BEYOND REALITY

Why CAST is not so recognized like the F. K. ? One answer is studio sonic and engineering limitations to capture and record such grandiose CAST outputs. I'll dream : " oh, if CAST had a Swedish studio and Mr. Alan Parsons to be the director band, producing, cutting excesses, retaining only the most grabbing material making shorter and less CD's". Remind part of Pink Floyd "Dark side of the moon" huge success is attributed to Alan Parsons production.

Once musicianship is stellar, I want to believe if the above dream was materialized, CAST would be considered as one of the best CD era bands. So few reviews for CAST brings me to mind the 3rd track refrain from TEMPUS FUGIT "Chessboard" cd : "We live in an unfair world?..". Ah-ah; oh no, the Murphy law has no fun.

My CAST discovery history in curious. Around 1996 I was in RARITY store (yes, the one that reissued BACAMARTE "depois do fim") My Brazilian friends told me CAST was great; on RARITY shelf among lots of prog Cd's and vinyls, there were 5 CAST cd's. I had to risk on one, randomly I picked up "Four Aces". I see it gets in P.A. the lower rating (today is 15/08/2009) among more than 16 CAST cds ;-) ! But I consider "Four Aces" a cool record (***), principally if you consider that in 1995 it didn't exist nowadays 70's professional cloners enormous number of records.

The some neo prog that appeared in "Four Aces" had gone in my next purchase "Beyond Reality". At the time, 1996, my prog head friends in general considered this record as a masterpiece; in P.A. it gets 11 ratings with 3.25 stars (in 15/08/2009). "Beyond Reality" demonstrates CAST feeling very proud to put out an ambitious, conceptual, symphonic, epic, emotional driven, bombastic, complex music. The music could be described shortly as a PFM (latin richness prog)/Genesis/own style formula. The Rescue runs in total 21:20 divided in 3 parts : 1. introduction ? Massive instrumental ala PFM/Genesis/own style; 2.to the 7th house ? fantastic polyphonic vocals, wonderful melodies from heaven beauty; 3. the rescue ? too much symphonic emotions.

The track "The North" runs almost 14 minutes including track 4 ? surprise this is also majestic with a bit of Mexican troubadours going to typical CAST powerful prog; track 5 the same PFM/Genesis/own style massive attack. Track 6 a medieval with Mexican flavor sympho rest moment.

"Beyond Reality" already till track 6 with 40 minutes ran, perhaps could finish here (hum, ok plus track 8) as I feel blown away. But there's more : track 7 is great but I feel tired of the massive formula; track 8 is beautiful good to relax; the last Camel cover track is dispensable. I'll keep 5 stars to "Beyond Reality" as some CAST cd's are underrated and only the most recent work "originalis" gets the more than 4 stars status in P.A. so far. My highest honor to ALFONSO VIDALES (composer) and friends.