THE MASQUERADE OVERTURE

Is it possible for music to be too melodic, almost too catchy? Perhaps the music on this 1996 album falls into that category. Excellent songs showcasing good tunes and first-rate musicianship almost leave me feeling I've had a surfeit of music by the end of the album. Lest I leave you with the wrong impression, I should say that I like this album a lot and play it often. All the tracks are highly accessible; it's almost an album of singles, although 'As Good As Gold' and 'Paintbox' are the crème de la crème. You could whistle or hum along to this album from start to finish if you were so inclined. The music is slightly reminiscent of the music on GENESIS' "A Trick Of The Tail", although I prefer "The Masquerade Overture" to that album. I have to say that I find Nick Barrett to have a very slightly whining voice, but that's a very minor grumble.

The CD I own (Toff Records PEND7CD) has 7 studio tracks plus one bonus track recorded live ('The Last Man On Earth' from the band's 1993 album "The Window Of Life", which is also a very good song although Nick Barrett's singing is a bit strained on this live recording).

I find it a real pleasure to listen to this album. If you are a fan of neo-Prog and enjoy very tuneful music then it's likely that you'll like this album too. The band's Web site says that this album is the band's bestseller to date with "over 60,000 copies sold worldwide"; peanuts compared to album sales by mainstream artists, and the band deserves better than that for an album of this calibre. Easily a 4-star album (Excellent addition to any Prog Rock collection).