YANQUI U.X.O.

The trouble for me in listening to this kind of music is truly the extra (in fact, super duper extra) patience waiting for the music movements from one segment to another. Typically it takes four to 5 minutes from one segment of repeated chords and notes to the next one. The opening track "09-15-00 (Part One)" (16:26) requires me four minutes of intro with repeated chords and notes to another movement. This span of time is about the same with listening to one great song like Marillion's "Hotel Hobbies" or "Emerald Lies". Also, this opening track only allows drum work at minute 9:30, with just a simple drumming for maintaing the beats, nothing dynamic on drumming. Sometimes I feel like I am wasting my time listening to this piece of music. But when I look at rave reviews on the net, I feel depressed as I have differing perceptions compared to most people who have written on the net. What's wrong with me? Am I getting mad? Why can't I enjoy this kind of music? If this kind of music is considered as prog, I might not be a prog man any longer!

The other problem that I feel, with this album, is the music style that moves from something soft and then very slowly moves to louder sound and get louder and get very loud that annoys my ears really. I cannot help it that I may be able to enjoy this kind in a very very special case when something like self-reflection or silence is required. Or, in some cases, to create the nuance before reading the Koran. And I have to be honest that I can not give high rating with this album as there is little complexity from its composition and the music is typically moving very very slowly which makes me bored.

Out of all five tracks, I probably can enjoy track 3 "Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls" (20:42) and "Motherf**ker=Redeemer (Part One)" (21:22) as they music have some more variations than the others. Yes, both of them move very slowly but there are segments with good sounds.

Overall, I can only say that I truly appreciate those of you who can enjoy, and therefore admire, the music of this album. But I have my own stand that until this point of time I feel that this is not the kind of music I aspire. Hopefully, with the passage of time it will grow on me and I would adjust my rating accordingly. I still have to deal with my patience to enjoy this music peacefully. I know that this is Ramadhan (fasting month) for me as Moslem, but still .. I can not help it yet. So, I think this music is for true collectors. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW (i-Rock! Music Community)