OCEAN 2 - THE ANSWER

20 years later we have part two of "Ocean". I have to tell you I am shocked and surprised at how good this record is. It was probably 1982's "Time to Turn" since they had such a good quality release. And I actually like this one as much as the the first "Ocean" record. The sound is more modern and I swear that Frank's vocals have a lot less of an accent on them. By the way the pictures in the liner notes are worth checking out.

"Between Future And Past" opens with a clock ticking and chiming as synths wash in. This is followed by a female vocal melody, and the guitar strings are picked slowly in this atmospheric opener. "Ro Setau" opens with drums beating away as vocals come in, in time with the beat. Then Frank sings as synths are added. The female vocal melody is great and goes on and on. The mini moog solo is a nice touch as well. "Paralysed Civilization" is a highlight for me. It has such a full sound to it, a melodic and lush sound thanks mainly to the drums and synths. And there is no mistaking Frank's guitar playing 5 minutes in. It's great.

"Serenity" is PINK FLOYD sounding at times, and this is heard right off the bat in the guitar. The synths are great too. "Awakening Of Consciousness" is another good one, and what an intro in this catchy, melodic tune. "Reflections From The Spheres Beyond" is a real psychedelic trip, opening with an extended synth melody and then gentle guitar, and then vocals. The song becomes uptempo and melodic as female vocals come in.The drumming is terrific and then we have some processed vocals. The melody of synths and drums is amazing and it all fades out as the song ends but not before you can hear the waves that continue into the next song "Waves Of Intuition". There is some recorder on this one as well as some Gilmour -like guitar melodies. The final song is "The Answer" and the recorder sounds beautiful. There is some more fantastic guitar and lots of choir too.

4 stars.