THE ENID

The Enid's refined classical rock isn't for everybody. It incorporates every nuance of dynamic and rhythmic subtlety to be found in classical performance practice. It can strike some as overly mellodramatic. _Six Pieces_ is unique in their output. More than any other Enid album, it incorporates characteristic virtuoso prog (shifting time signatures, bold synth lead sounds), probably due to the substantial compositional voice of keyboard player William Gilmour. Outstanding keyboard arrangements and sensational ensemble work serve gorgeous music ranging from the wistful to the mischievous.

1. Punch and Judy Man - Contrasts masculine, ELP-esque prog rock sections with feminine late romantic lyricism. An outstanding drum performance makes this required listening for any prog drummer.

2. Once She Was... (Scarborough Fayre) - Very moving set of variations on the "Scarborough Fair" melody. Intricate and imaginative keyboard orcehstrations with echoes of Delius and Holst.

3. The Ring Master - Another prog drumming extravaganza. Playful, but not without characteristic Enid sweeping grandeur.

4. Sanctus - Includes foreshadowing of the dramatic climax still to come in "Hall of Mirrors." The final chorale theme arrangement is very satisfying.

5. Hall of Mirrors - Landmark guitar playing by Stephen Stewart in this emotive slow movement. Few times has the electric guitar reached the level of ecstasy it achieves here.

6. The Dreamer - Begins with an extemporized evocation of a dream world, then broad melodies and a climax reminiscent of the band's signature tune from 1975, "Fand."

I am not sure where the border between neo-classic music and prog rock goes. This band is pretty much in the neo-classic music territory..... but still within a spitting distance from prog rock land.

The problem here is that this type of music is pretty light. It is like one of my favorite drinks; white wine with plenty of ice. Which is exactly what this album is. Watered out classical compositions. It is commercial and not particular complex. It is bordering to shopping mall music. Put this album on in your local WalMart/Tesco and the sale of summer food will increase by 5 %. Money well spent for the shop owners. I am writing this review in a 32 degrees (that's 110 Fahrenheit) heatwave and I feel a lot more positive about this music than when I was listening to it for the first time in a rainstorm some weeks ago. I put the album on a backburner to see if I would develop in my estimation like all good albums does. It didn't.

The music is pretty OK with some good tunes. Good tunes and no complexity like for example the music of YES, GENESIS, ELP and those other Godfathers of Symphonic Prog. The music has been packed into something epic and symphonic. But I see through the packing and goes for the core. Which is some nice tunes and nothing more. It is an excellent summer album. So I will give it three stars under some doubts.

3 stars

(This review is of the release which contains re-mixed and moved tracks, from 1984)

PREAMBLE

This collection is one of the greatest outbursts of beauty and glorious music in the history of the art form. In the Region of The Summer Stars fuses so many disparate styles and ideas into a cohesive album that it transcends notions of genre and classification. Beyond the guitars, floating synthesizers, percussive mastery, and orchestral imitation sits a world where Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Liszt, and Medieval Plainchant mix in an unprecedented array of colours. What is collected for redistribution in this album may have been intended ironically, but in reality it flows above and beyond what can be expected of human beings; it is the great music of our time.

Note:

I am not satisfied with comparing each piece on an album to what came before or after it; this review takes the form of a criticism of an entire whole, which this album certainly is. What many listeners may not realize is that the entire album takes on the form of a gigantic sonata. Sonata form was used extensively from 1760-1920, in many musical compositions by so-called Classical composers. It contains an exposition where all the themes and melodies are shown off, which moves to a development that mixes these themes together, and then a recapitulation of the original themes in their pristine forms. It usually ends in a glorious display of finality, an ending called a coda, which is Italian for tail (the tail-end of the piece!). I consider this note important because the inner meaning of this music is not apparent, due to the lack of singing. It is important to know the ideas which formed this music, and how it plays out in time. It is supremely ingenious in construction, and that alone should earn it great respect.

EXPOSITION

I. Fool: The influence of Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) is obviously apparent in John Godfrey's pianistic explosion which opens this seminal album. Not only does Mr. Godfrey perfectly imitate (or parody?) the crescendo from soft to loud which opens the aforementioned composer's second piano concerto (1902), but he adds even more climactic drama to it than parts of the original contained. After this exposition of power, bizarre swirls of synthesizer pads and effects fade into an ethereal background, filling the pure lonely space which the piano now falls into. The accompaniment alone adds an interestingly modern tinge to an album that might be considered a keyboard concerto in scope. Beyond even Rachmaninov, the slow piano part which comes between the two outbursts sounds as if it comes from Kaikhosru Sorabji (an eminent Parsi composer for piano, 1892-1988), whose dark explorations of philosophy and psychology in music are a testament to human ingenuity. Fool (or The Fool in the original) serves as an exposition of all the themes and instruments in this music: it is the first part, the opening, the entry of components so crucial to an extended sonata form, which this album takes. A solo horn enters over a world of water and screaming sea animals, lapping themselves against the ocean shore on what must be a sunny summer morning. It segues into an energetic piece called...

II. The Tower of Bable*: Spaghetti westerns and Mozart operas mix together in this very interesting explosion of piano, guitars, drums, synthesizer effects, and sheer power. There is a supreme confidence of intent and knowledge in the playing of this music, and it sounds as if it takes from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and foreshadows Dream Theater's keyboard runs. Mozart's more explicitly 'oriental' music (such as Abduction from the Seraglio) finds hidden references in this piece (it's very subtle and well-done!) There is nothing calm or mediocre in this sound, as it drives forward in its own condensed sonata form, the themes taking each other for a ride across distant lands and right back again, our imagination made all that more rich by the experience. An eerie tinge marks the centre of this piece, with distant bells chiming, echoing into eternity, but eventually giving way to the glorious recapitulation of the opening themes. A cacophony of drums, piano chords, string pads, and melodious guitar lines - which seem to be on fire from the sheer intensity - crash into each other in a passage which recalls Beethoven and remembers Yes (especially that band's 1974 release). After the crashing cadences and cascades of sound abruptly end, the music falls away into nothingness, introducing...

III. The Reaper: As is typical of music representing death or fate, there are chiming bells, other-worldly string pads, and treated guitar noises which fall together in the right order to create an Impressionistic snap-shot of how we humans see the end. There are no words in this music, but the music, the glorious music, sends out its own message regardless. After a passage where everything falls away into the peace of natural death, the drums and guitars make their entrance in full force, heralded on their way by a Hammond organ. Some of the music sounds very up-beat and it brims with life in many respects, but the undercurrent throws the listener aside and grotesque, deviant shadows fill the sky. Everything falls apart, a theme introduced in the previous track, leading into the most tender and beautiful piece of music composed in the late twentieth century.

IV. The Lovers/The Loved Ones: How can a person describe this music? The softness of touch and Romantic breadth of the piano playing which introduces this extra-ordinary piece is beyond capture, when using only our feeble words. From the darkness that ends the previous piece, this calm and wise piano seems to float straight out of the abyss, out of the darkness formed by the falling tower and death come to wreak havoc. A sheen of white light, the sun in summer, the meadows and fields of Elysium, and pure love come together in one of our greatest human achievements. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) himself could not have created a more tender expression of beauty and love than this. Much is owed to that composer's nocturnes which, along with Chopin, heralded such a revolution in piano playing in the early 19th century. The shimmering light hovers in unknowable areas of ecstasy and perfection for several minutes, while a synthesized orchestra moves in to accompany it. The aforementioned second piano concerto of Rachmaninov is a precedent for this, with its slow, moonlit slow second movement. As the music swells and becomes louder (a thing lost on much modern music), the orchestra explodes with Mellotron horns and flutes, and many string pads form together in a stroke of musical greatness. After the crescendo and climax, everything falls away, back to those muted strings and the lone piano, now expressing a supreme melancholy after the exertion of the previous minute. It fades away into the oblivion from whence it came, never to be heard again, but once more, in a distant land and in a different time. This is surely what it means to be human.

DEVELOPMENT:

V. The Demon King. The first four movements of this true sonata suite encompassed the classical exposition of themes, and now, after the love of eternity has faded, the music moves into the development of themes. It is here that the grandeur of the introduction, the energy of the second and third pieces, and the tumultuous ground of love in the fourth piece find their mixing ground, their place of combat to decide which theme takes the foreground. A sinister piano opens this second part, seeming to spiral up and down in a chaos of some sort of over-the-top musical theatre. The energy of the middle of the exposition is here dominant, with the piano of previous piece transformed into a flash of bizarre inspiration. It is more sarcastic than anything else, and the music takes an almost humorous turn with the marimba-inspired keyboards and whirling guitars. Everything is a mess of Bacchanalian fantasies and drunken revelry, as might befit a king! This is definitely the ground of The Tower of Babel and The Reaper, a Totentanz (dance of death) that even dares to poke fun at The Loved Ones. It is a great example of musical humor and imitation of one's very own music, taken from the great Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). It ends, like its ancestors in the second and third tracks, quickly and jokingly.

VI. Dawn: Here, a reversal of fortunes comes into play, and sinister notions fall away, giving in to the pre-dawn world where dust motes float in the early morning sky, and nothing seems to move but the clouds. All his silent and peaceful once more, as the perfect trumpet playing comes in over the hills, heralding the coming of day, which arrives after a huge ascent by the trumpet.

VII. Sunrise: A utopian world of small villages, rolling hills, green fields, lush forests, and, of course, the rising sun all coalesce into one bright and vibrant picture. Everything comes to life again after the rush of death in The Demon King. I do not speak here of individual instruments, because each and every member of this ensemble proved himself completely up to the task of creating a great symphony (that is, 'sounds together') of ideas and music, with tender spots, powerful spots, and quiet spots. The music seems surprisingly long (in a very good way!), despite coming in at only three-and-a-half minutes. It ends in a luscious array of synthesizers and keyboards.

VIII. The Last Day*: The music of death and fate returns again, marking a departure from the jesting death of earlier parts. Everything has become solemn and dramatic, for the world is falling apart in time for the final judgment. Drums introduce the music, which is much more than a reference to Maurice Ravel's infamous Bolero of 1928, but a very dark and sarcastic parody of the militarism that always unites death with humanity. There is no political message, assuredly, but the music seems half-serious and half-jeering at huge columns of Romans and Spartans marching to battle. This is the end-time, and it is portrayed with stark brutality and a Shostakovich-like grotesque atmosphere. The music eventually reaches a full climax of crescendos and awe-inspiring statements of militaristic power and the Imperial domain of death over all things. Even as the trumpets pound out a gigantic hymn of power and control, there is an elegiac sadness to it all, and out of this great march comes... the opening theme! The development ends and falls away to a tender flute and floating harp-like arpeggios at the end of this piece. The journey is over, and yet there is still much more to say, for we must return home.

RECAPITULATION

IX. The Flood: Like all great stories, even in wordless music, it begins where it ends: the sea-shore, the lonely trumpet of Fool and Dawn telling us that it is time to come back. It fades away, as it always does, breathing life into...

X. Under The Summer Stars*: Here is one of the great achievements of progressive music. The familiar string pads of all the other pieces come back, but the great and varied keyboard playing on Mellotron and various other synthesizers adds a finality that did not show itself in the exposition. This is ending music, a purely ecstatic finale of all the themes. After the break-down and destruction of everything in the development (central) section, it all returns and is put right. Pads, guitars, arpeggios of flowing synthesizers, and an ethereal atmosphere pervades this whole world, a world purely of the imagination. It is a reflection of all that came before; it is the stars, and it is the moon. Its qualities of ghostly floating sounds add the greatest feeling that we have come to the end of something, and it works up to a grand, golden coda that sweeps away all tension and brings us, ever-forward, into a world where a light is shining down upon each and every listener. Whether it brings a sense of drama, beauty, serenity, or power, it is a great ending to a revolutionary work. All that has been said and done here is extra-ordinary and new, and it falls away into what must be one of the greatest endings conceived...

XI. Adieu. Harking back to what seemed to be lost in the tidal wave of death and glory, this epilogue gives a voice to those shadowy ones, The Lovers, who appeared but once, and then were never heard from again except for humorous imitation in The Demon King. This piece comes right out of the previous one, acting as the ending, the consummation of the journey as a thing to be remembered. It is a tender and beautiful recapitulation of a theme from The Loved Ones, gently falling away from piano to guitar to strings, and eventually all that remains is a singular harp, swirling slowly and softly away into the distance, with nothing else to care about but the peace it leaves in its aftermath.

CODA

Not only is this one of the great achievements of rock music, or of classical style and form, but it is an achievement for all time. It is a testament to the greatness of ideation and imagination that is at the centre of the human experience. Not only does this altogether seminal assembly of musicians perfectly assemble a classical sonata tinged with Romantic and Modernist turns, but they execute the music itself with such potent virtuosity (as far as virtuosity extends to rock music) that it goes beyond ordinary prog. It is a thing of the past and the future, and it will live on thanks to musicians and artists such as The Enid. This is what it means to be human. 5/5 all-round; it is a must-have for anyone who enjoys music. Period!

* These three tracks are mixed into two bonus tracks, called Judgement and In The Region Of The Summer Stars, which are merely re-workings of previous material in different ways. They are not central to the overall arch of this structure.

How I haven't heard this before I don't know, but my brother bought me this and the original work of Proto-Kaw for my birthday the other day, knowing I heard neither. Both were wonderful.

I have loved The Enid since their inception, especially the big, orchestral side of the mastermind Robert John Godfrey's unbelievable talents. So, this album is very much up the alley of The Enid's path that I love. Rich, adventurous, and there is some of the newer styling here also. The band sections are performed flawlessly and with true emotion and humor.

I have had the wonderful luck of meeting Mr. Godfrey on a trip to England with my wife, and we saw them live while there. He is the finest pianist I've ever witnessed live. Effortless technique, yet an overflowing amount of raw emotion. I only got to speak with him for a moment at the concert (BTW - he called me in the States before our trip, and after I had emailed their web site. He invited me and my wife to the concert - chalk that little telephone conversation up to one of the highlights of my life!) - and he was a total gentle person, and truly happy that my wife and I made it to the show. Needless to say, we weren't let down.

If you enjoy the big, yet very personal side of The Enid, this one pretty much is a perfect offering.

This was a big surprise even though I was familiar with the Enid's previous work (the first two albums in particular), picking this up from some obscure sale bin, somewhere and unexpectedly. "Tripping the Light Fantastic" on its own without comparisons is a wonderful recording, loaded with shifting moods and creative research. With Robert John Godfrey at the helm, you know that bombastic symphonic keyboards will adorn the almost classical arrangements, slashed by some blistering guitar discharges and stitched tight with rippling bass work and metronomic drumming. "Ultraviolet Cat" tosses some eccentric atmospheric configurations with a slight Yello synthetic feel, marimba synths dancing as if in a Tangerine Dream, with occasional soundtrack fare playfully fiddling with the arrangement by adding vocal effects, meowing guitar leads, synthesized purring and hissing blushes. Really cool stuff! "Little Shiners" is the genuine winner here, with an immense lullaby melody, a guitar solo plaintively expressing the romantic interlude, slowly building steam with absolute restraint until the paroxysm is reached and the delicate piano waves the goodbye handkerchief. "Gateway" explodes from the opening blast, a gigantic unfurling of fanfarish keyboards with an Oldfieldian guitar rip courtesy of Nick May, this piece sounds like a soundtrack from Gladiator so imperial is the tone and breadth of the symphonics. The extraordinary title track reverts to mellower pastures, sounding like a proggy version of Bill Conti/John Williams movie orchestrations, interrupted by some tremendous May interfaces (any relation to Brian May?) and suddenly veering into spicier horizons with a primal propellant beat leading the way. This lush extremism is tempered by the trumpet based orchestral gilding, for which Godfrey lays a claim to fame and you can't help closing your eyes and imagining some personal cinematographic scene. This is a peculiar trait of The Enid's unique brand of "moviola" progressive rock and makes this strange band a priceless iconoclast among prog groups. "Freelance Human" introduces a mercenary theme, padded with overt romanticism and a certain European historic seasoning, again reinforcing the soundtrackish feel, with Godfrey's superlative rippling piano work rolling through massive cascades of orchestration in jaw-dropping evidence. For you Star Trek fans, "Dark Hydraulic" begins in almost muted tones, very subtle electrocosmic mutations, sequencers slowly kicking into overdrive, boosted by the sudden brassy warp accelerations and colliding with huge guitar phaser salvos set on stun. This is the genius track here, just pure progressive heaven, making Pink Floyd look like amateurs with hysterical ranting voice effects egging the aliens forward..Spooky! When the reprise rages back with utter abandon, the guitars hurling, the piano hurting, the synths howling and the percussives hurtling, you just know the deal is sealed. The marching ensemble finale rekindles memories of Starfleet encounters of the worst kind. What a delirious track. "The Biscuit Game" , a weird classical music extravaganza relating the riddle of the Biscuit Game, a whacky story about Einstein, Schoedinger, The Reverend David Jenkins, Stephen Hawking and the Pope brawling inconclusively, Gustav Jung, Boehm and Freud and some stupid fat cat in a box. I won't even attempt to explain as the track limbers on with narrative. A definite Four & one half Ids .

From the title of this album and the write-ups it tends to get, one's expectations can be mixed... this reviewer's certainly were. Grand masterpiece or pompous nightmare? I was afraid, very afraid. Add to that a reissue with an apparently rearranged tracklist, two different versions of their 'Fand' opus, and a string of record company horror stories and bad luck I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies. It was a bit much to digest all at once. Thankfully, the music is good. A pompous nightmare to be sure, but good.

After trying his hand as a classical pianist, Robert Godfrey was a Barclay James Harvester till 1971. While working on a theatrical production with guitarists Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish, they formed The Enid in '73 and began work on a concept album (ultimately rejected by Charisma) which, according to them, Steve Hackett later used for inspiration on his 'Voyage of the Acolyte'. This went on to be released as their debut 'In the Region of the Summer Stars'. After a rocky few years and several member changes they finally recorded this material, some of which originated before the first release. Godfrey's talents are clear if a bit Liberace-like and this stuff does go over the top more than once. On the other hand, I can see Keith Emerson brimming with envy upon hearing this, Wakeman too. 'A Hero's Life' is more romance than reality and 'Ondine' is rather pretty pastoral rock that echoes the butchered Beethoven themes in Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange'. But 'Bridal Dance' can easily nauseate. Godfrey imitates the acoustic orchestration masterfully on his keys and this is no better heard than on centerpiece 'Fand' from 1985, a thirty minute syn-phonic voyage based on Parsifal's myth originally put to music by Wagner.

There is perhaps too much here, some of it highly successful but drowned in the size of this project. Eventually one begins to feel like they're ten years old at the symphony with their parents, squirming and constantly asking if it's over yet. Impressive but only partly listenable. Which part is up to you.

This is THE Classical/Rock fusion masterpiece. It is supremely well composed and orchestrated, or arranged if you will, containing beautiful and aweful (i mean that as in full of awe) passages of music ranging from blazing rock guitars to gorgeous Romantic piano. The falling tower is probably the most accessible track to rock fans, as it has some great guitar riffing and breathless builds. My favorite track on the album has to be the title track though, because it has the best mix of rock and Classical, starting off with haunting synth passages that segue into a terrific, theoretically perfect guitar solo (just listen to the chord progression) by the underrated Lickerish.

With that said, I must give a warning to the uninitiated. In order to appreciate the less rocky tracks on this album, it is recommended that you at least have a healthy tolerance for Romantic and Post-Romantic music - i.e. Liszt, Mahler, Borodin... But, of course, its not necessary, just highly recommended; of course if you enjoy some of the more classical moments of Renaissance or other classically influenced bands, you'll be more likely to get into this, but if you get this album and dont like it, dont discard it, just give it a rest and come back later with a better Classical frame of reference.

A final warning, dont buy the 80's remastered version, because many of the tracks were rerecorded with cheesy synth sounds, but its still enjoyable, just not nearly as ethereal. For those who prefer a more classical sound than this album, you can try their Aerie Faerie Nonsense, as it is more Classical than this is even.

Sorry if I babbled a bit, but this is well-worth checking out!

This one is way to orchestral for my tastes.Even my wife upon hearing this suggested if i like this we should go see Phantom of the opera.I immediately changed the cd(haha).It sounds like soundtrack music at times,and it is all instrumental. The first song "Fool" opens with ominous piano,and features trumpet and sampling."The Tower Of Babel" is a good,uptempo,bombastic song with guitar and drums leading the way."The Reaper" is a relaxed,mellow song with strings for two minutes before the volume increases and it sounds like a movie soundtrack.It gets calm and loud again before it's over."The Loved Ones" is serene and pastoral with piano and strings and it builds towards the end."The Demon King" has prominate drums throughout,and the main melody is really good."Pre Dawn" is a short trumpet tune."Sunrise" features trumpet,strings and cymbals."The Last Day" is quite pastoral until 3 minutes in when heavy drums with orchestration come in.Again it sounds like a movie soundtrack."The Flood" opens with samples of water and trumpet sounds."Under the Summer Stars" is a song i actually like a lot,it's spacey at times,and features some good guitar and drums.It blends into the next song "Adieu" that has a lot of piano melodies."Judgement" is another good one that is dramatic at times, with guitar and mellotron coming in before the 4 minute mark."In the Region Of the Summer Stars" sounds like a reprise of "Under the Summer Stars" with a spacey FLOYD feel to the synths,and 3 and a half minutes in the guitar and drums sounds great. I know most people love this record,and as much as i can appreciate parts of it,there's no way i could give it even a 4 star rating,it's good but not essential.

I think that this album may just be the most controversial album in all of Progarchives. So many differing opinions, and in most cases, I can see where each reviewer is coming from. If you don't like classical (particularly Romantic a la Mahler or the like), then you most likely will not like this album. On their first release, The Enid created a masterwork, blending traditional rock aspects with classical music, but in that case, the album certainly "rocked." On Aerie Fairie Nonsense, there is very little "rock music."

I would say that Aerie Fairie Nonsense (by the way, the first album is also a masterpiece for me as well, just for the record) is much more ambitious than its predecessor, and obviously, it's typically a love it or hate it kind of experience. I remember I was once turned off from ever checking out who are now perhaps my favorite band because of very negative reviews for this album. It turns out, I was obviously VERY wrong to do so.

The album opens with "Childe Roland (A Hero's Life)." The epic guitar and keyboard sweeps are enthralling and engaging. Godfrey and crew were off to a magnificent start. The next piece is very Renaissancean (no, not the band) sounding. While shorter than most of the rest of the album (bar the interlude), it still stands out as a perfect instrumental piece by the band."Bridal Dance" is another classic; it was also one of the Enid tracks that made me realize how much I really needed to hear more of their stuff. The only problem I have (albeit too minor to even mention perhaps) is that on the intro on the rerecording, the keyboards sound a bit too 80s, which is very untypical of Godfrey, even for the 80s.

Then, the magnum opus begins, Fand (or the shorter Song of Fand, which was on the original recording of the album; it's shorter and only available live on CD format). This just may be my favorite epic piece of music ever, in any genre. Like I said at the beginning, it's hard to define this as rock music, and that may not sit well some listeners (see some of the above reviews), but for me, it's absolutely perfect. My personal favorite movement would be "The Grand Loving." All I can say is, "Wow." Fand certainly took a while to appreciate for me, and I would think that this would be the case for most people, so if you don't like it on first listen, you are not alone.

The Inner Sanctum rerelease has a 90's version of Fand performed by the new Enid lineup ('99). It doesn't beat the rerecording or the Song of Fand, but it is interesting in its own right. As some people have mentioned, the CD version isn't the LP version, but I have to say that if it's better, than it must be 10 stars because the rerecording is worth 5 at least. This album is more than just music, it is an experience, one I hope more people will delve into, a true masterpiece of modern music. Thank you, Mr. Godfrey.

Firstly I must say that there are two Aerie Faerie Nonsence recordings. The original dating from late 70's with a bit different cover with original tracks and this mostly new recording from 84-87. Here The Fand is 30 minutes long; almost double the size. My review is from the later release but I write it here as theere is not own entry for it.

The other thing is that this is not rock. Period. The thing that there are drums don't define this as rock. Classical orchestras have percussion and even drums. The only thing that combines this with prog rock is the BHJ background of mr Godfrey. But what music is this? Classical? Lets consider...

The pice Fand is a synphonic composition with passages of adagio like slow and meditating music and bombastic moments. And the final if of course grandious. The musical structures are though quite simple and the melodies are ok but not brilliant. Beautiful all the time, yes. The music struggles between Elgarian Pomp and Circumstance like sparkling and vaudeville insipid themas. I must admit that although I like this piece of music it is more to the vaudeville that it goes. So no classical music, no. This is an electronic (mainly) show piece for me and would probably work fine with Disney on Ice. As prog I must be honest and give 2 stars. I have this but then, I am a collector. As music in general I would go even up to four stars, a strong 3 and half maby.