JEREMY

— First review of this album —

Jeremy Morris has released well in excess of 50 albums now, but this is the one that should have been the first but has only just been made available. Released on 12/12/12, this contains recordings that were made by Jeremy with his brother Mike on drums between 1980 and 1982. Originally destined to be his debut release, it was shelves after Mike lost interest in the project and some thirty years after the fact Jeremy has revisited the tapes and cleaned them off and made them available. Interestingly the comments are that they have been remastered, no comment at all about re-recording so it appears that these are as they were. Also, unless the original idea was to release a double album I am instead of putting together the album as it would have been back then Jeremy has instead chosen the best of the recordings as the CD is over an hour long.

What immediately strikes the listener is that it doesn't sound as if it some young guys just starting out. Remember, this wasn't a full band, as while Mike provided the drums Jeremy was singing, playing guitar, bass and keyboards so there would have been a lot of multi-tracking going on. Also, this is definitely very much Jeremy as we now know him as opposed to an amateurish project. In fact, when I played this the first time I hadn't read the CD booklet and the only thing that really struck me as strange is that not only was there a very long song included, but also that there are times when Jeremy seems much more in love with his guitar than usual with some rock soloing and power chords. I had thought that he was moving in a different direction (again), not realizing that this was how it all started.

Very much a Christian album, this fits in more with his power pop/rock style than that of his prog ventures, but yet again this is an album that those who enjoy his music will want to discover, and if you enjoy The Byrds with plenty of psych and melodic harmonies then this is for you. For more details on this and the other bands on his label visit www.jamrecordings.com

US composer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy MORRIS has been a productive artist since he released his debut album back in the 1980's. With a career ongoing for some 30 years by now, his back catalog is fairly immense at this point. "From the Dust to the Stars" is his most recent production at the time of writing, and was released by the Russian label MALS Records in the late summer of 2012.

Psychedelic progressive rock of an accessible nature with subtle cosmic flavoring and a few but notable nods in the direction of The Beatles is what Jeremy provides on "From the Dust to the Stars". An album that should appeal to those who enjoy their vintage sounding psychedelic rock quite nicely, with a fine array of cosmic-tinged textures by way of keyboard and Mellotron as the icing on the cake for those who enjoy material of this particular kind, and yet another strong production by this fine US artist.

— First review of this album —

American multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer from Kalamazoo, Michigan.Jeremy Morris was heavily influenced by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones at the early stage of his life, while later he came in touch with the more demanding material of Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream.In early 80's he found his own Jam Records and released his debut ''Alive'' in 5000 copies, while several albums would follow mostly in Psych/Power Pop style over a decade.In 1993 though Jeremy releases ''Dreams Come True'', an album of strong Progressive and Art Rock content.

Jeremy Morris handles all guitars, bass and keyboards, he is helped by drummer Dave Dietrich and the result is over 70 minutes of instrumental melodic music split in 27(!) tracks with emphasis on the strong guitar work of Jeremy and the atmospheric synth and piano parts.The album is a mix of Melodic Rock and Neo/Electronic Prog tunes, composed with love for these particular styles and delivered under a clear production.Morris' guitar playing shines through the whole album, from his ripping solos to the melodic rhythmic parts, and he supports his favorite instrument with some really cool piano paces and some very strong synthesizer parts, which make his music sound spacey and even symphonic at moments.The closest comparison would be Germans DELTA CYPHEI PROJECT in an all instrumental form, though the later tracks lean towards the Electronic side of Prog with strong SHAMALL hints and a very spacey mood overall, featuring series of deep electronic textures.Among the electric tracks of the album Morris drops a few lovely acoustic themes in the vein of GORDON GILTRAP or MIKE OLDFIELD, which make the album an even more enjoyable listening experience.

The first attempt of Jeremy Morris on producing a proggy effort was damn succesful.Pleasant, spacey and highly melodic guitar-based Progressive Rock with some fascinating themes here and there guarantee a nice listening.Recommended.

Ready for some nice laid back space rock? Yep, it's what this is all about. Jeremy delivers a nice bunch of groovy riffs, good melodies and psychedelic ambient interludes. From the Dust to the Stars may not blow your mind by its uniqueness, but few albums do that anyway. For me this album was a pleasant surprise, that does not try to be anything more than it is. At times I'm reminded of Ayreon and Hawkwind, but I'm not very familiar with this kind of music so not many bands come to mind. Lyrically it is a nice uplifting, not too serious sort of piece. My favourite tracks are Shake the Dust and beginner The Great Escape. Moderately recommended for everyone, and highly recommended for those who dig spacey music.

It must be twenty years since Jeremy Morris and I were first in contact. Back then his albums were released on cassette (I still have all of them ' just nothing to play them on), and often on his own label Jam Recordings, but his latest effort has been released by Mals and sees him move slightly more into the prog field. Of course, being Jeremy there are also huge slabs of psychedelia and power pop and to be honest it is the former that takes centre stage for much of this album. Also, given that there is a photo of three musicians on the rear of the case one could think that this is a group effort, but apart from two guys sharing drum duties, and recording colleague Guillermo Cazenave on one song, this is very much a solo effort. Jeremy lists his own instruments as vocals, guitars, mellotron, bass, synthesizers, piano, dulcimer, drums before he puts 'etc'. Yes, he is very much a one man band.

When Jeremy was telling me about this he did tell me that it was a prog album (Jeremy releases normally three or four albums a year, in many different styles) but I'm really not so sure. There are some proggy elements (anything with a mellotron is almost automatically prog isn't it?) but it is much more a psychedelic piece, with some wonderful layering and atmospheric keyboards and vocals. At times it is quite dreamy, while at others it contains some of the most direct electric guitar solos I have ever heard Jeremy record. Lyrically this is very much a Christian album, with Jeremy using his words to get across some strong messages.

Overall, The result is yet another Jeremy album that it is possible to listen to with a smile on the face ' it may not be what a lot of people think of as a prog album, but whatever tag you wish to put on this it is a damn fine listen.

The best Jeremy album so far.

After having endured some pretty abysmal Jeremy albums during the last 12 months, my expectations were at sub zero level. Therefore, this album came as such a delight.

Jeremy has thrown everything at this album. Long electric guitar solos most guitarists would had been proud of. Long acoustic guitar passages which would get the nod from most guitarists too. Long keyboard passages too. But most of all; keyboards and the guitars is being used at the same time to create some very dynamic, melodic melodies. There is no vocals here and they are not missed. The dynamic melodies here breathes perfectly well without these distractions.

Clocking in at seventy-one minutes, this album is a heck of a big piece of music to devour by the listener. But this album is not a single second too long. It varies from new-age type of reflective melodies to big dynamic melodies where all instruments is being used. This mix is perfect here. The same is the sound and the cover art.

In short; this is a great album and a welcome addition to most record collections. Fans of Anthony Phillips should check out this album. I just wish all Jeremy albums was this good.

4 stars

Fruits from a desert.

Jeremy (see interview) has released a lot of albums. Far more than included in ProgArchives. His brand of music is new age and meditation music, with an occasional venture into rock and fusion.

Fruit Tree though is Jeremy at his piano and nothing else than that. It is him hitting the tangents in a pedestrian fashion for over forty minutes. In my case; four times forty minutes I cannot claim back from God although I have filed a complaint for loss of valuable time.

Hence, I am not happy.

I am totally OK with a man playing a piano on his own. But there needs to be some melodies here. Jeremy tries his best at creating something worthwhile here and I am sure this album is selling well (maybe because of the excellent art work). But he is failing. Miserably ! There is no melodies and no creative value on this album at all. His fingers hits the tangents, but nothing comes of it. I cannot find anything here of any value. But if forty minutes of pedestrian piano playing is something for you; you are welcome to this album. I on the other hand is having a serious consumer based conversation with God about the wasted time I have spent on this album. I want a full refund in about 20 years time.

1 star

The first Jeremy album I ever listened to was pretty bad so I had no hopes when I put this album in my CD player. I soon discovered that I was wrong.

In cases like Celestial City, it is great to be proven wrong. This album is a showcase of understated, but still a big sound music. It is based on Jeremy's guitars in addition to tangents. What really sticks out on Celestial City is Jeremy's guitar solos. They are simply awesome. If you are a budding guitarist, this is one of the albums you should get. Then listen & learn. The rest of can just try to collect our jaws again from the floor. Which is not easy.

The music is still based in new age music and symphonic prog aka Camel and Enid. The music is floating around without offering any contrasts or texture. Which is exactly my main gripe with this album. This album is like a bird without teeth. Hence it is not an excellent addition to anyone's else than a budding guitarist's collection. But the music here is still good and it is a very relaxing album, excellent for late nights or the catnap after coming home from work. I struggle to fully keep my attention on this album though. Seventy-three minutes is twenty minutes too much for this type of albums. Hence my stars.

3 stars

— First review of this album —

New Age or relaxation music........... whatever.

I have to admit that this type of music is not for me so please feel free to ignore the star given. Read my description of the music instead and make up your own mind if you want to invest in this album or not. Giving out stars here is a bit pointless.

The music here is...... well....... very film music like with long passages of keyboards, some electric and acoustic guitars and........ well, that's it. There is hardly any change of rhythms here and sadly, no melodies either. The tracks just floats into each other with no meaning whatsoever. Relaxing music ? This album seems underdeveloped and incoherent. I have also paid money for this album. That makes my blood boil. I am therefore not relaxed. Not the slightest. The programmed machine drums, a nasty throwback to the 1980s, also makes it hard to relax. But the bottom line is; I do not see the point of this album. If I want to relax; silence is the best way. What is wrong with silence ? I think silence is an undervalued entity. So where is the market for an album where nothing happens during seventy-two minutes ? I don't know. This is not for me, I am afraid.

1 star

"Celestial City" is a voyage into mellow space, a sonic universe where sweeping synths and soaring guitars coalesce into a sympho-electronic maelstrom that can, for the hardest rockers, give the impression to be a New Age kind of a gig. Well, not quite Yanni as one PA reviewer mentioned but close. The sheer density of the electronics signal a kinship with Austrian composer Gandalf (who happens to have a solid veneration for Steve Hackett), the bliss-out rave flights of early 90s Elektrik Teepee Hawkwind , some obvious Hillagisms, a dash of Kitaro but the closest would be Bjorn Lynne's spaciest recordings (The Void, Colony etc.). That this is labeled as non-committal background music is quite unjust as the textures and moods constantly vary from track to track while remaining firmly in the contemplative realm of electronic prog. There are some standout cuts here that transcend the blah, such as the 10 minute extraordinary excursion "Invisible War" in particular is most expressive with fabulous rays of synthesizers, bolts of fiery lead guitar and even resonating tubular bells, obviously travelling to the classic ultra-instrumental Oldfield dominions. The cosmic orchestrations are peerless wonders of amazement and provide the platform for some incandescent guitar expressions, that one ideally suit a good sci-fi movie and successfully add dimension and depth to the panorama. The very short "Wonderful" does get a little wimpy though, as the lightweight piano sets the table and yields to the sober guitar solo that has a strong Latimer-flavor. "Soaring" reverts to the contemplative introspection that ultimately defines this disc, with a rambling effect-laden guitar sortie that winks close to Hackett's electric style and does so perfectly. What's great here is that it stays nice and terse, coming in as a 4 minute jewel. "Laser Love" is another extended epic 8 minute showcase, bringing in some odd percussion, a colossal fanfare theme playfully symphonized by the array of Moogs, Rolands, Yamahas and ARPs (you would almost swear Tony Banks is guesting). This is pure electronica with severe Genesis overtones; see if you can guess which one! The whopping and relentless guitar solo is animated to the hilt and displays an urgent sense of "celestial" euphoria, a truly memorable piece of cosmic rock. "Cocoon" is oddly a tad dull, a bit like the famous movie of the same name. It just labors without direction, pretty much according to the rather "cramped" title! Strong hints of Vangelis come creeping through on the piano-led "Butterfly", some slithering synth warblings combine with synthetic percussion sounds that create a sense of childish bewilderment yet ultimately nothing here is convincing. The ultra-acoustic gem "Hour Glass" recalls Anthony Phillips while adding some luxuriant string washes that recall the legendary Classical Gas by Mason Williams. "King's Court" is equally pastoral and bucolic, very analogous to the previous piece but with a more medieval intonation. The massive 15 minute "The Door" is certainly a highlight piece, containing all of the above influences and ingredients, all welded together within a tight composition and a gigantic melody that will undoubtedly please the "epic"urians. Dripping synthesized tears, intrepid piano swagger and an elongated guitar intercession make this piece palatable but has a missing "je ne sais quoi" that would have tipped this into the bravo fold. Perhaps a little sweaty grit and subsiding anger would have been better suited for distinction sake; it's just too darn pretty! "Zion" does recommend a more experimental direction but it chooses to meander peacefully within wispy soundscapes , thrusting guitar notes only with venerated timidity. The finale is the title cut, which has a sturdy Genesis feel that I see as a bit pointless, veering very near plagiarism again. "Celestial City" has like many beautiful metropolitan expanses, a few bland neighborhoods but remains a pleasant enough cosmic journey, for the Pilgrim or the Progger. I will be generous because Jeremy seems like a real decent fellow to boot. Pencil in right between Phillips' "Slowdance" and Gandalf's "Gallery of Dreams" for next Sunday morning. 4 fluffy clouds