MÆSTOSO

Different to many fans whose opinions I've read, although I'm a Woolly-Fan "Maestoso" was... all in all... a disappointment for me. This may have been due to my expectations ( I thought he'd come up with an album full of stuff like "Sea of Tranquilty", "In Search of England", "Ra" - and he didn't ) but I still feel slightly dissatisfied with the whole album.

Sure, "Patriots" is exactly as great as I had expected, and it's still a favourite. "A Prospect of Whitby", a rather simple song, is very nice and moving, too.

But I think of the rest ( one exception, going to mention it later ) as not quite melodic and mature enough to make me rave about it. Somehow things always seem to start with a good idea but then Woolly doesn't really take it further, like during the composing-process Woolly was impatient or so... well, Quiet islands is an interesting ( strange ) one and "Maesoso ( A hymn in the roof of the world )" isn't bad either ( I prefer the 1974's BJH-version ) but... stuff like "American excess" and "Lives on the Line" surely bears a lack of melodic flush ( and to be "Groovy" or rockin' they are far too tame ), "Gates of Heaven" sounds like "Woolly stripped down" but not to the necessary, rather to make me wonder ( why didn't he take the good basic idea any further ? ).

"Waveform" is very, very good, too, but it took me some time to discover it...

BJH went on with commercial success, increasingly losing that extra-something Woolly was able to give, but Woolly seemed tired here, hastening things, not really hittin' the point so he sadly disappeared for many years to come cause the company ( Polydor ) withdrew faith after the "Maestoso-Flop". ( My review is written for the LP, not CD with Bonus-tracks, still don't have it so I can't say a word about them ! ) The rating is a BARE one, forgive me if you disagree !

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