THE STOLEN BICYCLE

This is not background music. I mean, you could paint your living room with this blasting in the background because your mind is doing little else; or it's also great for driving that open country road just a little bit fast with the windows down. But you won't be able to read a book with it on, nor will you be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with your sweetie when this is clamoring to break out of your speakers.

Boud Deun (pronounced "booed DEE-un") excels at composing and playing some very complex instrumental prog rock/jazz fusion music. It is not for the faint of heart. Frequently compared to Mahavishnu Orchestra and Red-era King Crimson, they really have a sound all their own - a sound filled with energy, muscle, adventure and intensity, along with occasional slower breaks to help you catch your breath.

Both Shawn Persinger (guitar) and Greg Hiser (violin) are virtuosic performers, and share equally in the lead lines of their compositions. I hear much more violin here than with any M.O. or K.C. recording. Perhaps closer to the Dixie Dregs sound at times, but the Dregs were rarely this consistently frenetic (or this dissonant, either). Matt Eiland plays some great bass guitar to offer just the right amount of polyphony. Needless to say, the drumming of Rocky Cancelose is intricate and feisty.

"Stolen Bicycle" is made up of 18 tracks, most of which are only 3-4 minutes long. The tracks burn, rip, glide, swerve and swing into ever-changing territory. You will not find as many melodic hooks in their music as with some other bands of their ilk. They focus more on technical proficiency, much as did the baroque music of J.S. Bach's day (only harder and electric...and lots more odd meters!). Still, the music is both intelligent and fun - few bands can pull that off successfully!

Why do the most talented performers tend to go unnoticed? I suspect that this album and its immediate predecessor "Astronomy Made Easy" will some day be known as some of the very top instrumental rock/jazz fusion music ever recorded. Get on the inside track. Listen to Boud Deun today.

4-1/2 stars