Steely Dan a great American band, truly talented individuals, Becker and Fagan are geniuses with that unique immediately identifiable sound. I must admit in my formative years they absolutely blew me away, so I'm not sure how this album avoided my clutches. Was it worth the wait, I think it was, although I'm still a fan, that thrill of the new all those years ago has receded, become comfortingly familiar to the extent that it's hard to to disconnect oneself and give an objective view. What I will say that certain Steely Dan songs have a strong emotional pull on me, Do It Again, Rikki, Haitian Divorce, Dr Wu and on this album Razor Boy, ( I love that vibraphone/marimba and the pedal steel ) falls into this category not to mean it's best, I just get that similar kick from it, others like Bodhisattva, Boston Rag and My Old School are perhaps to well known to me from compilations. What I will say is while I may feel a little short changed on an immediately classic number this is still an intoxicationg listen, every track is a winner and a grower, listen closely and be overwhelmed by the musicianship, unadulterated class, the fresh sounds to me like Your Gold Teeth, with it's stabbing piano and funky rhythm overlayed with loose jazz guitar runs and King of the World are my big hitters.

Donald and Walt and their session musicians do a swell job at jazz fusion and this is just the second step of their discography.

5.0

Romanticism made a well-known path through the classical music legacy. Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, to name only a few of them, were names firmly associated with that particular sort of pathos, which may be hard to define, but definitely seems to include a strong association linking the purity of the human soul with the majestic harmony implicit in the many levels of order found in Nature. Society is essentially a corrupted affair, but man is more than a mindless part of that sad state of things, and can steer away from it, seeking redemption in a pure contemplation of Nature's own wonders.

Like the precise ballet taking place in the skies every blessed night. And that is the subject matter of this short, but at the same time ambitious little work. A spiritual endeavour fed by clasical influences, as mentioned above, but taking finally the form of a Symphonic Rock suite in several movements, primorously put together by the multi-instrumentalist talent of the composer Julián Martínez.

The mind behind the proceedings clearly seems to be that of a pianist, rendering a pleasant starscape made of interweaving scales embellished with all sorts of trills, and likely minded resources taken from the baroque and romantic palette. But the tonal color is also enriched by resort to the sound of harpsichord, flute and some hints of mellotrón, mainly in the background.

The articulation of the work follows also the traditional alternation between the more rapid, dense, and heavily orchestrated movements, like the opener, El Canto Del Bosque, with other relatively slower, transparent, and sparingly orchestrated ones, like the second track, Caminos De Cristal, to put some example.

Anyway, what comes out triumphant in the end is the strong sense of relaxed flow, and thoroughly achieved continuity that prevails from the first note, right to the last one of them, an accomplished result of flawless conception and execution that the listener cannot but be thankful for.

Here we find Dr. Eddie teaming up with several of his previous collaborators from both the Mwandishi days but even a Headhunter or two--including the one and only Herbie Hancock.

1. "Butterfly" [Herbie Hancock] (8:05) a remake of the Herbie Hancock "classic" (even though it's only four years old) with its creator taking part in the modernized version (as well as several Mwandishi alumni and Bennie Maupin who was one of the original Headhunters, too!) I love all of the innovative sounds Herbie, synth specialist John Bowen, and guitarist Ray Obiedo are employing to funk-up and "modernize" the song. So funny to have these songs re-covered A) so soon after their initial entry into pop consciousness and B) by members of the original lineup now four years "older"! LOL! It's even been discofied a bit! Though it is definitely different than the original, it's still a great song. (Perhaps its just one of those songs that you can never ruin no matter how you choose to approach it.) (14/15)

2. "Cyclops" [James Mtume] (5:18) Eddie and his record company felt good enough about this song to have released it as a 45-single! It's definitely catchy--like the instrumental ear candy that many jazz fusion artists were turning toward at this time--before Jazz-Rock Fusion was being spilled over into Smooth Jazz, Disco Funk, Adult Contemporary, Yacht Rock, 80s R&B and Hip-Hop, and even New Age. It feels as if the piano chords in this song were lifted directly off of the master tapes for the 1984 Soul/R&B hit song "Hey DJ" by The World Famous Supreme Team. It is a great, fun, highly enjoyable listen. (9.333/10)

3. "Emotions" [Eddie Henderson] (4:59) gentle yet sophisticated with Paul Jackson's bass notes and bass harmonics forming much of the foundation with percussive drum play turning to full kit use in the second minute. Eddie's flugelhorn lead is quite melodic--quite like hearing a human voice pronounce its words quite intentionally. The involvement of the rest of the band seems minimal, other than Herbie's Fender Rhodes. (9/10)

4. "Prance On" [James Mtume] (5:16) another Mtume song that falls right into the Disco world that James would stick with throughout the 80s, there are CHIC-like clavinet, rhythm guitar strains, and background synth "strings" accents and flourishes that would become absorbed and exploited fully by Michael Jackson's songwriting/production crew from here (Off the Wall) through Thriller, but the bass is all disco and novelty Funk-Soul/R&B. Overall, it's a little too drawn out and monotonous. (8.875/10)

5. "Amoroso" [Bennie Maupin] (5:38) interesting funk R&B with some novelty sounds covered by some great percussion and trumpet play. Using a fairly dull, straightforward drum "program" the syncopation comes complete from the horns and bass teaming up to carry the melodic rhythm track while Herbie and muted Eddie solo among the flurries of other contributors sneaking in their inputs. (8.875/10)

6. "Mahal" [Eddie Henderson] (4:27) I'm not sure where Eddie was at this time in his life but I find it interesting that the three compositions credited to him on this album are all rather slow, gentle, and tender. Love? Loss? Sadness? Transition? How does the doctor use his music for therapy? There are wonderfully tender inputs from Herbie (muted clavinet), John Bowen (Oberheim strings), Julian Priester, and Paul Jackson on this lovely little tune. (9/10)

7. "Ecstasy" [Eddie Henderson] (3:25) dreamy Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood-like fairy dust coming from Herbie's JOHNNY COSTA-like Fender Rhodes is the only support Eddie uses to express his ruminative mood--like something from FRANK SINATRA's masterpiece of late-night regret, In the Wee Small Hours, or Freddie Hubbard on several of his song remakes on next year's The Love Connection. I really like contemplative songs like this: makes me think that some humans (without the aide of alcohol) are really thinking about their lives. A rather beautiful duet but not really anything contributing to the expansion of the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 37:08

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Third-entering-upon-Fourth Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion that illustrates that Eddie (and Herbie) are still committed to continuing to push the boundaries of that which is possible for the movement.

The Finnish prog band FANTASIA are known from their eponymous sole album (1975), one of the definitive classics of the 'smaller' Finnish prog acts of the seventies. The album line-up already changed in 1976 but the group disbanded in 1979 without further releases at the time. In the early 2010's guitarist-vocalist Hannu Lindblom gathered a new line-up under the name Fantasia, after the album had seen its first CD reissue. In 2017 was released this three-track EP of new material.

The instrumental 'Bosses låt' is a cover of a piece by the Swedish prog band Fläsket Brinner, featured on their 1971 album and composed by the band's organist Bo[sse] Hansson -- yes, the Sagan om Ringen guy. This version is sonically tighter and more emphasized on guitar whereas the original has also flute plus some sax in the end. Although the composition per se doesn't much progress, it is easy to recognize as an early 70's prog instrumental.

'Desert Storm' is composed by Lindblom to the English lyrics by Pirkko Hautamäki. Also this one is very 70's in style, slightly resembling the Meddle era Pink Floyd, or rather, A Tab in the Ocean era Nektar for the hard- rocking psychedelic atmosphere. Lindblom's vocals have aged and roughened but they're still ok. The playing is powerful especially for the organ and electric guitar.

'Tämä uni' (= This dream) turns out to be the same piece in different Finnish lyrics by Kari Ilmonen who had also written the lyrics for the album in 1975. "Good, but non-essential" three stars. The fourth star would need a little more material than one cover and one new tune in two langauages.

This is the project of one man with only one guest on bass. The music is rooted in the symphonic prog of the 1970s. The melodies are developed around lush keyboards and emotional vocal harmonies. Some acoustic passages bring Genesis and Hackett's style of playing. The flute passage adds to the retro prog feel that we have throughout the album. The guitars are never as heavy as some Neo-Prog bands, and the prominent use of acoustic guitar and flute provided an almost pastoral atmosphere. I am impressed by the quality of the songs from start to finish. For now, this album seems to be a step ahead of other albums from this project, because the songs have the edge that was missing. This could be in my top 10 albums this year!

MAJEURE is the solo project of Anthony Pattera, who is in fact a drummer and an electronics musician. If that name is familiar you might be a fan of ZOMBI, as Pattera and Steve Moore are the duo who make up that band. "Timespan" is his debut from 2009, the same year ZOMBI released "Spirit Animal". His choice of the name MAJEURE has to come from TANGERINE DREAM's "Force Majeure" record. An album where electronics and drums figured prominently, like here.

There are three long tracks over 43 minutes. The music is quite catchy and melodic, not that far from the parent band. There's a host of electronic sounds here, plus the real drums are a bonus in my opinion. This is catchy and fun, but also really well done with that adventerous spirit. "The Dresden Codex" is the 14 1/2 minute opener. We get sequencers right out of the gate followed by synths and drums. This is great! Check out the bass synths before 3 minutes. I much prefer the first half of this track. It's a little mellow on the second half.

"Teleforce" is my favourite and the shortest at 9 1/2 minutes. Again sequencers hit us first followed by drums and this is rocking pretty good. Woo hoo! Synths sweep in after 3 1/2 minutes. So good. There's even more going on over those final 3 minutes.

"Timespan" the title track clocks in at 18 1/2 minutes. Love the start with the windy atmosphere as sounds pulse. The atmosphere turns more dense, then synths drop like rain as the atmosphere subsides and another wave of sounds arrives and takes over. No rain. Sequencers after 4 1/2 minutes along with drums before the synths come in like a cold front after 6 minutes. The tempo picks up before 11 minutes before it all settles around 15 1/2 minutes but sequencers, drums and spacey synths continue.

I have "Solar Maximum" from 2012 lined up next, his sophomore record. "Timespan" is entertaining yet adventerous. It's a cd I looked forward to popping in the stereo every time. A solid 4 stars for this one.

A Good Drama

I don't think I need to write an introduction for this album on Prog Archives, since it already has 190 reviews and comes from a classic progressive rock band. But a little history never hurts. After a long, two-year tour, Yes closed out a successful decade during which they released several landmark albums. However, the recording of Tormato was a complete disaster, and the resulting album left not only the band but also many fans?and especially the label?deeply dissatisfied.

That's why the band, with its classic lineup and taking advantage of Rick Wakeman's return, planned a tour covering their entire 1970s discography. Each show lasted between two hours and 45 minutes to well over three hours. Despite the length, the tour was a success, and Yes re-established itself. Perhaps it marked the end of an era for the band?or even the band itself. The dilemma, along with the failure of Tormato, put Yes in a difficult position. In fact, none of the classic members responded when Chris Squire and Alan White reached out to discuss the band's future.

At that point, Squire, Howe and White began rehearsing on their own. despite everyone's hopes, it didn't work out. Each time Squire headed to rehearsals, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles played on the radio. He thought it was terrible?but there was something about the song that stuck with him. Howe left, and Squire and White were jamming alone.

One day, Squire began playing the hit song of the moment. White followed, laughing. In the middle of the jam, they stopped to talk. White said he liked the middle section and thought it had something. Squire felt it too and that's when he realized it might be a good idea to talk to Atco Records.

Squire, accompanied by Brian Lane his dude close friend, manager, and owner of the studio where Yes used to rehearse arranged a meeting with The Buggles. It turned out that Trevor Horn already knew Squire quite well, and they agreed to start working together, bringing in Horn's counterpart, keyboardist Geoff Downes. However, Horn made one thing clear: if it was going to be a Yes album, it had to include Steve Howe, whom Horn saw as the key member responsible for the classic Yes sound. Squire contacted Howe, who was finishing a short tour for his latest solo album. Howe agreed, but with one condition: that the album be produced by Eddie Offord the classic producer who hadn't worked with Yes since Relayer in 1974.

What Horn didn't know at that point was that Jon Anderson, the other fundamental piece of Yes, would not be part of the lineup.

And so, Squire convinced him that he would be the vocalist on the project, and Horn finally accepted. The band began working in New York, but they were broke, so Lane approached Atco Records to request a $200,000 advance. Initially denied, after some tough negotiation he managed to secure a better deal?$400,000. It was the first Yes album that started with a cash advance.

The album consisted of several Squire,Howe and White songs, along with others they had been rehearsing on studio, for a few weeks. Horn suggested including a Buggles song, "Into the Lens," as a potential promotional single. Although the Yes version was less commercial, it had the potential to bridge the prog world with the pop world.

Unfortunately, Offord's return as producer proved to be a disaster. He was going through a difficult emotional period, and his erratic behavior led the band to keep him on only as co-producer. His most valuable contribution came specifically on "Into the Lens." The production was eventually taken over by Hugh Padgham, then a young and relatively unknown figure who would later work with Sting, XTC, Genesis, and Phil Collins. As soon as work began under Padgham, everything started to feel easier and more relaxed than expected.

For example, Machine Messiah was rehearsed and recorded in just one day. The next day, inspired by Trevor Horn, they began work on White Car. Does It Really Happen? was a track originally rejected by Yes during the Going for the One sessions, but it was a personal favorite of Alan White. Side two opens with the masterful version of Into the Lens. Run Through the Light was one of the songs from the Squire and White era, but reworked in the studio?especially by Howe. Finally, Tempus Fugit was a song that originated in 1979 from a kind of Squire-Howe-White project.

Yes also worked on additional material during the recording sessions, though much of it remained incomplete. This included "We Can Fly from Here" and "Go Through This," which were later performed during the 1980 tour and eventually released on the live compilation The Word Is Live. "We Can Fly from Here" was later expanded into a 20-minute suite on Yes's 2011 studio album Fly from Here. A third track, "Crossfire," was also later released on another compilation.

The album's sleeve was designed by Roger Dean his first artwork for a Yes album since Relayer in 1974. When Dean was commissioned for the project, he already knew the album's title and approached the design with what he described as "an intuitive approach" to match the tone and spirit of the music. The title Drama was not chosen at random. It reflected the turbulent period the band went through before and during the making of the album the internal tensions, lineup changes, financial struggles, and the emotional weight of trying to rebuild Yes without Jon Anderson. It was, quite literally, a drama both musically and personally.

And yet, despite the odds, Drama stands as one of the most unique and underrated records in the Yes discography. It may lack the spiritual voice of Anderson, but it compensates with a renewed energy, tighter arrangements, and a bold fusion of progressive complexity with new wave flair. Horn and Downes brought fresh textures, and the core of Squire, White, and Howe delivered powerful performances. Songs like Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit are now considered essential by many fans.

Over time, the album has gained respect, especially as listeners have re-evaluated it without the burden of its original context. It marked both an end and a new beginning?an experimental chapter that captured a band in transformation. Drama may have started in crisis, but it emerged as a reinvention.

— First review of this album —

The cover photo here reflects GRIMM's newish urban sophistication at the time, having come off the excellent "Parplar" release a few years prior, and inspires some fear that she may have gone abjectly mainstream. Luckily, "Soul Retrieval" is but an extension of its predecessor's aspirations. The ensemble now includes the legendary TONY VISCONTI which can't hurt. The opening number and the wonderful "Without a Body.." (perhaps her best song to this point) do flirt with pop, but an off kilter version nonetheless, epitomized by the latter's fanciful whistle-like synths. "Be a Great Burglar" is the third highlight with its haunting and eerily familiar tune and approach. Unfortunately the rest lacks the consistency, exceptionality and variety of "Parplar", ranging from the buzzkill blues of "The Road is Paved with Blues" to the decent but lightly uninspired "Flash and Thunder Came to Earth", so this isn't quite the album that might lead to Grimm's ascension, even if you might be singing along in spots.

The infectious popularity of Alain Mion's first CORTEX album obviously called for a follow up. The problem was in keeping his original band mates interested (and, I suppose, paid). Aside from drummer Alain Gandolfi (who, with Mion, would remain the core-constant throughout the Cortex career), an entire cast of newcomers has had to have been recruited in order to record an publish (and tour) with Alain's new songs.

A1. "Devil's Dance" (2:30) a great upbeat, piano & guitar-based Disco tune to open the album. Nice! New bassist Nicolas Mirkov and guitarist Philippe Vautin prove their worth from the opening minute. Even though it's short, it could easily (and happily) have been extended as a long jam (with perhaps some saxes or more solo work from Alain or Nicolas). (9.3333/10)

A2. "Funk Around The Punk" (3:18) definitely funk with the whole band--bass, drums, keys, and rhythm guitar--all participating in the wholeness of a 70s funk song. Guitarist Philippe Vautrin does some pretty cool things with his guitar: partly rhythmic, partly lead (small chords and both plucked and strummed strings). Alain Mion is active on several keyboard tracks indicating multiple over dubs. No horns or winds (that I can detect) on this one. Cute and peppy--very much like a BOB JAMES song. (8.875/10)

A3. "Hurluberlu" (5:10) two chord blues-based funk-rock/R&B with a rolling bass line and driving drum beat so that Alain and Philippe can play around on top. Nice, interesting work from Philippe's fuzzy-flanged lead guitar over this awesome cruisin' song. Excellent work from bassist Nicolas Mirkov (who, by the way, is the sole composer credited for this song) as well as from drummer Gandolfi. (9/10)

A4. "Soul" (2:50) three-chord keyboard entry leads into a funky Disco song with cool clavinet, rhythm guitar, and K.C. & The Sunshine Band "Get Down Tonight" lead guitar work, plus saxophone solos in the second half. Actually a pretty cool and creative song! (9/10)

A5. "Datura" (2:30) bass and guitar provide the most important inputs on this song. Though it has two motifs, it is another song that feels simple, one-dimensional, like a warm-up song or étude/practice/audition tune. One of the few songs not totally credited to Alain Mion, the guitar work of Philippe Vautrin is purely rhythm guitar but co-composer Nicolas Mirkov's bass (and sax) are plenty funky. (4.625/5)

B1. "Poxa" (3:25) this one sounds sappy enough to be a cover--like something that would likely end up as elevator music--but when the female background singers enter and start their "la-la-la-la-las" it kind of eliminates it from elevator heaven and renders it more of a soundtrack to some low-budget film. It's not bad--the musicians' performances are all fine--it's just a bit hokey. (8.75/10)

B2. "Mister J." (3:36) funky and perky little composition by drummer Alain Gandolfi that sounds like an American advertizing song. Female background vocalists enter in the second minute intermittently injecting the word some word that sounds perhaps more like "raina" than "régina." (8.875/10)

B3. "Régina" (5:00) the lone composition of guitarist Philippe Vautrin opens with guitar setting the chord progression, key, and pace. Funky bass, straightforward drums, keys, and clavinet "horns" plus real horns join in (the real horns gaining more traction the further into the song we go). (8.875/10)

B4. "Efficace Swing" (2:58) a nice little flute-led dittie that feels unfinished, more like an étude or practice song that never received the attention needed to finish it. Why is there no credit given to the flutist? (8.875/10)

B5. "Oh. Lord" (6:20) I love the etheric female vocalese singing like an angel over the church-like Hammond organ chords throughout the first half of this song. The little Hammond flurries in-between the two rounds of Alice Prévost's vocals is a little corny, but overall it's very cool. And then it ends. There is a rather long pause as if there is a whole new song starting, but I do recognize the same chords/key in the opening Fender Rhodes display. And then the bass, drums, and rhythm guitar-like chord play of Alain's left hand join in and provide a lovely funk-lite love song. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 37:52

The overall impression I have of this album is that it is a collection of interesting and fun ideas that the two Alains and their band mates were using for practice/workout sessions, most of which never really got fully developed or "polished." There are plenty of nice melodies and pleasant funk-lite grooves throughout, just nothing as amazing as the first album.

A-/five stars; though I really would not consider this a true masterpiece of top tier Jazz-Rock Fusion, the album is filled with brilliant, sometimes innovative ideas, excellent performances by all musicians involved and some great earworm- like ditties and hooks--and, of course, a core of silky-smooth funk! I sure miss the dreamy voice of Mireille Dalbray!

As fate would have it, the members of Deep Purple's famous Mark II, immersed and scattered in different projects (Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover with Rainbow, Jon Lord with Whitesnake, Ian Gillan with his solo project and the failed attempt of 'Born Again' with Black Sabbath, and Ian Paice with Gary Moore's band), agreed that it was time to iron out their differences and give a second life to the band's most emblematic line-up. And what seemed impossible happened eleven years after 1973's "Who Do We Think We Are", the last joint work, with the release of "Perfect Strangers" (1984), the Englishmen's eleventh album.

A proposal that, although it no longer has the power and carefree nature of musicians with more than a decade of experience behind them, follows a balanced and well-balanced line, in which two of the singles that supported its release stand out: the intriguing and lascivious "Knocking At Your Back Door" with the tense introductory atmosphere that Lord creates with his Hammonds, and the thick and mysterious half-time of the orientalised "Perfect Strangers" and its nods to Zeppelin's 'Kashmir'; and the melancholic power ballad "Wasted Sunsets" with Blackmore's hurtful guitar solo and Gillan's best vocal performance on the album.

The rest of the songs, oriented towards an agile hard rock adapted to the demands of the convulsive and changing decade of the eighties, maintain a very good level, in which the sound base built from Glover's bass and Paice's spirited drums full of cymbals sustain the riffs and guitar solos that Blackmore intersperses with Lord's arresting keyboard playing on the lively "Under the Gun", "Nobody's Home", "Mean Streak" and "A Gypsy's Kiss".

Finally, "Hungry Daze", with its dancing riffs of Arabic airs and an experimental sci-fi interlude, provides the differentiating touch to an album as unexpected as it was celebrated, which reached fifth place in the UK and seventeenth in the US charts and revived Deep Purple's career.

P.S. The remastered 1999 version includes "Not Responsible" and Blackmore's very interesting and extended experimental jam "Son of Alerik" (B-side of the single 'Perfect Strangers'), which is well worth a listen.

3.5/4 stars