WIDE AWAKE

This is a Japanese copy of an album with a Dutch artist, who has been around since 1989 in different projects. His real name is Ernst van der Kerkhof, and Alan Case is only a pseudonym. Alan CASE handles some of the vocals himself together with four other vocalists. Sometimes the vocalist sounds like Paddy McAloon (PREFAB SPROUT) and Michael Hutchence (INXS). Mainly Alan is a great keyboard player and a good songwriter.

In Alan's music you can hear influences from seventies prog bands and pop. He grew up listening to The BEATLES, QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN, and DEEP PURPLE. Later he began listening to GENESIS, GENTLE GIANT, KANSAS, RUSH, YES and classical music like Bach and Mozart. The album contains commercial progressive pop/rock. Sometimes the music is a little more progressive with tempo changes and complex passages. The music could be compared to many various artists. Besides the aforementioned bands there's also traces of CAMEL, Jeff CANNATA, GENESIS, JETHRO TULL, MARILLION, MEAT LOAF, MOODY BLUES, Alan PARSONS PROJECT, SUPERTRAMP and YES.

Alan is playing keyboards, acoustic guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. To his help he's got some fine musicians to accompany him. He's keyboard-playing sounds influenced by Keith EMERSON and Rick WAKEMAN. But then again, which progressive keyboard player doesn't those two influences?

The best songs are "Fast Asleep" (the albums most progressive tune and a tribute to KANSAS) and "Wide Awake" (an instrumental track). This is a really good album even though you could criticise that it's to pop oriented. Looking back at 1997 this CD is one of the highlights that year. So I suggest you to go get a copy right now.