Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

PATRICK MORAZ

Crossover Prog • Switzerland


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Patrick Moraz picture
Patrick Moraz biography
Patrick Philippe Moraz - Born June 24, 1948 (Morges, Switzerland)

After playing a role in the success of YES' Relayer album in 1974, keyboardist Patrick Moraz launched a solo career and became one of the more celebrated keyboardists of his age. During the '70s, when Moraz reached his prime as an artist, the keyboard was still a new and complex instrument. Technology was still evolving in the age before the personal computer. For this reason, Moraz's trailblazing keyboard work startled his audience. He practiced a new and exciting sound that was ahead of its time, owing a bit to the era's prog rock sound. However, that prog rock sound soon lost its novelty as the '70s became the '80s, and Moraz had to adjust to the times on his '80s solo albums. At the same time he found security in the Moody Blues, a legendary band whose ranks he joined for a few albums.
Born in Morgues, Switzerland, Moraz spent his youth studying music at fine European schools as well as classical studies in Latin and ancient Greek later on. His studies cumlimanted with his time spent as a student of Nadia Boulanger, a highly regarded teacher. His first taste of major artistic recognition came when he was awarded Best Soloist at the Jazz Festival of Zurich in 1963 for his piano playing. As a result of his recognition, Moraz began performing as the opening act for major jazz artists. By the late '60s, he was mounting tours of his own across Europe; in 1965, he came for the first time to America; and in 1966 and 1967, he was performing in such far-away locales as Africa and the Middle East.

Moraz then began working in group settings after his success as a solo performer. He formed MAINHORSE with Jean Restori in 1968, a somewhat radical group that toured throughout Europe into the early '70s. The group released an eponymous album on Polydor before Moraz moved to London and started another group, REFUGEE , with Lee Jackson and Brian Davidson. It wasn't long, however, until Moraz was onto something new, his biggest opportunity yet. In August 1974, Yes invited him to join them as the group's keyboardist and Moraz accepted. The group had become quite ambitious by this point and began working on what would become one of their most celebrated albums, Relayer, an album that Yes toured behind for three years.

After so much to...
read more

PATRICK MORAZ Videos (YouTube and more)


Showing only random 3 | Search and add more videos to PATRICK MORAZ

Buy PATRICK MORAZ Music


PATRICK MORAZ discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

PATRICK MORAZ top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.47 | 135 ratings
The Story of I
1976
2.60 | 60 ratings
Out In The Sun
1977
3.27 | 49 ratings
Patrick Moraz III
1978
2.70 | 25 ratings
Patrick Moraz & Syrinx: Coexistence [Aka: Libertate]
1980
1.96 | 19 ratings
Timecode
1984
2.51 | 18 ratings
Human Interface
1987
3.05 | 23 ratings
Windows Of Time
1994
3.64 | 11 ratings
Resonance
2000
4.39 | 24 ratings
ESP
2003
1.63 | 15 ratings
Change Of Space
2009
3.78 | 8 ratings
Moraz Alban Project: MAP
2015

PATRICK MORAZ Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.06 | 16 ratings
Future Memories (Live on TV - Keyboards' Metamorphoses)
1979
2.72 | 18 ratings
Future Memories II
1984
2.88 | 7 ratings
Future Memories I & II
1985
3.60 | 8 ratings
PM In Princeton
1995
2.00 | 1 ratings
moraz live / abbey road
2012

PATRICK MORAZ Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

PATRICK MORAZ Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

PATRICK MORAZ Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

PATRICK MORAZ Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The Story of I by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.47 | 135 ratings

BUY
The Story of I
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Review Nš 446

Patrick Moraz is a Swiss progressive rock keyboardist with a classical musical education acquired at the Conservatory of Lausanne, in Switzerland. He also played jazz primarily before entering into the progressive rock world and he has also been highly acclaimed for his musical virtuosity. However, he is best known as the keyboardist of Yes, which happened between 1974 and 1976. With Yes he wrote some of the best Yes' pages on their album "Relayer".

Moraz moved from Switzerland to England in 1973 when he met Lee Jackson and Brian Davison and formed Refugee. Refugee was the band that replaced The Nice, when Emerson left the group to form Emerson, Lake & Palmer. With Refugee, Moraz performed on two albums, the studio album "Refugee" and the live album "Live In Concert". In 1974, he had the chance to replace Wakeman in Yes and performed on their album "Relayer". He also played in the world tour of that album. He appears on some Yes' tracks on their live album "Yesshows", too. In 1978, he began touring with The Moody Blues on their album "Octave" tour, replacing their former keyboardist Mike Pinder, and became a member of the band till 1991. Since then, Moraz has primarily concentrated on his solo works, particularly on his solo piano pieces.

"Story Of I" is the debut solo studio album of Moraz and was released in 1976. After the release and the world tour of "Relayer", Yes took the decision to do a break with the intention of each band's member can be able to make a solo album. However, at the time that "Story Of I" was released Moraz was no longer a member of the group. Wakeman had returned to Yes. The "I" of the title of the album is in reality a Moraz's personal logo, a kind of an inverted triangle shape with a sphere above it. But, the album isn't a self-titled album and its story isn't properly an autobiography of him.

"Story Of I" is a conceptual album based in a romantic story of a massive tower in the middle of a jungle. The tower lures people from all over the world because inside it, people are able to live their desires and fantasies. The only problem is that the people inside the tower can't be in love with each other. However, two persons inside it do so, and since the tower acts like a prison because the people are slaves of their own desires, both decided to escape from it.

It's interesting to say that Jon Anderson was involved with the concept of "Story Of I". When Anderson and Moraz were on tour with Yes, they saw a massive tower and they began to think what was inside of it and invented many theories about it, which they shared with each other. Anderson encouraged Moraz to make his solo work with a tower's concept.

"Story Of I" has fourteen tracks. All music was written by Moraz and all lyrics were written by John McBurnie. The tracks are all joined into each other and flow like a single piece. The only exception is between the seventh track and the eighth track, due to the technical impossibility of the 70's to go from side A to side B on a LP without a break.

"The Story Of I" was partly recorded in Geneva and partly in Brazil, where it fused progressive elements with Brazilian music. Several Brazilian percussionists and singers appear on the album along with more famous musicians. Musically, the material here is a blend of Jazz and Classical Music with certain references to percussion driven acoustics and Brazilian rhythms, based on Moraz's keyboard capabilities, from tricky, complex instrumental pyrotechnics to soft Folk Fusion affairs on keyboards and hand drums and light piano driven Classical introductions. There is a definite Fusion flavour throughout the album, especially on the synthesizer/guitar parts and the regular drumming, but the stylistical diversity allows the listener meet with Moraz's unique and wide musical taste. We have lots of cinematic interludes and heavy instrumental stuff, only interrupted by occasional vocal pinches. This is an album with a very complex music.

The list of the musicians on the album is particularly extensive and beyond Patrick Moraz (keyboards, piano, synthesizers, marimbaphone and additional assorted percussions), and the usual performance of vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, it has also the addition of sixteen Brazilian percussionists of Rio de Janeiro.

Conclusion: I know "Story Of I" since it was released in the 70's, but I only bought it some years ago. "Story Of I" is usually accepted as Moraz's best and most progressive solo album. He is a very talented and virtuoso keyboardist that unfortunately always was underestimated. He had the serious problem to be always the number two. He was number two of Emerson of The Nice, Wakeman of Yes and Pinder of The Moody Blues. "Story Of I" is a unique album in the panorama of the progressive music of the 70's. It's an album of fusion progressive music with many influences from several styles that ranging from pop, rock, jazz, classical, oriental and electronic, with a very special touch of Brazilian traditional music, samba, which made of it a very special work. It's an incredible album that flows like a single piece with many musical changes. "Story Of I" is unfortunately an underrated, and in a certain way, a misunderstood album that deserves to be known because it's a very special and unique progressive masterpiece. It's highly recommended.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

 Moraz Alban Project: MAP by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.78 | 8 ratings

BUY
Moraz Alban Project: MAP
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by progpositivity
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Three songs on this CD reference Aliens in their title! If this is what "Alien fusion" sounds like, please allow me to be the first to request M-A-P ("More Aliens Please")!!

Composer and keyboard virtuoso Patrick Moraz stumbled across drummer Greg Alban during the 80's at a random gig in California. He was so impressed that he hired him to perform on a few tracks on his "Time Code" album. Since then, the two of them have stayed in touch and gotten together to jam whenever Moraz was on the west coast.

As an accomplished session musician, Alban had no shortage of professional opportunities to perform, but he developed a yearning to record something that represented his own style and taste. Naturally, he immediately sought to recruit the best keyboardist and composer he knew to participate in the project!

Moraz ended up composing the majority of the music for this CD. Arrangement, recording and performance decisions were all collaborative.

The opening tune "Jungle ALIENS" sets a medium heavy groove, effectively sending us the signal that this will be essentially and foremost a rock fusion project.

Next up, "Strictly Organic" ups the energy ante a notch, featuring Lenny Castro on congas.

When Moraz first played "Canyon Afternoon" for Alban, he immediately envisioned the spirited saxophone of college friend Dave Van Such. A few phone calls later, he was in the studio turning this into one of the highlights of the project. His sax sings and soars, bringing an inspired and very human element to the forefront.

"Jazz in the Night" is another highlight yet for an entirely different reason. Jumpy, and imbued with an energy that sometimes borders on what might be called "frenetic", it is almost impossible to sit still listening to this song! The rhythms are complex yet these players are so well versed in the material and so professional, everything works together with a perfection that sounds almost effortless. (Then again, perhaps they just recorded multiple takes until they got it right! Either way, "get it right" they most certainly did indeed! This is a great piece!)

Alban describes "The Drum Also Solo" as perhaps the most "fun" to play. From the sound of it, "fun" seems to provide an apt descripton of the entire album. Now is probably a good time to mention that there is no shortage of drum fills on any of the songs I've heard so far. That said, "The Drum Also Solo" certainly does offer plenty of fun drum fills and thrills especially toward the middle of the tune!

The Real Feel slows things down to provide a breather and a change of pace. Some of the fills toward the middle and the end are unexpectedly playful and delightful. Ex-Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila's interplay steps to the forefront on this piece. Alien Intelligence returns to what Alban appears to love most: powerful, driving, upbeat, infectiously optimistic jazz rock fusion! The spotlight shines even more brightly on Avila's bass guitar. It ends on a high note.

Mumbai Mantra reminds me a bit of Jan Hammer's 1980's solo work on Miami Vice soundtracks. Although it is energetic and bouncy, it tends to sit on one chord and groove for an extended period of time.

The closer "Alien Species" continues in the vein of meditative single chord explorations of tone and timbre. To this impatient listener, Alban's busy stickwork and cymbal washes are the one thing that rescued this song from the "next" button.

 The Story of I by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.47 | 135 ratings

BUY
The Story of I
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by ExittheLemming

4 stars The Story of Ay Caramba!

43 years on it still looks like a giant radioactive golf tee but in mitigation, what other jobs apart from golf pro and 70's Prog muso give white guys a chance to dress like black pimps at Halloween? Patrick must have felt like he was playing with house money at this point in his career: a member of one of the biggest bands on the planet (Yes) and given free rein to explore his own musical vision via a solo career. However, that triumphant walk down the 18th fairway towards an adoring gallery to hoist the shiny beaker aloft, was denied him as he inexplicably found some heavy rough with his final approach shot. It was rumored there were plenty grass snakes in there all more than willing to smuggle his ball from the short stuff (Golfers do not have a monopoly on bad lies)

Yes do not come out of Moraz's version of events at all well but I've yet to see or hear their side of the story. Patrick claims he was abandoned with his wife and baby daughter in the freezing Swiss winter of '76 with no money, transport or explanation for his expulsion from Yes. All this took place in the aftermath of the band's biggest and most lucrative tour to date where they played more than 65 dates with some audiences in excess of 100,000 on the 'Bicentennial Tour' If all were not rosy in the bean sprout garden it seems inconceivable that Moraz would have remained such a desired presence at this time on the solo projects of both Howe (the Steve Howe album) and Squire (Fish out of Water) Some have speculated that Yes were unhappy with Patrick's reinterpretation of the canonical Wakeman parts and would have preferred a more verbatim approach. From what I can gather, both musicians found the other's contributions difficult to replicate.

"Unfortunately, I was forced to leave. And even though, at the time, the split was not made to appear acrimonious, I suffered extremely and extensively. To be asked to leave so suddenly put me in a lot of turmoil and disturbance. The fact is, I was never compensated for anything. I never ever got paid for any of my tour participation in the extremely successful and extensive YES Tour of 1976. After all, as a member of the band, I was entitled to a 20% cut from what the band was getting". (Patrick Moraz)

Moraz has clearly never studied contract law but has studied Brazilian music extensively and was the musical director of a touring Brazilian ballet in 1972. He was therefore more than qualified to couch his inspiration in the infectious rhythms that emanate from that part of the world. However, apart from Cachaca, where the rhythm clearly begets the melody, the 16 percussionists used are often relegated to being just a textural device. This is a pity and maybe a missed opportunity. The other notable exception to this is Dancing Now where the bass, drums and keys fall hypnotically into step under the percussion's pulsating spell, resulting in a genuine fusion (or if you prefer, a slinky Latin funk groove thang y'all) It also explains why I believe those who nominate The Story of I to be the first 'world music' album (principally erm...Patrick Moraz) are rather wide of the mark.

Patrick claims he contributed as a writer to much of the material that ended up on Going for the One but never received a writing credit

"I don't like to dwell into negatives, however, I can tell you that I had absolutely no desire to want to leave YES, at the time, in November of 1976. Somehow, it had been decided that we would go and record, in my own country, Switzerland, what became the album "Going for the One", which we had extensively composed, developed and rehearsed during the course of 1976 (and even before that). There was no reason in the world for me to want to leave the band! Also, I understood, much later, that Rick (Wakeman) was already in town, with his own crew, when I was still in the group, and I was still part of YES. In addition, it was an extremely complicated and difficult situation for me to be stranded, on the street, with my baby daughter who was only one-month old and her mother, without any transport or money, in the cold winter of Switzerland. Then the fight for survival to stay alive, it all became surreal" (Patrick Moraz).

There is also perhaps the inevitable inference that Moraz has a propensity to fall out with his collaborators to the extent that the rifts become irreparable. His subsequent stint with the Moody Blues from 1978 to 1991 also ended badly. I mean, what could he have possibly contributed to this soulless fondant ensemble who produce a neutered 'white noise' for unsolicited sperm donors? It's like hiring Le Corbusier to build your patio. Patrick was eventually fired from the Moodys and sued them for breach of contract and lost royalties. He ended up losing around $325k by not accepting a pre-trial settlement offer of $400k and being awarded a relatively paltry $75k. Depending on which unverifiable source you choose to believe, Moraz originally filed for $3.7 million which begs the question: wouldn't you query the amount of your first royalties cheque or tour payment rather than wait 13 long and unlucky years to cry foul! The trial was televised, and if you have the intestinal fortitude for it, can still be viewed on the Internet. It's hardly eye candy your honour: 4 pommy mullets all equally unconvincing in a suit v Swizz ringer for a considerably more hirsute Muppet Gonzo. (Courtroom 6 Los Angeles CA 1991) It's impossible to warm to either plaintiff or defendants as everyone is clearly lying through their laser whitened teeth

Given the Olympian chops and vaunted ambition on display, it's ironic that possibly the most enduring theme on the whole album is Cachaca's childlike sing song motif (based on the Baiao rhythm) That's not to say there are a lack of memorable themes elsewhere, but if his career long quest to harness the primitive with the civilized has taught him anything, it's Steve Reich's observation that window cleaners don't whistle Schoenberg.

Patrick's ability to build and develop appropriate mood or atmosphere has always been hugely impressive e.g. Refugee, Relayer and around 35 film scores to date. The opening Impact serves as the aural equivalent of a movie trailer where snippets of the music to come are spliced and woven into a hybrid electronic/acoustic soundscape that melds seemingly incongruous elements into a faintly unnerving and disorienting whole. The analogue synth textures and sequencer effects clearly denoting the 'technological' are ingeniously assimilated with the chanted wordless vocals and ethnic percussion representing the 'primitive'. This is much harder to pull off than it sounds as many similar attempts from Rock and Jazz musicians often come across as either patronizing or exploitative of the very cultures from which they are drawing their inspiration.

For me, Patrick's overriding signature calling card is the jaw dropping pitch bend modulation and vibrato articulation he coaxes from his trusty ARP Soloist Synth (at least I think that's the critter he's using: gear-heads out there are free to correct me by all means) On occasions his legato soloing imitates uncannily the whammy bar tantrums of many a sugared up electric guitar shredder. By way of contrast, his piano work has a leanness and forensic detail that makes his reading of something like Chopin's Military Polonaise (his contribution to Steinway to Heaven) the only version to date of this flaccid saccharine tune taking up arms to defend itself. Check out the all too brief exquisite solo on The Best Years of Our Lives (like tiny specks of gentle rain on a still pond) or the tongue in cheek gravitas during Intermezzo where baroque counterpoint grows flamenco cojones and plays footsie under the table with a slightly tipsy Auntie Prog. The solo piano track Impression (the Dream) is all the evidence anyone should need that this is a musician who grew out of Rawk's short pants a very long time ago.

The Best Years of Our Lives is but a holding pen for untapped tears and one of the most beautiful songs bequeathed by Prog in the 70's full stop. I'm surprised it wasn't released as a single to become a global number one smasheroonie. Shame, as this might have prevented Patrick having to drag the Moody Blues' pale flabby asses through the courts. It was nagging at me for a while where I had heard that voice before until I realized that John McBurnie was in Jackson Heights together with Lee Jackson prior to Refugee. I have to confess I've never been a huge fan of his singing. He's a very accomplished vocalist to be sure but texturally, for me at any rate, he sounds rather generic and downright cloying on the MOR ballad Like a Child in Disguise This is a session man whose name is forever destined to remain on the tip of everyone's tongue.

I've never made any secret of my reluctance to take Progressive Rock or concept albums seriously and The Story of I is no exception. The narrative appears to go something like this: There's a tower in the jungle that everyone wants to gain access to, as inside, they can experience all their wildest desires and fantasies but only on the condition that they cannot fall in love with another inhabitant of the tower. Call me the Devil's avocado if you like, but what would happen if the body corporate's mental health screening is found wanting and a suicidal inhabitant's wildest desire or fantasy is to destroy or burn the tower to the ground? Or worse still, if one of your wildest desires is to write a risible rock concept album about the whole experience without resorting to stealing the towels. Those of you familiar with Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's The Platform will realise that this ain't remotely that movie's take on a 'Vertical Self Management Centre'. All joking aside, there is an irony at work here as Patrick Moraz was, in 1976, effectively living out such a fantasy by being a bona fide Rock Star with all the privileges that status entails. Is this art imitating life or vice versa? Actually I suspect the message is considerably more prosaic than that: We are all prisoners of our own desires maan

Kudos are due however for this lyric which carries genuine insight:

There's nothing new except what's been forgotten

Similar to Keith Emerson, I always thought that Moraz had effectively outgrown Rock and Roll circa '75 and should have embarked on a career writing contemporary classical music or exploring new directions in the genre from which they both originated (Jazz) Given the subsequent moribund state of both marketplaces, it's hardly surprising they chose to follow the smart money.

Patrick's first choice as drummer for this project was Billy Cobham but as he wasn't available, used Alphone Mouzon instead. Alphonse played with Weather Report and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House and his playing on the first half of the album is markedly different to that of Andy Newmark's on the 2nd. The latter is a more 'in the pocket' player whose sparer style is a better fit for the material. Mouzon's busier fusion style is a perfect match for the more complex pieces on side one and he also introduced bassist Jeff Berlin to Moraz who quickly hired him for the sessions. This was Berlin's first big career invite.

My review version of the album is the 1990 Virgin release which I've never felt could faithfully reproduce what must have been an incredibly busy production where much of the finer detail may have been sacrificed in the final mix-down. That's hardly surprising in the analogue domain with as many as 28 performers all vying for the available audio bandwidth at any one time. To my ears, the sonic environment is commensurately foggy and blurry in places so I have to crank up the volume to differentiate who's playing what in the quieter sections (which my neighbors love me for.) I understand there is a remastered edition from 2006 which may have addressed some of these issues but I ain't heard that. Quibbles aside, there is much to enjoy here as The Story of I manages to encompass an incredibly eclectic blend of instrumental Progressive Rock, Classically themed cinematic soundtrack, memorable songwriting, Latin, African, Funk and Caribbean rhythmic elements together with a generous sprinkling of Jazz fusion thrown in for good measure. Some of the latter reminds me in places of Return to Forever circa Romantic Warrior, and that can't be bad thing in anyone's book. Along with Chris Squire's Fish Out Of Water and Wakeman's earlier output up to Criminal Record, this is one of just a handful of Yes solo releases of which their creators can be justifiably proud.

 Human Interface by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1987
2.51 | 18 ratings

BUY
Human Interface
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team

2 stars Beyond binary

Patrick Moraz' solo career has most often been a solo career in the fullest sense of the word, meaning that Patrick does everything himself with no involvement by other musicians. Human Interface is a case in point: composed, arranged, performed, and produced by Moraz.

The best track on this album is the opening Light Elements which reminds me of Vangelis' best works. Next up is another good piece called Beyond Binary which sounds a bit like a cross between Keith Emerson and Vangelis. The third track Cin-A-Maah is also a good one, this time prompting comparisons with Geoff Downes' excellent solo debut album The Light Programme.

Unfortunately, after this the album goes awry. The rest of Human Interface is not as good as the first three tracks. Stormtroops On Loops is nothing but an annoying sound collage but thankfully it is short. Modular Symphony (First Movement) is in the style of Classical music while Goto Ophioplomal returns to electronic territory again. The 10 minute plus Kyushu reminds of Vangelis' China but is overly long and soon becomes tedious. The final tracks are in more New Age style and also feel a bit too long and monotonous.

There are some good moments on Human Interface, predominantly in the beginning of the album, but overall it does not hold up that well. Still, many of Moraz' solo albums are worse!

 moraz live / abbey road by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Live, 2012
2.00 | 1 ratings

BUY
moraz live / abbey road
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team

— First review of this album —
2 stars "Yes, it's that studio"

It is contestable how "live" this album really is, since it is one of those live-in-the-studio affairs. Applause can be heard between a few of the pieces so there is a small studio audience present, but beyond those rather sparse applause there is no audience interaction to speak of. Like the spoken introduction by John DeBella makes clear, this is Patrick Moraz playing material from his album Human Interface. Moraz is the sole performer, playing a variety of electronic keyboards and percussion instruments. There is also a short interview of Moraz by DeBella included in which Patrick explains his choice of not being supported by a band as "self-imposed limitation". Limitation is probably the right word, and even if this is a brave and quite impressive enterprise, I suspect that the result would have been better with a band.

Oddly enough, the titles of the various pieces performed are not the same as on the Human Interface album. What on the album was called Go To Ophioplomal is here performed under the name of Electronica Classica, and an overture is added to the piece. Light Elements becomes Night Lights; Stormtroops on Loops becomes Scoops of Love; Modular Symphony becomes Molecular Symphony; Cin- A-Maah becomes The Godmother Theme; Beyond Binary becomes Age du Tertiaire; Stressless is renamed Stresslessness; and finally, Kyushu has become Night In Kyoto. The only track from Human Interface not performed here is Hyperwaves.

With the exception of Night Lights - which is the "live" version of Light Elements, the best track on Human Interface - these Abbey Road versions are either slight improvements over their Human Interface counterparts or at least of the same quality, even though the differences between the versions are very small. Night In Kyoto is as boring and overly long here as it was on the album and Stresslessness too is a rather dull number in both versions.

After the brief interview, Patrick performs a piano piece which closes the main part of the radio broadcast programme, the remaining three tracks on this CD being bonus tracks from an unknown (to me) source.

The final assessment of this album is that this is a release primarily for fans and collectors of Patrick Moraz but not recommended for the general Prog fan.

 Out In The Sun by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1977
2.60 | 60 ratings

BUY
Out In The Sun
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by Ytse_Jam

3 stars Here we have the second album of the well known swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Primarily known for having participated in the masterpiece of Yes, Relayer, Moraz provides some other good album: during his career, in fact, he worked with the Moody Blues and was named in 1973 to replace Keith Emerson, that just left The Nice to set up the ELP project. Moraz has also produced a series of solo albums, like this Out In The Sun. This is straight crossover prog, since we can hear in it some good pop / rock that recalls Supertram sometimes, created with a Latin vein, as seen in the previous album, Story Of I. Although slightly lower than the previous, also in Out In The Sun we can find some enjoyable ideas. Moraz's keyboards are a bit less virtuoso than Refugee's relese, but it is still dominant and capable of quite good work, in particular in the 9 minute-suite, Time for Change. The voice of John McBurnie does its job well enough, but also the performance of Francois Zmirou, who appears in Love-Hate-Sun-Rain- You, should be mentioned. In conclusion, for 70s keyboards fans and not only, Out In The Sun is good addition to your collection. It is not certainly a must-have, but it's still a good album worth listening to.
 The Story of I by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.47 | 135 ratings

BUY
The Story of I
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by Quirky Turkey

3 stars After hearing Yes' Relayer with Patrick Moraz on keyboards I felt obliged to listen his first studio album, which I found was in my lp collection. What I got was an obscure, heavily Brazilian influenced album, full of changes and madness. It's full of Brazilian percussion (just see the musicians list), but it's crossed with crazy, psycadelic, trippy, jazzy, even spacey, synth. It also has piano, singing here and there, and the usual rock instruments: drums, bass, and some guitars. All the music flows and the album is best listened to as a whole.

Impact - This isn't really a song but more of an introduction to the strange tone of this album, although none of it is as 'out there' as this. It's filed with weird sounds and it's kind of creepy. Good though.

Warmer Hands - This is a mix between a proper lyrical song, and a crazy fest of music similar to a lot of other songs. Very enjoyable.

The Storm - Basically a mess of sound and music to create the impression of a storm.

Cachaca - Very weird. It's a happy and corny song that feels like a bunch of children in the jungle having a good time. It's obscure so I welcome it as part of the album.

Intermezzo - This features classical sounding piano and a short female vocal section, sung in French and English at the same time. It's an interesting effect and I would have liked to hear more of it. The song then gets a bit more rockier at the end. Very good stuff. A definite highlight.

Indoors - The first half is a psychedelic solo battle between a synth lead and an electric guitar. Then it turns into what sounds like music suited to Mario Kart, with some lyrics. This is my personal favourite song on the album.

Best Years Of Our Lives - This is probably the closest thing to normality on this album. It's a ballad with subtle touches of Moraz's synth sound. It's a great, emotional song and a good closer to the first half.

Descent - After the tranquil and pleasant song before, this song hits you immediately with a fast-paced and exciting music.

Incantation - A short progression of mysterious and rhythmic music with some tribal sounds thrown in. Works well.

Dancing Now - What's this? Moraz seems to have made a lyrical, pop-like, catchy song. He has ventured away from his interesting and obscure treats. It's not too bad though and still contains a little of the album's unique style.

Impressions - Simply a piano piece with dreamy wave sounds in the background. Not bad.

Like A Child In Disguise - Oh no, another lyrical pop song. And it's even worse than the last one. The problem with these is they don't feel adventurous at all and leave me bored and uninterested.

Rise and Fall - To redeem the album at this point it has gone back to synthy madness with this complex and out-there song. And it's fairly long for this album.

Symphony In The Space - This is an orchestral piece, only the orchestra is all synth. As the name would suggest it's a symphonic, almost spacey sounding song. Good close.

Overall The Story of I is a good album. It's very adventurous and unique with it's fusion of worldly music and prog. Being that it's full of short pieces and it's always changing, the album demands attention when listening to it. I found this album a little hard to feel a connection with, and some parts were a little too experimental and crazy, with no strong melodies that stuck after a listen. But the worst parts were the two emotionless pop songs. They're the faults but there's more good than bad here. I would recommend checking out this album. 3.5 stars.

 Windows Of Time by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1994
3.05 | 23 ratings

BUY
Windows Of Time
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by Evolver
Special Collaborator Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

3 stars When I see an album of solo piano pieces that are not either jazz or strict classical, my first fear is that they will succumb to the bland stylings of artists like George Winston. When I find an album of solo piano by a keyboardist of the stature of Patrick Moraz, who's work with Yes and Bill Bruford I greatly admire, I'll give it a chance.

First, the good parts. The opening piece, InvocationRelayer. The piece is fast and furious, at times reminiscent of vintage Keith Emerson, but always with Moraz' unique flavor. And further along, Talisman, based on the jazz classic Caravan (Now who doesn't sound good playing that piece?) showcases Moraz in a jazzy setting, with even more spectacular results.

But alas, the remainder of the album is much less interesting. I wouldn't say it's bad, but it doesn't have the spark of those two above mentioned tracks. Good background music, rarely elevating to anything more.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

 The Story of I by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.47 | 135 ratings

BUY
The Story of I
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by Evolver
Special Collaborator Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

3 stars Matrick Moraz' contribution to the five individual solo albums that Yes was touting on their 1976 tour (I was there), is not a great album, but it has it's moments. And despite having no other members of Yes, it actually has captured quite a bit of the Yes sound. Well, maybe the early (original lineup, without Wakeman and Howe) Yes, mixed with some Starcastle. But also, throughout, there is Moraz' very fine keyboard playing. There are moments of brilliance from him, but not that approach his amazing work on Relayer.

The music is primarily Yes-like prog, with some French and Brazilian flavors scattered about. Forgive me if I don't name tracks, but my copy is a cassette (since ripped to a CD), the tracks run together, and I can't, for the most part, tell where one song ends and the next begins.

So this is not a bad album, but no way would I call it essential.

 The Story of I by MORAZ, PATRICK album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.47 | 135 ratings

BUY
The Story of I
Patrick Moraz Crossover Prog

Review by Progfan1958

3 stars Steve's Album of the day: "The Story Of I" by Patrick Moraz. I bought this record the day it came out in 1976. At the time Patrick was a member of Yes, and my appetite for anything related to the band was huge. Wakeman had left the band in 1974, and in stepped the amazing Swiss keyboard player from Refugee ( Their debut album in 1974 was another one I grabbed as soon as I heard "The Grand Canyon Suite" on the radio ). I loved this LP when I first heard it, a strange blend of electronic prog, mixed with Brazilian rhythms and fusion jazz. Quite unlike anything else I had heard at the time. Now 35 years on, it has dated a bit, and my enthusiasm is not quite the same, but it's still fun to go back to it from time to time. There is plenty of great playing by all the musicians involved, and Pat's vision must be given credit.
Thanks to TR for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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.