SILENT RUNNING

Silent Running is decent album in the neo-progressive rock tradition. One may expect some flashy keyboard work and professional guitar playing, but the one outstanding aspect of this album is the voice of the lead singer, which is rich and husky. The compositions range from memorable to dull (a hit or miss affair, really), but these guys sound very good, and now I am curious to hear their earlier works.

"Welcome to the Circus" After a cheering crowd and spoken word, a soft synthesizer and fatherly vocal take over. The singing is warm and heartfelt. The soloing, particularly the dazzling guitar, is fantastic, and exhibits the musicianship well.

"L13" Gentle electric piano, electric guitar, drums, and a delicate synthesizer lead begin the second piece. Both the guitar and keyboards get to open up in a more powerful way, but for the most part, the track retains an easy symphonic feeling. Unfortunately, this one is mostly nothing more than a string of instrumental solos.

"Credo" A distant choir appears, followed by a 1980s King Crimson bit, followed by electric guitar and organ being panned all over. The keyboard work is excellent, while the composition itself is a incoherent but somehow mature.

"The Acid Rain" Delicate tones introduce this remarkable work. I love the deep bass notes under the flute sound, with clean electric guitar accompanying. The music soon launches into foundation for a gritty guitar solo. Thankfully, after a couple of decent instrumentals, the singing returns, which I think adds a well-deserved and much-needed dimension of character to the sound. A highlight of the album, "The Acid Rain" is a delightful and uplifting work.

"Bad Guys" Opening with piano and drums, this has an odd rhythm if a fairly simplistic chord progression. It abruptly turns into a semi-reggae song mired in convention, none of which has anything to do with what came before. Other than an enjoyable chorus, the bulk of the song is uneventful and disjointed (despite a good synthesizer solo).

"Silent Running" Soothing yet somehow urgent piano begins the lengthy title piece. The main melody is very simplistic, yet incredibly memorable, and the band does a good job exploiting its potential. As usual, the vocals are wonderful, and the musicians do a fine job demonstrating their respective abilities, but overall, the piece isn't particularly remarkable, even though it's really enjoyable in many places.