THE SOUND OF DREAMS

Sound of Dreams is David Minasian's follow-up to the lush and wonderful Random Acts of Beauty of 2010. Given that this is a release rate which plonks him firmly in the Gabrielesque category, the obvious question has to be; was it worth the wait?

Overwhelmingly yes is the answer. What stunned me upon listening to that masterpiece 10 years ago was just how gorgeous and complete the soundscapes created were, and Minasian has reproduced that unique ocean of sound again here, a veritable feast of what symphonic progressive rock should sound like.

There is a guest list here which can only be described as prog royalty. The wonderful Justin Hayward once again lends his lovely voice together with Julie Ragins who tours with The Moodies, but we also have Annie Haslam singing on two tracks, Steve Hackett playing guitar on another two, P J Olsson of Alan Parsons Project fame, and Billy Sherwood who seems to be on virtually every new release these days, but justifiably. We should also pay huge tribute to David's son, Justin, and Geof O'Keefe who form the core trio of artists here.

The album is bookended by The Wind of Heaven suite, Hayward singing on the first movement and Haslam on the finale. The opener is unashamedly reminiscent of Hayward's finest band moments without once descending into copycat tribute artist territory. Flute (lovely playing by the to me unknown Francesca Rapetti), guitars, piano, and gently rising keyboards back a melancholy vocal. Listening to the album for this review, I have played these back to back, and this creates an 18+ minute epic, and Annie's vocals on the main chorus Wind of Heaven blows are particularly lovely. The orchestration and wall of sound at the denouement back some fine guitar riffing.

The title track is split into three concurrent movements. Haslam provides a haunting vocal on movement one. Throughout movement two, an instrumental passage, Sherwood shows to me that he has learnt a lot from his periods playing with both Yes and Asia, because his bass lead is stunning and is precisely the sort of turn Squire and Wetton would have been expected to put in had they appeared here. Hackett lends his talents to the third movement, another instrumental piece, which starts with some lovely orchestration before that ghostly guitar washes all over you. The interplay between him and the fine piano and orchestral keys shows that the debut album's delightful soundscapes were no accident.

The Ragins piece is Room With Dark Corners, and her pipes blast out a fine vocal performance. This track is perhaps the least complex, or rather the simplest, in terms of musical arrangements, and the most upbeat. Not a masterpiece by any stretch, but a very good folk rock track, with the participants clearly having a fine time of it. My only real minor gripe is that the overlong instrumental piece at the end seems rather out of place with what preceded it.

Olsson's contribution is the vocals on So Far From Home, and is the vocal highlight of the album to these ears. It is simply sumptuous, dripping with emotion, and pushes a symphonic arrangement which delights. Those who read and enjoy my reviews will know that when I say this deserves to be a worldwide hit single, this is meant as a compliment. Five minutes of intelligent, soaring, and emotional pop/rock music. David, send this track to every major radio station out there, please. Quite wonderful.

This is not all about the guest cast, though. Far from it. Minasian has a voice which can top that of many more well known lights in the prog world, and his arrangement skills are second to none. The soaring guitars and keyboards we loved on the debut are once more in evidence on All In, but are interspersed with some beautifully delicate acoustic guitar and piano prior to exploding into life once more.

Faith, Hope, Love is the shortest track on the album at a mere three and a half minutes, in which Justin's bass lines shine throughout, proving Sherwood has no monopoly in this department here. They underpin a lush guitar lead and orchestration. This is a wonderful instrumental track.

Road to Nothingness is a track I want played at my funeral. There is beauty in melancholy, and Minasian exploits it like no other I know. The guitar solo is a thing of wonder. Stressed? Out of your mind with worry? Watching too much COVID news? Get this on. Six minutes of utter delight.

Hold Back The Rain is a lovely ballad which combines again the lovely flute, aching guitars and keyboard arrangements with David's unique voice.

Twin Flames at Twilight is the longest continuous track on the album, clocking in at just short of fourteen minutes long. It opens with a fine 12-string acoustic guitar solo from David before segueing into a medieval folk sequence that a certain Mr Blackmore would have been more than happy with. The main body of the track kicks in at four minutes, and includes some interesting changes in mood. The guitar riff which follows the initial vocal is not melancholic, it is dark, as dark as anything I have heard in some time. This whole sequence of music is wonderful, proving that Minasian can rock with the best of them, and rather puts me in mind of Edison's Children. By that I don't mean the music itself, but the ability to provide the listener with varying moods at the touch of a drumbeat, because the almighty riff is followed by a beautifully arranged passage of music which really takes you back to that feeling you had when you first heard Wind and Wuthering. Again, I do not mean this in the derivative sense, but in the lovely feeling of being surrounded by lush and deep sounds. This is a marvellous track which captures the listener's attention throughout.

I am deeply grateful to David for sending me an advance digital copy to review. I have ordered the cd for delivery, because, at the end of the day, I am a fan more than anything else, and this music deserves our support.

There was a thread on this site's forum recently entitled "is prog dead?". No, it isn't. In 2020, it is alive and kicking, and albums such as this prove it. Exceptional stuff, with a cover to die for as well.

If we had such a rating, 4.5 stars. Top stuff, and extremely highly recommended. Let us hope it isn't quite so long before we get the next.