HIM,THE SNAKE AND I

The floating keyboards are what I loved the most about Egdon Heath. With two keyboard players on board, it's only natural the neo progressive sound gets dominated by the keyboards. When compared to other EH records, this one is slightly more accessible. Songs are shorter and more simplified with much more pop/rock ingredients but yet the band retains their full blown symphonic sound. Both this album and the next offering have Maurits Kalsbeek on vocals. His strong and sometimes aggressive vocal parts have some resemblances with the vocals of Freddy Mercury, Geoff Mann and Michael Sadler. A commercial sounding track like "Witness" is reminiscent to the best years of Saga. Kalsbeek puts a necessary amount of emotion in the music of EH. Nevertheless sometimes the sound of the vocals is too much on the fore. I suppose this is the reason for having difficulties in listening to the album all the way through. I usually select a pair of tracks to listen to at one time, not the whole album. Notable musical comparisons are the keyboard sounds of Rick Wakeman in the ABWH album and Tony Banks. When compared to earlier releases, the excellent guitar parts are sounding more emotional and virtuoso than ever before, really a joy to listen to.

"Gringo" is easily the highlight of the album. It gives me shivers down my spine. Especially the refrain is breathtaking. Both from a lyrical, emotional and a musical point of view. It seems like an outburst of desperate feelings someone may experience when being cast out of a society. The chorus gets emphasised by the massive keys, emotive guitar solo's and the sound of a kind of tubular bell. "Slightly in despair" is a typical tormented ballad but as such, it's capable of moving the listener quite well. I used to love "Satellite" for the many changes in the atmospheric sound and the idea's of paranoia in a global society in the lyrics. Nowadays the keyboard sounds terribly outdated and the voice is annoying. "Thousand stories" closes the album in style. This wonderful epic combines all the qualities of Egdon Heath. The track takes the listener through a series of different atmospheres varying from progressive to aor/metal, the closing part consists of a lovely ambient/classical atmospheres where the floating keys are present once again.

It's obvious that "Him, the snake and I is Egdon Heath most commercial offering. Even though it's been released in 1993, the eighties elements are undeniable but somehow disturbing nowadays. Still it's worth of checking out for the many moments of brilliance. Those who like Saga, IQ and in lesser degree : Marillion & Twelfth Night, should give this album a spin when they can get their hands on it.

This was the 3rd album by Egdon Heath and it's very much unlike the first two. I also know the 4th and that one is also different from the first three so that's at least something Egdon Heath has managed to do in their career, they made 4 entirely different albums and that both goes for sound as well as for compositions. I always had a soft spot for Egdon Heath and even saw them a few times live but that was mainly because it's a Dutch band and they especially did their gigs in their own country but I am glad I had the opportunity, I had a good time during the gigs. But I never went overboard by them, it's a good band but not exceptional.

This 3rd album has also it's 3rd lead vocalist, this time Maurits Kalsbeek had the opportunity to show his skills. I think he did fine but I don't think he was better than Jens van der Stempel (Killing Silence). Highlights of the album are Gringo and Thousand Stories, two very nice compositions and the other two fine efforts are Jinc and Satellite. The rest of the songs don't really impress me that much and that's the reason I will have to be the fourth person to give this 3 stars (3,2).

This is the only album I have from Egdon Heath, the 1993 release of Him, The Snake and I. This is pure, unadulterated neo progressive rock similar in style to Saga, 1980s IQ, and Shadowland. The music is quite accessible and easy to get into, so if you're looking for complexity you won't find it here. Lead vocalist Maurits Kalsbeek sounds very similar to Michael Sadler, but having a Dutch accent. There isn't anything really exceptional about the other musicians other than they perform their music admirably. Perhaps if the material would have been more suitable for developmental activities, I'd have more to say about them. Him, The Snake and I has the keyboards as the dominant instrument, as most neo prog does.

No major surprises here, just good old Saga-style neo prog. For the most part an enjoyable listen. The best songs are Gringo, Witness, Mother's Dream, and Satellite. Nothing bad, but nothing amazing either. Easily a three-star rating. Good, but not essential.

I have read that each album released from this Dutch band was different from one another. Well, to my opinion; there are all alike. It holds the same sort of neo-prog music based on keys and featuring average vocals.

Nothing wrong here but nothing great either. An upbeat instrumental to open the album, a decent neo-prog tune as follow-up ("Gringo"), a classic "Witness" which opens like a "Genesis" song while they were four, but that quite soon is diverted into poor territories.

I'm afraid that his album doesn't go in the good direction with "Mother's Dream": definitely not a nice dream: that's how I feel when listening to this heavy song. With some sort of a bolero like intro. The Oriental mood is not too bad, although the whole is also on the heavy edge.

As usual, some titles do represent quite well the content of a song. You can add "Slightly In Despair" to these. Do I need to add anything?

"Him, The Snake and I" is not my cup of tea for sure. There are very few moments of truly great (good) music available on this album. Easy listening neo-prog is the style. Two stars is my rating.