COVERED MIRROR VOL. 1 - SMOOTH AS SILK

Covered mirror Vol. 1 is a record from last year where the Australian group Unitopia performs a bunch of more or less known prog songs from different styles, groups and times. I think it's brave for a prog band to release a cover album, when the essence of prog is to be unique and perform your own music. The assumption then is to play those songs in a totally new way, or in your own style. The record with its under title Smooth as Silk was released 2012 and done by Mark Trueack (vocals), Sean Timms (keys), Matt Williams (guitar), Tim Irrgang(drums) Daniel Burgess (sax, clarinet, flute, didgeridoo, piccolo), Craig Kelly (bass) and David Hopgood(drums).

First of all I want to say they do a great job and their performance has a flow of honesty, great instrumentation and vocals. What I don't like so much is their selection of songs, I can't find it so astonishing and I don't find this very interesting. It could have been better without those Genesis and Yes medley's. They didn't got my acceptance, perhaps because of their structure or just the thought to "destroy" a couple of good songs. No, certainly I'm wrong, but THOSE medleys were'nt what I wanted them to be.

I shall praise the record's best moments. "Even in the quietest moments" (a Supertramp song) is perfect and gives me as a listener a wonderful time. It is also full of new thinking and in the end we can hear an exotic tune of perhaps didgeridoo but it also sounds Tibetanian or Mongolian. I like the record's prelude "Sign of Life Prelude" and the Marillion cover "Easter" is great. I also like Led Zeppelin "Rain song" very much which they did their own thing of and "Speaking the truth" is also more than approved. "Calling occupants of Interplanetary craft" was also a song I liked. But the rest is unfortunately quite disappointing.

I recommend you the mentioned songs, especially the Supertramp song, but perhaps not the whole album, certainly not the two medleys. This will get three stars from me.