Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

TRIPPING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

The Enid

Symphonic Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

The Enid Tripping The Light Fantastic album cover
3.84 | 49 ratings | 3 reviews | 27% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

Write a review

Buy THE ENID Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 1994

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Ultraviolet Cat (10:41)
2. Little Shiners (5:16)
3. Gateway (4:03)
4. Tripping The Light Fantastic (9:17)
5. Freelance Human (5:57)
6. Dark Hydraulic (14:16)
7. The Biscuit Game (9:38)

Total time 59:08

Line-up / Musicians

- Nick May / guitar
- Robert John Godfrey / keyboards, vocal Fx, producer
- Max Read / vocal Fx (1), bass (2,3)
- Wayne Cox / drums (3,4,6)
- Steve Hughes / drums & percussion (1,2)

The voices heard on ?Dark Hydraulic? include Adolf Hitler, a "dalek" and Carl Jung.

Releases information

Artwork: Robert John Godfrey

CD Mantella ‎- MNTL CD 11 (1994, UK)
CD Inner Sanctum - ENID009CD (2002, UK)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy THE ENID Tripping The Light Fantastic Music



THE ENID Tripping The Light Fantastic ratings distribution


3.84
(49 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(27%)
27%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(47%)
47%
Good, but non-essential (18%)
18%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

THE ENID Tripping The Light Fantastic reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by lor68
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars The ENID, they are back!! Well honestly this new release is not equal to their first two masterpieces "In the Region of the Summer Stars" and "Aerie Faire Nonsense"(despite of their simplicity), but it's a very original album, characterized by a clever use of the electronic samples and a modern sound as well, which makes this album very interesting. The first track, which adds anything new or particularly inspired in comparison to their symphonic standards of the past, prevents me to give a 4 star rating, but in the prosecution of the album you find an important improvement and then you can remain satisfied.

Recommended, even though it is not the first place to know their original theatrical style!!

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This was a big surprise even though I was familiar with the Enid's previous work (the first two albums in particular), picking this up from some obscure sale bin, somewhere and unexpectedly. "Tripping the Light Fantastic" on its own without comparisons is a wonderful recording, loaded with shifting moods and creative research. With Robert John Godfrey at the helm, you know that bombastic symphonic keyboards will adorn the almost classical arrangements, slashed by some blistering guitar discharges and stitched tight with rippling bass work and metronomic drumming. "Ultraviolet Cat" tosses some eccentric atmospheric configurations with a slight Yello synthetic feel, marimba synths dancing as if in a Tangerine Dream, with occasional soundtrack fare playfully fiddling with the arrangement by adding vocal effects, meowing guitar leads, synthesized purring and hissing blushes. Really cool stuff! "Little Shiners" is the genuine winner here, with an immense lullaby melody, a guitar solo plaintively expressing the romantic interlude, slowly building steam with absolute restraint until the paroxysm is reached and the delicate piano waves the goodbye handkerchief. "Gateway" explodes from the opening blast, a gigantic unfurling of fanfarish keyboards with an Oldfieldian guitar rip courtesy of Nick May, this piece sounds like a soundtrack from Gladiator so imperial is the tone and breadth of the symphonics. The extraordinary title track reverts to mellower pastures, sounding like a proggy version of Bill Conti/John Williams movie orchestrations, interrupted by some tremendous May interfaces (any relation to Brian May?) and suddenly veering into spicier horizons with a primal propellant beat leading the way. This lush extremism is tempered by the trumpet based orchestral gilding, for which Godfrey lays a claim to fame and you can't help closing your eyes and imagining some personal cinematographic scene. This is a peculiar trait of The Enid's unique brand of "moviola" progressive rock and makes this strange band a priceless iconoclast among prog groups. "Freelance Human" introduces a mercenary theme, padded with overt romanticism and a certain European historic seasoning, again reinforcing the soundtrackish feel, with Godfrey's superlative rippling piano work rolling through massive cascades of orchestration in jaw-dropping evidence. For you Star Trek fans, "Dark Hydraulic" begins in almost muted tones, very subtle electrocosmic mutations, sequencers slowly kicking into overdrive, boosted by the sudden brassy warp accelerations and colliding with huge guitar phaser salvos set on stun. This is the genius track here, just pure progressive heaven, making Pink Floyd look like amateurs with hysterical ranting voice effects egging the aliens forward..Spooky! When the reprise rages back with utter abandon, the guitars hurling, the piano hurting, the synths howling and the percussives hurtling, you just know the deal is sealed. The marching ensemble finale rekindles memories of Starfleet encounters of the worst kind. What a delirious track. "The Biscuit Game" , a weird classical music extravaganza relating the riddle of the Biscuit Game, a whacky story about Einstein, Schoedinger, The Reverend David Jenkins, Stephen Hawking and the Pope brawling inconclusively, Gustav Jung, Boehm and Freud and some stupid fat cat in a box. I won't even attempt to explain as the track limbers on with narrative. A definite Four & one half Ids .

Latest members reviews

5 stars I have to say that ENID or the Enid (commonly known) are really the most complex progband ive ever known!! Robert John Godfrey are supremely the utmost composer ive ever laid ear to!! Some of you might like the sound of ELO and indeed ELP..... some of you..might like Asia or the like!! But thi ... (read more)

Report this review (#25902) | Posted by Tonny Larz | Friday, March 26, 2004 | Review Permanlink

Post a review of THE ENID "Tripping The Light Fantastic"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.