EKSEPTION

A long forgotten gem!

I am very pleased that someone has paid attention to this album - again. By my standards, "Trinity" is my fave album of this band. Partly because of lesser focus on interpretation of classical pieces, thus allowing for more expression of individual talent.

Some of you in my age group probably recall the numerous reader's polls in the '70's endlessly - and also pointlessly - debating as which keyboard player was the best. The contest usually centered around Emerson, Wakeman, Van der Linden and to a lesser extent, Vangelis. Classical interpretations were very fashionable then and Van der Linden's band Ekseption have received perhaps excessive recognition - for their excessive approach to that.,

Notwithstanding that they were fine musicians, the band got themselves seriously boxed in as more of interpreters as opposed to innovators. "Trinity" is that rare album that manages to redress that situation. Typically of the band, this is not an overly complex piece either, but allows for a bit more stretching out. There is even an excellent bass solo followed by a drum solo.

Altogether it achieves a fine balance and remains my most preferred release from this band. Highly recommended..

Trinity is Ekseption's sixth album which was made in 1973 by this dutch group I would consider symphonic rather than eclectic. I am surprised this record isn't rated higher because of it's elegance. I really like their adoption of classic music and making it into their own style. On this record participate Rein van der Broek, Jan Vennik, Cor Dekker, Pieter Voogt and Rick van der Linden.

This starts strong with some Bach, a well known piece that does something new with this wonderful music. It's not only Bach goes rock, there is also great brass instruments and I enjoyed it immediately. The second track is another marvelous piece, some indian style but not real peruvian flutes, though very good och gives me happiness. This could have been film music. "Dreams" is a little jazzy track. "Romance" is a very classical and beautiful song that also becomes jazzy in the middle. "Improvisation" gives us a great bass solo and many innovative happenings. "Meddle" also sounds like Bach and "Flight of the bumble bee" is a tribute to Nikolaj Rimskij Korsakov who made the classical piece with the same name. Ekseption does is perfectly and they also give it their own touch with great saxophone for example. On the last track we meet a choir.

I would compare this record with Camel's The snow goose, a wonderful instrumental very melodical album. When I give stars to records I ask myself. Could this be better than it is now. And the aswer here is no. The only thing I missed was guitar, but not very much, it's perhaps beacuase I am so used to that I feel the lack. This is a perfect record I will play many times and I think Ekseption will be a favourite in the future. I have hard to understand why the group is classified eclectic prog when Emerson, Lake and Palmer is symphonic, I wouldn't have argued about the opposite. As a conclusion: a high recommended record, especially the tracks: "Toccata", "The Peruvian flute", "Romance", "Improvisation" and "The flight of the bumble bee".

It's quite funny that I found the cassette of this album yesterday at the secondary market. When I saw it I was not aware that Ekseption has ever made an album with this name 'Bingo' and unfortunately I could not search the net for information due to bad or weak signal of my mobile phone. Interestingly no one seemed interested to buy this cassette so finally I decided to purchase it. It turned out from the net that this album was the first one from the band without the involvement of one of its founding fathers Rick van der Linden (keyboard) who left the band to form Trace. His position was then replaced by Hans Jansen (1974- 1977).

As we all know that Ekseption was a Dutch progressive rock ensemble with changing membership, active from 1967, with the embryo of bands named as The Jokers and Incrowd. The group started out playing jazz, pop and R&B covers, but, impressed by a gig of The Nice, Rick van der Linden (keyboard) decided to concentrate on producing classical rock, modern re-interpretations of classical works with bass, drums and horn charts. Most of their albums contain both original songs and re-interpreted classical pieces.

Having known the departure of van der Linden I then did not expect a lot with this album. But I was wrong because I can assure you that this Bingo album is actually as good as its predecessor Trinity - I would say. And the most important thing is that the album still maintains the character of original Ekseption music with great opening of 'From Ekseption' with great dynamics and composition. The music flows typical of Ekseption with great combination of jazz, rock as well as classical music. The usual use of trumpet backed with keyboard still show good musicianship of the members. There is quite a long and interesting drums solo in the middle of the track. The following track 'Nightwalk' is a mellow one with key dimensions of classical music represented by keyboard work. You will also find the famous 'Sabre Dance' demonstrated in anenergetic way with great combination of keyboard and trumpet in relatively fast tempo. 'Brother Rabbit' is a short track with nice opening of percussion work followed with music in mellow style with some sudden changes of tempo during transition pieces of trumpet work.

Overall, this album is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. The composition has nice melody that flows nicely from track to track with many tempo changes in the middle or during transition pieces. Despite the changes of tempo and sometimes style the music still have a solid structural integrity so that it demonstrates as one cohesive whole. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Well, I recently found this album in a cassette format and it's still in an excellent condition so that I can enjoy the music. This album is basically a mixed of genres as I can see there is huge difference n style from one track to another. For an extreme comparison just take the opening track "Pick Up The Pieces" where I believe some of you were aware that this one was popularized by a funky band called Average White Band. Yes, of course the music is funky or disco style. While if you compare with album title track :Mindmirror" where it is the style of progressive music that comprises multi segments / movements. This epic serves like Focus music where it has combination of guitar-led segments as well as organ. I consider this track is a good one as it moves in varied style throughout the 17 minute track duration.

Overall, it's a good progressive music collection that fits those who eant to complete their Ekseption collection. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

You should not miss this!

Ooops ..... I am surprised that there are very minimum number of reviews on this excellent album bu the Dutch's Ekseption. In fact I almost forgot not writing anything about an album that colored my teenage life. I remember vividly my big brother had a cassette version of this album and I was amazed with one track that I kept playing many times when it reached this one: Improvisation. As teenager I liked something unique pertinent to certain track. Imrovisation of course blew me away at first spin as this one really reminded me to the music of another Dutch: Focus especially during the opening part where it had dynamic flute-work. I though it was played by Thijs van Leer. I was wrong, it;s Jan Vennik. The flute is really dynamic supported by relatively fast tempo music with drums, bass and synthesizer. What follow is the part where it demonstrates bass guitar solo in a very stunning way and of course it's energetic. The duration of bass guitar solo is quite long and then it follows beautifully with jaw-dropping drum-work. Whooaaa......it's really great! The ending part is then concluded back with flute work. Overall, this track is truly a masterpiece one. Even, it's worth having this album even if you only love this track - in fact that was my case when I was teenager.

Fortunately, the album also offers other excellent tracks like "Toccata" (5:16) which has eerie organ work by Rick van der Linden. The following track is another excellent one demonstrating flute as the title implies: "The Peruvian Flute (traditional)" (8:04). The beauty of Ekseption music is the blend of all brass section, synthesizer, and flute work into one excellent composition. The other tracks are excellent as well : "Lonely Chase" (3:10) , "Romance" (3:30) and "Finale III" (2:50).

Overall, it's an excellent addition to progressive music collection that you should not miss. It offers instrumental music combining classical, pop and rock elements. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

My only chief reason to write this review is that no one has done it, noting that this album cameout in the seventies - the golden years of prog. In my case, I did not pay attention to this band at that time as the most top notch genre at that time was more on symphonic prog or people just simply said it as art rock music with Genesis, ELP, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes in the bandwagon. Of course we all knew this Dutch band as our local rock magazine, Aktuil, kept updating their activities. Remember at that time there was no internet - so magazine was our main source of information.

As for this album, I only have the cassette format which I believe most of you do not have it because this kind of cassette was very common in the 70s, re-recorded and distributed "legally" (because the Government did not prohibit it) by local record companies. One that was quite well-known for progressive music was the one produced by Yess (name of the brand) from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. I still have approximately 550 cassettes from Yess records in my rack that I reckon the record qulaity still excellent despite its 30 years and more of age. Cassette rules! So when I play this cassette of Ekseption "Back To The Classics" with my vintage cassette deck TANDBERG TCD 440A (made in Norway in 1978) I still enjoy a very good quality of music produced by this vintage cassette.

This album by Ekseption contains ligh music taking fom the classic masters and it starts nicely with great Hammond organ through "Sonata in F Major" which also has excellent flute-work. In this cassette there is no line-up info that I can refer to. I thought that this was the fault of Yess for not providing this info but in fact this is not listed also in the original LP issue. The next "Ave Maria" is very famous song that most of you already know very well. One thing that touches me is really when the album hits track number 4 "Clarinet Concerto in A" where it has great work on clavinet and piano. I think the most interesting part is the piano work - especially the solo one. Of course there is a follow-up on clarinet as the title implies. Oh Boy ...the clarinet work is also excellent especially when it's combined with Hammond solo work.

Overall, this is a very good album showing great musicianship of the players, playing slected songs from Classic Masters. I think most of you would enjoy this album very much. The most important thing is that I enjoy this album because the source of the music is coming from cassette - so it's "nuansamatik" (a term that I use to describe the nuances of the music where it was originally released sometie in the past - the seventies mostly). Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Their comeback album if my memory serves me right. Well, maybe not.

The development of shopping malls and elevators was really taking off at the end of the 1970s. The same also goes for the TV industry which at that time were changing their profiles around to more topical people based soaps like Dallas, Falcon Crest and Dynasty. It was fitting that Ekseption cobbled together a new album of music to go along with these new improvements of our lives.

Ekseption '78 is an album with muzak pieces, delivered mainly on keyboards. The music is as raunchy as a church full of praying nuns. The music is as sterile as a neutered old cat. Pick the picture you want to dwell on. There are even some Mexico tijuana jazz on this album. Gosh.

Horrible is a horrible word but it is the only word which proficient describe this album of limp sterile muzak.

1 stars

The second album of this band is a concept album. Overture, prologue, spoken narrations and music. Concept album, in short.

Ekseption was a band with a huge affection for Johan Sebastian Bach. Even on this album, their have their noses firmly stucked up in the back of him. I don't think it is that original and creative to copy over his music and then release it under the name Ekseption. That's muzak; not progressive music. But Ekseption has created something here which is pretty creative. It can also pass as progressive music. The organ music here is everywhere and it is supplemented with drums, bass and some woodwinds.

The quality of the music here is pretty good overall. The storyline is good too, whatever the story is all about. The musical concept is a good one. This is the only Ekseption album I have heard so far which has some balls and some creativity. So a good three stars is in order.

3 stars

In my personal view Ekseption was a Prog band only because they re-arranged in Jazz Rock version composition of Beethoven, Bach, Albinoni, Gershwin, Mozart, Tchaicovsky etc. And this is only one form of Prog, one of most genuine. If this is only a personal view, it is true that Ekseption was a great band. This compilation confirm what I wrote.

Since it is clear that the message did pass Ekseption in the minds of the listeners, which band we use to understand what were Ekseption? Probably The Nice, more that ELP. But this is not totally true. The Nice use the so called Classic Music composition for to create a new musical genre. Ekseption use the so called Classic Music composition for the sheer pleasure of making them known to a rock audience. Because of this fact if a compilation was baroque the transposition was baroque. For The Nice (and ELP) the tranposition was from baroque to symphonic.

"The 5th" is, true or not true, a condensed "The Best Of..." of Ekseption with 15 rearranged songs and 1 medley. In general these tranpositions are good, but not immortals. And, in my correct view, all at the same level. Some with more magic, some with more passion, some very cold but all with passion and devotion.

Ekseption was another great band for Prog, with great musicians. And a band that today would be handy to have. In historical vision a pure expression of 70's in music.

This is the time of the year for some church organs and Bach.

Johan Sebastian Bach is a mainstay in progressive rock and a composer who has massive influenced the likes of Genesis and in particular; ELP and their clones. Musicians in the 1970s who arrived in the rock scene from classical music mostly did it through Johan Sebastian Bach. Just think about it.......

Ekseption is a band who were more classical music inspired than The Nice and ELP. On this album, they also induce some jazz to jazz up Bach a bit. The music is the standard Bach compositions and the music is good. BUT....... in my view; music is also about adding own identity to the proceedings. Yes, the musicians is excellent and the music is good. But the music is mainly Bach's own music with some improvisations filled in by Ekseption. And their own stuff is not particular good. Ekseption is not in the same class as Johan Sebastian Bach, I think it is fair to conclude on the basis of this album. Despite of that, this album is not too shabby and I would regard it as a good album. A very festive three stars are awarded..... under some very serious doubts.

3 stars (barely)