HARMONY OF THE SPHERES

Some cover ones : "Harlequin" form "Genesis", "Refugees" from "VDGG" and "Nimrodel" from "Camel".

While the first one is alright (but let's be honest, it is not really the best "Genesis" song), "Refugees" is completely messed up. Vocals totally ruined this sublime VDGG song. It is one of my top five song from this great band and this cover just sounds awful. I have cried so many times when I was hearing this song (really). Because it is one of the most emotional one that I have heard in my loooooooooong musical life. When I hear this version, I am also crying. But because they screwed it up. What have they done to "my" song ?

The best cover is "Nimrodel". Really a pleasant trip back in the earlier "Camel" catalogue.

Some "Finisterre" live numbers as well (four, of which three from their debut album).

When I first listened to "Alta Loma" (an unrealeased song), I was just transported into my very teenage years. This song is a fantastic trip into "Caravanserai" from "Santana". The guitar featured here fully reminds me this great effort (and believe me, I have been living with this fabulous album for some thirty four years now). This track is the true highlight of this double CD set. If ever you are a "Santana" fan, do listen to this jewel. Please.

"SYN" was one of their best number featured on their debut album. It is very well played but some more of their beautiful fluting would have been welcome. But guitar work is so pleasant, so melodious that they are forgiven. This is a truely symphonic song which should please any proghead (and not necessarily fans from the Italian genre since it is fully instrumental). Another highlight here.

"...Dal Chaos...". Here is my comment of the studio album version : "The instrumental "...Dal Caos..." deserves its title. Fully chaotic, improvised music : Crimson in all the glory...". Do you get the picture ? Nothing special to mention about "Isis". It sounds more improv oriented in this live version and therefore does not please me as much as the studio version.

Some demo songs as well (a must, I guess...). Both from their debut album.

"Asia" is a very good instrumental and this version for "Cantoantico" (my fave one from "Finisterre" is fabulous. A fantastic and complex song. A great combination of Eastern influences, Crimson, light and fully Italian prog (beautiful flute). This is just a wonderful piece of music. Full of passion. Grandiose, really.

A big chunk of this release is dedicated to "Höstsonaten", another Fabio's project. Actually, this album might be as well be a "Höstsonaten" one since there will be more unreleased songs from this band than "Finisterre" ones. I personally preferred the former project.

The best example is "Vorrei Incontrarti". Fully symphonic, melodic, subtle. Some marvelous flute touches and a superb acoustic guitar background support. Vocals are the best ones you can get from ...any of these two bands. Another highlight. Altough I like "Höst" very much, a song as "The Garden" is truely useless. A repetitive electronic theme for about forteen minutes. Rather boring. Should have been skipped.

On the good side, a song like "Morning" is brilliant and would have deserved more than to sit on this type of compilation. Another highlight. But most of these "unrealeased" songs were left-overs and, as such, does not compare with the studio work (except "Alta Loma" of course).

There will even be two unreleased "Finisterre" songs ! "The Fall" is by far the best one and can also be consider as a highlight. The long (tweny minutes) "Tecniclor 2100" is a Fabio solo project. It is extremely dull and repetitive. Extremely boooooring.

This is a work difficult to rate. It holds too many different sources to be taken into account as one and only band effort. This compilation work might appeal both fans of "Finisterre" as well as "Höstsonaten". But it should also have been better presented. I would have preferred two single albums for each respective bands (and getting rid of "Tecnicolor").

Two stars for this extremely long release (over two hours and a half) ! Two stars.

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