NOT AS GOOD AS THE BOOK

The Tangent have had a triumphant romp through the world of progressive rock since the release of The Music That Died Alone. Many have lamented the departure of Roine Stolt after The World We Drive Through, but now those who miss him can relax. Jakko M Jakszyk has picked up the reins (a little bit missing from their last studio release A Place In the Queue) and now handles the guitar chores with aplomb.

There is a more adventurous side to this CD, and Andy Tillison and Co. have once again created a monster of monumental proportions with the music herein. This is a summing-up of all the elements (and they are widely diverse) present in previous CD's and then some. The boys venture a bit into calypso with great success, and Jakko has a huge hand in the success of this.

The overall concept of this CD I find fascinating. These musicians are not youngsters. They have been around the block and back again, and their message here is one that many of us can relate to: from the vantage of our often-idealistic youth, we are in the future, but it's nothing like we dreamed it would be: Not As Good As the Book. Truer words have not fallen on ears of anyone who has partaken of the progressive rock scene from the 70's to the present.

But rather than lament the disappointment in how the future has unfolded from the 1970's to the present, the band glowers, hurls epithets, leers and sneers. And this approach has the gift of insight and uplifting, not one of building cynicism. There's a rampant joy that pervades throughtout this music, and it is downright contagious to anyone who loves Hammond-organ driven music whether they be 20 or 60 years old.

It's very hard for me to cite standout tracks, simply because there are no dogs here at all. It all flows well from one track to the next, and every track is a building block for the next one. I do have personal favorites in A Crisis In Midlife (what a way to open the CD with the central theme!), Lost In Londond 25 Years Later, The Ethernet, Celebrity Puree, and on thru all the tracks! I get a huge kick out of Bat Out of Basildon and its homage to aging bikers who can still kick up gravel and roar at the heavens with their kick-ass motorbikes. This song will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

An overused phrase, to be sure, but this is a masterpiece. They simply don't get any better than this.