5

Quite a disapointment , really. True, I knew Ric Van Der Linden from the band Trace in the mid seventies and I was expecting something in that vein. I mean, good, symphonic prog rock. And instead what I got was an instrumental album that triees to mix, unsuccessfully I should say, jazz, rock and classical music (very few rock, be aware). The results are far from satisfying, bordering the ´cocktail´ jazz-pop type. After so much praising I heard from a lot of prog fans i could not help but feeling they were talking about a different record.

Not that everything here is bad. No. There are some nice tracks like classical influenced Virginal and the playful song My Son (even if the silly child´s noise in the background isa bit too cheesy, he had the right to do so). But most of the time the stuff is uninteresting jazz/rock/classical fusion that goes nowhere. Not really Just plain boring stuff, but I´ve heard this kind of mix done much better by ELP and others. A pity, since it is obvious that the musicians involved are all excellent ones. Even the use of instruments like trumpet and flugelhorn, not very commonly associated to a prog band, could lift it up.

If you´re into some soft jazz, this record may be a good pick. For progheads I found very few worthy moments. To me, 5 is for collectors and fans only. 2 stars.