BOUD DEUN

This is not background music. I mean, you could paint your living room with this blasting in the background because your mind is doing little else; or it's also great for driving that open country road just a little bit fast with the windows down. But you won't be able to read a book with it on, nor will you be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with your sweetie when this is clamoring to break out of your speakers.

Boud Deun (pronounced "booed DEE-un") excels at composing and playing some very complex instrumental prog rock/jazz fusion music. It is not for the faint of heart. Frequently compared to Mahavishnu Orchestra and Red-era King Crimson, they really have a sound all their own - a sound filled with energy, muscle, adventure and intensity, along with occasional slower breaks to help you catch your breath.

Both Shawn Persinger (guitar) and Greg Hiser (violin) are virtuosic performers, and share equally in the lead lines of their compositions. I hear much more violin here than with any M.O. or K.C. recording. Perhaps closer to the Dixie Dregs sound at times, but the Dregs were rarely this consistently frenetic (or this dissonant, either). Matt Eiland plays some great bass guitar to offer just the right amount of polyphony. Needless to say, the drumming of Rocky Cancelose is intricate and feisty.

"Stolen Bicycle" is made up of 18 tracks, most of which are only 3-4 minutes long. The tracks burn, rip, glide, swerve and swing into ever-changing territory. You will not find as many melodic hooks in their music as with some other bands of their ilk. They focus more on technical proficiency, much as did the baroque music of J.S. Bach's day (only harder and electric...and lots more odd meters!). Still, the music is both intelligent and fun - few bands can pull that off successfully!

Why do the most talented performers tend to go unnoticed? I suspect that this album and its immediate predecessor "Astronomy Made Easy" will some day be known as some of the very top instrumental rock/jazz fusion music ever recorded. Get on the inside track. Listen to Boud Deun today.

4-1/2 stars

BOUD DEUN were a jJazz-Prog outfit that achieved so much in little time.Formed at the start of 1994 in Warrenton,North Virginia, the four members had their first gig at the summer of the same year.Driving forces were guitarist composer Shawn Pesinger and bassist/composer Matt Eiland. Violinist Greg Hiser and drummer Rocky Cancelose completed the line-up.In 1995 BOUD DEUN release their debut ''Fiction and several days'' on their own E.H.P. Label...

...no sweet keyboards or melodic stuff to be found in here.''Fiction and several days'' is a powerful,energetic and creative album,which steps both in Jazz-Fusion and Progressive Rock grounds.The style of the band is trully complex:rapid guitar solos trade with complicated jazzy bass lines and violin grooves lead their sound to the bass/guitar interplays.The beautiful energetic rhythms are reminiscent of THE DIXIE DREGS with a little of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA thrown in,while the guitar work of Pesinger is very complex,often recalling ROBERT FRIPP to mind, and their powerful approach to rock remind me of the Polish band ANKH.You'll find yourself a bit difficult to follow their musicianship from the very first listen.''Fiction and several days'' is on the top in terms of complexity,thus it won't be every prog fan's taste.Those who search for some melody,try somewhere else.BOUD DEUN head to listeners with some lust for intricate and complicated music.A quite strong debut.

3.5 stars. Incredible fusion from the USA. I didn't enjoy this one as much as "The Stolen Bicycle", but this is still jaw dropping stuff.This is the kind of music that really needs to be listened to carefully in order to fully enjoy and appreciate it.The violinist in particular has a unique style, but they all are so amazing and tight.

"December 17th" opens with pounding drums and bass as some creative guitar arrives. A bass solo follows. I am awe struck with how amazing these guys play. What a display ! "Good King Friday" features some beautiful guitar and violin interplay. "Spiders" opens with some great guitar as the bass comes rumbling in and drums pound away. The song settles down as violin comes in. A full sound to end it. "Sleeping" is a mellow violin driven track. It's ok. "Niether" again features some mind boggling play, especially from the drummer and guitarist. "Copper Ink" is the longest track. It's really out of control with periods of rest in between. It calms down 3 1/2 minutes in with drums and violin. The bass before 6 minutes is killer.

"Conversations With Ellis" features some fat bass (no offense) and odd metered drumming. Some smooth violin melodies follow. "Coal Boxes And Daisy Cutters" has some crazy guitar in this rip snorter. "Lincoln" is fairly reserved 2 minutes in with bass, drums and violin. The guitar 4 minutes in is great as the drummer pounds every square inch of his kit. "Jupiter" 30 seconds in is the heaviest part of the album. More other-worldly drumming 5 minutes in right to the end of the song. "The Miller's Tale" is a short, yet blistering assault. "The Quince Tree" is more laid back until it changes 1 1/2 minutes in as rumbling drums arrive. Guitar and violin play over top. Bass solo 4 minutes in.

This is a no brainer for fusion fans or fans of virtuoso playing, however it rarely lets up with the bombast which is probably why their "The Stolen Bicycle" is one I prefer much more to this.

Altough the compositions may be quite good, the production of this album isn't really my cup of tea. The band consists of one guitarist, one bassist, one drummer and one violinist, and that's it.

The productions seems to be well done within it's limits, it can't be blamed for being over-produced. Some studio effects, overdubs with other instruments and/or something playing in the background (Or a more up to the front rhytm section, maybe?) might have helped made this recording sound a little bit bigger. As it is now, it becomes quite repetitive and hard to differ the tracks from each other with just the four above mentioned instruments and nothing else.

I can see why someone would like this though.

4.5 stars. It's a crime this album has so few reviews. BOUD DEUN existed from 1994-1998, and during that time they played live constantly. So when they got to this their final album they were as tight as Dean Martin on a Saturday night. There are so many passages here that are pure bliss. The soundscape is often thunderous with the mind numbing bass and drum work. While the guitarist and violinist are like lightning flashing across the sky as they light it up. I don't think there is any question that this band was one of the best in the USA during the later half of the nineties. After the first two tracks we get the "Churches" suite a 16 song 38 minute adventure. A lot of these songs blend together. The cover art is cool with the cartoon picture of a boy on his bike smiling. There is actually a cartoon in the liner notes that's kind of cute.The music is anything but cute.

"Waterford" really establishes what this band is all about right off the bat. Lots of tempo changes with violin throughout. The heaviness thunders in and out, and the guitar sounds incredible. Check out the drumming as well. "Ralis" is an uptempo song with violin and drums leading the way. The bass is killer ! Some ripping guitar 2 minutes in.The rest of the way is the "Churches" suite beginning with "Belfast" which has such a full and solid sound. "Saints" has some quiet, eerie calm sections while the middle of the song is powerful with a louder and stronger sound. "Cotton's Sermon" has a fantastic sound ! The guitar melodies are amazing ! This song blends into the next one "Ten Pence" which features some great drum and guitar work. The guitar is replaced by the violin. "Burnsville" is another highlight. Time changes abound. They can stop and start on a dime. Check out the bass after a minute. Blistering guitar 2 1/2 minutes in.

"The Last Of A Thousand Days" features violin and guitar trading solos and they both sound great. Bass also takes a turn. This guy can play ! The drums sound really good on "A Famous Rabbit". "Lantern Effect" is uptempo with some scorching violin and guitar melodies. "Train, Rain, Zero" has a heavy intro before settling down quickly. This is a tasteful, intricate track. "A Horseshoe Invasion / A Church In York" is one of my favourites. It speeds up and then slows down. Things get crazy 3 1/2 minutes in, you have to hear this. An amazing sound follows. "Broken Spokes" is a nice relaxing tune as they slow things down. The guitar and violin add some passion though.The song becomes more powerful after 4 minutes. Some impressive guitar lights it up late. "Two Worlds" is the longest song at almost 6 minutes. Light drums and mournful violin as some nice bass work follows. The song becomes more aggressive before relaxing again 3 1/2 minutes in. Some nice heavy drums 4 minutes in as the guitar grinds it out. Nice.

This is the perfect marriage of top notch playing with some great compositions. They certainly went out with a bang.

(3.5 stars) Are you ready for almost an hour of intricate rock-fusion, a mélange of fusion and RIO, with influences from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs, King Crimson (refer to Red era)? If so, be sure to pick this brillian album and let yourself be submersed in this dynamic and energetic ride. The tracks (it is completely instrumental) are partly free-form but there is a general main theme they follow and it is large enough to let the musicians wander off in many directions and create the music they want and it is usually in this record, fast, intense, intricate with dissonant chords and many time signatures changing quite rapidly. The violin in the tracks is a reminder of Mahavishnu Orchestra but it does its role much faster than the MO one. The only possible downside of this album, is that you need time to relax after listening to it, due to its almost exhausting tempo.There is absolutely no dull moment here and no time to relax. You are carried away by the music as it sways between more fusion oriented tracks (Lincoln) or more RIOesque tracks (Copper Ink, Coal Boxes and Daisy Cutters). The musicians are doing a top-notch job here and just listening to their performance is a delight. Shawn Persinger on guitar is delivering quality solos all along the album. Matt Eiland is giving a great part funky performance on the bass and drummer Rocky Cancelose gives an excellent rhythm to the songs. The violin is played Greg Hiser and I already mentioned MO as being a possible inspiration for him. Also worthy of mention is the very cool art work of the booklet which is built as an astronomy map of the earth nighttime sky. This album will be appreciated by not only fusion fans, but also by RIO/Avantgarde fans because of the nature of the music as I have described it. It is a shame they have disbanded since one could only imagine what they could have composed had they go on. Great listening, but not essential- 3.5 stars.

Boud Deun debuted with this awesome record, which was to become just the first of a series of stunning offerings. Nowadays they remain one of the most sorely missed jazz rock acts of the 90s. From they one their style was very much based on a mix of 71-73 era Mahavishnu Orchestra's mystical impetus, Red-era KC's neurotic energy, and Dixie Dreggs' playful magic; once this mixture is realized, add some of underground rock muscular power, and what you get is a musical strategy full of fire and skill. The proficiency and enthusiasm of every individual member allows them to interplay with awesome precision, creating enough room for inspired improvisation. The constant duels and dialogues between the guitar and the violin are amazing and captivating, and the solid rhythm section shows us a bassist capable of coming occasionally to the fore in order to provide some fiery bass lines, while the drummer incarnates Bruford's finesse and Cobham's excellence in his single persona. 'Sleeping Again', 'The Drift', and the band's namesake closing track are some of mi favs in this album. 'Continued' and 'Swimming for Help' are also worth mentioning for the great amounts of storming energy instilled in them. All in all, the material is impressive, keeping a perfect sense of coherence in their musical statement. Every record by Boud Deun is a definite must for jazz collectors, and generally speaking, for all lovers of adventurous and well-crafted music. So why not give it the perfect rating? I'm saving it for their spleadorous final effort 'The Stolen Bicycle'.

After listening to their debut album "Astronomy Made Easy" I was hooked on the extreme talents of BOUD DEUN. If you want to hear some real scrumptious violin with guitar, bass and drum interplay then you must pick this band's work up. "The Stolen Bicycle" marks their second and arguably most comprehensive work to date. This album is soaring and full of some absolutely tasty instrumental work outs. "The Stolen Bicycle" is actually a large number of smaller vignettes which get the opportunity to individually explore some new musical ground. This is a magical little album which demands much listening attention and is a real instrumental work of art. Greg Hiser's violin work is simply "exemplar" and when juxtaposed with Shawn Persinger's guitar offerings we are treated to a wild instrumental contrast. Overall songs are highly calibrated and well crafted with precision execution... Folks who like an electric "progressive jazz'fest" will need to own this recording... simply amazing!

"Astronomy Made Easy" was BOUD DEUN's second album, the follow-up to "Fiction And Several Days" (1995). I'm astounded by BOUD DEUN's technically skills and their thrilling all-instrumental avant-garde compositions with odd rhythms, dissonant chord progressions and magnificent performances. And they have enough variation to keep up the listener's interest. Although the music seems rather unstructured, I get a feeling that it's actually well structured, just like FRANK ZAPPA's music used to be. Imagine a mixture between DIXIE DREGS, KANSAS (the violin-playing), KING CRIMSON (the "Red"-era), MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and RETURN TO FANTASY. Unfortunately BOUD DEUN has split-up, but their music lives on. As the music is really intricate and challenging, I suppose that it's best appreciated by other musicians, but everyone who's into non-commercial music on the boundaries to jazz-fusion should like this album. Also listen to: BOUD DEUN "The Stolen Bicycle" from 1998.