ASYLUM

During the late '80, I was pretty bored by the music scenario unable to offer something really new and exciting than neo-prog bands imitators of Genesis, and I was looking for something new, but with a more intriguing complexity than the new wave movement, generated from the post-punk and techno-pop.

So a friend of mine introduced me to the 'Legendary Pink Dots' with their 6th album 'Asylum'.

'The Legendary Pink Dots are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980' by Wikipedia.

At the first listening they reminded me of the Tuxedomoon with a more complexity in the arrangement, and in the composition of the tracks. After several listening, came out some vague remembrance of the golden age's Pink Floyd of 'Wish you were here' and 'Atom heart mother', Eloy, and the Van Der Graaf Generator of 'the Quiet zone/the pleasure dome' too, but above all, the consciousness that finally, since long time, I was listening something very interesting.

Maybe for a 'modern psychedelic', "The Maria Dimension", "Legendary Pink Dots" and "Chemical Playschool 10" are the best albums to recommend, and they are good, indeed. Personally I still prefer a long and complex structure in a track, such as the traditional way of the prog-rock music, and 'Asylum' can offer this, in its atypical way. I mean please don't aspect the typical prog opera, but just an interesting album with several tracks with some changes of movements within the same song such as mini-suites, and an excellent richness of instruments in the arrangement.

I recommend, among the best songs, 'Echo Police' rich and complex in the arrangement, it is a very example of atypical mini-suite; lovely guitar's solo at the end; 'Prisoner' remarkable for the vocal's interpretation of the singer; 'I am the way, I am the truth, I am the light' a long track, with some strong characteristic of a suite, well arranged and executed, and with an interesting epic mood; and last but not least the gorgeous atmospheric 'Golden Dawn' an emotionally involving song, perfectly arranged, with an inexorable melancholy cadence that flow in a melting guitar's finale.

The Legendary Pink Dots are a typical example of an unwilling prog music band, and I recommend this album to all the prog fans that are looking for something alternative and different, highly creative but with strong features in the beloved genre.