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DON'T BRING THE RAIN

Aragon

Neo-Prog


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Aragon Don't Bring the Rain album cover
3.26 | 70 ratings | 7 reviews | 23% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 1988

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. For Your Eyes (4:44)
2. Company of Wolves (9:22)
3. The Cradle (5:32)
4. Solstice (3:40)
5. Cry Out (5:33)
6. Gabrielle (3:30)
7. The Crucifixion (15:39)
8. For Your Eyes (reprise) (1:14)

Total Time 49:14

Bonus track on 1994 release:
10. Ghosts (live) (4:33)

Line-up / Musicians

- Les Dougan / vocals
- John Poloyannis / guitars, mandolin, drum programming
- Tom Behrsing / keyboards, bass programming
- Tony Italia / drums

With:
- Rob Bacon / bass

Releases information

Artwork: Sam Loverso with Joe Vittorio (photo)

LP ‎Self-released - ARAMLP 001 (1988, Australia)

CD Self-released - ARAMCD 001 (1990, Australia)
CD Zero Corporation - XRCN-1088 (1994, Japan) With bonus Live track taken from "Rocking Horse..."

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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ARAGON Don't Bring the Rain ratings distribution


3.26
(70 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(23%)
23%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(41%)
41%
Good, but non-essential (24%)
24%
Collectors/fans only (10%)
10%
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
1%

ARAGON Don't Bring the Rain reviews


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

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by silvertree
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars This is neo-progressive. But don't go away, there's very interesting stuff in this album. First of all, let's give a special mention to the lead vocals : very expressive and dramatic : one of the band's asset. What's good is that you don't get the song structure. It definitely is progressive. "The company of wolves" is a great track which gives me the creeps when I listen to it. Take care if you switch the lights off during that song... Very enjoyable on the whole.
Review by Angelo
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars Can you hear the wolves at the door?

Once I had a girlfriend who's mother was into the same music as we were - Rush, Marillion, Dream Theater and the likes. One day, she bought this album, and I got a copy on tape. I lost that tape long since, and spent lots of time looking for the CD - I really loved this at the time. Finally I found it and bought it (september 2006). The album is a bit less lively that I recalled, and the production is not as brilliant as I remember. Still, the songs I recalled best, Company of Wolves, Solstice and The Crucificxion are nice to hear again.

What initially attracted me most at the time is the singer's voice - it has a unique sound to it, not exactly an opera singer, and it's very expressive. On hearing the album again after almost 15 years, I can't help but notice that the programmed bass (not programmed drums!) make the music sound a bit monotonous in some tracks. It wastes the memories a bit, since I was not interested in that kind of information when I was younger.

I'd say this album gets 3 stars, since it not as brilliant as I remembered it. The songs are worthwhile in terms of keyboard work, time changes and the vocals (which not everybody will appreciate), but suffer from the absence of a real-life bass player and expressionless drums. However, this album has the same effect on me as described in the last lines of Company of wolves:

(don't tease wolves that arrive at your door) cause they'll just keep returning for more

I'll play this one regularly...

Review by Prog-jester
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Rather high rating for such album. I'll explain why.

I have always been a fan of NEO PROGRESSIVE POP-ROCK, which I'd also call "proto- Neo-Prog" ;) To give a guess what is that, I'll give some examples of the "genre": 80s PENDRAGON, Menel's IQ, most material from TWELFTH NIGHT and 80s PALLAS, Fish- era MARILLION B-sides...The perfect song that matches for this definition is MARILLION's "Charting the Single". Don't think that this is Prog-related Pop like TEARS FOR FEARS or something - these bands are certainly progressive, but they're also influenced by 80s New Wave/Pop Music.

ARAGON is another perfect example. Even epic songs like "Company Of Wolves" and "The Crucifixion" have this poppish flavour which I adore! Maybe it hails from early MARILLION, but they were certainly more progressive...Anyway, on ARAGON's debut we have that Neo-Prog-Pop-Rock with high-pitched emotional vocals (very good), synth drums and bass(not that much irritating I must admit, very suitable) and nice guitar/ keys work (just listen to "Crucifixion" coda!). I must mention two songs that impressed me most - "The Cradle" and "Gabrielle", both ballads of IQ or even MARILLION level!

After all - despite the 4 stars given by me, this is NOT an album for everybody, even Neo-lovers. Be sure that you're also have that 80s nostalgia before checking this album out. If you're sure - then don't hesitate and go ahead! Good luck!

Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Among the very consistent of Aussie progressive rock,ARAGON chose to play radio-friendly progressive rock with catchy melodies and strong vocals.Informations are somewhat scarce,but the band was established in Melbourne in 1986 by singer Les Dougan,guitarist John Poloyannis and keyboardist Tom Behrsing.They were joined by bassist Ron Bacon and drummer Tony Italia and released ''Don't bring the rain'' as a mini-LP in 1987.Soon after both Bacon and Italia left the group and the same album was re-recorded as a full length release in 1990 with three more tracks,using bass sequencers and drum programming.

ARAGON's style lies somewhere between MARILLION's dark yet melodic prog,early-PENDRAGON's groovy style with nice riffing and RUSH'es 80's powerful rock.Keyboards are everywhere,mainly in their digital form,from good solos,nice track's openers to even somekind of a rhythm section.The guitar work of Poloyannis is very dynamic,delivering catchy melodies and decent solos,while Dougan's voice is absolutely fantastic and if you can imaagine FISH in his angriest moments,you'll have a nice picture of how he sounds like.If you're searching for anykind of complex prog,skip immediately.If you're after some trully well-crafted melodic yet powerful prog rock,ARAGON are your band.A very good debut by a band you should keep an eye on.Recommended.

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team
2 stars Marillion meets Rush down under

Aragon is a quite obscure Australian Neo-Prog band that started out somewhere in the mid to late 80's. Don't Bring The Rain was their first album and it surely carries some potential even if the final result is less than one might have hoped for. To give a crude description of the band's sound, one could say that they are a mix of Marillion and Rush. They fit well into the UK- dominated Neo-Prog category, but they also have slight elements of American acts such as Saga, Styx (some of the tunes on this album are very melodic with emphasis on the chorus) and, particularly, Rush. The vocals of Les Dougan sometimes remind a bit of those of Geddy Lee. As such, the music of Aragon, can be compared to that of British neo-proggers Galahad.

The sound quality of this recording is unfortunately not the best and, to be honest, neither is the instrumental performance of Tony Italia on the drums and John Poloyannis on guitars. But if you can look beyond the less than perfect sound quality, you will discover a set of nice songs. The only embarrassment is the Christmas song Solstice that should have been left off the album in my opinion.

The highlight of the album is the two-part epic Crucifixion which foreshadows the kind of music Arena would do a few years later on their two first albums. The drum frenzy at the end of the second part is interesting, but could surely have been better executed and so could the guitar work.

As I said, Don't Bring The Rain is a promising debut, but the promise is largely unfulfilled at this point.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars Aragon's debut album is a rather forgettable affair compared to the earlier material collected on their classic Rocking Horse album; that showcased an interesting, spooky, electronic- influenced take on the whole neo-prog deal, whereas this time around they cleave much more closely to the late-1980s Marillion/Pendragon playbook. Poppy opener For Your Eyes and the embarrassing Christmas song Solstice represent the album at its worst, whilst songs such as The Cradle and The Crucifixion don't accomplish very much except giving me a craving to listen to some early Marillion, or perhaps Pendragon's The Jewel. It's a real shame the band didn't feel daring enough to include more material along the lines of Rocking Horse on here; as it is, the debut has to be seen as a wasted opportunity.
Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars A Marillion-inspired band of multi-nationals that formed and recorded in Australia that shows tremendous potential--greatly due to the wonderfully passionate vocal performances of lead singer Les Dougan.

1. "For Your Eyes" (4:44) opens with harpsichord-sounding guitar picking before a pulsing bass-and-drum structure is established for the singing to join in. The vocalist is dramatic, theatric, but not very impressive or winning--kind of like a weak GEDDY LEE trying to sing with the power and emotion of AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson. The music during the choruses is too standard rock, it's the down time subtleties that are interesting and engaging. (8.25/10)

2. "Company Of Wolves" (9:22) (16.5/20)

- a) Under the Hunters' Moon (3:30) babeling brook water sounds are soon joined by keys and percussives giving the soundscape a very fairy-like feeling. Barking and then heavy bass tom play enter providing quite a contrast to the delicate fairy sounds. (8/10)

- b) In the Company of Wolves (5:51) more background sounds from the fairy world before a cheap keyboard begins adding a pattern of chords. At 1:25 heavy, pounding drums re-enter before singer Les Dougan enters with a FISH- or OZZIE OSBORN-like vocal performance. The vocal dominates despite the tinny music's attempt to thicken and become more complex. Fairly impressive vocal performance. (8.5/10)

3. "The Cradle" (5:32) gentle prog start with pretty late-80s heavily chorused guitar strums over which the odd voice and stylings of Les Dougan sings. He gives it quite an impassioned try and it almost works. The background "harmony" vocals are pitiful. (8.25/10)

4. "Solstice" (3:40) opens with a fairly flagrant attempt to recreate a classic GENESIS. The metal voicings of Les Dougan soon arrive and not long thereafter the lead guitar (sounding more like BABYLON's David Boyko or MIREK GIL than Steve Hackett). Decent BABYLON-like song. (8.25/10)

5. "Cry Out" (5:33) An interesting m'lange of sound as each and every musician here seems to be drawing from different eras and styles of GENESIS or classic rock sounds, riffs, and styles. Les Dougan's singing gives it its own unique stamp (though there he uses a very familiar "St. Elmo's Fire" melody). (7.75/10)

6. "Gabrielle" (3:30) pure FISH theatrics in this vocal over acoustic guitar finger picking. Easily the best song on the album. (10/10)

7. "The Crucifixion" (15:39) (27.5/30)

- a) Part 1 (7:38) synth strings and pregnant New Wave-like bass line with straight time drum beat provide the sole backdrop for the first four minutes of Les's impassioned vocal. It works. Then there is a major softening--with only guitar and Les's whispering voice--before a burst forth into a speedy swinging pseudo-Rocky Horror-like section. At 5:50 there occurs another stop and slow down, this time for a low keyboard bass note over which spacey flanged synth strings slowly twist and snake their way to the end of this Part. (13/15)

- b) Part 2 (8:11) again the FISH and MARILLION comparisons are unavoidable. Les opens with singing over synth washes--which continue for a few minutes while eventually being joined by simple electric guitar "solo" arpeggi, bass, and drums. Les rejoins in the fourth minute to deliver an amazingly passionate "I'm still waiting" vocal before the band rises up to the album's first truly proggy instrumental passage, complete with multiple keyboard sounds and searing electric guitar soloing all at the same time. Impressive! Why they didn't do more like this I don't know. (14.5/15)

8. "For Your Eyes (Reprise)" (1:14) interesting outro. (4.5/5)

Total Time: 49:14

Odd that there are so few instrumental solos, that the songs are so reliant on a single theme and singer Les Dougan's impassioned vocals. The instrumentalists here are competent and do an admirable job of creating cohesive song constructs but their proficiency on their respective instruments seems to be under-confident and, perhaps, "under progress." Still, thanks to the stellar second half, this is an album that introduces to the world a band with tremendous potential.

B/four stars; an excellent debut for this multi-national Neo Prog band.

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