GERARD

This was recorded live in studio December 17 2001. We get two tracks from UK, two tracks from KING CRIMSON and one from ELP and that might be the best one. That would be "Knife Edge" and this Japanese keyboardist can play! We get "Danger Money" and "Alaska-Time To Kill" from UK and "Larks Tongues In Aspic Part Two" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" from KC to round out the five song album.

An enjoyable record for the most part and only 37 minutes long but man check out the first one if you can, there's some amazing instrumental music on it.

I feel like over a ten to twelve year period I was the ultimate explorer of music leaving no stone unturned resulting in a lot of stories. ARS NOVA obviously believed that sex sells by their skimpy outfits and provocative poses so it's hard to take the seriously until you hear them play. Both bands generate a lot of power on these tunes, I'm just so impressed and it made me think again of the RARE BIRD leader who had no guitarist in his band because he believed his keyboards could provide much nastier sounds bordering on evil. Yes this recording here is a keyboardist's dream with an array of them from these three talented ladies. The mellotron is sampled but adds a lot.

GERARD is up first with of course an ELP cover "Toccata"opening with loud synths and booming drums before it settles in to an uptempo barn burner. Oh my! The organ is screaming at one point. Bombast is the word. They are on fire 3 minutes in but a calm follows quickly. We start to get some punchy and intricate sounds before 5 minutes. Organ is back at 6 1/2 minutes then it's a free for all once again. ARS NOVA covers some TRACE tunes in this medley from their "Birds" record including "Bourree" and "King Bird". There is a guest bass player on this song from a band called TRITON. Same player would guest on one track on ARS NOVA's next studio album after this. Fast paced keys and lots of depth as the bass throbs. The keyboards make me dizzy. The organ is ripping it up before 2 minutes then it all turns classical sounding. Man it becomes so uplifting just before 5 minutes. A powerful ending follows.

GERARD follows with a BANCO cover from "Darwin!" called "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta". So powerful and dramatic to start and that calm later with mellotron is emotional. A killer track! ARS NOVA not to be outdone covers Italians IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO's "Epilogo" from "YS". Yeah they do! Man I love this track. Keyboards galore and check out that sinister calm after 2 minutes. So good and mellotron! GERARD covers Rick Wakeman's "Catherine Parr" and this is a better version in my opinion. It's actually one of my favourites on here. Active drums, powerful organ and upfront bass to get us started. It kicks into a higher gear rather quickly then we get some beautiful mellotron sounds just before 3 minutes. "Tarkus" by ELP of course is covered by ARS NOVA and check out the mellotron choirs to start. Gulp. There's a great change in direction at 3 minutes but they do shift a lot on this one. An array of keyboards dominate. Hey another RPI tune in "Four Holes In The Ground" by PFM of course and GERARD sounds just like them to start but after that they really have fun with this song.

I have to go 4 stars despite this being an album of cover tunes. It's just unique and a great example of keyboard led bombast.

Back to 1984, in the year that Yes conquers the world with the smooth progressive pop single Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Marillion rules with the Neo-prog from Fugazi, Rush embraces electronics on Grace Under Pressure and Dutch keyboard hero Ton Scherpenzeel shines on Stationary Traveller by Camel. On the other side of the world Japanese formation Gerard is scouting the borders between harder-edged symphonic rock and Heavy Prog, in a pretty exciting way on their eponymous debut album.

Their story started when keyboard player Toshio Egawa (his mother was a piano teacher) decided to leave the popular Japanese Heavy Prog band Novela and found his own formation Gerard, including guitarist/singer Yukihiro Fujimura. The name is derived from a clothes store in Tokyo. After their highy acclaimed eponymous debut CD (1984) and successor Empty Lie, Empty Dream (1985) Yukihiro Fujimura left Gerard in order to found his own band Vienna. These first two Gerard albums are pretty original Heavy Prog, but then the music gradually turned into more and more ELP and UK influenced. During the years Gerard suffered from multiple line-up changes, with only prime mover Toshio Gerard as the constant factor. Between 1991 and 2011 Gerard has released 11 studio albums, the CD Live In Marseille (1999), the live DVD Chaos Live (2000) and the limited edition compilation box Meridian (1998). Their latest effort is entitled Visionary Dream, from 2011, according to Toshio Egawa (August 2018) the band Gerard is no longer active and nowadays he plays in other bands. During the years Toshio Egawa has been a very prolific musician and also joined Earthshaker (once Don Airey was a member ), Sheherazade and Fromage. And he contributed to the Bohemian Symphony Project (with former fellow Novela musician Terutsugu Hirayama) and Keyboard's Triangle I and II (the first edition with Ars Nova).

Listening to the first Gerard album is an overwhelming musical experience: what an awesome blend of hardrock guitar and 'symphonic rock keyboards', what a tension between the mellow and bombastic parts, and what a dynamic interplay between the musicians! Prime mover Toshio Egawa turns out to be a Japanese answer to the legendary keyboard wizards from the UK: he has the the elegant virtuosity from Rick Wakeman, the ultra-bombastic approach from Keith Emerson and the androgyn looks from Eddie Jobson,

1. Meridian (2:57) : An intro with church bells, then an increasing sound of a powerful guitar riff, followed by cheerful synthesizer flights and a bombastic eruption with dazzling synthesizer runs. Then a slow rhythm featuring howling electric guitar leads and finally again those sensational 'presto and vivace' synthesizer runs, supported by a powerhouse rhythm-section. This instrumental track clocks only 3 minutes but so much happens, a very exciting start.

2. Orpheus: (8:51) I) I cry for help II) Decision III) Elysium : This long composition delivers lots of changing climates: from dreamy with strong interplay between piano and guitar to a mid-tempo with pleasant native vocals and bombastic outbursts with lush Hammond and fat synthesizer flights. Halfway a captivating break featuring an ominous climate, led by powerful guitar runs, first slow and then fiery. Strong points are also the variety, interplay and tension between the mellow and bombastis part. Like in final part, with first a bombastic eruption, then an accellaration and finally dreamy piano and vocals, Gerard takes you to every mood in the galaxy.

3. Incantation (9.09) : This other long composition contains a cascade of shifting moods and again a huge tension between the mellow and bombastic parts. Toshio Egawa shines with his fat synthesizer flights and majestic Mellotron violins. Halfway a strong build-up with powerful electric guitar and sparkling piano and a very dynamic rhythm-section. This culminates in a compelling and sumptuous grand finale with lush synthesizers, mighty Mellotron, Moog Taurus bass pedals and fiery electric guitar, it sounds like a heavy version of W&W Genesis, goose bumps!

4.Lasting Memory (5:13) : After a beautiful intro with classical piano arpeggio's the music alternates between dreamy and bombastic. The one moment a buzzing fretless bass and mellow piano work, the other moment sumptuous outbursts with Mellotron and bass pedals. The final part features glorious Mellotron violins, slowly fading away, again goose bumps.

5. Revenge (3:35) : This track is mostly inspired by Toshio Egawa his former band Novela, with an un-tempo beat and dazzling synthesizer flights, then a short part with propulsive drum beats and Mellotron violins. In the second part a spectucular duel between a biting electric guitar and flashy synthesizer work, Gerard their version of Lord and Blackmore, but made in Japan.

6. Melting Time (9:37) : This is one of the highlights on this album, what a varied and elaborate composition. It starts dreamy with wonderful native vocals, topped with subtle strings and piano. Then a slow rhythm, gradually the music turns into more lush, culminating in a spectacular break with powerful organ waves, sensational synthesizer flights and biting electric guitar runs.To me it sounds like 'Steve Vai meets UK', very exciting. The final part is breathtaking, after sumptuous eruptions the music slowly fades away, but then a crescendo and a final outburst with heavy guitar, bombastic keyboards and an excellent rhythm-section. Like a long and intense, extended 'eargasm', wow!

7. Visionary Dream (4:24) : A strongly build-up ballad with lots of delicate musical ideas. First dreamy with warm native vocals and piano, then a slow rhythm with passionate vocals, gradually turning into a mid-tempo with fiery electric guitar, flashy synthesizers and powerful drums. The final part sounds very subtle with soft twanging electric guitar, a wonderful conclusion.

8. Midnight dreamer (4.27) : This final track is a blend of melodic ' and symphonic rock featuring mainly native vocals but the title is sung in English. The structure is pretty simple but the colouring adds an extra dimension: a heavy guitar solo and bombastic eruptions with fat synthesizer flights and deep Moog Taurus bass pedals. A crafted song but to me it sounds a bit commercial, like an attempt to make a single. I had rather seen one of the other compositions as the final track.

What a debut, it's so exciting, varied, dynamic and elaborate. And Egawa delivers floods of virtuosic keyboard work, topped with Fujimura his excellent powerful guitar play, in perfect balance.The pleasant Japanese vocals are a special flavour. Highly recommended to the fans of Heavy Prog (like Journey and Angel in their early years), harder- edged symphonic rock(like Kansas and Eighties Eloy) or keyboard extravaganza like ELP, Trace and UK.

In 2002 the second edition was released, I own the 2010 remaster, all tracks are played by my first Japanese progrock love Gerard (I am a huge fan since I bought their first two album in the early Nineties).

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (8:02) : What a captivating start, a King Crimson cover with organ and synthesizers (by Japanese keyboard wizard Toshio Egawa) but it sounds great. I even conclude that Gerard did an outstanding job by blending the typical Gerard elements (bombastic keyboards and a furious rhythm-section) and the heart of this dark and compelling song. The vocals by Simon Nakaji are OK, no more or less.

2. Danger Money (8:02) : A strong rendition with powerful drums and exciting keyboards, my only negative remark concerns the vocals, too powerless and too much a disturbing accent (I am sure former Gerard singer Robin Suchy would have done a way better job on this album).

3. Knife Edge (6:32) : Awesome Hammond organ work, a mindblowing rhythm-section and wonderful part featuring a church organ sound, for sure an extra dimension. But again the vocals are the weak point, too much a poor contrast with with powerful and bombastic atmospheres. Like a sparrow wants to overscream a bold eagle.

4. Alaska-Time To Kill (7:40) : This track starts with an impressive keyboard intro and a jawdropping imitation of Eddie Jobson his distorted electric violin sound, very spectacular, one of the highlights!

5. Lark's Tongues In Aspic Part Two (6:54) : The second King Crimson cover, also in this composition Gerard surprises us with swirling Hammond organ, supported by powerful and fluent bass play and propulsive drums, topped by wonderful violin work. As in the first King Crimson cover, Gerard succeed to show an own face without doing harm to the heart of the song.

Although I in my opinion the instrumental first edition is superior to this second effort, I consider it as very interesting, mainly due to the awesome renditions of the two King Crimson compositions. Here we can enjoy how Japanese prog rises to the occasion, blending their distinctive vintage keyboards drive prog with Classic Prog!

My rating: 3,5 star.

''Dirty hunters'' is a total new track recorded by the band and among the most pompous pieces written by Egawa.A mix of Symphonic/Hard Rock, Pomp Rock and AOR with monster keyboard lines and rhythmic patterns, highlighted by Suchy's aggressive vocal performance and featuring a memorable chorus, great stuff, which however comes closer to the pompous works of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.''Delirium'' was among the tracks of ''Pandora's box'', very E.L.P.-like Symphonic Rock with flashy twists on synthesizers and organ by Egawa and some pounding bass lines and drums, extremely bombastic and dense, very close to the dark offerings of compatriots ARS NOVA.''Evidence of true love'' was in the tracklist of ''Save knight by the night'', but this was re-recorded with English lyrics and Suchy behind the microphone.Typical long piece of the Gerard repertoire, containing this time evident Classical influences and smoother, more romantic sections, but the main game is again played around Egawa's powerful, grandiose keyboard fanfares, featuring extended instrumental workouts and a beautiful ending section with a pompous, haunting orchestral atmosphere and atmospheric choirs.

Might be an excess to get this album, if you already own the basic albums of Gerard, but this is one of these works that you should appreciate if coming across.A great and enjoyable new piece along with two older cuts, among the best of Gerard's offerings.Recommended.

With no other melody instrument (not even a guest guitarist), it is very much in his hands to provide all of the musical styles necessary to drive the songs forward. In many ways this is music out of time as it belongs in the Seventies, long passages designed to keep the listener's jaw firmly on the floor as the speed and dexterity of Toshio is designed to amaze. It is not all frenetic stuff though, and there are dreamy interludes to counterpoint the more rampant excesses.

Any fan of ELP will surely enjoy this release as much as I have. Originally released only in Japan, the Musea version contains a bonus track.

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02

From the opening self-titled number things are getting really serious.Toshio Egawa is in an absolute orgasm, performing an over-10-min. powerful Symphonic Rock suite with angualr synthesizers, bombastic Hammond organ and loads of Mellotron in a KING CRIMSON vein around the middle.The remaing three out of five tracks follow the same if not heavier lines.Very dense, keyboard-based Symphonic/Hard Rock with tons of virtuosic synth moves, dynamic pyrotechnics and a huge amount of tehnique in a bit abstract but very enegetic arrangements.''Siren in the Mysterious Sea'' is a different story.Based on sampled flutes, Mellotron and harsichord, this instrumental piece is closer to New Age/Symphonic Rock in a much needed interruption between the heavier ideas of Egawa.The closing ''Freedom'' is again on the softer side.It sounds like an AOR ballad with Suchy's vocal in the forefront with a more aggressive section clodsing it in a synth-drenched enviroment.

Mostly instrumental and tremendously bombastic Symphonic Rock is the perfect style for Gerard and the band's leader Toshio Egawa knew this better than anyone else.Good album, maybe some more melodies could be included.Nevertheless, recommended.

The ruins of a glass fortress from 2000 is another worthy release from this japanese band. This time, I mean from previous 2 albums they optain for a distinct direction towards Triumvirat, UK and even Rick Wakeman influences here and there. The influences from the bands mentioned above are more evident here in contrast with early works, because the head of the band Toshio Egawa take out from the arrangements the guitar, no trace of this instrument here, and because of that the passages are keyboard driven prog. Not bad, really, but is not fantastic either, hardly original album and little flat in some parts, but the skills and talent of Egawa make from this album a real pleasent ride, not to mention that the rhythmic section is quite great and solid. Also in some moments I trace some fusion elements specilly in bass/drums category, where the instruments are complex and complicated, I like the bass lines very much. The opening track Labyrinth and Fall Into A Doze are the best from here, instrumental with complex moves, twist lots of layers, speedy keyboards and some dark atmosphere overall, but in the end really good I might say. All album is instrumental minus two pieces where features Jean-Luc "F. Nazaki", and to my opinion his voice is horrible at best, so I will not count this bad section from my rating system. So, even the arrangements and overall sound is more modern then let's say on Empty lie, empty dream from their early works, I prefer that 1985 album face this The ruins, because of the guitar who gives a more melodic , dynamic and overall better atmopshere to my ears. 3 stars rounded to 3.5 , excellent cover art, like on almost all Gerard albums, that romantic aproach very much in vein with the music offered. Good band, I like what I've heared so far from their catalogue, so for sure I will buy more of their albums.

Gerard were one of the leading progressive rock bands from the '80 in Japan together with Novela, Fromage, Pale Acute Moon, Outer Limits or Mugen. They offer a quite good symphonic prog very much in vein of UK or a harder version of Genesis (Trick of the tail era) but with their own twist and with that particular japanese flavour , musicaly speaking that many bands from '80 from this country had. I review so far two of their albums and I liked what I've heared so I've decided to check two more from their catalogue, one of them is Empty lie, empty dream, the second release from 1985. This is enjoyble to me for sure, is to low rated for such music, really. Symphonic prog well played and well performed. The album is mainly instrumental and the keyboards and guitar are great. In their first phase they sounded not very much a la ELP like their later releases, because of the guitar arrangements, this instrument being left aside from Pendulum onwards. So, , forte pieces are the opening instrumental The acts of the Apostles , really awesome pieces where the talent of Toshio Egawa on keyboards and of Fujimura on guitar is obvious. In that darker days of prog mid 80s only japanese school of prog counted on market and the british neo prog who just exploded in Europe around that time, and of course do not forget Rush, the rest of the world were in shadow and the rest of the movement in aderground for sure. So, this release keeps the flag as high as possible for that period, no weak moment but in same time nothing is close to masterpieces status, still enjoyble and good from start to finish.