WHENEVER I SEEM TO BE FAR AWAY

This was the second Terje Rypdal album I bought, in 1994, after Odyssey. This album clearly explores two different paths. The first half is very much fusion, with Mellotron rearing its head from time to time. In 1994 I had no idea who Pete Knutsen was. I was aware of Popol Vuh from buying Tangerine Dream's Zeit around that time (never heard of them until then), but totally unaware there was also a Norwegian band with that name, and Pete Knutsen was a member (or that the Norwegian band changed their name to Popol Ace to avoid any further confusion). Anyway Knutsen was responsible for the electric piano and Mellotron. Only being familiar with Odyssey at the time, the music was more energetic and less spacy. Then comes the title track, takes up all of side two. This is clearly in the Third Stream. The Südfunk Symphony Orchestra helps with Terje providing guitar, but there's no band help, just Terje and the orchestra. If you're familiar with the Third Stream style, this is pretty typical, heavily influenced by classical. It has a rather eerie feel to it. Not everyone will go for the title track, but certainly fusion fans will dig side one without problem.