BARREN DREAM

WARNING: This is NOT a Canterbury Scene album. Nor is it facsimile of Canterbury style music. It is a representation of an eclectic array of many styles that were explored in Progressive Rock music between 1966 and 1986, including (in fairly equal proportions) Symphonic, Jazz-Rock Fusion, Canterbury, and Neo Prog. This is the remarkable and, in fact, quite extraordinary debut album from Japanese artist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake. He is joined by brilliant recruits, Lisa Ohki, a mezzo soprano vocalist and classically-trained pianist, and drummer Chihiro Fujioka.

1. "All the fallen people" (11:57) a gorgeous suite that opens fully representative of all things Canterbury before sliding deftly into GENESIS/ANT PHILLIPS-like Neo Prog. (28.5/30) .. I. Overture - the opening movement is full of both Canterbury and Neo Prog sounds and nuances. (4.75/5) .. II. Madrigal - The second movement includes the wonderful AMANDA-PARSONS-like voice and piano stylings of Lisa Ohki (singing in Japanese) in a gorgeous kind of Anthony Phillips fairy story telling passage. (10/10) .. III. Rhapsody - drums and circus-like noises denote the shift into this section, which becomes a Neo Prog feast of sound: active, chunky bass, Amanda-Parsons-like vocalese, a variety of TONY BANKSian keyboard synths, and a very GENESIS-like chord and melody structure with Lisa singing in English "all must be done" over a very GENESIS-like sound palette. (9.25/10) .. IV. Fantasy - with the signature marker of a classical guitar, a mystical journey of synths and piano is unveiled to play out softly, beautifully, to the end. (4.5/5)

2. "Sweet revenge" (1:44) using a Hammond organ and flute, the full band puts forth a very DAVE STEWART-like fast-paced instrumental ditty. (4.75/5)

3. "Step into Easter" (7:47) opens with a chorus of Lisa Ohki voices singing something only it's been reversed. Classical guitar, flute, and accordion give this a very STEVE HACKETT-like sound over the next two minutes. Flute and accordion take turns exposing the melody over the classical guitar play as if in a conversation before male and female voices enter singing in English in a very archaic GENTLE GIANT-like style and melody. The classical guitar takes over the sole musical carpet in the fourth minute before Lisa returns, this time singing in Japanese. The music here still feels like a combination of the delicate sides of STEVE HACKETT and GENTLE GIANT. The elegant guitar playing is exquisite as is this masterful, almost-classical song. (15/15)

4. Intermezzo (5:18) (Not present on my copy of this album therefore, not rated/reviewed.)

5. "Eternal jealousy" (8:14) (20/20) .. I. Prelude - solo piano plays delicately in a soft jazz KEITH JARRETT way. (5/5) .. II. Intake - turns on the synth strings with a series of orchestra-like chords before full band enters like JAN AKKERMAN and his FOCUS gang in all their glorious precision and technical perfection. A jazzy piano solo ensues to fill the foreground over the high-powered jazzy bass and drums before the AKKERMAN-like guitar shredding continues. (5/5) .. III. Stillglow - notes a shift into full Canterbury regalia with PHIL MILLER-like guitar (which later turns more Mike Oldfield/Alan Holdsworth) and organ and intermittent vocalese from Lisa. (5/5) .. IV. Return - a return to a FOCUS-like sound and theme in which Electric guitar, flute, piano, and synth all take turns up front. (5/5)

6. "Lagrima" (4:11) harpsichord and picked and strummed 12-string guitar provide the simple-yet-full musical fabric over which Lisa Ohki sings her extraordinary classically trained voice in Italian, French, Japanese, and English in a very European aria style. Ends with a very ANT PHILLIPS-like flourish. (9.5/10)

7. "Barren dream" (13:28) (27/30) .. Act I - synth strings open this before solo piano takes over at 0:22. At 0:47 the full band enters in jazz mode with two flute tracks sharing the exposition of the melody. At 1:20 the rock side takes over with electric guitar taking over for the flutes. At 1:45 there is a shift back to more classical sound with classical guitar. This interplay of classical/acoustic alternating with full rock electronic instrumentation repeats before a soft synth strings chord sequence bridges us .. Act II .. Act III

Total Time: 56:29

A wonderful display of compositional virtuosity with some amazing instrumental and melodic contributions throughout. The heavier, more intricate sections of the compositions sound much like country mates KENSO and AIN SOPH, while the more pastoral passages feel close to the stylings of ex-GENESIS soloists, ANT PHILLIPS and STEVE HACKETT, while the vocal passages feel forceful and dramatic enough to fit on the stages of Broadway or London's West End. The complexity of vocal symphonic passages are quite reminiscent of Keith EMERSON as well as jazz musicians like MANHATTAN TRANSFER and today's MOETAR.

A/five stars; an unquestioned masterpiece of progressive rock music and as fine of an album you'll find in Prog World.