I Talk To The Wind: Prog Blog and Reviews

Review 50, Scheherazade And Other Stories, Renaissance, 1974

There are only rare occasions when an album captures my imagination on the very first listen then keeps it after weeks of listening. My first (and fairly recent) listen of Scheherazade And Other Stories was just such an occasion. The album is entirely enchanting, beautiful and dark, with a spacious depth that makes it consistently rewarding and enjoyable. Flawless musicianship throughout, a cohesive feel (probably created by the folk-based lyrics and dominant piano, even though they aren't that themed) and a great sense of individuality. Lastly, no opening paragraph would be worthy without a mention of the angelic voice of Annie Haslam. It's wonderful *heart *

The band's sound (at least on this album) should be noted. John Tout's keys are refreshingly piano-based, by which I'm not referring either to the Canterbury chordage parallel to a main theme or standard 'piano in a rock group' but lush full classical-styled piano pieces, jazzy breakouts and brilliant repeated motifs. In addition, he handles organ, Mellotron, synthy things and harpsichord aptly, using both the classic lush mellotron backing chord as well as more mobile organ. John Camp's bass is certainly styled after Chris Squire, but he is no less capable and original for that. High notes are touched on with regularity, and a careful control of note lengths and feel is on display throughout, and without an electric, the bass and keys get a much greater opportunity to shine.

Terence Sullivan's drums and percussion match up to the above elements, including both more usual drumming and odd percussion, used both to create a rhythm and weirder atmospheric ideas. Annie Haslam's vocals are simply perfect. Stunningly beautiful and high, but with the ability to put a much darker edge on the songs, well-used both in harmony and lead vocals. The multiple male vocal harmonies are also well used, and the brief lead male vocal on The Sultan is refreshing and alright, if accented in the Richard Sinclair style. A word for Michael Dunford, the main songwriter, is in order. Though his acoustics are not of the Fripp order and jaunting off at odd angles, they provide an extra layer for the song, a background and are a substantial fraction of the folk feel possessed by the album. Finally, Betty Thatcher's very folk lyrics are interesting, have a certain mystique and do create part of the album's feel. She's not Peter Hammill, but nonetheless I can listen to and enjoy the lyrics as well as the music. I'll touch upon the orchestra when we get to them. The compositions, though I'll list them in more detail later, are intricate and wonderful, and have a very individual sound.

Basically, if you don't have this album now, I suggest that you stop reading and head to your nearest online retailer of compact discs or vinyls and buy the album. It can speak for itself much more eloquently than I can speak on its behalf.

A Trip To The Fair opens the album. Its mood is haunting, confused, tense and claustrophobic, with an extended low-end based piano intro supplemented by flickering bass and percussion. Maddened laughter, ghost shrieks and shimmering keys add to the feel of entrapment and being surrounded. A haunting, even mocking glockenspiel introduces Annie Haslam's high, haunting and individual vocal, which seems to create (with additions from the piano, especially) a feeling of a sort of eye of the storm, lost within an empty and taunting fairground, surrounded by an accordion-esque organ theme, xylophone and various other implements. Even in the more uplifting moments (including an interesting jazzy burst replete with matching piano), the happiness feels illusory. Whispers and mass harmonies accompany various vocal sections for additional effect. The piece slowly winds down from this nightmare theme, creating a sort of taunting, mechanical clown feel with the obligatory 'it's the last verse, the drums crash a bit more' thing. A brilliant opener, with a very involving feel.

The Vultures Fly High is one of my all-time favourite songs. Incredibly catchy, with harpsichord and bass hooks and a gorgeous clean performance from Annie Haslam. Lyrically solid and simple, and supplemented by the edgy piano and percussion (Sullivan and Camp are stunning throughout this song). The use of keys effectively and densely in (what is basically) a shorter, pop-structured song is wonderful and all too rare, and the final fade doesn't leave me feeling like it needed any more space. Concise, mobile and perfect. Unmissable.

Another of Orb's all-time favourites follows this, the beautiful Ocean gypsy. The texture, liquid, the feel, majestic, the emotion, slightly tragic, perhaps nostalgic. Camp's bass takes much of the piece's basic movement, while rich piano and keys fit in less dominantly, but still very significant, creating the more 'world' rather than personal atmosphere. Drum-rolling without blunt crescendos features heavily. Annie's vocal is, as in the preceding pieces, pure pleasure for the ears, and the lyrical material matches it, contributing the piece's basic emotions and ideas. Dunford's acoustic is of more importance in this one, taking a couple of non-strummed notes and also contributing another significant layer to the texture (as he usually does). It fades out with the wonderful piano echo. A masterpiece of composition. Wonderful.

After three such bits of wow, we are treated to an ambitious side-long suite, based partly around Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade' and with the accompaniment of a full orchestra. The end result is stunning. A very Arabian Nights feel pervades the entire piece, and the interesting lyrical content and complimentary material and occasional recurring motifs give the piece a more coherent feel.

Fanfare features a fairly 'typical' (I don't know how else to describe it. Not bad, but not really oddball), fast-paced orchestra backing over solid rock performances from Camp and Sullivan. The segment concludes softly, with the gradual development of tension in The Betrayal (featuring a beautiful oboe (I think)). The Sultan initiates the lyrical material, with a haunting set of keys, male lead vocals (no idea who?) reminiscent of Richard Sinclair, which are gorgeously supplemented by Annie, harp and cello flourishes and an odd form of double-drumming, with classical percussion contrasting to Sullivan's rock stuff. The Young Prince And Princess As Told By Scheherazade is perhaps a conclusion to the suite's first 'part', with lilting harmonies, tubular bells and wonderful flute melodies. A careful, clear piano solo rounds off this half, creating the idea of the story being told. The band comes in with Dunford strumming, bass and drums. This leads carefully onto an angelic vocal and a very stripped back piano-acoustic-oboe sound. An acoustic bass from John Camp features. Gradually more things are included until the piece shimmers out to leave birdsong.

The bird-song initiates a brief moment of pure orchestra, before the band again settle in to a lesser extent, with a bustling feel. The following Fugue For The Sultan is a dramatic, graduated opening for The Festival, which really is the crux of the piece. More angelic vocals, strumming, rather syrupy (but likable) lyrics relating the story in cliff notes format, and one of the best bass-drum grooves outside Close To The Edge that I've heard. Especially excellent percussion from Sullivan and a set of the hulking choral vocals (while it might be considered pompous outside of the context of the orchestral piece, it does fit here) lead us out in the finale.

(Apologies for such a disconnected description. I find it difficult to describe this piece. One of those ones I need a better musical knowledge to really relay the ideas behind)

Anyway, get the album. Absolute masterpiece. Five doses of musical anti-depressant. Very interesting, very original, aptly described as “everything fusion”. This reviewer is greatly looking forwards to ordering the rest of the band's output.

Favourite Track: The Vultures Fly High
Rating: 5 Stars.

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Many stars. Yes question still stands. Where do we go from here with regards to Renaissance? Ashes Are Burning?

@Linusy. Thanks for the reply. Seems reasonable. I think my thing with Squire is that he's non-directional there. Really he seems to be adding to the rest of the band's output rather than driving it like he's previously done. Possibly just me.

Will try to get more reviews done soon. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of it soon enough.


Edited by TGM: Orb - July 11 2008 at 08:23

Rob- yes.. go for Ashes are Burning...

Review 51, The Snow Goose, Camel, 1975

For an album like The Snow Goose a complete track-by-track review would ultimately be pointless. Instead, I'll start with general comments and then give a sentence or two about each of the tracks.

The Snow Goose is, for some, the epitome of Camel's work, or even 'symphonic' prog. Alas, that does not hold true to me. While a very consistent album, and one without many moments so over the top that they will alienate the listener, it does only a limited amount to actually involve me. Generally, the way Camel work for me is with vocals or a clear idea as a focus. The Snow Goose not only lacks these, but also flops a bit on creating a genuine feel of continuity, and it feels more to me like a bunch of separate themes thrown together into a forty-minute piece rather than a fully cohesive album. The echoing is a bit blunt, where it happens, and doesn't feel clever.

The musicianship throughout is fine. Andy Latimer provides some cheerful guitar and flute, and even if his style at those doesn't always work for me, he does what he does quite well. Pete Bardens keyboards are Pete Bardens' keyboards. Rarely electrifying in performance, but they do the job and add another layer. Occasionally this layer seems a bit too thin for my liking, but there are equally moments of psychedelic ideas that are handled quite neatly. Andy Ward is the highlight player, drumming quickly, proficiently and in line with the feel of the music. Doug Ferguson never was my favourite bassist, and this album isn't an exception. I don't often feel impressed by a Ferguson bass-part, even when they don't reach the repetitive levels of Lunar Sea. Perhaps that's just preference, though. The inclusion of the orchestra varies from proficient to gimmick to childish, and is at times quite a nice extra, but at others nothing special.

The Great Marsh opens with birdsong and the relaxed aa-aa-aaa-ah vocal theme that will recur a couple of times. Latimer provides a tense guitar and the band move quite nicely to sort of mini-explosion with a fairly good use of the orchestra.

Rhayader features a classy flute solo, some sort of odd piano choice from Bardens (I want to say it's an electric, , a typically stalking Ferguson bass groove and neat relaxed percussion. An odder middle section features a rather over-stretched guitar solo.

Rhayader Goes To Town follows straight on with a rocking section, keyboard riffs galore and excellent soloing from Latimer. Ward again gives a sterling performance. It is unfortunate that the entire piece isn't up to the opening, with the following bits feeling more half-hearted than lighthearted. A more up-to-scratch showcase for Latimer's soloing features, which, while not exceptional, is fitting.

Sanctuary is plainly a boring piece, with a repeated, weirdly fast acoustic, a couple of bass taps and a mostly bland slow solo from Latimer. Fritha, ditto, but Pete Bardens provides clangeresque soloing instead and the acoustics are slowed to a more appropriate speed.

The Snow Goose again takes off a bit. Certainly more of a band piece, with everyone strutting their stuff carefully. Latimer provides the wonderful main theme melody, while Bardens merely supports with the organ. It's unfortunate that they chose to include a repeat which simply wasn't needed and Ferguson feels a bit redundant at times.

And from this, a whiny oboe/sax intro with a generic background dududu takes us to friendship. A pity that when the main melodic theme is so wonderful, the bland orchestra use leaves me basically uninterested in the piece. Migration again features the wordless vocals, and basically the good things about the song are rather masked by the number of times things are repeated with little or overly obvious elaborations.

The gentle Rhayader Alone is one of the album's highlights, with a basic emotional appeal that many of the songs lack, a feeling of isolation and loss. Latimer's guitar solo is wonderful and the softer acoustic bass works very nicely. Not sure quite what the Bardens tone is, but it doesn't spoil the piece.

Flight Of The Snow Goose is another relatively uninteresting track. A slightly boring keyboard thing opens it, and it continues upbeat and uninspired for another two minutes. The foreboding Preparation is a bit of an acquired taste, and sounds better live from the Moonmadness remaster, in my opinion. Bardens haunting keyboard melody is superbly done and there is a gorgeous female vocal, but the rest, orchestra and all, is simply a bit duh. Ward taps on a glockenspiel.

Dunkirk is an odd piece. The brass is used in an entirely generic way, and the basic melodies are repeated for far too long, while the solo completely fails to inspire me. On the other hand, Bardens does have a very nice organ tone, and the basic material isn't all that bad and the final minute or so is a pretty good piece of music (especially from Ward's side). The guitar solo is alright, if not my favourite, and the slightly grittier sound is something I've always felt Camel needed more of.

Epitaph is directly echoing the keys on Preparation, with a large set of various key-based additions and an even darker feel. Ward provides some very odd percussion. Psychedelic and fairly brilliant. Fritha Alone is a piano solo, soft and emotive, if a little over-repeated.

La Princess Perdue is a true example of a song exemplifying the good and bad of its album. Upbeat, and initially annoying, with orchestral additions. As always, one melody is repeated far too much and others crop up in between the repeats. Later on, however, it takes off a little more, and I like the use of the orchestra. The Snow Goose theme is repeated. The Great Marsh concludes the album on the same sort of terms as it began, birdsong, bland keys, repeats. A fairly nice wheeeet sound in the background, though.

Onto the bonuses: the single versions are pointless. A much livelier live version of Rhayader Goes To Town is welcome. The Snow Goose is alright. Freefall is incredible, except the vocals, which truly wreck it.

I'd recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone who doesn't really need their music to challenge and constantly interest them. It's a decent album for relaxing with, and does have a few genuinely interesting ideas, however, it does not keep and hold my interest on any deep level while I'm listening. Good, yes, but non-essential for those who aren't fans of less involving music. While listening for this review (and this is after at least 20 listens), whole tracks went past without me noticing.

Rating: Three Stars.
Favourite Track: Epitaph

Review 53, Camel, Camel, 1973

I acquired Camel's debut album a little after the classic three, Mirage, The Snow Goose and Moonmadness. It is very different from any of them, resembling a classic four member band and favouring extended, simple songs with a couple of instrumental pieces. The line-up is essentially organ, drums, bass and electric guitar, with other keys and acoustics featuring occasionally, and plays an odd mixture of blues and Latin music with odd psychedelic and rock edges. I wouldn't really consider it genuine prog, but it is a very good album, with some great material. The vocals are fairly weak, but otherwise the playing is solid.

Slow Yourself Down is a good opening to the album, with a relaxed vocal, a solid organ performance (with that wonderful swelling high organ tone making an appearance). Andy Ward and Doug Ferguson create a rather Latin-feeling rhythm section. The instrumental break in the middle features a solid screechy solo from Latimer, as well as organ soloing. The piece comes to a neat blues-based conclusion. All in all, good, even if the second verse felt a little pointless.

The sublime Mystic Queen is the album's high point for me. A liquid vocal from Ferguson acquits itself quite well, conveying psychedelic lyrical content, while Bardens handles both background and lead organs competently. Latimer's brief soloing is welcome, and Andy Ward provides a performance which is both energetic and tasteful. Soft, relaxed, haunting and beautiful. Probably my third favourite Camel song (after The White Rider and Lady Fantasy).

Six Ate bursts in quite tastelessly after this sublime conclusion with a slightly elevator-y sound. The organ is basically repeating itself too much for my liking, and Latimer's twists are foreseeable and not particularly stunning. After about a minute and a half the piece shapes up with softer, faster and more rhythm-based sections taking precedence. Pete Bardens contributes a VCS-3 solo, which is a decent change. My issue with this piece is that it feels a bit random and meandering, never really creating a solid and sustained atmosphere.

Separation is a return to form, with rocking guitar, solid riffs, enjoyable vocals and lyrics, and a definite force without the crunch you'd get from a harder rock band. A superb whinnying guitar solo with a moving background transitions nicely to the chorus, and Ward is on top form for the song. The harder instrumental conclusion is stunning and fast-paced featuring another great solo. Good stuff.

Never Let Go begins with a minute of unrelated acoustic guitar opener before moving to the vocal material, with a fairly nice organ-based backing. Pete Bardens' vocal is woefully inadequate, not having the force to really convey the lyrical ideas, but I can't see either of the other available vocalists doing much better. An excellent VCS-3 solo features before the piece returns to the acoustic ideas with backing bass for a brief interlude. It is at this point that the piece really kicks off, with full mellotron, percussion and nicely twisted acoustics, as well as a superb bluesy guitar solo for the final 'never let goooo'. With a better vocalist, it could be a very strong piece.

Curiosity opens with a slow bass before again moving to a rather Latin feel, before a weird softer and curious section with an odd very minimal piano and quietened vocals. The 'curiosity is killing me/I just have to go' chorus is sort of halfway-sung, leaving the music hugely dominant. The piece takes off a little with the guitar solo, though a rather wallowing organ solo doesn't help it much. At around the fourth minute, Latimer adds that odd and wonderful Spanish-on-an-electric thing (that we see, for instance, on Rush's La Ville Strangiato). Overall, a good song, but not as good as some of the other material on here.

Arubaluba is the album's second and much more successful instrumental, with a definite rock feel at the forefront and great guitar performances, as well as a very interesting grittier organ. Even Ferguson acquits himself pretty capably, and Ward is an impeccable drummer. A great ending, with some silly VCS-3 soundage to compliment it.

Homage To The God Of Light is a very good piece of extended psychedelic improvisation, with all four members handling themselves competently for an interesting 20 odd minutes of music. Ward takes a brief near-solo (a couple of organ stabs over the top), and both Latimer and Bardens do their jobs interestingly. Ferguson's bass feels less repetitive than it is, and the piece as a whole is a good bit of funkadelica.

I'm wavering between three and four stars here (both could describe the way I feel about it). I wouldn't really suggest it to those who want genuine full-bodied progression in their music, but I would say that anyone who simply wants a good, enjoyable album (with blues and Latin influences) shouldn't hesitate to get it. I think I'll go with four in light of Homage's presence on the remaster. Nevertheless, Camel will grow in a more progressive and interesting direction for the following Mirage, which benefits from a greater sense of exploration and more varied keys.

*cough*
Rating: Four Stars

Favourite Track: Mystic Queen

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OK, two reviews in two days, and I've even semi-bothered with the format on this one. Going strong.

TALES WILL BE NEXT!


Edited by TGM: Orb - June 28 2008 at 12:02

OK. If Tales is not done tonight, I will post a video of myself eating a hat. (the above is just a metaphor)

BUT...

I have just sent out another couple of orders,

Finally closing on:

Darwin!, Io Sono Nato Liberato - Banco...
Arbeit Macht Frei - Area
L'Isola Di Niente - PFM
Molignak - Jerome Langlois
Maneige, Ni Vent...Ni Nouvelle - Maneige

PLUS!

Something by Peter Hammill, Trilogy, Billy Cobham's Spectrum, Natural Elements (Shakti + John McLaughlin), Hattie + the north - s/t and a few others on the Britishy side.

Already, Ashes Are Burning and Beat have arrived.

Ashes Are Burning - I'm mixed on this one. As a rule the vocal parts haven't really broken the mould yet, with fairly uninteresting strummy acoustics. However, the opening of Can You Understand? must be one of my favourite ever, and the second part of Ashes Are Burning (especially) is gorgeous. There's also that wonderful edge in Annie's voice in At The Harbour.

Beat - Love it. Mildly insane. New wavey. Some very strong work. Fripp did a solo in my favourite guitar tone. What more could I ask for. Not a Crimsical masterpiece, but very strong.

micky wrote: ahhhh.. a Tales review.. let's see if you can top mine.. the cream of the TFTO reviews  good addtions to you collection Rob..

Renate Knaup syndrome, yes

On that note, I listened to Phallus Dei (remaster) again earlier, and though the rest of the album was good, I absolutely LOVE those two bonus tracks (especially the one with the Arabic flavour).

Edit: I've been trapped away from my headphones, so I can't listen to TFTO at this hour. Will need to be improvisational and memory-based on the review.


Edited by TGM: Orb - July 05 2008 at 18:53

Review 54, Tales From Topographic Oceans, Yes, 1973

There are, it must be admitted, few albums which exemplify 'prog' as much as Tales From Topographic Oceans does. Both in excesses and successes, the album stands out as a much more expansive and challenging one than Yes' two preceding efforts, and the combination of superb musicianship, the slaughtering of conventional structures, semi- or entirely- nonsensical lyrical material, and an ambition at producing a more primal creature than Close To The Edge without any realism whatsoever included. These make the album pretty much the essence of longer instrumental-based prog, and a huge target for some mainstream critics.

The playing, of course, is good to stunning, with Howe contributing superb acoustic and electric guitar (as well as lute) and White stepping up to the challenge of taking over from Bruford while not aping him. Squire provides some of his finest bass-work, distinctive and potent throughout, with a couple of superb bass solos making an appearance. Wakeman, though not exactly the album's greatest fan, moves to slightly plainer keys than those of the preceding albums (perhaps as a result of the less involving process by which the album was made), but nonetheless gives us some wonderful playing, especially on The Remembering/High The Memory. Jon Anderson is fairly capable throughout, though in a couple of spots he fails to get the menace demanded by the music. Still, his vocal performances are generally distinctive and good. The Yes harmonies, naturally, take their place on the album gracefully.

Despite this excellent playing, I initially did not get the album at all, considering it nonsensical, boring, not worthy of CTTE and generally despicable. However, going back to it after a little while spent developing my musical tastes and ear, I later found it incredibly and inexplicably stunning. This is an album which demands attention and to be listened to in full, and with the energy to engage with and explore its depth. Not casual listening.

The Revealing Science Of God/Dance Of The Dawn opens the album with what is certainly one of Yes' finest numbers. Thunderous rumbling and gentle keys build up a watery, swirling atmosphere, moving to calm when John Anderson's vocal enters, slowly building tension with the strung-together syllables and words. This gradually and brilliantly builds up to the potent bass solo on the line 'Endless caresses for the freedom of life everlasting'. Steve Howe then enters with confusing guitar, and the band really kick off as a whole.

A more rock-based section ensues, with Alan White's percussion standing out especially. Anderson contributes an excellent set of vocals and suitably cryptic lyrics about a search for God or meaning. The harmonies mesh together very neatly, and the piece hums around calmly before shifting into a much faster-paced being replete with Howe soloing and killer rhythm section. Wakeman's keys, slippery and deliberately un-fixed, remain a constant through most of the song, including a softer and slower repeat of the music for earlier sections. Lush mellotron, ARP synths, some form of piano and just about every imaginable keyboard sound turns up to good effect. Of especial mind-blowing beauty is the soft guitar solo-based section (with flutey keys) which takes over at about 15.00 minutes, moving carefully onto more vocals. Of similar wow factor, though of completely different style, is a Wakeman keyboard solo. The piece finally disappears after its range of treats on a mysterious note.

In all this, the band handle very sudden changes in tempo and rhythm flawlessly, moving between a vast array of sounds with a couple of constants evoking the search. The musicianship on this particular piece is truly phenomenal, and, with all members of the band contributing with full verve and energy, it could never have failed to be stunning.

The Remembering/High The Memory follows the stunning opener with a softer and much less dramatic piece to suggest a more reflective mood. Flute makes an appearance, as do lute and all sorts of keys, though more conservative and 'normally' used than on the opener. Squire plays more slowly on a less edgy bass, which does suit the piece but at the same time doesn't feel quite right for a Yes song. The vocals carefully twist and deliberately overstay the bounds they've set for themselves, occasionally dragging the music along with them for surprise value. A mandolin-like guitar sound produces a more slippery atmosphere. There are some very clever examples of the music taking completely unexpected turns, and foreshadowing explosions that never happen. Even if it's not really musically my thing, dragging a little, I can only admire how the band has chosen to create the slight uncertainty and less ordered nature of memory, and there are some incredible moments in this mix, both in the more folky 'distant drums' section and amazing 'alternate tune/view' conclusion (everyone's favourite mellotron tone).

Again, it's not a 100% fixed and structured piece, allowing a huge variety of moods, though in a more conventional frame than either the opener or the follower. Wakeman's keys are probably the standout on the piece, with the multiple vocals coming second. A range of ideas are explored within the general theme of memory and a 'universal' memory, occasionally resurfacing several times. The entire piece doesn't always work for me musically, but most of it definitely does, and the cleverness of the way the concept is explored is always something to chew on during the bits I don't love for their own merit. Objectively another masterpiece song, though not always my thing.

The Ancient/Giants Under The Sun, both the most impressive and the most pretentious 'song' on the album, begins with a gong before the monstrous rhythm section bursts into life with some sort of cut-off or clipped organ/percussion sound rhymically working in the background while Howe screeches primordially and chaotic in the background. Here the intent is to go beyond sense, logic and memory to create whatever was before that. Naturally, this idea is pretentious both in the concept and in the execution (with the unfortunate decision to recite a list of names and places in various languages, most comprehensibly sol – sun and Ilios – (Troy)). Howe is an outstandingly dissonant guitarist and sitarist in this section, and the general chaos and energy of the first part of the piece is only spoiled by Anderson's pretentious moping and a rather more generic set of keys.

From this chaos appears Howe's interesting and emotional acoustic guitar (accompanied loosely by an acoustic bass) and a more substantial vocal from Anderson. The wonderful Spanish-with-just-a-touch-of-dissonance nature of his acoustic solo here gets me every time and it is naturally vital listening for fans of Mood For A Day. Considering that my main reason for admiring Howe's guitar-work is merely that he can handle an acoustic properly and emotionally without sliding into the realm of the generic, this part of the song is a delight for me every time. The song runs madly to its conclusion with a very odd juxtaposition of the forceful riff of the first part, sitar and screeching guitar. A flawed masterpiece in all its glory.

Nous Sommes Du Soleil is the coherent and searching conclusion demanded by the conceptual scale of the album. A thick bass thing opens the piece, which spotlights White and Squire very frequently. Squire, in particular, is a blur receding into the distance on the bass for the entire piece, providing a couple of especially fine solos. Wakeman echoes some of the key sounds on the opener to give us a denser feeling of conclusion and of a cycle. Vocals are densely merged to produce a more tight, warm and communal piece, and the development of the band towards The Gates Of Delirium is at times obvious. A blues-esque faux-conclusion shifts to a percussion showcase (with a saw in the background, if I'm not mistaken), which could perhaps be the best thing I've so far heard from Alan White. Haunting keys loom in the background before the piece moves to a softer conclusion. Howe provides an electro-acoustic thing, while the Caped One moves to a piano for the acoustic, natural conclusion. Naturally, this is not the end, and a stunning Howe solo and more liquid textures conclude the album indecisively.

This piece is probably the one I've got the least to say about, since it's more of a musicianship-based rock piece than the other more imagination-based pieces. Has to be heard to be understood. Again, great piece of music.

The bonus material isn't especially good, with the most interesting aspect being Wakeman's keys on the alternate mix of Dance Of The Dawn. Anderson's vocals are too thin on that version, however, to make it listenable, and the album as it is is long enough to discourage me from listening any further. Probably not worth a repurchase for them unless you really love the album and the band.

Of course, this is a masterpiece. Pretentious, yes, a mess, probably, but a masterpiece. Anyone who claims interest in prog rock should own it, and should take a while to make up their minds about it. If at first it doesn't stick, persevere, and if then it doesn't stick, put aside an hour and a half to listening to it once you've left it on the shelf for a month or two. If you then get it, the time and effort will have been worthwhile. Not to be missed.

Rating: Five Stars

Favourite Track: could be TRSOG, but today I'll say Nous Sommes Du Soleil

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Done. Was a long night. No video will follow. The cake was a lie.

The new stuff:

Salisbury - Uriah Heep (1 listen, but was cut off partway through title track) - Awesome stuff. 4ish stars. Love Bird Of Prey and title track so far.
Natural Elements - McLaughlin + Shakti (1 listen) - very good, but I'll need more time to even approach a rating. Probably the fastest comprehensible acoustic guitar I've ever heard.
Spectrum - Billy Cobham - Loved it, not much else to say.
Hattie + The North - s/t. Haven't listened.
The Least We Could Do Is Wave To Each Other - VDGG. Haven't listened.

If you two like Uriah Heep, I suggest checking out Black Bonzo - Sound of the Apocalypse. The title track (my favorite of the album so far) is on here. Some modern prog worth checking out, I think.

Review 55, The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage, Peter Hammill, 1974

The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage was my first venture into Peter Hammill's solo career, and every bit as stunning as I could have expected. Given that it features my favourite lyricist and vocalist, as well as the assorted members of Van Der Graaf Generator, it couldn't have really flopped for me, but I was not expecting so diverse, powerful and interesting a range of material. Consistently superb, with highlights beyond all expectation and lowlights virtually non-existent.

Modern kicks off the album with an odd ascending acoustic before Hammill's vocal enters, clear but extremely dark. The second verse features a much starker and more aggressive delivery to match the increased intensity of the lyrics. The piece features roaring sax, whirling electric guitar with an eclectic edge and a very driven, near-mechanical bass. A desolate mid-section features softer organ, and hollower twists on the acoustics. Throughout the two vocal sections and intermediate instrumental section, the piece is horrifically dark, highly eclectic and powerful. Hammill's vocals are, as usual, entirely stunning, with matching lyrical city-characterisations fitting the delivery brilliantly. Certainly one of the best.

Wilhelmina is a contrast to Modern's intensity, with a basic piano-vocal entrance gradually being supplemented by bass and later acoustics and something that sounds like a harpsichord. The mellotron makes an appearance when appropriate. All the performances are excellent, piano, vocals, acoustics, and the end piece is a very personal and touching song.

The Lie is similar in its feel to the opener, though achieving the darkness and intensity in a very different way. The piece is basically sharp piano, incredibly powerful vocals, and a whirling synthesiser thing. Later on in the song, church-like organ makes its appearance. The final two lines are perfectly handled, moving from optimism to rejection. Brilliant, and lyrically enigmatic and potent.

Forsaken Gardens is the first didactic piece in the album with a related theme to Childlike Faith In Childhood's End. A capella opens the song, and piano and bass again feature prominently. Guy Evans' percussion and David Jaxon's flute are added skilfully to this mix, along with sax and a more harmonised vocal. A very convincing argument for community and more open lives is presented by emotional vocals with the support of incredible musical material, managing to be persuasive as well as thoroughly rock-based. A very impressive combination, and worth more words than I've given to it.

Red Shift moves back to sheer experimentalism, again featuring Guy Evans with a very odd bass-disregarding drumming part. Very thick bass and guitar feature, as well as a wonderfully unrelated/disassociated guitar solo. The vocals move between very strong and prominent to equally strong, but fading and disappearing. The incoherence and alienation is conveyed well musically and quite naively, but without feeling unconnected and without alienating the listener. Wonderful, even if it took a fair few listens to 'get'.

Rubycon features a clean vocal, with resonant quality, and is very lyrically dominated with its interesting and intelligent evocation of choice. Oddball acoustic guitar and bass are most of the instrumental content, though slippery sax does turn up on occasion. I did only get it after focusing on the lyrical content more actively.

A Louse Is Not A Home is simply one of the best pieces of music ever, certainly in my top ten. It is very much a Van Der Graaf Generator-styled piece, with splintering sax, cascading rock drumming and subtle organ featuring alongside the dark, potent piano. High-tempo powerful rock meets softer breaks, haunting and tense slow parts, vocal parts fast enough to make it difficult to sing along and varied enough to equal A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers. All of these extremely varied features are merged into one entirely coherent whole. Lyrically stunning, both in terms of its personal connection, clever recurring themes that become clear with a little examination, delivery and stylistic originality. Stunning throughout, and an essential piece for anyone.

The live version of The Lie included on the remaster follows this after a sufficient break and is different enough from the studio version to merit inclusion. An extended piano introduction opens it with stunning energy and haunting resonance. The vocal begins softly, and only later moves onto hideous force similar to the studio version. The piano is slightly more edgy and abrupt than the studio version. All these differences pay off brilliantly, and suggest that I am highly deficient in Hammill and VDGG live material. The sound quality isn't brilliant, but that doesn't really bother me.

The other two live versions (BBC sessions) feature David Jaxon. Rubycon features wonderful flute additions, as well as some significant twists on the acoustics. It holds up surprisingly well without the bass, and the vocal performance is equally sublime. Red Shift is very different in arrangement, though it is essentially the same song, with acoustics taking over the role of the bass, harmonised vocals appearing, and the sax taking over flawlessly from the lead guitar. The vocals are stunning, and the acoustics are done with energy and verve. A surprisingly strong and loyal live adaptation for such a complex piece by (as I understand it) only two performers. The sound quality on these two is perfectly good. Overall, the bonus material adds to the album and my enjoyment of it, fitting in neatly at the end without imposing itself on the listener.

Given my glowing review, I can in good conscience consider it a masterpiece. Essential for anyone who enjoys Van Der Graaf Generator or high-quality lyrical content. Anyone who doesn't fall into those two groups should still find something of interest.

Rating: Five Stars

Favourite Track: A Louse Is Not A Home

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so, discussion/recommendations about Peter Hammill and Van Der Graaf Generator is encouraged highly:

Where to go next with both band and solo career? Did his solo material match up to Van Der Graaf Generator? Is there any lyricist/vocalist whose range and style might also appeal if Hammill does? Did any band reform as successfully as VDGG did for Godbluff? What should I consider for VDGG/Hammill live purchases?

Edited by TGM: Orb - July 11 2008 at 08:23