POWER AND THE PASSION

Early Eloy is often unfairly overlooked. Their 'Power and the Passion' is in my mind comparable to 'Ocean'. The album starts with 'Introduction', a nice little one-minute intro to this record. This bleeds into 'Journey Into 1358', which introduces you to the main character of this concept album. His father is a mad scientist who experiments with 'time-eroding drugs'. He somehow ingests the drug and is transported to 1358, as the song title suggests. The track's music is very rock-like, very Led Zeppelin-reminiscent. The next song is 'Love Over Six Centuries', my favorite song on this album. It is chock-full of keyboard and bass-driven melodies, each of which is impossibly catchy. In this song, the main character is already in 1358, and he meets a woman on a bridge who lives there, in 14th-century Paris. In a dialogue between the two the main character's name is revealed to be Jamie. The woman's name is Jeanne. Her story is that her farming father is forcing her to marry her neighbor's son. Jamie offers her a joint and Jeanne accepts. She is immediately relieved of all her stress. At this time the two express a spiritual connection and love for each other as if they have met before, even though that is impossible. Concluding side one is 'Mutiny', one of my least favorite songs on this album. Jamie tells Jeanne that her father allowed him to stay at their property if only he helps in the prospected war of 'iron hands' against farm workers. Jamie is morally conflicted (the underpaid, mistreated farm workers are the ones who should win), but agrees to the terms as long as he can be with Jeanne. He still hasn't told the father about their love for each other yet. The song ends with a great guitar solo. Kicking off side two is 'Imprisonment', which depicts Jamie in a cell as a war criminal. This is a very soft song, with delicate vocals and smooth keys. In the next song, 'Daylight', he is freed by a guard. There are few lyrics, but a great guitar solo distracts you from needing more. 'Thoughts of Home' is about Jamie longing for home, and resorting to going to a zany magician to be sent back with Jeanne. In 'The Zany Magician' Jamie and Jeanne go to the magician, which sounds like Roger Waters impersonating the mean teacher in 'Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2'. He gives them a potion composed of the wings of a bat, the blood of a cat, and the skin of a rat. This song has a great solo and overall mood. It's so fun and groovy! It is followed by 'Back Into the Present'. Jamie is back home, unhappy. He experiences the fear of wartime. He is not in the same quiet world he used to live in. This is a crazy, unhinged psychedelic freakout. A great song from Eloy. The album closes with 'The Bells of Notre Dame'. Jamie wants to see Jeanne again, but she's nowhere to be found. The bells of Notre Dame for some reason remind him of her. The album ends on a sad note, with Jamie saying: "I wish she were with me, I need her here". A somber guitar solo finishes the song. This is a great record for anyone to enjoy. Prog on.

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