LA MOSAÏQUE DE LA RÊVERIE

Over the course of seven long songs covering over 50 minutes, you're going to fall in love with this album from the Japanese band Pageant. The instrumental playing is top-notch, with a powerful rhythm section supporting some very lush, symphonic soundscapes. Then come the powerful female vocals of keyboardist Hiroko Nigai - great pipes, and nice range from aggressive to sweet (singing in Japanese). Comparisons to Renaissance pretty much end there, as the electric guitar is a lot busier, and the keyboards more full sounding. Some flute passages also remind one of Camel at times. But this is very original sounding music in its own right, and just a rush to listen to. The cd art in gold and black is just as beautiful as the music, with the wistful face of a young girl with butterfly wings foretelling the fairy tale mood of these very melodic and classically structured songs.

Are these the songs that dreams are made of (as the French title suggests)? It would be difficult for many of us to have dreamt up something this fine in 1986.