REVOLUTIONS

Magenta are playing live in London this evening (10/11/07) and I really wanted to go, however, having seen Porcupine Tree yesterday evening and not feeling particularly well today, will have to give it a miss.To cheer myself up I put on Revolutions, a cd I only picked up 2 months ago, having heard an introductory track from a friend.

What never ceases to amaze me today is the quality of musianship and songwriting readily available to any one wanting to seek it out.....and for bands like Magenta you really have to seek it out, no one is going to promote them or give them press, so even those with an avid interest in prog like myself, seemingly find bands like Magenta off the radar until by chance you hear about them.

I bought the cd after hearing one song on a complilation a friend did for me and then after checking out the reviews for this cd and others, so I know from the start the criticism.....that Magenta are derivative. And all I can say is that I can't give a stuff to the charges of derivativeism (if such a word exists). And anyway, isn't everything derivative up to a point, it's a long time seem since I heard something genuinely new and groundbreaking.

So what do we have in this cd? Well for a start it is a work of concept, that defining feature of many prog albums. And very interesting lyrics they are too. I find intelligent lyrics not of the utmost importance but the icing on the cake and I would say that the themes explored here are put together extremely well and the questions posed in the final sections quite thought provoking and challengingly. So full marks there.

On to the music, there is no questioning both the musicianship and vocals. For the former think the traditional mid 70's instrumentalisation (enough has been said about this in the other reviews); for the vocals, Christina's are simply sublime. And for those who cry derivative, all I say to you is what have Genesis or Yes et all brought to the table of prog in the last 20 years....yeah right, exactly nothing.

S o Magenta, please tour again next year, I promise I will come.