THE FYREWORKS

Rob Reed (Magenta, Cyan) is not really one who denies his influences, specially when recording. So if Magenta is his outlet to show how Yes, Renaissance and Genesis were key elements to form his music, then Fyreworks is surely his Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant and Van der Graaf Generator side. Oh, please, don't get me wrong, his not aping them. In fact, he is a great songwriter and does mix well his influences in a way it only reminds you of those bands. And he does that very well, and mind you, it's not easy to emulate the intricated, complex and marvelous music of the aforementioned bands without sounding crap. He really captures the spirit of things, which is quite amazing. There are some real gems on this CD. While I still think Magenta is his greatest achivement (at least up to the Seven CD), The Fyreworks, as well as Cyan, shows that mr. Reed may be the single most important prog songwriter to appear in public eye in recent years. If you like prog music of the 70's or just good prog music in general, you'll like this CD very much. 3 and a half stars at least is my actual rating. It's more than just good.