "We sample culture in small spoons") and the unending futility of it all. It's about time some musician other than Steve Wilson attacks our mores (or lack thereof)! Not too many can wield grim humor (an allegedly very Brit/Scot/Irish pastime) with such verve. Another Canterbury female vocal choir adds some charming touches here, with a fluid Jonsson lead to send the message home. The excellent "Follow Your Leaders" is clearly anti-Bush (yeah, what else is new?), because by 2005 it was clear to everyone that way too many apathetic people were silent/ blind or worse, indifferent. Hey, a little angry rebellion is what made Rock music into a force! As Admiral Marko Ramius tells Ryan at the end of "Red October": "A little revolution from time to time is a good thing". A speed bopping bass and a whopping guitar solo are unexpected highlights here. Yummy! "The Sun in My Eyes" is a breezy affair sounding a tad like Flash & the Pan, laced with more irony ("Or Get my head kicked in for liking Yes, instead of Suzi Quatro or the Rubettes"). Priceless stuff. The title track is a 25 minute epic extravaganza that encompasses what makes The Tangent such a special prog unit: great music, fantastic lyrics, a sumptuous trip that literally takes you somewhere, telling a story like a good book or movie should and captivating the listener's attention, groovin' to the sounds, foot a tappin' and booklet in hand, a true personal pleasure bubble. By the time this piece is done, if you are not in Prog Heaven, then your attention span and prog sensibilities have been corrupted. "Call me a doctor, fetch me a policeman" said the Tullster. Yet the Travis sax solo is agonizingly good. The subsequent guitar blast is stunning. The music just flows from segment to segment, avoiding dead air space, relentlessly pushing the buttons. Tillison and Manning conspire vocally to take this well beyond your average prog epic. Baine's piano consistently shines, whether in unison with the others or on her own. Every one gets a turn at sprinkling their identities without sounding like solo or session sidemen , ending on a "Nous sommes du soleil" hint. Bravo. The bonus CD contains more of the same stuff, no filler ("No speck of cereal for my dog") but the finale is worth mentioning, "Potato Salad in a Submarine " is a dreamier excursion beyond the Tangent and into spacier realms, showing off Tillison's obvious encyclopedic knowledge for music that has "music" as the main ingredient, eschewing glamour, fad, kindergarten sing-along choruses and product wrappings. As with the surprising Tangerine Dream-dedicated "Exponenzgesetz" closing off the previous "The World We Drive Through", this extended instrumental piece languorously addresses organic ambient landscapes with Tillison synths and Travis flute propelling the mood ever forward, proving again that these are musicians , not "artistes". I love this kind of musical attitude. 4 "take a number"s

More modern progressive rock. And more quality, that is. Once again I hear so many influences that it's hard to keep them all in mind. Personally, I hear much less Canterbury than some. Could be this release, or just my limited exposure to the sub-genre. I do hear a lot of Jethro Tull shining through, though. And I'm not talking about the obvious flute, no no, the heavy symphonic bursts and quirky melody is what comes to mind. Could be this release, or just my unhealthy exposure to Tull.

At first I didn't like this effort. Mainly due to Andy Tillison's voice, but also that the band don't seem to uphold the same musical quality during the vocal/lyrics part. It turns into some kind of easy listening territory I'm not overly keen to explore. Writing this, I have no problem whatsoever with Andy Tillison's voice. But the latter criticism remains. It's not present on every song, not even during all vocal segments of a song, but ultimately it's what will keep me from awarding this album five stars.

It is a distinctly British piece of music. I really can't put my finger on why, but I know it is. I just feel it is.

When it comes to the musical aspects of the album, it can only be described with one word: flawless. Obviously a group of very talented musicians at work here. Organ and keys are very present together with the bass, but it's really the mixture and arrangements of all the different instruments together that makes this so great. I just love the flute. Here it serves its purpose by augmenting the music, lifting it up to higher levels, The best example of this can be found in Lost in London, a nice jazzed-up song, set in that elusive reflective, British mood.

If you like lyrics, those found here should make you happy. It's about society. Heavy stuff, not to be taken lightly, and yes, very enjoyable. Thought-provoking. Andy Tillison shows that he's an excellent lyricist, as well as an accomplished songwriter. Fantastic structure, mood, surprise and consistency. All the ingredients we crave to label this good music.

Recommended for all fans of symphonic-eclectic progressive rock. Again, this isn't for the minimalist. Bombastic, layered, multi-instrumented music. If you like this, you'll probably like A Place In The Queue.

//Linus W

Without a doubt one of the finest releases of bloated symphonic prog-rock in a bloated genre; A Place in the Queue is an outstanding mix of soaring melodies, intricate instrumental passages, dynamic composition, and energy. It seems that The Tangent can more than cope without Roine Stolt-- they thrive without him!

Similar to the band's first release, Place in the Queue is a throw-back to the prog of yesteryear, with numerous thematic and sonic homages, but played with tangible enthusiasm that really energizes the feel. Many of the songs have splashes of jazz, thanks to the winds of Travis, but the star of the show remains Tillison's outstanding keyboards. Jonnson takes up the reigns of lead-guitar from Stolt handedly, which of course has the effect of making The Tangent instantly sound more original-- Stolt's signature sound making everything he plays on become very similar to TFK. The rhythm section should be mentioned as well for cranking out a dynamic backbone to the numerous tempo and style changes in these songs.

Lyrically, Queue is smarter than either of the group's previous works, more subtle at times (getting the point across through narrative), and when rhetorical does not sound nearly so preachy as World That We Drive Through.

A must buy for fans of the genre; it's energy and composition blows the competition out of the water!

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4

I really feel that up to this point this is one of the best recordings that Andy Tillison has been involved with. For that matter I would say the same for THE FLOWER KINGS alumni. And yes, that's saying something. He said his inspiration for this album came from YES' "Tales From Topographic Oceans". Two lineup changes as Salazar replaces Csorsz on drums, and Jonsson(KARMAKANIC) replaces Stolt on guitars. And it was very cool to see that Dan Watts from Tillison's former band, the great PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES playing lead guitar on one song.

"In Ernest" opens with piano as flute and light drums join in. Reserved vocals follow. A full sound arrives dramatically after 5 minutes. Some great organ play during this section. It changes to a jazzy flavour 6 1/2 minutes in. A minute later we get some outstanding organ and bass play followed by some aggressive guitar. A calm with flute 9 minutes in. I love the instrumental passage 10 1/2 minutes in that goes on for 1 1/2 minutes. The tempo continues to change and then Theo comes in with clarinet 15 1/2 minutes in as it calms down again. The song ends on such an emotional and uplifting manner. "Lost In London" opens with flute as vocals come in. The vocals are so pleasant I can't help but smile. Just a feel good tune. The lyrics are interesting as they convey the feelings of what it's like when no one is listening to you. I like that he mentions Sweden. Excellent instrumental pasage from before 4 minutes to 6 1/2 minutes. Quite the ride. "DIY Surgery" is a short track over 2 minutes long of processed vocals,drums and some crazy sax. Nice. "GPS Culture" features Watts on lead guitar. Love the organ intro that brings GENESIS to mind for me. A full sound comes and goes.Vocals a minute in. A calm after 4 minutes. It gets jazzy before 6 minutes as solo piano then flute and drums follow as we get some atmosphere. Sam adds some vocal melodies before 8 minutes. A great sound follows.

"Follow Your Leaders" opens with some fantastic organ as guitar joins in. More meaningful lyrics from Tillison. Nice sax in this uptempo track followed by keys. Flute and synths shine after 2 minutes. Nice moog in this song. Organ is back with vocals. Some beautiful guitar after 6 minutes as the organ rips it up. Waves of sound before 8 minutes as drums try to beat their way out,but slip away. "The Sun In My Eyes" is such a fun track with a bit of an eighties or disco beat. Lots of sax too. He mentions YES in the lyrics. "A Place In The Queue" flows powerfully in the intro. It settles as acoustic guitar,synths and clarinet take over. Vocals after 2 minutes. This song is over 25 minutes long so we get lots of twists and turns and different moods. Again the lyrics are so thought provoking. There is a lot of space in this song as it moves slowly at times. Some excellent sax 7 minutes in followed by a stunning guitar solo. Vocals are back before 9 minutes. A calm follows. Tempo continues to change as it gets uptempo again 10 1/2 minutes in. It turns jazzy 19 minutes in. This is simply an amazing ride.

It would seem that THE TANGENT and Andy Tillison are getting better with age.

3.5 stars actually...This is my first experience by THE TANGENT and I've heard that Roine Stolt was a member of the band,something that is rather obvious,as the music of the band goes in the FLOWER KINGS/SPOCK'S BEARD VEIN...that means that here we have a type of radio friendly/accesible symphonic/eclectic prog without lacking in complexity or composition...but we also have a main difference with the above mentioned bands...Very often in this album the flute and the sax in a lesser extend dominates the music,that is what I find really unique and different...The singer also has a great clean voice and fits very well with the band's music,a cross between Roine Stolt and Arne Schaffer of VERSUS X...All the tracks of the album are quite good except track 6 which is too poppy and maybe the last epic which I think should be shorter...I'm looking forward hearing their other releases!...

I accidentally forgot to get the special edition of this, and while that bugs me, it means that this review gets to be shorter than it might have to be.

Here, and I would rather not have to say it's because Roine Stolt is no longer a part of the band (but I might), The Tangent finds its feet and stands as a real band. Supergroups usually don't come together as well as a regular band, and all the different musicians seem to drag the music off in different directions. That was the bane of the first two discs by these boys. However, something clicked with this record. Something clicked, and it's visible straight away.

In Earnest is a ridiculously good epic track. I used to be incredibly excited to see any song over twenty minutes--I figured that since the bands I listened to at the time did really long tracks well, any band that did really long tracks could do them equally as well as well (yes, that's how I meant to say that). Some don't, though, and The Tangent has had a rough history with epic tracks (as if, as it were, they wrote anything else before now). But here is where Andy gets his music straight, and the band is wholly with him. Vocals being what they are (slightly shaky and not exactly terribly different from Roger Waters), everything about this song is perfect, and that's a feat for twenty minutes. If the rest of the album kept up with this piece, couldn't a disc on this planet take its place.

Of course, implied in what I just wrote is that not everything does keep up with In Earnest. So, let me be straight with you, not everything does keep up with In Earnest. Lost in London is good and fun, but not great. DIY Surgery is fun, weird, unique, but not great. GPS Culture and Follow Your Leaders are also quality tracks. All four star worthy songs. The Sun in My Eyes is really neat. I like it a whole lot, though it's nothing terribly progressive. Maybe almost neo progressive, if the definition I've been given about that happens to be an accurate one. The final closing epic, A Place in the Queue (of course, by now, The Tangent's affinity for title tracks should be pretty plain), is good, with a lot of neat parts and, like In Earnest, full of lyrics that actually mean something (rare in prog, I know). However, it's not spectacular enough to pull this album from a four star to a five star.

Four stars, nevertheless, is not a bad rating. This album is great. Seriously. It's not perfect, but it's hard to really enjoy any album that is, right?

A change in line-up, a change in style.

Yes, yes, so The Tangent had never had a stable line-up to this point anyways. Notable absence on this offering from the band, however, is The Flower King himself, Mr. Roine Stolt, who had been around for the first two releases by the super-group. While this clearly was no problem for the band they've made a substantial shift in style with this release. Whether the absence of Stolt is exactly what caused this change we may never know, but fans of the first two albums be warned: this is a very different album. All the elements that the Tangent have previously used are still kicking around, a very prominent keyboard along with an excellent guitar and a slew of other instruments and voices, but this album feels a lot more eclectic than the previous releases. Surely this is the reason the band is under the ''eclectic'' category of this site, but it sometimes feels as though the direction of the album is scattered.

Style wise we have a lot to chose from here. From the Canterbury flavored Lost In London with it's lush flutes and fun beat to the disco inspired The Sun In My Eyes, a fun tune telling the tale of a prog-nut growing up with some very comical lyrics. Some people may like the extreme mix of things, while others may find a little bit more consistency to be a bit more comforting. A couple of excellent pure symphonic-prog moments do exist on the album and they still manage to take up the majority of the album's running time. The album starts with one of the band's token epic cuts, In Earnest is usually proclaimed as the band's best song to reach the 20-minute mark, and while it certainly has its moments, it still has thick competition with songs like In Darkest Dreams or more recently Four Egos, One War. Still, it's an emotional thrill ride telling the story of a war vet who flew Spitfires and who is now nothing more than ''some crazy old man'' who sits at the end of a bar. Some wonderfully spine chilling moments include the first synth hit that almost bring about the feeling of a plane launch. GPS Culture is a quick favorite among all The Tangent's songs, its joyous keyboard opening really leaves a mark and the melodies throughout the song really can't be beat. The lyrics are snide and yet so true (''Through seas of countless choices I'm chosen once again, to fill the air with crafted sounds/you give me space, in your space, a window in your time, at a level which your soul allows''), and the solos are quite impressive.

Some of the album is not quite as strong as the rest, however. For a band who often gets attacked for their vocals they really made a bold move with the choice of vocal style for DIY Surgery. The spoken word mixed with the bleating of sax in the background is often cacophonous and it makes for a strange two minutes, especially after following a blissful tune like Lost In London. Another song that fails to make waves in some cases is the heavy Follow Your Leaders. While the lyrics are once again completely true the music comes across as quite harsh - not to say that the music is too harsh to support the lyrics, but it's quite a lot heavier than a lot of Tangent's material and it really seems to come out of left field here. A good song by all standards, this one simply has a hard time competing with some of the other tunes on the album. The biggest letdown on the album, however, is likely the title cut. A Place In The Queue is The Tangent's longest song to date and also the most drawn out. While the song experiments with some great ideas (including some wonderful jazz moments) they ultimately miss out on taking any one of those ideas and really running with them. The slow pace of the song is a little bit hard to deal with when hoping for another winding epic like In Earnest, and some ideas really could have worked if they were used more often. That robotic, dark and evil chanting voice used near the beginning of the song demands repeated use - it's just so cool! But they dispose of it and move on. Still, in terms of epic songs, this one is good, just not exceptional.

Often times A Place In The Queue is The Tangent's most acclaimed album, but while it's good, they've certainly done better. The album does sport some amazing artwork on both the inside and out, and there's a nice write-up from Tillison on the inner-notes that will make any prog fan proud, but in general this one feels less consistent than the band's other works. The follow up to this album, Not As Good As The Book would prove this new direction to be a good one, but wait for a bit until you reach for this album on the shelves. Go for The World That We Drive Through or The Book first - you won't be disappointed. As for this album: 3.5 stars for a very good album with some classic moments.

If Dave Stewart has a musical heir, it has to be keyboardist Andy Tillison who gives much due credit to other Prog deities as Jon Anderson - indeed 'A Place in the Queue' is, according to Tillison, a direct result of hearing Tales back in 1973 - but between the talent, nerdy state-issued spectacles, unkempt 'fro and sheer ambition, it is Stewart whom Andy Tillison seems to most emulate. Previous 'The World That We Drive Through' was very good. This follow up honors the promise shown on that 2004 release and surpasses it by a few lengths and though Mr. Tillison's voice is an acquired taste, wasn't Jon Anderson's too?

Five medium-length cuts bookended by two twenty minute+ dreadnoughts, the record is a thunderstorm of ideas that does reflect Yes's benchmark 1973 release complete with the delusional vocal that introduces 'In Earnest'. The band is more than happy to wear its classic prog influences on its sleeve and the entire album is an intentionally challenging, Anglocentric movement demonstrating a firm grasp of all Western musics that few of the nu progsters have. It reminds us why we love the stuff, rekindling the romance and scolding us for any infidelities. Why prog rock is what it is, or was, and why music that internally changes course without getting lost at sea holds greater value than its inert relatives. Tillison's perfectly recorded organ, Moog and pianos are always the heart of the music and considering he penned ninety percent of the material, it is clearly his baby, the theme being about "Following orders, traffic signs, religions...". Ticks of bossa nova drop in and out but it's never long before the concept transcends all that and we start to feel as if it *is* 1973, hearing symphonic rock fusion in its heyday with the help of Tillison's time machine-- killer organ runs, devastating synth squalls, jazz angularity, intentionally absurd polyrhythms. 10-minute 'GPS Culture' says hello with a Tony Banks organ phrase, Guy Manning's well-placed Flamenco guitar and a manic National Health-style vamp. And 'Follow Your Leaders' just rocks the house down, a walking synthjazz fury that longs for days past, conjuring the best of Egg, Rick Wakeman, early Tull, and Camel. 'The Sun in My Eyes' is a funny commercial spoof with swelling disco arrangements circa 1977, horrid Love Boat strings, the vintage click of a limply wah-wahed guitar, and hysterical prog period tendencies. The huge title track closes the show and does have some draggy moments. But so does almost every great prog escapade, and at 25 minutes I guess every second can't be gold. The most open of the songs, it churns along gradually with an almost Wall-like lumber, wakes-up about halfway through and satisfies most of our expectations, bassist Jonas Reingold and drummer Jaime Salazar stealing the show and Tillison with tons of classical ivories and space age drama. A bonus disc is included in the special edition comprising material unused during the session and though holds some good moments, hats off to the band for not pushing their luck by incorporating too much into the main release.

Atavistic in the best possible way, one of the finest items of 2006, and recommended with much happiness.

Andy Tillison of The Tangent commented in the liner notes of A Place in the Queue that his album was inspired by Yes's Tales from Topographic Oceans; I don't quite understand that- "In Earnest" and "Lost in London" are the spiritual descendants, as it were, of The Final Cut, and I personally think Tillison's voice is very similar to that of Roger Waters. He shares the same sentiment as Waters, it would seem, that of war being unnecessary most of the time. The sound is closer to The Flower Kings (even with Roine Stolt's absence, but then again, Jamie Salazar and Jonas Reingold provide the solid rhythm section). All said, this is a terrific album and should please most progressive rock lovers. This album could have been a five star deal, but the weaknesses of the twenty-five minute epic (and a few of the disposable tracks) keep this excellent work from being essential.

"In Earnest" Rather than begin with a bang, the opening epic has some melancholic, jazzy piano and sad lyrics. Every time I hear the line spoken, "I was a pilot in a war long ago," I cannot help but think of the people in uniform doing battle on the civilians' behalf- my behalf. It isn't until nearly three minutes in that full-blown symphonic progressive rock happens, with heavy drumming, loud organ, and all manner of instrumentation. The vocal melodies are stunning all throughout the piece, ever-changing, sometimes recurring, and appropriate for the lyrics at all times. The tone of the synthesizer lead is not unlike that of Rick Wakeman's on "The Revealing Science of God," so in the limited respect of instrumentation, there are some similarities between this album and Yes's four song epic. The piece incorporates stereotypical jazz seamlessly at one point, making the listener wonder how he suddenly was hearing it. My favorite section (if I had to choose at gunpoint) is the section that starts just before the ten minute mark. To me, it sounds like music from the video game Sim City 3000 or Sim City 4. The bass eleven minutes in, which plays over a stunning organ solo, just moves swiftly, never content to stay on one note for more than a moment. The "Sim City" segment gets a progressive rock treatment later in the song, loaded with bouncy bass, heavy organ, and that Wakeman-like synthesizer alluded to earlier. There's a little bit of what sounds like improvisation, but after a few listens, it sounds completely natural. The lines, "He's in the way when we order our drinks. He's there every night of the week," always gets to me, making me think about the loneliness and isolation of somebody who has seen and experienced horrors many of us never will. The climax of the song is simply astounding, carrying the peaceful plea of the beleaguered veteran who has seen enough.

"Lost in London" Jazzy and with undertones of Jethro Tull, this song has more of a repeated vocal melody and is less dynamic than the previous song. The lyrics are somewhat nostalgic, about protesting wars. The synthesizer is extremely pleasing. As with the previous track, there is some improvisation, only this time it's more extended. There's a pleasant flute solo over the verse chords before Tillison begins singing again. The last line attempts to be politically powerful and relevant: "And though a million voices tell us not to go and take Iraq, we still went in and we will still haven't come back." This again bolsters my claim that this album is in the spirit of Pink Floyd's last album with Roger Waters.

"DIY Surgery" A weird throwaway track, this one is really a poem recited through effects and over inharmonious music.

"GPS Culture" Kicking off with an exciting organ riff, over which bass and acoustic guitar play a short melody, this is the best "short" song on the album (although I use that term loosely, since this one is over ten minutes). The synthesizer introduction is also great, and this is probably the closest to Yes the band gets, especially with the vocalizations thrown in. One electric guitar riff sounds suspiciously close to the main riff of "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas, but it could be just a passing similarity. The second half of the song employs some well-done improvisation, followed by more Yes-like vocalizations. Perhaps it sounds more like something from The Flower Kings when they are at their best.

"Follow Your Leaders" Again starting off with a heavy organ riff, this is a fast, jazz-tinged song about absent-minded conformity. There are some patchy spots, but for the most part, this song is highly enjoyable, the synthesizer and bass work in particular (both of which get some soloing in). The section featuring the guitar solo is tad boring, but not unpleasant listening. The final two minutes are very mellow, with music quite unlike what came before; it really makes me think of the last several moments of Genesis's "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight."

"The Sun in My Eyes" This song often gets written off as candy-coated "disco music," and with very good reason. I don't know if Tillison was attempting to be ironic, since the lyrics refer to his angst as a youth regarding his preference for Yes instead of the more popular acts of the day.

"A Place in the Queue" While not a bad track, it's length is something of a downside, because some of the parts don't flow as well as they did on "In Earnest," and there's a long instrumental section that just does little for me. For the most part, the vocal melodies are some of the weakest on the album, not being very memorable at all. The transitions are some of the weakest I've ever heard. That said, there's so many satisfying parts to this track. There's a lot of jazzy sections, particularly in the drumming and the heavy use of the saxophone, and the subtle guitar work is very good. As always, the keyboard solos are fantastic, and the guitar work here is a little bit more creative than on previous tracks. The refrain just before fifteen minutes does happen to be one of the best parts of the album.

Bonus Disc: I do not normally review bonus tracks or additional material added on subsequent releases, but I feel compelled to add some brief remarks about the bonus disc. I come up short when I try to produce a good reason that would explain the absence of "Promises Were Made" from the main album. Maybe because it's decidedly heavier, or because it would have gone over the time constraints of a CD- either way, this song (with the amazing female vocalist who provides some great counterpoint) should not have been excluded. I would have gladly traded both "DIY Surgery" and "The Sun in My Eyes" for "Promises Were Made." "The First Day at School" reminds me of Pink Floyd's The Wall on so many levels. For that reason, I'm glad it was left off the main album. It isn't bad, but it's piano-driven and lengthy for being so. Like much of Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Final Cut, the music takes a backseat to the lyrics. With "Forsaken Cathedrals," I shrug my shoulders. The music has a good groove, but it is best that it is relegated to the bonus disc as well. As for the extended version of "The Sun in My Eyes," I can't see anyone wanting to subject themselves to nine minutes of Saturday Night Fever-infused progressive rock. The instrumental tracks, "Grooving on Mars" and "Kartoffelsalat im Unterseeboot" are quite different from what is on the main album, but do make the bonus disc worth having; the former is a laid back jazzy jam session, and the latter is a spacey exploration of varying sounds (which really could have been music for Sim City).

You've got more people here than Sweden, but it's the loneliest place in the world

...Lost in London is one of those tracks that might stick to your head forever: a heavy dose of irony surrounded by a jazz fusion/blues atmosphere and polished with a few heavy prog riffs.

A Place in the Queue is definitely an eclectic hearing. My first impressions of THE TANGENT were very positive a few years ago when I listened to some of this album's tracks on prog radio. While there are some quite ''mainstream'' prog tracks like GPS Culture, Follow your Leaders and The Sun in my Eyes (almost pop), the overall sound of the album is highly eclectic - to my ears this is the case here because of the jazz/avant-garde atmosphere, the highly ironic lyrics and singing approach and the weird arrangements that take place in various points in the record.

KING CRIMSON, YES and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR are the obvious influences in the music of THE TANGENT. However, the mood is closer to that of YES and less to that of the ''dark'' representatives of the eclectic genre. The moments that the atmosphere gets a bit gloomy can be found in the short instrumental-based DIY Surgery and the two epics: In Earnest and the title track. The other thing that can be said with certainty is that the level of musicianship and virtuosity remains at high standards - surely prog fans of complex arrangements and bizarre melodies will enjoy the moments in this album.

One interesting thing that occurred to me is that this album sounds highly ''English'' to me... especially the lyrics and the vocals may appeal to friends of ''traditional'' eclectic prog.

Best moments: Lost in London, GPS Culture and A Place in the Queue. The latter is particularly recommended to prog fans.

I don't feel this is a masterpiece and the rating I assign applies only to the level of my personal enjoyment. I mainly felt that the queue could be much shorter... However, there are moments that are mind-blowing. For friends of eclectic prog, half or one extra star makes absolute sense.

Third album A place in the queue from 2006 is an excellent example how must sound a symphonic prog album. The Tangent was unknown to me few years ago, manageing to listen to this album for the first time around 2008 when I've discovered them. Well, this is solid release and I think Andy Tillson the had of the band did a great job here. Top notch instrumental passages, where the keyboards and guitars has some spectacular moments for sure. Having memebers from diffrent bands , but with same or similar sound, like The Flower Kings, Kaipa or Karmakanic, The Tangent to me sounds more intresting, more captivating , more chalengeing then anything those bands released in same period. This is a very long album , clocking around 76 min, with two giant pieces in the opening In Earnest , 21 min of sheers brilancy and closing track , the title track 25 min of inventive symphonic prog, what is in between is also good with a plus on Lost in LOndon who has a Jethro Tull touch, but very good, I really like it. What I like on this band is that they had a constant quality on their music over the years, they had only good albums , but none of them can be considered masterpieces, at least from my view. So, all in all, a very talented band with talented musicians and a very solid album aswell that desearve attention from any serious prog rock listner. Easy 4 stars.