THEME FOR THE GREEN LANDS

I admit to applying personal bias when reviewing CDs for this website. If I think a CD is great and possesses a reasonable degree of progressive attitude, I endow it with 4 or 5 stars, depending on the degree to which it meets my subjective and amorphous criteria. Some of my 5 star selections might be considered marginally progressive, yet when I put my prog hat on, I enjoy them. This allows considerable latitude in my rating scheme. But what I hope to avoid is giving an album a high grade because it seduces my non progressive side. Usually, if an album is on this site, no such conflict occurs. But, as we know, even the bands whose names are virtually synonymous with progressive rock have produced disks that have limited appeal to fans of the genre first, the band second. So why should a Celtic artist with considerable prog leanings be immune to such forays? With "Theme from the Green Lands", Ar Braz produced a straightforward Celtic album fairly busting out with all manner of pipes, and the usual characteristics of his sound are relegated to the background. Forgetting whatever value it may have as a musical summation, "Theme for the Green Lands" is too black and/or white to receive any recommendation on progarchives.