DAWN

Well, with all the potential "Power and the Passion" demonstrated, the band disintegrated because they found their manager Jay Partridge quite unbearable (to the point where I don't seem to find any info that he dealt with any future band after ELOY fired him), not to mention some of the band members didn't quite go for the concept album. But since EMI noticed that the album was selling well enough (30,000 copies sold in Germany), they gave Frank Bornemann a second chance and allowed him to reassemble a new ELOY. New members included Detlev Schmidtchen on keyboards and additional guitar, Klaus-Peter Matziol on bass, and ex-SCORPIONS drummer Jürgen Rosenthal (who appeared on "Fly to the Rainbow", which was produced by Frank Bornemann, although uncredited).

The production on "Dawn" is such a vast improvement, it's hard to believe how bad the production of their previous album was and it was just released the year before. ELOY was going off the deep-end here by adding on strings to many of the cuts as well. The opening cut, "Awakening" starts off with the sound of thunder, an orchestra, before the guitar and vocals come in. "Between the Times" is a heavier piece, showing that Detlev Schmidtchen was probably playing guitar here, rather than keyboards. There is a lot of spoken dialog on this piece as well. "The Sun Song" is a spacy ballad, with the synthesizers finally kicking in. "The Dance in Doubt and Fear" is another great spacy piece with lot of male and female spoken dialog. "Lost!?? (Introduction)" consists of a bunch of Moog solos, while "Lost!?? (The Decision)" more consists of actual music here. The next couple of pieces, "The Midnight-Fight" and "The Victory of Mental Force" has some good ideas, but a few parts seem to fall flat, in my book. "Gliding in to Light and Knowledge" is a stunning spacy ballad that ends with "Le Reveil du Soleil/The Dawn", which consists of the most impressive Moog soloing the band gave on this album.

The band is certainly headed for more great things, as their next album, "Ocean" clearly demonstrates. Personally I find "Ocean" the better album so go for that album first.

This is one of Eloy's strongest albums. It shows that they have improved their skills in songwriting as well as their mastery in their instruments. Also, the sound quality is better than in the previous albums. The album is very cohesive and symphonic. The pink floyd influences are less obvious, giving a fresher feel. The lyrics and vocals still suffer.

The first set of short songs are connected together, forming a mini-epic which begins with a string arrangement that is followed by a prog rock arrangement with blues-style vocals. It ends with a female vocalist. I like the way she sings. The Sun Song and The Dance in Doubt and Fear are space rock pieces full of keyboard playing. The former has more of a ballad feel while the latter is more energetic and has lots of dialogue. The "Lost" epic focuses on the music, and it succeds. There are plenty of good moments in this piece. The Midnight flight is a good long rocker with memorable riffing, but this website has a much better version of it in the samples. The last epic begins with another spacy soft rock until a bass line is brought to the front of the musical landscape and a reference to a Yes song is quoted. Later, female choirs are brought to the mix. Then, more instruments start appearing making this a well-done buildup to the climax which consists of a moog/guitar duet solo. The piace (and album) ends with strings.

Overall, this is a good concept album that should be own for the music, not the lyrics.

Highlights: Between The Times, Appareance of the Voice, Return of the Voice, The Dawn

Low Points: The middle of the album is somewhat boring and directionless.

My Grade : C

Dawn represents a new start for Eloy. As the previous band disintegrated due to differences arising from managerial interference, so from the ashes arose a new band with Frank Bornemann as sole survivor of the fall-out. With this influx of new blood and ideas came a new musical direction. Long gone are the extended rock work-outs and solo improvising of yore, to be replaced by carefully orchestrated and structured arrangements - less space-rock and more 'conventional' Symphonic Prog. Guitars and keyboards are more integrated, often merging to form a wall-of-sound not unlike contemporary Genesis, the Hammond now merely one voice among many. Soloing is severely restricted, in some cases almost incidental to the arrangement.

Psychedlics are not entirely avoided however, as a couple of tracks set up grooves to explore the spacier side of the band's character, but new bassist Matziol plays in a busier technical style, tending to play complex fills around the riff which doesn't suit this kind of material. Also, Rosenthal's drums are occasionally annoyingly frantic and overpowering, similar to Mel Pritchard's early style, but due to a crisp and punchy production they become distractingly intrusive, especially when the need is for a simpler flowing beat to let the groove flow and breathe.

Bornemann's vocals are still an acquired taste of course, but he has clearly made much progress, especially with his phrasing, and now he is supported by a richer, fuller soundstage. Lyrics, however, remain as unfathomable and obtuse as ever! It would seem this is another concept album, continuing the theme from Power And The Passion, but somehow turning it into a homage to the sun, or perhaps using the sun as a metaphor for that album's Jeanne character. Beyond that I am not going to speculate!

The album effortlessly flows from a thunderstorm and lush orchestral strings of opener Awakening towards a blissful conclusion in the quintessential chill-out space-groove of final track Le Revéil Du Soleil which maintains a single rolling ding-dong bass pattern throughout. In between, compositions are almost all Prog based: some with truly Symphonic foundations, like Lost!? (Introduction) which undergoes several moods before ending on a beautifully plaintive orchestral melody; others are simpler melodic balladry with progressive leanings, like the soaring strings and evocative chord progression of majestic The Sun-Song.

The one exception is The Dance In Doubt And Fear, a hybrid which evokes a haunting spacey mood induced by trippy spoken lyrics and a repeated bass pattern. Aside from aforementioned title track Le Revéil Du Soleil, the highlight would have to be The Midnight-fight / The Victory Of Mental Force, a busy track which develops from an organ motif, speeds up, slows down then finally races towards a brilliant second half featuring a wonderful yowling gun-shot effect on guitar and a running descending bass riff.

Another excellent album from Eloy, maintaining earlier high standards despite the unfortunate upheavals, though still falling short of being a masterpiece: a couple of tracks are relatively weaker; Bornemann's singing voice remains an issue to be overcome; and, lyrics could be better. But above all, while all songs are good, none has an absolute killer melody for Bornemann to sing! Nevertheless, with this album, Bornemann would at last begin to see some commercial reward that had thus far eluded him. Bigger and better would follow, but this was a solid start.

"Empty hall imminent bounding, cold black stones strangely surrounding"

And so Eloy came out with Dawn. An important improvement from the previous (excellent) record Power and the Passion. The addition of the symphonic orchestra was really a good idea as the stormy atmospheric introduction... a more elaborate and complex climax than the predecessor. The classic Eloy's line up is here: along with the mastermind Frank Bornemann on vocals and guitars, Klaus-Peter Matziol on bass, Detlev Schmidtchen on hammond organ, mini-moog, mellotron, piano, grand piano, rmi keyboard computer, and Jurgen Rosenthal on drums (he also wrote the lyrics as for the Ocean album).

The album's atmosphere is so warm and spacey. Very different from that of their following most famous record, though. I think Dawn is superior than Ocean musically, even though not at the same level as a suggesting conceptual opus. A more "terrestrial" record than the ethereal Ocean. I recommend you to buy these two plus the 1979 wonderful Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes as the perfect trilogy on space-rock albums. Thesis, antithesis and synthesis all released between 1976 and 1979.

Back to Dawn, now. The album's progression is impressive: "Between the Times", "The Sun Song" and "The Dance of Doubt and Fear". No one can seriously not falling in love with. Keyboards above all with a very strong bass guitar. Mellotron to give us the opportunity to fly far, far away... male and female voices and choruses to deepen the vast horizons.

Are we in front of a band conscious of all his potential who tries and manages to free it. Orchestral movements erupt very often and are a distinctive trade mark, not to be found in the next two records above mentioned. You have to wait until Planets (1981) to listen to a similar powerful orchestra. Only a song, though: "Queen of the Night".

Finally its' the turn of the fabulous gem "The Midnight Fight - The Victory of Mental Force". What an inceasing job on drums! Wonderfully played and balanced with bass and keyboards. The song' running time is just over 8 minutes and is the most varied track of the album. A real piece of art!! If you are interested, please check the free sample in the Eloy's page.

This is where to start, if you want to discover this great german band! Let's hope Eloy will increase their reputation in Progarchives, They really deserve it!

P.S. With my great surprise, Dawn's sample was deleted and isn't anymore...

After their last record "The Power And The Passion" the band broke up, so Frank Bornemann had to hire all new band members. ELOY has so many beautiful album covers, but this is my favourite. The overall feel of this record to me is very spacey and melodic.

"Between The Times" is a great song with an amazing beat that flows into "The Sun-Song" a spacey and atmospheric tune. Another highlight is "The Dance In Doubt And Fear" opening with a cool rhythm of drums and guitar that are joined by synths. This song has a great melody and there is the added waves of mellotron that help make this a relaxing and dreamy tune. "Lost !? (introduction)" has the same melody although it does change a little. Some terrific drum work on this one, and more mellotron.

"Lost??(the decision)" opens with organ and synths, and the spacey, floating synths dominate this song. As many have mentioned, Frank's vocals aren't for everyone.They have grown on me, from being a distraction to being ok. The next tune "The Midnight-Flight/ The Victory Of Mental Force" is uptempo for the most part, in contrast to the following song "Gliding Into Light And Knowledge" a slower spacey piece. Both are really good songs, although the final tune "Le Reveil Du Soleil/ The Dawn" may be the best on this record. A great melody that finally has some guitar more upfront, and again some fantastic drumming and more beautiful spacey synths.

This is an easy record to recommend, especially to those who like Psychedelic music.

Symphonic, majestic and epic, ELOY's Dawn is the conceptual sequel of Power and the Passion, and a vast improvement on the band's sound. Unlike its companion PatP, Dawn doesn't have mediocre parts, it's all very carefully and creatively done. The space rock found here is the born of ELOY's new style, and the final break of their true hard-rock roots. On Ocean, this style will be much more developed, in a more pretentious (but in a good way) and consistent form, with more atmospheric passages and much fewer "hooks", making the sound harder to grasp but better in terms of being more challenging, and not FLOYDian derivative as "misinformed" or "mislistened" people will try to convince you. On Dawn we have a lot of tracks, if compared to the track lists on other albums, but they actually are parts of 4 epics that surround disc. Each one of them plays an important role on the concept, and they don't sound the same at all. They have their own faces, and i'll try to describe them below.

The first epic consists of four tracks. "Awakening" is the intro, with its rain sounds making it a powerful begining. There's a very catchy melody, as well as a moving guitar playing, leading to "Between the Times", the first rocker here. "Memory Flash" has a great guitar solo. The sisters "...of the Voice" feature a wild female vocal, and close this album's first chapter. From now on, things just

Despite (or due to) their popularity German band Eloy had been much criticised by the press and been blamed for their trivial lyrics, their mediocre vocalist and their pretentious overblown music. And in my view this had been fully justified as this record here was just the starting point for a long series of admittedly mostly well-done but as well very similar sounding albums with pompous pretentious Prog full of hollow pathos par excellence. After the previous TPAP Bornemann had to reform the band completely new and actually one can hear clearly an improvement here to before. But although used to like this music ages ago I've to say meanwhile that it sounds quite out-of-date nowadays and might just be still good enough as a background sound and keeping the records for nostalgic reasons. All the 12 tracks on here segue seamlessly into each other to form a long suite (on the CD-reissue). On the original vinyl (which I own) tracks 1 to 5 fill the first side and 6 to 12 the second one. It's really a pleasant listen but honestly I think it's fully sufficient to have one or two of their albums from that period in one's collection since one sounds almost as the other (probably this one and Ocean I would say). This kind of music I would not define as timeless and excellent progressive rock and Eloy should be considered rather another fairly good band from the second row making some pomp Prog which was fashionable during that era. Recommended only for the prone listener admiring this particular style!

Another good album by Eloy

On this album are some new members included Detlev Schmidtchen on keyboards and additional guitar, Klaus-Peter Matziol on bass, and ex-SCORPIONS drummer Jürgen Rosenthal (who appeared on "Fly to the Rainbow) so the direction of music is the same, even if the drummer has some hard rock background, he did a great job here.

The opening cut, "Awakening" starts off with the sound of thunder, an orchestra, before the guitar and vocals come in. "Between the Times" is a heavier piece and is a lot of spoken dialog on this piece as well. "The Sun Song" is a spacy ballad, with the synthesizers finally kicking in. "The Dance in Doubt and Fear" is another great spacy piece with lot of male and female spoken dialog. "Lost!?? (Introduction)" consists of a bunch of Moog solos, while "Lost!?? (The Decision)" more consists of actual music here. The next couple of pieces, "The Midnight-Fight" and "The Victory of Mental Force" has some good ideas, but i don't think their best, "Gliding in to Light and Knowledge" is a stunning spacy ballad that ends with "Le Reveil du Soleil/The Dawn", which consists of the most impressive Moog soloing the band gave on this album. With all that i consider this among the best Eloy, the best i think is the next one Ocean, and peronaly my favourite. I recommend this one not only for Eloy fans and to all spacy prof of the '70. 4 stars

The fifth "Eloy" album starts very strangely with five short to very tracks (total of just over eight minutes) which are not quite interesting. Vocals are almost unbearable and the string arrangements are nothing that could motivate me. The first true "song" has a more melodic and charming mood even if strings are again out of purpose but " The Sun Song" is a good song.

IMO, this album really starts with "The The Dance in Doubt and Fear". Finally the first great track. Spacey, psychedelic, hypnotic. More related to what one is expecting from the band.

I am not really in-line with most of the reviews posted here, but I can't help. This album doesn't speak to me. But it was the band's best selling effort so far (150,000 copies).

"Lost" also have its pleasant moments but if you except "Electric Light Orchestra", I have never been found of the mix of rock music (whatever the sub-genre) and a full orchestra. Sometimes it is over-invading and becomes more important than the band itself. In this respect, I prefer the second and short part : "Lost - The Decision". Fully atmospheric with good organ work. It is my fave of the album (but it only lasts for 2'16").

We'll get more psychedelia with "The Midnight Flight - The Victory of Mental Force". Drumming is very much "Set The Controls..." oriented. Not a bad track actually. As the closing number.

I don't know whether or not it is because this album holds more vocal parts than usual, but I just find them absolutely desastrous and it is a serious handicap for me to appreciate it. If you add these orchestrations throughout this work and the lack of powerful and effective songs you might understand why I am rating this album so low. This is my least favourite "Eloy" album so far.

Two stars.

The only frustrating aspect to Eloy's "Dawn" is how the track listing has been edited and re-invented in each re-release and compilation, to the point where, especially early in the proceedings, it is nigh impossible to tell which track is which. Other than that, this is one of the finest examples of symphonic space rock ever released. It is also one of the few Eloy albums that does not specifically idolize earlier bands, but largely forges its own style.

One of the impressive aspects of Dawn is how this is now the third formation of Eloy, who appeared to be floundering after 2 weak releases, "Floating" and "Power and the Passion". In fact, of their first 4 albums, only the brilliant "Inside" was actually better than average, so one might have been excused for writing them off after yet another implosion. But the addition of Detlev Schmidtchen on keyboards and Jurgen Rosenthal on drums proved the needed boost. It was also Rosenthal's songwriting prowess which, love it or hate it, gave Eloy some lyrical material to work with. Bornemann could no longer get away with freaked out vocals, and this is when we really start to notice that his accent is problematic. Over the years he would work on it, but at times here it is pretty raw, even if it has a pleasant timbre to my ears.

In vinyl terms, the first side is particularly powerful as it moves from one brief track to another with aplomb, some spacey, some hard rocking, some both. The variation in the pace and in the ballad vs rocker quotient is also inspired. Bornemann wisely concedes top spot to the cosmic keyboards, which range from mellotron to moog, with some judicious use of orchestra, but his guitars still play an important supportive role, as does the bass of new member Klaus-Peter Matziol. Curiously, this approach would not return until the 1980s with Planets. He does put forth a certain jangly, almost acoustic styled electric guitar in many places, which would become his trademark going forward. Apart from the aforementioned difficulty in singling out particular tracks with any degree of certainty, the album is really a unified work in which each piece builds on all that came before, and it is meant to be listened to in its entirety. The band makes this easy by including only top notch material.

From the perspective of composition, arranging, instrumental prowess, melodic instinct, and ability to rock out with subtlety and power, I believe that "Dawn" simply humbles the contemporary competition. It also marked the dawn of Eloy's golden age.

Eloy is a legendary band which was established in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann in Hannover, started with the debut self-titled album (Philips, 1971) which contained as eight-minute epic "Something Yellow". Bornemann then had to deal with continuous changes of line-up and never quite returned to the sound of the first album. He became the lead vocalist of the band on "Inside" (EMI, 1973), continued with Floating (EMI, 1974), although the most accomplished composition was probably the shorter Castle In The Air. The concept album "Power and the Passion" (EMI, 1975) was the critical milestone of the band.

After Power and the Passion, Eloy broke up. Some members wanted the new concept album direction that guitarist/vocalist Frank Bornemann obviously wanted, and others didn't, preferring the old format like "Inside" and "Floating". EMI/Harvest gave Frank Bornemann a second chance to continue Eloy. So he found some musicians in his hometown of Hannover: drummer Jürgen Rosenthal (ex-Scorpions), bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol, and Detlev Schmidtchen, who at the time was more of a guitarist, but also a keyboardist. With this new line-up, the band recorded "Dawn". This album remarked the golden age of Eloy. Detlev Schmidtchen provided the symphonic arrangements that Bornemann desired, and Bornemann himself refined his vocal style to resemble David Gilmour. Not surprisingly, the resulting sound was a mixture of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon".

The production has improved significantly over their previous albums. An orchestra has been included on some of the cuts. Awakening kicks off with the stormy nuance, orchestra, then eventually the music kicks in with acoustic guitar and vocals. Between the Times is a rocker from the band. Appearance of the Voice, Return of the Voice and The Dance in Doubt represent the music that sounds like their previous albums. There are lots of string synthesizer and Mini Moog.

Overall, this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

One of the hugest, most unapologetic symphonic onslaughts of all time. Pure and simple. On Dawn Eloy creates such a swelling, rich and constant flow of music it borders the unbearable at times.

Being a bastard child of the open and more repetitive structure of space/psych prog and the classical aspirations of symphonic prog (augmented by the use of an actual orchestra on this album), Dawn often walk on familiar paths and rarely surprises with any real invention. Instead it focuses on fan service; it is overblown, pompous, dynamic and...just a greasy musical burger. But as such it's also precisely what a hungry classic prog fan need now and then.

Yes, the combination of space and symphonic is a successful one indeed. The drawn-out, pseudo-jammy feel created by slowly progressing synth waves and a strong, often quite simple and highly effective bass create a lofty, suspended and timeless atmospheric skeleton which is fleshed-out by a number of different methods. Eloy manages to do this in quite a few different ways, and it's mostly that fact that makes Dawn such an interesting album. Chunky rock riffing, the balanced but noteworthy use of orchestral arrangements or efficient, clear noodling from the guitar or an array of swirly effects and percussion. And yet its identity of mysterious transcendence is maintained by the strong spacey atmosphere that permeates all the songs.

The band obviously likes to suck on motifs and themes, giving them a lot of time to mature, slowly shifting in layering and detail and rarely disturbing a lyrical delivery by drowning it in sound. They stick to this high-viscous approach for most of the album, making it disturbingly uniform when not giving it proper attention. Interludes such as orchestral crescendos, a sudden shift to nothing but guitar chord work or a whirling Celtic passage help shed more light to the variety, but the basic rule is to enjoy the music as its delivered, if that makes any sense to you.

Dawn can be a powerful spiritual journey when you're in your most perceptive state of mind, but just a tad too overpowering and pretentious when you're not. It's still filled with quality music though, and I recommend it to all fans of classic 70s prog.

3.5 stars, but it qualifies for a 4 on ProgArchives.

//LinusW

While there are a couple of pieces on the subsequent album that I much prefer (the mighty "Poseidon's Creation" being chief among them), I find this to be an all-around more consistent album, full of flavor and beauty. It should please fans of the genre as well as those who enjoy down-to-earth compositions that are given a galactic edge due to spacey synthesizers.

"Awakening" A gorgeous way to begin the album, this prelude of sorts has rain, gentle guitars, and delicate strings.

"Between the Times" Carrying right on from the previous track, this has distant piano but is a bit heavier, with chewy electric guitar and busy drum fills. A feminine and almost electronic voice speaks as the strings reappear. It is a complex track, but very satisfying.

"The Sun Song" With the synthesizers in place, creating a majestic atmosphere, this comes closer to pure symphonic magic.

"The Dance in Doubt and Fear" A steady bass riff is pounded out as the spacey synthesizer returns. Some spoken word occurs over all this.

"Lost!? (Introduction)" This evokes images of ancient tribes and rituals, with the strange vocals and percussion. However, a wicked little synthesizer is the highlight of the piece. More water and lovely strings make for a second highlight.

"Lost?? (The Decision)" The introduction to this is kind of a rip-off of that well known passage from The Phantom of the Opera. This piece tends to be a bit repetitive, with a delicate guitar and synthesizer passage disrupted by drums and bass.

"The Midnight Fight/The Victory of Mental Force" Punctuating bass jumps in as the singer sings rapid and echoing phrases that are (due to the German accent as well as the effects) difficult to understand. Probably my favorite part of the album comes directly after, however, with a great bass riff, hasty drumming, and a great synthesizer excursion. During the vocal segment that follows, strings add some subtle touches. The bass work is at its most creative during the second half; while it's nothing technically challenging or inventive, it does exactly what it's supposed to do.

"Gliding into Light and Knowledge/The Dawn" High frequency noises gives way to lovely yet haunting guitar, bass, and square lead. The second half has an intriguing yet simplistic guitar and bass riff, with various airier sounds layered on top of it. In a way, it reminds me of the middle section of "Awaken" by Yes. This instrumental passage explodes into a synthesizer and lead guitar duet. Beautiful strings, spoken word, and a lone drum finish the piece.

Awaken at the Dawn

Following a quartet of ever improving releases recorded by a substantially stable line up, Eloy appeared to have the world at their feet. All the indications were that the following albums would bring the breakthrough the band deserved. Unfortunately, it was at this point the the band imploded. Much of the blame for this appears to have been placed with the band's manager Jay Partridge, who is alleged to have pulled them apart. Whether Partridge should be held solely responsible is a matter for conjecture, and we must assume that he merely exacerbated existing difficulties between the members.

Whatever the true facts are, one fact remains. Frank Bornemann found himself to be the sole remaining member of Eloy when all the others who recorded "The power and the passion" downed tools and left.

To his credit, Bornemann did not simply throw in the towel. He sought the help of Eloy's record label to assemble a new line up, and set about recording "Dawn". Thematically, the album appears to be a sort of continuation of "The power and the passion", but the story here is much more obscure (if there is one!). This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that while Bornemann is credited with the story, new boy Jurgen Rosenthal actually wrote all the lyrics.

In another first for the band, the string section of an orchestra is added to several tracks, enhancing Eloy's symphonic credentials. The liberal use of mellotron though means that the effect of the strings is limited though.

After the short but credible "Awakening", we enter the four part "Between the times". With the track lasting just over 6 minutes, the constituent sections are brief. The conversation aspect of the male female vocals harks back to "The power and the passion".

"The sun song" is an undoubted highlight of the album, with swirling mellotron supporting a powerful vocal and symphonic prog effects. Those who crave all things mellotron should seek out this track alone as one of the finest examples of its use. The following "Dance of doubt and fear" continues the mellotron dominance, but a heavier beat and obscure spoken word combine with some fine organ work to make for a more complex arrangement. For reasons not obvious, the title of the two "LOST!?" tracks is in capital letters. The first part, "Introduction" features some synthesised choral vocals and a synth solo. It is the most adventurous track recorded by the band thus far, and a good indicator or what was to come. The latter part of the track sees the strings take over, playing a sad but melodic classically tinged refrain. The second "LOST??" (note the two question marks) is subtitled "The decision". The organ intro is a sort of variation on a well known Bach piece, but the main tune soon takes us in a different direction. Musical dramatics are used to fine effect here, before an orthodox vocal section rounds off the track.

"The midnight fight/The victory of mental force" is the longest track on the album. Here, all the dramatics and orchestration scattered throughout the album are brought together with a frantic beat in a cacophony of controlled aggression. This track, more than the others, harks back to the rock roots of the band, but this time the overall sound is so much more sophisticated and refined. "Gliding into light and knowledge" returns us to the majestic mellotron soaked symphonic prog on which the album is largely based. The album closes with the mostly instrumental "Le reveil du soleil/The dawn", which includes the line "Nous sommes du soleil" There are certainly some Yes references in the track, but they are much more "Awaken" in origin.

In all, despite the enormous challenges faced by Frank Bornemann, he and his new colleagues manage to take Eloy to new heights with this album. Musically, there are still some rough edges here, but in terms of overall quality, this is a milestone recording for the band.

By the way, unlike preceding album, the remastered CD release contains no additional material.

Dawn continues the symphonic styled space-prog that started on Power and the Passion. The compositions are more dynamic and should sure please anyone with a symphonic or neo-prog affection, but everything goes down with the weak vocals that are way too generic for this sort of music. I'm afraid this is too much prog by the numbers for me.

With the addition of violins the album is more bombastic then other Eloy output. Luckily the sound is still rocking and natural and especially the drums and bass are pleasant to listen to. As usual with Eloy, keyboards and guitars are used for texture rather then melody, creating a lush sonic tapestry. But there very little musical body on the inside. There's nothing that grabs you with its intensity, that marvels with its beauty or that inspires by its musical ideas. Especially Bornemann is a failure at the all too prominent vocals. There are very few vocalist that dare to come up with such dull vocal lines.

Not a bad album but too mellow and unprofessional, better then the albums around it, but not much. It really makes me wonder how this band managed to acquire the popularity they got. Maybe because there wasn't much else around? Anyway, I only need 5 minutes with a Genesis or Marillion classic to be convinced this is hardly 2 stars.

Space and Pride.

What more could be said? It's a very good album. Yes, behind a cheesy cover that looks like the health card of the Quebec Province rests an album full of grandeur, making hard to believe this is only a four-piece band. As usual, stellar hypnotic Gibson Flying V solos, inventive bass lines (so good) and the Deutch accent so thick, even light cannot escape from it.

Starts with a huge rainstorm and ends with grace, the band will reach perfection with Ocean; so think of this album like almost-perfection. Yes, there is a little filling in the end, but just a little. One thing I particulary like is the voice acting in Eloy. It takes more space this time, with a temptress that sounds like Dalbello (or a young Geddy Lee!) and my favorite: the God voice. I simply ADORE this Yaweh-type of divine intervention in a song. It's creates the set of space perfectly! Once again, fans of Frank Frazetta or Jim Burns fantasy drawings will be served!

Considering the level of Ocean or Mighty Echoes (like 7 stars out of 5), this is a 5 hands down.

Let the geek in you soar.

Dawn is my first taste of this German band. I wanted to start somewhere in the mid-70s, having read that many consider Ocean to be one of Eloy's best albums. Some have a problem with the vocals on that album, so I decided to check out the previous album instead. Here band leader Frank Bornemann has replaced previous members with all new ones; supposedly this is considered the 'classic' Eloy line up. The production is apparently an improvement from earlier releases. I have no problem with it, sounding like a typical rich mid-70s recording.

The music on this album is a mix of symphonic prog and hard rock. I listened to the CD version which has a slightly different tracklist and song lengths. "Between The Times" has good hard rock riffs mixed with some good strings. Before 4 minutes a spoken word section with a woman talking. "The Dance In Doubt And Fear" is some really good symphonic rock, this segues into... "Lost!? (Introduction)" with a tape speed altered bass drum and some phased synths. Some "ah" harmony vocals. Good bass and drumming in this track. Later the sound of waves and the string section comes in. This is a highlight of the first half of the album.

"Lost?? (The Decision)" is a song you can listen to on PA. Starts with church organ before a cool drumbeat plays. Keyboards, bass and guitar join in. Alternates between atmospheric keys and guitar with bursts of louder, rocking parts. Cool sounding bass here; sounds like a fretless put through a wah-wah pedal. "The Midnight Fight/The Victory Of Mental Force" is a highlight. Great symphonic prog, the band really gels here. Later on the song rips off the descending notes from Floyd's "Echoes"(the same way Andrew Lloyd Webber also will with his Phantom Of The Opera).

"Gliding Into Light And Knowledge" is another symphonic piece which ruins the flow of the second half. "Le Reveil du Soleil/The Dawn" is kind of an anti-climax to the album. I don't think the string section was really neccesary, overdubbed keyboards could have done the same job. I can see where some people have a problem with the vocals, they really are the weakest link in the music. Often compared to Floyd, these guys have much better drumming and bass work. Overall, not a terribly consistent album to me. The compositions are very hit or miss. The sound of the instruments are great and the playing is not too bad at all. I'm not sure how much I would like any of their other albums. This gets a 3.5 but I can't quite bring myself to give it 4 stars.

Every symphonic prog band in the 70s has released at least one album with a Symphonic Orchestra. This is a case in which the effort of the orchestra is barely perceivable here and there. Probably it could have been used better.

This is more evident in the second track: a six minutes long divided in four parts below two minutes on which there's no room for the instrumental effort of an orchestra. On my vinyl version they are effectively 4 separate tracks.

The music inside is no longer inspired to Uriah Heep. The harder parts remind more to Deep Purple, specially on "The Dance Of Doubt and Fear" that has something of Child in Time (and seems to have inspired later the soundtrack of Tomb Raider) but in general the album is a mix of Floydian and rock moments with a guitar that sounds a bit Krautrock when is not making a solo and the inconfondible German accent of Bornemann. Even if his accent can be sometimes disturbing, it's a sort of trademark of the band.

The highlight of this album is "Lost" (both the two parts). The instrumental part in the frist two minutes is very good even if the breaks made by the "oooh" choir are still too related to the first albums of Uriah Heep. It's on this track that the orchestra can give his effort with a very symphonic moment. Unfortunately just a moment as it lasts for no more than two minutes.

In the second part (The Decision) the organ reminds to Bach's fugue in D minor, then the bass in foreground and the orchestra behind sound similar to the Renaissance who were making a similar thing (Live at Carnegie Hall) in the same year. I'd like to imagine Annie Haslam singing here instead of Bornemann.

The closing track starts with winds and Bass like Pink Floyd's "One of these days" but when Bornemann sings his voioce takes a Jethro Tull flavour. The instrumental part which follows driven by bass and keyboards is excellent and property of Eloy only. This band has never been too "original", but in the end they had a very recognizable sound.

Not a masterpiece also this, but even if I have underlined the bads more than the goods, I'm not ashamed of rating it with four stars. A bit more instrumental parts with more room for the orchestra and more original things like in the last 3 tracks is everything it would have needed to be a masterpiece.

What a terrific improvement over their previous efford The Power and The Passion! And even more so if you remember that the band broke up after that record (according to leader Frank Bornemann because of bad manangment and musical differences between band members). He almost call it quits after that. But Bornemann´s resilience paid off since the new line up would be probably Eloy´s best ever, with ex Scorpions drummer Jürgen Rosenthal stepping in, plus Klaus-Peter Matziol (bass) and Detlev Schmidtchen (keyboards, guitar). The group was also allowed to use a full orquestra for the first time. The results are simply stunning.

While this conceptual album is basicly a sequence of the story told on the Power And The Passion CD, this is a far better work, both on the instrumental parts and on the lyrics department. It´s hard to believe this is the first album with the new personel since the performances are great. The songs merge one into the other giving it a cohesive whole, like a long suite and not just a mere collection of tunes. While all other Eloy´s records have fine moments (specially their second one, Inside), Dawn was the first one that can be really be seen as a total success and the beginning (or dawning) of their very own sound. The psychedelic/space rock flavor is still there (Pink Floyd was definitly an influence), but now we have greater symphonic prog feel on it.

I always hear this CD from beginning to end without skipping a single track. The orchestral arrangements are beautiful and enhance the strong songwriting, and the fine performances of all band members. I just loved Matziol´s fine bass runs and Bornemann´s improved (yet never flashy)) guitar lines. It is really a pity that they would never use an orchestra as an integral part of the record´s sound for their future CDs. Even Bornemann is much more convincing as a singer (despite his heavy german accent), although he had not mature his personal style yet. . His voice would get better eventually, but this is his best delivering so far. And the lyrics are way better too. This point is much helped by the fact that newcomer drummer Rosenthal provided the words for all the songs: his poetry proved far more subtle, intriguing and interesting than the mediocre, naive ones featured on The Power And The Passion.

Conclusion: Dawn is definitly one of my favorite Eloy´s albums of all time. And the first of a string of great ones they would eventually produce over the next few years. A very good starting point if you want to get to know for this classic prog band of the 70´s. Rating: something between 4 and 4.5 stars. Highly recommended!

As well as being a competent refinement and consolidation of the sympho-space rock style debuted on The Power and the Passion, Eloy's Dawn also features the band taking that bold step that so many others had before - to wit, incorporating an orchestra into their sound. Whilst many other bands who attempted this in the past mishandled it, the orchestra either stealing the spotlight or not really contributing anything, Eloy is one of the few groups who hit the balance capably, the orchestral flourishes adding texture and a certain sense of the majestic to the music without displacing Eloy, who remain at the centre of proceedings. At this point, Eloy were growing more and more with each album, and Dawn in a decent stopover on the way to the Ocean, though the weakness of the vocals is still something of an issue.

Eloy's awakening!

Probably like most others, I became acquainted with 1977's Ocean and subsequent Eloy albums before hearing the band's first five albums. Especially as I have always considered 70's Eloy to be somewhat immature compared to early 80's Eloy, my initial expectations for Dawn were rather low. Upon hearing this album for the first time however, it surprised me how good it actually was. Indeed, I would say that Dawn is one of Eloy's better albums ever!

I was also surprised by how symphonic this album is. I was expecting a more Space Rock and Psychedelic orientation (early Hawkwind-like), but actually found an album with some acoustic instruments and rather symphonic arrangements. Very nice indeed! The German accent in the vocals still bothers me slightly, but it is certainly no worse on this album than on those more well-known 70's Eloy albums.

If Ocean is somewhat overrated, Dawn is somewhat underrated. Highly recommended!

A crash of thunder, rain and storm clouds of orchestra strings opens up the magnificent "Dawn" by Eloy. Bornemann's familiar vocals soon come in and a beautiful acoustic flourish on 'Awakening'. The concept album was a huge drawcard to album listeners in the 70s and Eloy always delivered some of the best conceptual masterworks. The music with lengthy jamming instrumental was always designed for the conceptual link between songs and Eloy delighted listeners with lengthy complex compositions with reflective lyrics. The combination of virtuoso musicianship and high concept lyrical themes is an irresistible force and 1976 was at the peak of prog. Bands could get away with virtually anything and were free to express their own ideas through music no matter how outlandish.

"Dawn" is a complex album with some huge ideas put to very impressive musical themes. The tracks run together almost seamlessly as one and there are multi movement suites that encompass several songs such as 'Between The Times' in 3 sections with a variety of styles and time signatures, with inventive musical breaks.

These moments are definitely highlights and at times the music is uplifting and very emotionally charged such as the beautiful melancholia of 'The Sun Song.' The stirring majestic orchestral score at the end of this track is stunning; as good as the symphonic material on The Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed".

The majesty continues on 'The Dance in Doubt and Fear', with organic keyboards that glide over a strong percussive hook and pulsing bassline. Bornemann narrates the ideas and the music is allowed to flow along on beautiful key pads. The music soars to the stratosphere and is perhaps some of the loveliest musicianship from Eloy.

'LOST!?' in 2 parts is next beginning with 'Introduction', made up of deep chanting and synthlines. The bass and drums hook into a moderate tempo and a keyboard solo follows. After a passage of vocals ad uplifting music, the sound of waves crashing is heard followed by gorgeous emotional violins.

The second section is 'The Decision' beginning with cathedral organ in the vein of Sky's 'Toccata'. The currents of guitar lines flow on a river of synthesizer. It slowly ebbs meandering until Hammond and bass crash in. This is mesmirising music and it builds so gradually until Bornemann's vocals return like an old friend. The wall of synth is so effervescent and ethereal, and at the end a howling wind emanates.

'The Midnight-fight/ the Victory of Mental Force', an 8 minute prog feast, begins with a fast vocal delivery and an off beat bass heartbeat. The fast tempo drums are outstanding and later there are powerful string eruptions to augment the atmosphere of a battle in the heavenlies. The interlude is full of heavy Hammond shimmers and some dynamic percussion and bass. The lyrics are excellent too with effective rhyming phrases following the intricate musicianship. An echoed guitar stabs as violin strings ooze over gliding down over the melodies. The signature shifts again into a frenetic pace and some incredible keyboard, guitar strikes and jazzy percussion dominates.

'Gliding into Light and Knowledge' opens with weird bird calls and an acoustic layer. The ambience is joined with an accordion sound along a rhythmical figure. Bornemann sings phrases such as "where is the sun", "I'm gliding into light and knowledge and crossing everlasting pastures", "we live in here we suffered here", "into the everlasting future".

'Le Reveil du Soleil/ the Dawn' closes the album with a bass intro and some spacey synths and chimes. A spoken word is heard before an elongated passage of music with some angelic choral voices. The mood is like the dawning of a new day. A gong resounds and some vibrant percussion metrical figures before a loud synth takes over. The album ends on a majestic uplifting note as if dawn is closing in and the world is again at peace. The album has been a breathtaking momentous work of innovation.

"Dawn" is a stunning achievement; conceptually masterful with some of the most incredible musicianship of the mid 70s when prog was flourishing. The album stands out as another landmark for Eloy, along with "Ocean" and "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes". A symphonic work of beauty, it is a diamond studded jewel in the treasure chest of progressive milestones.

Due to inner conflicts, caused by the band's manager Jay Partridge, Eloy folded in 1975.Randow and Janssen went on to join Hard Rock veterans Epitaph, while Wieczorke became a member of Firehorse among others.The Harvest label though encouraged Bornemann to rebuild his brainchild and early in the next year he recruited ex-Getriebe Detlev Schmidtchen on keyboards, Klaus-Peter Matziol on bass and former Scorpions drummer Juergen Rosenthal.The revived Eloy revisited the Studios Nedeltschev in August 76' and a month later the new album ''Dawn'' was ready for launch.It was finally released in December of the same year.

This was another concept album, which appears to have tight links with the storyline of the previous work, with Rosenthal instantly becoming a contributor to the band's lyrics.Musically it comes a step closer to a more refined style in the realms of Space/Symphonic Rock with the group starting to recall the similar albums of PINK FLOYD, without losing the integrity of the typical Kraut Rock act their fans loved during their early days.Schmidtchen was already known for his Classical and symphonic vibes and his addition provided the Germans with a keyboard work, which was very spacious and symphonic at the same time, strengthened by the presence of some orchestral soundscapes.While he was awarded with a variety of keyboard equipments, his minimoog and synthesizers prevail in the album for the creation of a floating atmosphere, which was a nice complement to Bornemann's psychedelic guitar parts.However the heavier guitar tones appear to reduce with each album and Eloy seem to move away from their Heavy Rock roots with each release.''Dawn'' was definitely the most symphonic of all Eloy albums at the time, containing a few Classical intros or outros on synths and organ and atmospheric backdrops throughout the tracks.The song structure was now a combination of psychedelic tunes, synth-drenched textures and symphonic nuances, while there are occasional breaks into more powerful moments with an extremely solid rhythm section and touches of Bornemann's past guitar stylings.His vocals are now displayed in a more storytelling style, which appear to be a good fit for his average voice, while the bass lines are delivered in deep, hypnotic grooves for an obvious tendency towards atmospheric progressive music.

The German PINK FLOYD, not a copy of course, Eloy were more symphonic than their English parallel and they still revisited their psychedelic rhythms of ''Floating'' and ''Inside'' for a personal and attractive progressive style of their own.''Dawn'' is a good example of this sound and a strongly recommended album...3.5 stars.

ELOY's awakening

3.5 stars

First album with the classic Bornemann / Matziol / Schimdtchen / (ex-SCORPIONS) Rosenthal line-up, "Dawn" marks the beginning of what many consider as ELOY's golden era. The music is still a mix of space and progressive symphonic rock, but incorporates more and more keyboards and bass, whereas the initial hard rock roots are less present. The band begins to refine its personnality. Furthermore, the production is significantly improved compared to their previous opus. As in "Power and the Passion", the record is an alternance of rather short tracks with various ambiances. This time, the symphonic aspect is enhanced by the usage of an orchestra.

The soft "Awakening" is an introduction to "Between The Times", a 70's heavy rock riff with peaceful moments. "The Sun Song" is one of the weakest song, as it is slow and too long. One the contrary, "The Dance In Doubt And Fear" is my favorite track of this record. This was the first ELOY song I heard. The bass line is simply irresistible.

The pleasant "Lost!?" suite also features a galoping bass, this time with more keyboards and a touch of PINK FLOYD. Another remarkable track, "The Midnight Fight / The Victory Of Mental Force" is quite energic and trippy. Unfortunately, the optimism decreases a little with the ending tracks. "Gliding Into Light And Knowledge" and "Le Réveil Du Soleil / The Dawn" are calm, ambient but a bit too long.

As my least favorite ELOY progressive album from the 70's, I find "Dawn" a bit overrated. While certainly marking an evolution and defining the band's sound, it still has weaker and lengthy passages. Some tracks should have been shortened. Nice space/symphonic rock however, with cool galoping bass lines. For our german space-rockers, the best is coming soon...

For the fifth album "Dawn" Frank Bornemann practically reinvented the band - himself being the only remaining member from earlier line-ups - and perfected the sound production, which as a result had the first "classic" ELOY album. Again a conceptual work - following a story of a dead man's soul travelling back and forth between universes and settling in the rising Sun, or something like that? - "Dawn" presents a truly consistent effort, which means there are fewer ups and downs; the album flows seemlessly from one song to another, and is really an enjoyable listening experience. Apart from a few heavy guitar riffs in "Between the Times", the music is now largely confined to the genre mixing of symphonic prog and space rock. Beautifully performed rhythm section, with lots of drumming breaks using tympani or tom toms and pulsating melodic bass patterns, is accompanied with dominant sound of electronic keyboards, creating a lush atmosphere sometimes reminiscent of early 1970s work by PINK FLOYD. "Symphonic" nature of the album is also demonstrated by the inclusion of a string orchestra and what sounds like a choir. Yet, these elements do not work well in all cases, as was the situation with many famous "rock meets symphony" collaborations in the past. ELOY's vocal department was never their strong point and Bornemann's heavily German-accentuated English singing is again an issue here, especially if you have not acquired a taste for it. Overall, "Dawn" was the best ELOY album to date and it is recommended as a starting point for newcomers, but due to some missteps with vocals and strings/choir elements I am reluctant to pronounce it a masterpiece. Four and a half stars are dawning...

After the conceptual "Power and the Passion", and given the decision of its leader Frank Bornemann to deepen his musical exploration in the intricate progressive waters not at all shared by his then band mates, Eloy was reduced to just... one member... And it was in this uncertain context that, far from being discouraged, the surviving Bornemann and the record label (Harvest) redoubled the bet by reforming the band in its entirety to go ahead with the release of the also conceptual "Dawn" (1976), Eloy's fifth album, and the second part of the fictionalized dimensional love story of the couple Jamie and Jeanne, already in a spectral state, initiated in the preceding work.

An album brimming with spatial atmospheres created by the magic of the synthesizers of the recently incorporated keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen and base on which Bornemann's guitar arpeggios and the orchestral brushstrokes conducted by Wolfgang Maus flow harmoniously to accompany the journey of the suffering character. From the opening with the stormy "Awakening" and its piercing violins, its continuation with the cosmic solemnity of "The Sun Song", or also with the persistent and vaporous melody of "The Dance in Dount", the ghostly aura is a constant in "Dawn", further deepened by the ritualistic duet "Lost" (excellent psychedelic harmonies dramatised by Bornemann's mournful singing reminiscent of Greg Lake's E,L&P tone, and by Schmidtchen's moogs and organs), and by the herculean "The Midnight-Fight / The Victory of Mental Force" which includes some chords with nods to the Genesian 'Musical Box' in its most demanding section and one of the very few guitar solos on the album.

The concluding section of "Dawn" places under the shadow of the melancholic astral melody "Gliding into Light and Knowledge" (very good work by ex-Scorpions percussionist Jürgen Rosenthal) the disconsolate Jamie who finds in the hypnotic and instrumental "Le réveil du soleil / The Dawn", driven by Klaus-Peter Matziol's persistent bass, a final haven of peace.

"Dawn" is a firm step forward in what is probably the German band's most creative and outstanding stage.

Very good.

4/4.5 stars