VALLEY OF THE WINDMILL

Ever since the band's birth a decade ago this year, Circa has been moving from strength to strength with each new release. Their previous studio album - And So On, released in 2011 - was already an excellent album, but with the present one they have outdone themselves yet again. Valley Of The Windmill is Circa's fourth studio album and their first to be released on Frontiers records. The new album consist of only four tracks, two of which are of epic lengths (14 and 18 plus minutes respectively) and the other two being somewhat shorter (7 and 9 plus minutes). It is fair to say that this is their most progressive record.

The core of the band is still Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye. Like always Billy handles lead vocals, but interestingly he has changed his instrument from bass to guitar for this record. For followers of Billy's solo career it will come as no surprise that he excels on both instruments. New member Rick Tierney takes over bass guitar duties and the drums are still pounded by Scott Connor. The whole band is in excellent form and they function perfectly together as a unit. I very much hope that Billy now being back full time with Yes will not stand in the way of Circa touring this new material and recording a live album and/or video. Frankly, I would rather see Circa live than the current line-up of Yes.

My expectations for this record were extremely high, and even though I liked it from the start I have to confess that, on the first few listens, the album did not quite meet them. But over further listens the album kept growing on me more and more. And now that it has been spinning in my player an impressive number of times, I consider Valley Of The Windmill to be not only Circa's best album, but one of the best albums Billy Sherwood has ever made and the best album that Tony Kaye has been involved in making since The Yes Album in 1971!

Hopefully, with Valley Of The Windmill Circa will finally get the recognition they deserve, not only among Yes fans but among progressive Rock fans in general.

Very highly recommended!