THE FORGOTTEN TALES

Am very happy to have Blind Guardian featured at this site because as far as I know, some of their albums were truly "prog" albums. My first attempt with the band was through a "provocation" by metal friend, Hengky, who consistently insisted me to give a try with the band's "A Night at The Opera" album. But I found "Nightfall in Middle Earth" album first in the format of cassette produced by PT Aquarius Musikindo (Indonesian label). Yeah! I fully agree with Hengky my friend because this band has something unique with their music and the album has become one of my all-time favorites. It's not because of the "Lord of The Rings" thing but it's more on the unique music these gentlemen in Blind Guardian deliver their music.

"Forgotten Tales" comprises tracks which previously unreleased and it also features cover version of Uriah Heep's "The Wizard" and Queen's "Spread Your Wings". Even though this is not the best album from the band but I do enjoy this one for couple of reasons. First, because I like the music delivered by Blind Guardian. The vocal line by Hansi Kürsch is quite unique - he sings in an operatic style with deep and sometime high register notes backed with a stream of choirs which sometimes remind me to Gentle Giant's choir. Second, it contains excellent interpretation of legend's song like "The Wizard" and "Spread Your Wings" and other cover version. Third, I like the cover artwork of faceless human being (?) which reminds me to the figure of Naszgul from the Lord of The Rings movie.

Overall, this is a very good compilation of good songs that I believe will not dissatisfy you especially if you like power metal music. My best recommendation is for you to start with "Nightfall in Middle Earth" album first because it's a concept album and it's a masterpiece. Just in case you see this CD at local store, grab it! Anyway ... keep on proggin' ..!

Of course .. I will review their albums .... all ....

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

The Forgotten Tales is a compilation album by German power metal/ symphonic metal ( often refered to as Teutonic metal) act Blind Guardian. The album was released on the 18th of April 1996. The original release had 13 tracks but the album was Remastered and re-released on the 15th of June 2007 with 3 bonus tracks and 2 bonus videos.

The songs come from different recording sessions and therefore the sound on the different songs vary a bit. You have songs produced by three different producers ( Flemming Rasmussen, Kalle Trapp and Piet Sielck) in addition to the songs the band have produced themselves. The difference in sound is very limited though and certainly not a problem. There are both cover songs of The Beach Boys, The Chordettes, Uriah Heep, Queen, The Regents, Little Richard and Mike Oldfield in addition to re-recorded acoustic and orchestral versions of Blind Guardian tracks. It should be noted that there´s not much metal on this album even though it´s still obvious that Blind Guardian is a metal band. The songs are taken from different single releases and some have appeared as bonus tracks on CD re-releases of the early albums by the band. I´m not sure how many that are exclusive to this compilation but my guess is not many.

The re-arranged/ re-recorded versions of songs like Bright Eyes, Black Chamber, A Past and Future Secret and the instrumental orchestral version of Theatre of Pain are all very succesful to my ears and the live version of Mordred´s Song is also very enjoyable with the audience singing with Hansi Kürsch. The cover songs are all very enjoyable too and it always bring a smile to my face to hear the ending of Surfin´ USA played in speed metal/ power metal mode. It´s actually quite tasteless but sooo enjoyable anyway. The Mike Oldfield song To France also brings joy IMO.

I´m usually a bit indiffent towards cover songs but in this case I actually found lots to enjoy and it´s more evidence of how talented Blind Guardian really is. Their re-arrangements of their own songs are also quite clever and deserves recognition. The Forgotten Tales is of course mostly an album for the fans but a 3.5 star rating is well deserved.

'The Forgotten Tales' - Blind Guardian (78/100)

Blind Guardian are one of those bands with a style so unique as to be inimitable. You'll never find someone covering a song of theirs that does the original justice; their music is indelibly tied to a sound only they can provide. Conversely, their grasp of character makes them uniquely predisposed towards performing great covers of their own. It's not just the voice of Hansi Kürsch that really makes their covers truly 'work', nor is it Andre Olbrich's distinctively playful guitar work or even the band's heady rhythm section. A fine part of what makes them so successful with covers is the fact that they choose songs that are perfectly suited to highlighting aspects of themselves that are already present in their own music, even if it's not obvious on paper. The Forgotten Tales has several of these gems and much more. When all the lights go down and I'm looking for something just a bit different from their usual fare, this compilation encompasses their best-loved odds and ends, and shouldn't be dismissed as the sort of 'hardcore fans only' fare that releases of this sort usually amount to.

The Forgotten Tales was released a year after Imaginations from the Other Side was unveiled to the world; as such, I think it allows us to glance into a different side of the band in the midst of their creative peak. For an album essentially cut between curious covers and alternative renditions of existing songs, this release feels remarkably well-sculpted. Although I couldn't quite see myself recommending the album to someone who wasn't already enamoured with any one of their full-lengths, it is really to Blind Guardian's credit that much of the material here is memorable in its own right. A few of the alt versions are potentially even superior to their original counterparts.

It is strange to think that a couple of the cuts here were among my first experiences of Blind Guardian. I remember seeing the video of their "Mr. Sandman" cover and having a good laugh over the heavy metal spookification of an innocent pop standard. Their Beach Boys covers of "Surfin' USA" and "Barbara Ann" (originally by The Regents) are just as silly, but every bit as fun. After the comic dust settles however, it's actually impressive that Blind Guardian managed to take classics from another genre and make them their own. Covering Mike Oldfield's "To France", they make the song their own in such a way that it sounds like they penned it themselves. Hansi Kürsch is gifted with a unique voice that could make Mariah Carey covers potentially enjoyable to listen to, but the entire band inject themselves into these songs. They have substance and thought behind them; call them curiosities if you will, but these covers deserve more than to be tossed away after a single listen.

The alternate versions are even more interesting to me. It's as if Blind Guardian are covering themselves; the essence of each song remains intact, but each carries a different mood. In most cases (their more elaborate arrangement of "Black Chamber" notwithstanding) this entails the song getting softer, but not 'unplugged' as it were. The orchestral and folky instrumentation that tends to get sidelined in their full-length material takes centrestage on these versions, and it sounds just as thoughtfully arranged as something you might hear on one of their more substantial releases.

Compared to a lot of the money grabbing [&*!#]streaks that usually pass for fan comps, The Forgotten Tales is pretty incredible. It doesn't leave anywhere near the mark of Imaginations from the Other Side or another of their full-lengths, but it does dare to be listened to and enjoyed as much. Put simply, this is a collection of well-crafted outcasts; few of them would have rightly fit on a real album, but placed together they're pretty endearing, and should be experienced by anyone who calls themselves more than a casual fan of the band.