TIME TO TURN

Upon the recommendations from their record label, "Eloy" released "Time To Run" as a separate album instead of combining it as a double concept album together with the work released as "Planets".

In those progless days ("Marillion" who will revive the genre is only in its infancy) it is rather astonishing that a band like "Eloy" still holds the prog flame. For this reason only, the band deserves my deepest respect.

Their inspiration is still mostly "Floyd". The guitar break during the opener "Through a Somber Galaxy" can't get you closer to David's style. It is not a discovery of course and this source of inspiration is fully present in the next "Behind the Walls of Imagination". But it is not the spacey "Floyd" that the band is emulating any longer. This has more to do with "TDSOTM" than with "Echoes".

But the problem maybe is that this work is made out of the same and unique mold. The title track will bring the listener to a similar structure, influence and result. And "Magic Mirrors" is a poor song. Highlight again the Bornemann "vocals". He has been doing better on the last "Eloy" albums but here and there, still some blunde. Otherwise, this song features some very good keyboards work. It's a pity that it has been ruined by these vocals.

The most spacey piece of work is "End Of An Odyssey". Some other side of "Floyd" emerges. More in the "ASOS" mood during the opening part. But again it is very effective and can only place the work of the masters on a pedestal. Some songs on this album are poor as well. The disco-ish "The Flash" definitively belongs to these. No feeling, no substance.

The few last songs from this album are not so good. The worse being achieved with "Wings of Vision". Poor vocals, poor chorus, poor melody, poor all in fact. These songs will prevent this album of reaching a higher status in my scale of judgement. Still, a good album.

Three stars.