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As her website states, this is music that defies categorization, in that it is quite different all around .. however, there is one thing that many folks are not remembering ... her work is VERY VISUAL ... even if we think that her blindness prevents her from seeing things that "we do" and she supposedly can't. But, if she can not "see", she certainly can feel so beautifully with her music as to enchant one's imagination.

I can't help thinking of this material as soundtrack music, and it is weird to me that someone has not picked up on it.

The thing that one will notice quickly, is how grand her design is, and how she puts it together ... the best of Claude Debussy, the very best of Stanley Clarke, a very definite touch of Miles Davis, some Herbie Hancock although I would imagine that there is some Chick Corea here as well, certainly John Coltrane, some Frank Zappa guitar style ... and some beautiful instrumental jazzy stuff that is just honey for your ears.

Just recently I wrote a review of her latest album (Bigger on the Inside) and one of the things that I mentioned was that all that seemed left was orchestrated music ... and wouldn't you know it, a couple of weeks later I got this album, and there it was ... the orchestrated material, just as good (if not better) than I thought.

And, right at the start, (Greg's Favorite) the album let's you know this is not "rock music" at all, but mostly what used to be known as "jazz", in the orchestrated mode ... although you will not exactly feel that full blast until the third title of the piece ... Run for Miles. Greg Lake did meet Rachel and this was one of his favorite pieces, we are told, although I can't say that I see, or hear, a lot of Greg here, unless he suggested details for a bass line? ... very pretty and well done to start an album with but it really shows her appreciation for ELP, the one band that mostly impressed her, and whose material she has helped make better known, even though most "rock fans" don't like these things, because copies are terrible. Oh yeah, Stravinsky is terrible 100 years later! (Sorry!)

It is insane, and amazing that someone can do a treat for Claude Debussy in "Dawn Points" and it ends up feeling like it is in the wrong place ... that it belongs in another composer's listing. Yet, here it is, and so pretty ... and unlike a lot of rock music, she knows how to link the themes of the music, so that a "main theme" is all inclusive, instead of it being something that is separated from the rest, one issue with rock music, not knowing how to include a main theme properly into their design.

"Run for Miles" will likely make you feel like listening to Miles Davis, although not one of my favorites, but certainly one of the most impressive "improvisers" in all of music, he would have given "krautrock" a run for their money faster than anyone else. As we know that Rachel plays all the instruments, realizing that this impression is right on the money, complete with Herbie's piano and the bass and drums, and then Rachel's keyboards added, so Miles gets a breather. It is a fascinating piece, and one that will make us feel like we missed something. Towards the later part of the piece, I think that it is more like Chick Corea now playing and Herbie adding his piano in the background ... a combination that would make us dizzy, and crazy while listening to it all. But, somehow, it fits so beautifully, and so well, that you just want to flow along and continue listening.

"Goes to Eleven", for me this is a piano extravaganza illuminated with orchestrated touches. It is really good, and a sign of how Rachel sees an orchestra and how well she can imagine various instruments mixed together. WE don't hear enough orchestras with a bass player that makes it better and more innovative. We don't hear enough orchestras with an electric guitar that makes it better and more innovative, and classical music orchestras in every town still ignore all of this, and won't even consider a Mike Oldfield, or Vangelis! In a way, showing how a bass (or any other instrument) can be fused into an orchestra, here it is, and it does not sound out of place, or that the orchestra is second fiddle to the "rock star".

The rest of the album is just as impressive, and at times, you wonder ... what is Stanley Clarke doing here? And yet, he fits just as well as anyone else in here, and no doubt, in the end, the only thing that you can say is ... wow ... that is some really well done stuff and the compliments to the great names are excellent, and you know what? ... I want more!

To be able to write this, I ended up listening to the album probably 4 or 5 times, because it was so alive and exciting ... and beautiful. You rarely get a chance to listen to things that stand out so much, but this past month has been an amazing journey for me, and a lot of it has to do with Rachel Flowers and her amazing style of creating music. Be it the orchestrated material fused with jazz, or some orchestrated material fused with rock music (Bigger on the Inside), it is all so fluid and so lovingly put together ... it makes you wonder ... it really does ... as it takes you away ... and you see this ... and you see that ... it just never stops ... how much more would you want?

NOTE: Ranked 5 for its excellence, although it might not be considered "progressive rock music", but it is very "progressive" in its mixing and design and appreciation of a lot of music history specially such that is considered "jazz", that is presented orchestrated and beautifully interpreted as if the originals were right here with you!

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