WHITE

Going for the (number) one

Having lived in Bellevue near Seattle, USA for many years, Alan White has naturally taken an interest in the local music scene; recently he has worked with local band MerKaBa from time to time. Simultaneously, Alan began work on a new project of his own, using members of MerKaBa and another local band called Treason in the line up. Demos were recorded by this band, the name adopted being White. One final line up change was to ensure before the band recorded an official album, when former Yes and long time Asia keyboards player Geoff Downes was brought in to replace the current keyboard player. Interestingly, Downes involvement appears to have been whited out on the band's current website.

The way the album was put together was similar to the approach taken for Alan's solo album "Ramshackled" many years previously, although the results are quite different. That album was a fusion based affair, while this is a much more straightforward rock album. There is not a lot of prog going on here, the songs rely on strong melodies, catchy rhythms, and other AOR tenets. I must confess that while vocalist Kevin Currie has a voice well suited for the harder style of rock, I found his contribution to this album to be something of a mismatch.

The band's style has conveniently been likened to that of Asia, perhaps as much due to the links between Yes and Asia as in terms of the actual music. That said, the tight nature of the arrangements and brevity of the tracks do invite such comparisons. For me though, the music here does not have the consistency we associate with Asia, the songs jumping between different pop rock styles much more randomly. To that extent, listeners are far more likely to find something they like here, but perhaps less likely to find the package as a whole to be satisfactory.

Expectations might be at their highest for the 7+ minute "Mighty love", but this turns out to be a rambling soft reggae number; fine in its own way, but it sees the band veering off in yet another direction without really achieving a lot.

Overall, an enjoyable listen. Those seeking something representative of Alan White himself will search in vain here, he is simply the name behind the project.

Well what's all the fuss about it? Ok it's not a prog album, but rather better labelled as AOR music or mainstream, sometimes in the vein of B. Adams. The unique exception could have been represented by the track#9 "Loyal" or a few melodic moments, but the singer is not able to emulate this kind of "Gabrielesque" vocalism; or you could have also appreciated a different style, emulating the modern Yes band of the "Modern Rabin Era" within the first two tracks, but then you can stay listening to it and you are disappointed at the end...the good intoduction inside "Waterhole" is not enough to recommend the present album, as the role of G. Downes at the keyboards is not remarkable here and the approach by the veteran drummer A. White is not equal to his performance with the old Yes!!

So I'm not enthusiastic about it, but make your own choice as usual!

Better white than ramshackled!

This is a very nice melodic rock album with light progressive and harder rock touches. The name of the band refers, of course, to Alan White, the drummer of Yes since 1974. This is his second album as a bandleader, the first being Ramshackled from 1976. This new album and band (luckily!) have nothing to do, musically, with Ramshackled. In addition to Alan on drums, we also find here Geoff Downes from Asia (and also one-time Yes member). The sound of White is clearly closer to that of Asia than it is to that of Alan's day-time band.

The singer here sounds very similar to Fish of Marillion, but it is not him. However, these songs would indeed have fitted very well on one of Fish's solo albums like Sunsets On Empire. The rest of the band here were previously unknown to me, but all the instruments are very well played. I particularly like the guitars and the strong presence of acoustic guitars on some tracks.

The cover art by Roger Dean is very beautiful. From where does he get the inspiration to create all these amazing pictures for so many great albums?

A well made album. Good, but non-essential.

I´ve got to admit this one got me by surprise. I had no great expectation about it. Sure, maybe it would sound as an Asia leftover. But when I finally decided to buy it I was taken aback by its high quality. The sound is obviously not really prog, but so well played and arranged it really stands out. Singer kevin Currie has a different, grittier voice that makes him sound like no one in this style. Downes keyboards are more subtle and no as flashy as you should expect. Excellent guitar lines and bass. White knows when to play exactly what the song asks for and that´s a big quality concerning someone who plays prog music most of his life.

The songwriting is good and all tunes are listenible. It´s not the case of two hits and the rest is filler, like so many AOR albums I heard in the past. Highlights are the two first tracks in my opinion: New Day and Beyond The Sea Of Lies.

Ok, it´s not prog at all, but it´s very well done and worth a listen if you like a good AOR record for a change once in a while, like I do. Recommended for the open minded who enjoy a good prog-pop album like Asia or Journey.

I can honestly say I aproached this record with mixed feelings...I loved the solo album of Alan White "Ramshackled" even if, of the five Yes solo albums, it was the "less progressive". I expected something modern, coming from musicians prog-related. For sure, I didn't expect a Yes album, or an Asia album because Geoff Downes was involved in the project!!! But most of all, I didn't know the singer , which can really turn me off if I happen to not like him. I think this record is really GREAT. It gave me the same feeling as I first heard U.K. and Asia with their first records. And the singer...he definetly doesn't try to sound like a prog singer...he is simply himself. And I love that. So you get a bunch of well crafted songs, AOR songs with brilliant prog add-ins. I didn't need another clone of some old school prog. So I feel quite regenerate every time I spin this cd. I love rock music, I loved 80's new prog bands, and I enjoyed Yes coming back with a masterpiece like 90125. So I love this record too. Call me a fool, if you want...

What started out with a lot of hype has fallen flat. I was looking forward to this release having heard the demos, the interviews and the press. What I received was a fairly poor recording of a fairly mediocre band playing some interesting songs. Some is polite - there were a couple.

The lead vocalist is terrible - they should have replaced him before they started. He sounded better on the demos, but obviously he lacked the staying power to better it. This was a poor choice on Alan's part - and to be honest, Alan White should have known better. A veteran in the music business should have figured out what keeps a crowd by now. Kevin Currie is not the answer.

The keyboards provided by Geoff Downes were hyped in the months leading up to the release. Why - I do not know. He is very much a guest, and I suspect played his part more with an eye on rekindling his relationships with Yes than being a presence on this effort.

Alan's performance is rudimentary at best. He sounds better live in Yes playing old Bill Bruford songs than he does on his own outing - which is unexpected. What does his lack of enthusiasm say about the logevity of this project? Time will tell.

In short - this record is a pass - I for one will not be keeping it in my collection.

White Music indeed!

I think I've got this prog-pop thing finally figured out.

O.K., here's the thing. When unusual prog vocalists (like Jon Anderson, say) came on the scene in the early 70's, we relished their vocals as long as they were singing phrases like "a seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace" in odd meters; it wasn't as welcome when they sang phrases like "I am the Man in the Moon" in 4/4 time. And while prog-pop groups like Asia or GTR did have a great tenor vocalist, their talents were too often wasted on uninspired compositions or the lack of polyphony to which our progressive ears were accustomed.

Enter Alan White's "White" album.

I think this cd strikes a nice balance between progressive rock and classic rock (or AOR rock, if you will), without sounding too commercial. There is decent songwriting augmented by solid musicianship, and it's held together by White's classic drum style - a bit more restrained than his early days with Yes, but always interesting and upfront. I always thought Alan White took too much heat as the replacement for the peerless Bill Bruford, and he provided me with many many moments of rhythmic euphoria on "Yessongs", "Tales", "Relayer", "Going for the One" and others.

Kevin Currie is another reason why this album works. He's got a gutsy voice that bears some similitudes with Peter Gabriel and Fish, and gives this music some soul - something that most prog-pop groups sadly lack.

If you're on a strict diet of prog only, you will probably want to skip this meal. But those of us that enjoy good music done well (with a touch of prog!) will find much to enjoy here.