THE WINDOW OF LIFE

I found this album by chance, I liked the album cover and decided to listen to it at the record-shop. After 1 minute of listening I realised I was listening to a classic album. It blew me away on the spot, I went home with an album that I knew would become one of my all time favourite albums, and I still feel the same after more than 10 years.

Pendragon sound like a soft version of Marillion and Eloy, with influences from Genesis, Moody Blues and Pink Floyd. Very melodic and dynamic guitarplay by Nick Barret, sounding like a cross between Steve Rothery (Marillion) and David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), great symphonic atmospheric keyboardsounds, with a huge variety of moods and structures by Clive Nolan. Great pulsing-dynamic bass-play from Peter Gee and solid drumming by Fudge Smith.

1. The Walls of Babylon (10:50) Beginning with some atmosperic keyboards, with a slow high-pitched breathtakingly beautifull guitar, somewhat similar to the intro of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" slowely evolves into a rocking showopener. 2. Ghosts (8:02) Great piano opening by Clive Nolan, with subtly ever changing melodies and tempo, bursting into a heavy rocking show-piece. Great Song, one of my fav. Pendragon tracks. 3. Breaking the Spell (9:18) Great track, again some great keyboardplay, with a gloomy atmosphere, together with the dynamic bass and drum play creates a perfect background for one of Nick Barret's best guitarsolo's ever, just listen to it, hypnotising.

4. The Last Man on Earth (14:46) The epic of the album, it summarises all qualities present in this album, great keyoards, tantalising guitars, all instruments in perfect harmony, overlapping melodylines, tempo and mood shifts, just great. 5. Nostradamus (Stargazing) (8:23) starting slow, with some nice keyboards and guitar, evolving into an anthemic rocking finale, with a great sing-a-long chorus. 6. Am I Really Losing You? (4:47) A soft smooth ballad, with a great repetitive guitarsolo by Nick Barret closes the album perfect.

Summarising; The Window Of Life is a beautifull melodic progressive soft-rock album, with superb guitars and keyboards. Pendragon will always have a special place in my neo- progressive rock collection. And the window of life is for me their best work yet.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to all who like (soft) melodic/symphonic rock.