WHAT IF

A band I only had the privilege of seeing live once--as a warmup act for YES--and it was with international competition winner Mark O'Connor playing violin in place of Allen Sloan (but I swear it was earlier than 1982 when he first appeared on a Dregs album). Mark was jaw-dropping amazing, as was Steve Howe clone Steve Morse.

1. "Take It Off The Top" (4:07) a perfect display of why I always thought this band more classic rock with prog and jazz elements than true progressive rock or Jazz-Rock Fusion: it sounds like a cross between ASIA and JAN HAMMER. And it's really not all that interesting, melodic, or impressive. (8.66667/10)

2. "Odyssey" (7:35) what starts out sounding like a modern Jan Hammer composition turns neo-classical in a KITARO or TOMITA even Eddie Jobson-UK way; not quite all the way to rock like Kansas (but could be if there were vocals/lyrics). The composition is quite modern and quirky in a jazz kind of way but full of an endless parade of little tangential solos, especially from violins. Interesting but a little too busy and pointless for my tastes. (13.125/15)

3. "What If" (5:01) slow, melodic, and a little quirky and sappy like a NOVA or Narada Michael Walden song, but very interesting for its melodic sensibilities and modern "latest-greatest" instrumental sound choices. All this electrification and synthesizer and effects processing just seems a bit too excessive. I'm missing the more natural, organic sounds of these instruments' originations. (8.75/10)

4. "Travel Tunes" (4:34) what starts as an interesting weave or reel of multiple instruments that I can hardly recognize for the way they've been processed and masked turns into a more Southern-hillbilly rock jam. Impressive performances across the board but this is an example of the beginning of the unhuman, processed sound that will become the dominant form in so much of the 1980s (8.875/10)

5. "Ice Cake"s (4:39) several quirky, near-classical, some unclassifiable, themes are worked into this song through instrumental palettes that vary from Rod Morgenstein southern-fried funk drum playing to Jeff Berlin-like bass playing with Allen Sloan's Eddie Jobson-like synthetic violin and keyboard sounds. Interesting and likable--even inviting me to come back for repeated listens. (8.875/10)

6. "Little Kids" (2:03) a nice little Irish folk jig performed between Steve Morse's classical guitar and Allen Sloan's violin- sounding violin and perhaps Mark Parrish's Vivaldi keyboard. The best song on the album due to its sound being the most pure. (4.75/5)

7. "Gina Lola Breakdown" (4:00) opening like an electrified hoedown from an episode of Hee Haw. Impressive performances all around: violin, country electric guitar, upright saloon piano, two-step bass line, and horse-step-like drum play. Man! Is Steve Morse talented! A great display of skills (delivered in an unadulterated way). (9/10)

8. "Night Meets Light" (7:47) an interesting weave that sounds classical Baroque while also hitting the second- incarnation Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jean-Luc Ponty buttons. Slowing it down the way it is here makes it feel disingenuous--like they're showing their potential for a New Age album or one of Christmas carols. The gated- or Simmons-sounding drums are also a little disturbing: as if noting the end of drums as we once knew them. (13.125/15)

Total Time: 39:46

This is a band that I never felt completely comfortable welcoming into the prog or J-R Fuse clubs (like Jan Hammer's solo stuff). The band's musicianship is never in question. I think they have an overall sense of melody that is quite foreign to me--one that does nothing to invite me in.

B/four stars; an excellent if enigmatic display of sophisticated sound and compositional skill: each of the song's sound palettes and styles are so hard to pinpoint or categorize.