JUST A DREAM

Choice is a german band who release only one album at Rocktopus label in 1980 named simply Just a dream. Three of the musicians from here are from another german band from late '70's Epidaurus. When this band break up the origin members G.Henne, G.Linke and H.Kunert founded a new band - Choice. Choice's music is something between symphonic prog not far from german bands fro late '70's like Tibet, Trilogy , Minotaurus or Novalis and some pop elements here and there. A good album, with pleasent pieces, not very complex, but not very simple either. Some keyboard passages remind me of Eloy, spacey and very well executed, also the instrumental passages are great showing that Choice was a promising band that for some reasons never made it in music circles. 3-3.5 for this album, a good album, not something grounbreaking but pleasent all the way, very unnoticed band by many prog listners.

Do you like SAGA "worlds apart" (1980), NOVALIS "augenblicke" (1980) and ANYONE´S DAUGHTER "s/t" (1980) ? So let me say I guess I like more CHOICE "Just a Dream" (1980) than the mentioned ones ! Fantastic, innovative, great taste for compositions meets an incredible great unknown vocalist ? Mr. Ferdy Kuehnel. Also Eloy "colours" (1979) or even KAYAK "the last encore" can be references to what you will find in CHOICE. This is excellent addiction (****) if you like the mentioned records.

Beyond the fantastic sound production, we find the use of bombastic tympanis, bells, and gongs in a way I only heard with this unrecognized gem ! It's definitively remarkable. The keyboards follow the late 70's "de luxe" German school, and are predominantly spacey but also symphonic. Compositions are not in difficult vein, even if 3 band members comes from not less than EPIDAURUS, don't expect a follow up or you'll get disappointed, as CHOICE is in more accessible prog-pop with dynamic performance vein, not yet a neo prog style.

I apologize for saying this if hurt someone feelings as Marillion is such an important band that kept the prog flame alive in mainstreams during the 80's and many from young generation only heard the term "prog" thanks to Marillion success (in other field thanks to 80's Rush success), but I Ilike much more this CHOICE than Marillion "misplaced childhood" for example (but probably not more than the 17 minutes "Grendel" 1982).

This opinion is strictly based in my personal taste and I recognize this comparison is not accurate as the early 80's movement is different of what got called neo prog from 1982 ahead. Anyway we must put unrecognized gems at their right place. Music quality many times is independent from large public recognition. SERENE and OPUS1 are other late 70-early 80 dynamic prog Germans but woth in maximum *** both, like CIRKEL 'first good bye" from Holland. Thanks to b olariu for CHOICE Addiction to PA.

Choice were in fact an offshoot band of the German Symphonic Rock outfit Epidaurus, fronted by its leaders and keyboardists Guenther Henne and Gerd Linke and bassist Heinz Kunert.They were supported by quite an experienced team, led by prolific singer Ferdie Kuehnel (ex-Breakfast and Live), bassist Ulrich Steinert and drummer Peter Jureit.They recorded their sole album ''Just a dream'' at the Tonstudio Langendreer in Bochum and released it in 1980 on Rocktopus.

Choice picked up the style of EPIDAURUS and cleverly adapted it into the new world era of the 80's, trying to combine the Symphonic Rock arrangements with the more edgy synth sounds of the time but always keeping much of the romanticism of the Teutonic Symphonic Rock groups and they sound a bit like later-era NOVALIS, Germans SIRIUS or ANYONE'S DAUGHTER.Reasonably enough, their style was much driven by the dual keyboard textures of the Henne/Linke duo, which still had a fair amount of Classical color and a nice sense of melody, although the analog keyboards have been pretty much left out of the game in the sake of a more updated approach.The arrangements come in shorter offerings in a move to reach a wider audience, but the quality of the music is kept in a good and progressive enough level to satisfy fans of EPIDAURUS and similar bands.The electric and acoustic guitars are always present in dreamy and melodious plays and the atmosphere is very emotional and even dramatic at moments.Entering the 80's and playing Prog music was a very hard case back in the days and Choice would also throw in some more commercial tunes in the process, either being more Electronic-inclined pieces or songs with a very pompous attitude, good thing is they never did get too accesible and even these cuts are characterized by strong musicianship and some marvelous synth/keyboard playing.

All members remained involved in the music industry during the 80's, playing in much more commercial groups with Jureit even joining the fading Grobschnitt ensemble for a couple of years, before Henne, Linke and Kunert reunited again in early-90's for a second stint of Epidaurus, that would unfortunately led to a colorless and totally incosistent album in 1994, entitled ''Endangered''.

Choice played synth-based, melodic Symphonic Rock with Electronic touches and any fan of these styles should get a taste of an album that stands nicely against the sand of time.Recommended.