BEING

Being is a very strange little album. After many listens I no longer agree that this is jazz fusion, rather an eclectic blend of genres that has a dark musical effect somewhat similar to that of Van Der Graaf Generator. I have listened to this album on and off for a while now, and I am not as excited about it as I was at the time I discovered it. The music is dark and matches the cynicism of the lyrics, but it is rather bland in some parts. The musicianship is obviously and undeniably excellent, particularly Pekka Pohjola's bass playing, which is superb. Jukka Gustavson has a great voice, and I can't help but think that it is somewhat similar to Stevie Wonder at times throughout the album. He has a very amusing range of voices that make me laugh out loud.

The songwriting is rather a mixed bunch of similar sounding songs. Some points of the album are rather weak, such as Pride Of The Biosphere, but there are some really great tracks as well. The stand out on the album is Pedagogue, a 9 minute song that is driven by woodwinds and a great electric piano solo. Ooooh...that chord progression. From what I gather this is a song about a lessons in politics and similar such things. This track is probably one of the more memorable tracks in my music collection. Petty-Bourgeois is another great moment, which has some great instrumental work and some very funny voices. Pride Of The Biosphere is one of the more memorable moments of the album, more out of shock than out of wonder. Here we hear an old man reminiscing about the "glory" of the war, which is a rather tasteless account of rape and racism. While the lyrics are biting and cynical and capture one's attention, I can't help but dislike the track's blatant lyrics.

Highly political lyrics do not really interest me, and so I think I am a little biased. The lyrics are well written however, and there are some very genuinely amusing moments. Musically the songwriting is good, though it does lack substance in some places. Musicianship is this albums greatest merit, particularly the bass playing, which is a credit to bass playing in any genre.

A good addition to your prog collection.

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