EKSEPTION 3

For the third album the story 'Le Petit Prince' of Saint Exupery was the source of inspiration. The opening track, 'Peace planet' was a big hitsingle, very remarkable for an all instrumental track based on a Badinerie written by Bach. Two of the songs on this album feature a singer, the rest is all instrumental music. Bach is featured in two compositions, Rachmaninoff is used in 'On Sunday they will kill the world', Grieg is incorporated in Bottle Mind, and finally the last track on the album is Beethoven's Rondo from his third pianoconcerto, which transforms after the initial theme into a very relaxed Jazz waltz with great solos from Dick Remelinck, Rein van den Broek. The other compositions are written by Rick van der Linden again, of which the most notable is the Piece for Symphonic and Rock Group in A minor, where a sad orchestral movement leads into a fiery explosion of Rick on the piano. In short: an excellent album which was re-released on the double CD 'Three Originals'.

You have forgotten for a several time the classical music, and it's famous composers? Well, Bach and Beethoven are still alive, here, yes, in the prog rock music. I'm talking about Ekseption; somebody said van der Linden was a great Keith Emerson follower, ,maybe; this man is a 20th century master, but he lost connection with the world after Trace, beginning his solo career. Coming back to this album, it was the third in Ekseption discography; here you can listen songs with strong vocals, but being this its weak point; and symphonic pieces like "Peace Planet", where van der linden execution is really amazing, and "The Lamplighter", with jazz influences and a exact inclusion of wind instruments. And you can't imagine this disc without "Morning Rose", or "Family, i'm going away, don't await for me, 'cause i won't come back, i'll give my body and soul for my country" and things like that. And, if you like this disc, you should have "Trinity" and the complete "Selected Ekseption" album.

Have a nice day(that's great too)

Osvaldo Karson "Por la causa obrera"

REALLY: 4,66

That album! That masterpiece! "3" is one of the better disks of every time. If it finds the better moments in: "Peace Planet", "B612", "Morning Rose", "Piece For Symphonic And Rock group In A minor", "On Sunday They Will Kill The World" and "Rondo" and in the voice of Steve Allet. This is the prog, that is to stay the classic music of 20th century! here it arrives almost to the perfection. And it is not even an album forced. What it surprises it is the naturalness that is breathed in the listening. Personally little album is so novelty to distance of 30 years!

I already recommended Beggar Julia's Time Trip as a good start to explore the music of Ekseption. Another good album is their third. This is another Ekseption album that features vocals. This time however you don't hear the voice of Michiel van Dijk, but they enlisted singer Steve Allett (his real name is Coen Merkelbach). Van Dijk however still sings on one track, Another History. On this album you can find a mix of "classic" tracks and original written tracks.

It opens with a good version of Bach's Peace Planet, which has that wonderful organ sound from Van der Linden. The first vocal track is B 612. Allett sings in a more operatic way than an Dijk, but it works well with the pastoral music. Morning Rose has vocals as well and is yet another good, melodic track. Piece for symphonic and rock group in A minor is divided in two parts. In the first part you hear the orchestra, in the second part it is the rock group. The Lamplighter is a jazzy reworking of a Bach classic. On Sunday They Will Kill The World has vocals again. For Ekseption standards it sounds rather heavy. On Another History we hear the voice of Michiel van Dijk. Maybe this track is a leftover from Beggar's Julia. This doesn't mean it isn't good, since it is. The album ends with a typical Ekseption song, with organ extravaganza and a jazz part in the middle.

This album is, next to Beggar's Julia Time Trip, the best Ekseption has to offer. A good album indeed.

Peace planet A lovely faster version of Bach´s toccata & fugue g moll, or how it is called. The horns add a nice flavour to it. Good bass on this one, too. 5 stars

B 612 Too heavy on the horn section and the vocaal sound too much Sinatraesque for my taste. Well, the instrumental breaks are fine, though. 2.5 stars

Morning rose A ballad, with a fine melody, but those irritating vocals again. The nmice, Bach inspired organ solo by Van den Linden doesn´t help. 3.5 stars

Piece for symphonic and rock group in A minor A nice, dramatic piece, with the brass section in the first part, and then getting faster and more jazzy with the horn section and a nice solo from Rick van den Linden on organ. Fine drumming, too. 5 stars

The lamplighter A lovely atmospheric track with classical organ playing from Van den Linden that segues into a jazzier part, as usual for the group. I really like the vay the classical merges with jazz on this one. 5 stars

Bottle mind An upbeat track with horns leading the main melody, which is a reworking of a well known classical theme. There is even some electric guitar on this one. The band plays very tight. 4 stars

On sunday they will kill the world A creepy.and pessimistic title, but the melody is just fine, as are the vocals of Steve Allet, who finally doesn´t sound like a crooner. 5 stars

Another history A fine ballad with vocals from Michael van Dijk. Sounds dated, but itś still quite good. 3.5 stars

Rondo I like Emerson´s Rondo more, but this one still good, with the characteristical interchanges of classical and jazzy sections. The melody is strong, but that´s obvious, since it´s lifted from Bach. The upbeat passages are nice as well, and the jazz sections are cohesive with the rost and up to the point. 4 stars

Overall rating: 4 STARS

EXCELLENT ADDITION TO ANY PROG MUSIC COLLECTION

This third album by Dutch jazz-rock and classical influenced band had confirmed their stand as solid band with inventive music compositions. The CD of this album is quite rare and I can only review this through my cassette collection that I purchased in the 70s. The album kicks off nicely with "Peace planet" (3:32), an instrumental piece with catchy organ like Procol Harum music style followed by fast tempo music where the organ solo is supported by tight bass lines and inventive clavinet. It's an energetic song that creates an uplifting mood. Drums are also excellent. But I salute the bass playing style of Cor Dekker, it's so powerful throughout the album.

The second track "B 612" (4:08) is a song with vocal (Steve Allet, who replaced previous lead singer in "Beggar Julia's Time Trip" album. This song has a great brass section combined beautifully with clavinet in jazz rock style. There is a nice trumpet solo at the end. The overall style reminds me to the music of Blood, Sweat, and Tears. "Morning rose" (3:04) starts with nice clavinet in slow tempo followed beautifully with vocal line. Clavinet provides great work at background. Right after first verse the organ enters brilliantly in Procol Harum style.

"Piece for symphonic and rock group in A minor" (5:53) comprises two movements: a) Part one: Passacaglia and b) Part two: Painting. Part One starts with an orchestra in ambient mood demonstrating clarinet solo. It's really a catchy opening in slow tempo. String section then takes lead in solo while the background music combines orchestra and timpani sound. On Part Two, the music then turns into fast tempo with dazzling drum, inventive bass lines, staccato trumpets and great organ. All instruments play in intertwining roles.

"The lamplighter" (3:01) is another instrumental piece with great organ at opening followed with trumpet solo while bass playing is obvious and tight, followed with great organ solo and then great church organ work. "Bottle mind" (2:45) is an instrumental music with fast tempo, staccato brass rock section which reminds me to Blood, Sweat & Tears music. The music interlude is wonderful with pulsating organ sound. "On sunday they will kill the world" (3:26), the opening part reminds me to Chicago 7's "Old Days". Vocal enters nicely. Music interlude is nice with great organ / piano work. Bass guitar is also great. "Another history" (4:37) has a great brass section backed by piano & dynamic bass lines followed wit trumpet solo backed with dazzling bass guitar work . Vocal line enters beautifully in low to medium register notes. After the first verse, organ gives a Procol Harum sound. It s really COOL!!

Overall, this is a VERY GOOD album by Ekseption and I think it deserves a four stars rating: an excellent addition to any prog music collection. For those who love jazz-rock, this is a MUST HAVE album that you should not miss. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Once the Ekseption machine was switched on, it was really hard to be slowed down, even if the line-up changes were a frequent phenomenon for the band.Vocalist Michel van Dijk parted ways with Ekseption to taste a brief stint with Brainbox and later to join Alquin.He was replaced by Steve Allet (born as Coen Merkelbach).Also drummer Peter de Leeuwe returned behind the drum kit, replacing Dennis Whitebread, who went on to join Cargo under his real name of Dennis Witbraat.Even so van der Linden & co. recorded a third album for Phillips in 1970, simply entitled ''3'', another concept album around the story of Le Petit Prince.

Again the music is largely instrumental with strong Classical influences and van der Linden adapting moments from the timeless music of Bach, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, mixing them cleverly with a fascinating Jazz/Horn Rock and obvious 60's psychedelic influences.Superb work on Hammond organ and harsichord with beautiful manipulations, offering both melodic and virtuosic themes, highlighted by the excellence of the background trumpets and saxes.Grandiose and pompous instrumental textures, that are pleasant to the ear and, even a bit dated, speak straight to the heart of the listener.New singer Steve Allet had a very JIM MORRISON-kind of singing style and in fact a couple of songs in the album do sound like a Classical version of THE DOORS with deep, psychedelic overtones, for example the fantastic ''On sunday they will kill the world''.For the most of its length the album is majestic with nice string sections, dreamy horn sounds and ethereal keyboards, while the songs are perfectly structured to deliver both magnificent melodies and more progessive colors, led by the complexity of Classical Music's fundamentals.Note that most of the lyrics were written by Dutch radio-presenter Will Luikinga.

Impressive combination of Classical and Jazz/Horn Rock in a highly adventurous album, full of pompous, very tight pieces and a deeply symphonic finesse.Another step towards perfection by this overlooked Prog band.Highly recommended.

For this third album from EKSEPTION again there were some changes in the line-up: lead singer Michel van Dijk was replaced by Steve Allet (although van Dijk appears in 'Another History' as lead singer and lyricist), and drummer Peter de Leeuwe returned to the band. For this album Rick van der Linden composed all the original music with the rest of the lyrics being written by Will Luikinga. Producer Tony Vos again appeared as guest playing saxes.

This is another concept album by the band, this time having as central theme Antoine de Saint-Exupery`s book titled 'Le Petit Prince' ('The Little Prince'). This album is even more Progressive than their previous two albums, and it seems to me that with each new album the band was having more confidence, a more stable line-up (with Rick van der Linden, Rein van der Broek, Cor Dekker, Peter de Leewe and Dick Remelink appearing together in this and other three albums during the seventies) and a more stable musical style with less inclinations to Pop music. For this album, van der Linden was increasingly becoming the musical leader of the band and his influence over the musical arrangements is even more clear, with maybe J.S. Bach`s music and Baroque music in general having more influence in the musical style of the band.

'Peace Planet' is an arrangement from J.S. Bach`s 'Badinerie From Suite No. 2 In B Minor', played with energy. I remember that parts of this track were used in a TV ad in my country in the late seventies.

'B612' has Steve Allet in lead vocals, with very good spinet playing from van der Linden and with very good Jazz arrangements and very good solos from van der Broek and Remelink.

'Morning Rose' is another song which was sung by Allet and with some Hammond Organ playing by van der Linden which makes me remember PROCOL HARUM a bit.

'Piece For Symphonic- And Rock group In A Minor (Part 1: Passacaglia, Part 2: Painting)' has in the first part an orchestra playing mostly without the band, and in the part two the band playing an instrumental Jazz-Rock influenced musical piece, without the orchestra, again with van der Linden playing spinet in some parts and an organ solo.

'The Lamplighter' is an adaptation from J.S. Bach`s 'Prelude And Fugue In Minor' with some Jazz arrangements.

'Bottle mind' is a fast instrumental musical piece with some (uncredited) influences in the melody from 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' from Grieg`s 'Peer Gynt Suite No. 1'. It also has a very good and brief bass solo by Cor Dekker.

'On Sunday They Will Kill The World' is a more influenced Rock musical piece sung by Allet with musical parts taken from Rachmaninoff `s 'Prelude In C Sharp Minor'.

As I mentioned before, 'Another History' is sung by Michel van Dijk and has lyrics written by him. Maybe it was recorded for their previous album ('Beggar Julia`s Time Trip', 1970) and also it maybe has an uncredited Dennis Whitbread playing the drums, but I could be wrong. Very influenced by Jazz and J.S. Bach`s music, and with Hammond organ solos which makes me remember PROCOL HARUM again. This song was also released as a single.

'Rondo' was taken from Beethoven`s 'Piano Concerto No.3 In C Minor', with van der Linden playing the original piano parts in an organ, and with an extended and maybe improvised instrumental Jazz section with him on piano and with very good solos from Remelink and van der Broek. Apparently it was recorded 'live in concert' because it has applauses from an audience at the end (with van der Linden or someone else saying 'Thank you!' to that audience).

I watched on youtube a video (maybe done for TV) with the band playing live in concert some parts of songs from this and previous albums, with 'Rondo' and 'On Sunday They Will Kill The World' being played from this album and with Steve Allet on vocals in this last song. The band appears playing in a stadium, with a lot of energy.

As a whole, this album is very good, and it is maybe one of their most Progressive albums.

I was quite taken away when I first heard Ekseption at the beginning of my prog-rock listening career because it sounded so unique to me to blend classical rock with music. As years went by, I find their music highly derivative, with little additional input and lacking the one-of-a-kind stamp. It cannot be denied that the players are skilled and can switch from classical music to rock or jazz-rock. The greatest attraction is never a dull moment playing by Van der Linden, his array of keyboards is astounding and there are so many different moods, from solemn, celebrating to pompous, laid-back or uplifting. Not an album that you would listen to multiple times to discover new aspects - just listen to the tight interplay, great keyboard solos and ignore the classical music rip-offs. For those searching for more substance and sense of originality, go listen to "Trace" also with van Der Linden behind the keyboards but better developed. To listen to more ambitious prog-classical music, you'd better spend time with ELP, Nice or the first two albums by Electric Light Orchestra.