THE STOLEN BICYCLE

After listening to their debut album "Astronomy Made Easy" I was hooked on the extreme talents of BOUD DEUN. If you want to hear some real scrumptious violin with guitar, bass and drum interplay then you must pick this band's work up. "The Stolen Bicycle" marks their second and arguably most comprehensive work to date. This album is soaring and full of some absolutely tasty instrumental work outs. "The Stolen Bicycle" is actually a large number of smaller vignettes which get the opportunity to individually explore some new musical ground. This is a magical little album which demands much listening attention and is a real instrumental work of art. Greg Hiser's violin work is simply "exemplar" and when juxtaposed with Shawn Persinger's guitar offerings we are treated to a wild instrumental contrast. Overall songs are highly calibrated and well crafted with precision execution... Folks who like an electric "progressive jazz'fest" will need to own this recording... simply amazing!

4.5 stars. It's a crime this album has so few reviews. BOUD DEUN existed from 1994-1998, and during that time they played live constantly. So when they got to this their final album they were as tight as Dean Martin on a Saturday night. There are so many passages here that are pure bliss. The soundscape is often thunderous with the mind numbing bass and drum work. While the guitarist and violinist are like lightning flashing across the sky as they light it up. I don't think there is any question that this band was one of the best in the USA during the later half of the nineties. After the first two tracks we get the "Churches" suite a 16 song 38 minute adventure. A lot of these songs blend together. The cover art is cool with the cartoon picture of a boy on his bike smiling. There is actually a cartoon in the liner notes that's kind of cute.The music is anything but cute.

"Waterford" really establishes what this band is all about right off the bat. Lots of tempo changes with violin throughout. The heaviness thunders in and out, and the guitar sounds incredible. Check out the drumming as well. "Ralis" is an uptempo song with violin and drums leading the way. The bass is killer ! Some ripping guitar 2 minutes in.The rest of the way is the "Churches" suite beginning with "Belfast" which has such a full and solid sound. "Saints" has some quiet, eerie calm sections while the middle of the song is powerful with a louder and stronger sound. "Cotton's Sermon" has a fantastic sound ! The guitar melodies are amazing ! This song blends into the next one "Ten Pence" which features some great drum and guitar work. The guitar is replaced by the violin. "Burnsville" is another highlight. Time changes abound. They can stop and start on a dime. Check out the bass after a minute. Blistering guitar 2 1/2 minutes in.

"The Last Of A Thousand Days" features violin and guitar trading solos and they both sound great. Bass also takes a turn. This guy can play ! The drums sound really good on "A Famous Rabbit". "Lantern Effect" is uptempo with some scorching violin and guitar melodies. "Train, Rain, Zero" has a heavy intro before settling down quickly. This is a tasteful, intricate track. "A Horseshoe Invasion / A Church In York" is one of my favourites. It speeds up and then slows down. Things get crazy 3 1/2 minutes in, you have to hear this. An amazing sound follows. "Broken Spokes" is a nice relaxing tune as they slow things down. The guitar and violin add some passion though.The song becomes more powerful after 4 minutes. Some impressive guitar lights it up late. "Two Worlds" is the longest song at almost 6 minutes. Light drums and mournful violin as some nice bass work follows. The song becomes more aggressive before relaxing again 3 1/2 minutes in. Some nice heavy drums 4 minutes in as the guitar grinds it out. Nice.

This is the perfect marriage of top notch playing with some great compositions. They certainly went out with a bang.

This is not background music. I mean, you could paint your living room with this blasting in the background because your mind is doing little else; or it's also great for driving that open country road just a little bit fast with the windows down. But you won't be able to read a book with it on, nor will you be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with your sweetie when this is clamoring to break out of your speakers.

Boud Deun (pronounced "booed DEE-un") excels at composing and playing some very complex instrumental prog rock/jazz fusion music. It is not for the faint of heart. Frequently compared to Mahavishnu Orchestra and Red-era King Crimson, they really have a sound all their own - a sound filled with energy, muscle, adventure and intensity, along with occasional slower breaks to help you catch your breath.

Both Shawn Persinger (guitar) and Greg Hiser (violin) are virtuosic performers, and share equally in the lead lines of their compositions. I hear much more violin here than with any M.O. or K.C. recording. Perhaps closer to the Dixie Dregs sound at times, but the Dregs were rarely this consistently frenetic (or this dissonant, either). Matt Eiland plays some great bass guitar to offer just the right amount of polyphony. Needless to say, the drumming of Rocky Cancelose is intricate and feisty.

"Stolen Bicycle" is made up of 18 tracks, most of which are only 3-4 minutes long. The tracks burn, rip, glide, swerve and swing into ever-changing territory. You will not find as many melodic hooks in their music as with some other bands of their ilk. They focus more on technical proficiency, much as did the baroque music of J.S. Bach's day (only harder and electric...and lots more odd meters!). Still, the music is both intelligent and fun - few bands can pull that off successfully!

Why do the most talented performers tend to go unnoticed? I suspect that this album and its immediate predecessor "Astronomy Made Easy" will some day be known as some of the very top instrumental rock/jazz fusion music ever recorded. Get on the inside track. Listen to Boud Deun today.

4-1/2 stars