PART THE SECOND

I had never heard of maudlin of the Well before the word spread over the Internet about this "free" new album download. I had never heard any Kayo Dot or even heard of Toby Driver. But the hype for "Part the Second" lured me in--for an amazing journey. That music--NEW music, like this--can be conceptualized, played, and performed at such a high level of mastery, (especially Mia Matsumiya's virtuosic violin playing), is, for me, so uplifting and hopeful. I was beginning to think that music would never get out of the ABACAB paradigm and never allow the mix of classic "orchestral" and "rock" instruments. But here we are. Thank you Toby Driver (and the donor/fans who pushed for this music). Let me start by saying that "Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost" (10:56) (20/20) and "Laboratories of the Invisible World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)" (11:50) (25/25) (the album's first and last songs) are two of the most amazing songs I've ever heard in my life. Even after fifty listenings I find myself awed by these two creations, picking up new and different nuances and phrases each time I listen. The three songs in-between seem to belong together, kind of like a suite, tied together by the strong presence of violin and cello--which are breathtaking in both beauty and virtuosity. I cannot but help agree with those who have christened this LP as new classic, a true masterpiece. It is difficult for me to imagine even the possibility of a "better" album coming out this year. Five Stars, a classic. One of my Top Ten Favorite Albums of the Naughties and one of the most important progressive rock albums of the 21st Century.