DANCERS, ROMANCERS, DREAMERS & SCHEMERS

Funky, remixed Bach ? Tripped Chopin with groovy bassy lines ? Oh well, why not - after all, we in Prog Rock ward are a tolerant bunch. Together with Rocky tunes, full of grandiose melodies (even not on a over-the-top scale as it was on "In Collaboration With Gods", even there the "epic" song was composed mostly of motif, repeating itself ad absurdum, but fortunately not losing its power). Michael Quatro seems to me more like successful trickster - great editing and mixing of various sound effects, rather than strong songs. Speaking of such, my favourite one would probably be Ancient Ones, it's a finely crazy one.

In total, this album works, somehow. Not without imperfections, not without some clogging up, but it's nice piece of work and honestly, it tries to be something. Doesn't quite succeeds at that, but the effort is there.

3,5 Stars !!! The fourth studio album from the North-American keyboard player Michael Quatro, the album that follows "In Collaboration With The Gods" (their best album) is something different , the first 3 tracks from the album comprises one pop ballad (track 1 "Children of Tomorrow "), a hard rock with a "opaque" keyboard arrangement (track 2 "Stryper") and another slightly more sophisticated ballad (track 3 "One by One"). If you let this first impression guide your judgement about the rest, certainly you can reject the best part of this album. Not because the next tracks are wonderful but, at least are more close to real progressive rock. Starting by track 4 "Rollerbach" ( whose title, in my opinion is an allusion to the film "Rollerball" (released in 1975) which uses the Tocata in Dminor for Organ from German composer J. Sebastian Bach and Track 8 "Ad'gio for Organ and Strings" from Italian composer Tomaso Albinoni (also included in the soundtrack of the movie). Another classical re- arrangement, is the musical theme of Polish composer Frederich Chopin ( if i'm not wrong a Nocturne ). This is enough to save the album of the "disaster" of first tracks. Besides, remains track 5 "Circus (What I Am)" , with honky-tonk piano solo and their own solo last track also based in varied classical themes ! My rate is 3 stars, with the reservation which the album deserves a place in my collection !