Herbie's first studio album since decommissioning his Mwandishi project. Herbie is stated to have said that he was tired of the spacey, high-end stuff and just wanted to bring it back down to Earth with some funk. It is important when listening to this album to remember how influential it was: both to other artists as well as on the tastes of the popular ear; this was, after all, at the time (until the 1976 phenomenon of George Benson's Breezin'), the highest selling jazz album of all-time!

1. "Chameleon" (15:41) the opening funk bass sound and line lets us know right off the bat what's going to be different about this music compared to the famous "Mwandishi sound" of Herbie's previous three years of work: Funk is paramount here. The problem here is how long Herbie stays affixed to a particular pattern and motif: it's as if it takes him 30 measures to get the feel of a pattern enough to be able to play within much less diverge or solo above it. I don't know if the rhythm section (or engineer) realized that they were speeding up in the sixth minute, beneath Herbie's funky ARP Soloist solo, but it's awkward for a bit until they all return to the pocket. At 7:40 there is a reset to let Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason reset their rhythm pattern. Now we're in Fender Rhodes territory--the soundscape that will become BOB JAMES' standard/go-to palette. Paul and percussionist Bill Summers start playing off one another, which is highly entertaining despite Herbie supposedly being in the lead up top. Harvey's innovative use of the hi-hat here might also have served to influence all future Disco drummers. I prefer this middle section to the opening one. At the 12-minute mark there is a reset bridge with those rich ARP strings and panning Fender Rhodes play. J-R Fuse Heaven! Now this is where Smooth Jazz came from! At 13:15 there is another reset bridge that allows the band to restart the opening motif. Here Bennie Maupin finally gets some front-time on his tenor sax. Nice. A song that contains so much innovation I can't justify down-rating it despite my not really liking the majority of it. (27/30)

2. "Watermelon Man" (6:29) a very popular song that is denigrated by the fact that to me it is a very thinly-veiled revisitation on Dobie Gray's big hit from 1964 (a Billy Page compostion), "The 'In' Crowd." Then there is the presence at the opening and ending of the odd breath and voice percussion (what would probably inspire a whole generation of Bobby McFerrins. (8.875/10)

3. "Sly" (10:18) a reference to he of the Family Stone? What starts out deceptively in some disarray becomes, quite suddenly, at the two-minute mark, a meteoric flight through high altitude with bass, drums, percussion, and clavinet all rushing wildly along in a very loose weave beneath Bennie Maupin's wild soprano saxophone play. Then Herbie gets a turn on his Fender electric piano. The man is so smooth! Paul Jackson's low end bass play paired up with Harvey Mason's hi-hat and cymbal work is pure genius! Somebody (Bennie Maupin) must be playing the clavinet beneath/alongside Herbie's two-handed Fender Rhodes exposition. I have to admit that I'd never really appreciated the drumming of Harvey Mason before this--cuz I'd never heard anything quite like this before. High marks for the extraordinary work of that dynamic middle section.(19/20)

4. "Vein Melter" (9:10) It would seem here that Harvey's semi-automatic militaristic snare and hi-hat riff would run contrary to the somber, etheric world being created by the rest of the band, but somehow it all works (except the ARP sounds: they sound so dated!) My favorite part is hearing Bennie Maupin playing with such feeling and emotion without having to blast it or even raise his "voice." Also, you can hear here the reverberating Fender Rhodes electric piano sound that everybody will be using over the next ten years: KOOL AND THE GANG "Summer Madness," Donald Fagen/STEELY DAN, BOZ SCAGGS Silk Degrees and so many more. (17.5/20)

Total Time 41:38

Thrust is my favorite Herbie album.

A-/five stars; a minor-masterpiece (and landmark album) of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

From lovely Imola with its stunning Sforza castle, comes this new addition to the RPI school of prog, offering a classic take, flush from all the legendary influences, but adding a darker, as well as a more contemporary, somewhat investigational twist to the proceedings. Let me introduce the talented five-man blue squadra: vocalist Francesco Ronchi, Nello De Leo on guitars and vocals, keyboardist Cristiano Costa, and the rhythmic tandem of Lorenzo Marani on bass and drummer Jacopo Cinesi.

While there are many moody adornments on the silky opener "Sogni Infranti", the arrangement does eventually veer away from the initial Floydian atmosphere into a crosscurrent of conflicting dissonant melodies that certainly add drama so as to herald the rather operatic vocals from Francesco, who seems to be in very good voice, a set of voluminous lungs that are both expressive and effusive. The windy synths, the churning organ, and the tense mellotron seek only to follow the ardent bass undercurrent and the stabilizing drumbeat.

The cavernous choirs rise and fall on the sombre "L'Illusione dell'Obilio" catapulted forward by an elastic bass line and then exploding into a howling hurricane or organ-fuelled rage. The transitions and tempo changes are expertly navigated, as if bathing in some cosmic nirvana. Francesco scours the sonic crests like a pro, as the slashing guitar riffs pound the valley below (the Rogue poet). A colossal mellotron wave puts this one to bed. The magnificent "Catarsi" takes aim at a more atmospheric realm, eventually settling into an elegant groove (that thumping bass again) as the piano meanders a sorrowful lament, heightened by the pleading voice. Nello's bluesy axe rant shivers and trembles, up and down the intensity scale, propelled along by some majestic keyboard colorations. The piano (which was there all along) re-engages with even more concentration, honing further the direction of the arrangement, which reaches celestial heights as the operatic voice brings down the velvet curtain onto the stage floor.

The impressive "Apologia di Reato", with its flickering wrist guitar is another sombre bass-led reptile, slithering along menacingly as the voice flings itself vigorously beyond the pale, until some well-intentioned keyboard wavering obfuscates the impending doom, synthesizers effervescing like blinding phosphorous, gradually the voice crawls out of the abyss, to finally collapse into silence. Magnifico! The lovely retro sound of "Isolazione" showcases the wonderful osmosis of old school RPI with a more contemporary sound, but very much in keeping with their style of rising levels of thrusts and contrasts, the rifling guitar and the swirly synths being a pure delight, all well anchored by some deft drumming. The relentlessly painful fretboard solo is a showstopper. The passion expressed in the vocal department is equally outstanding. Adventurous and impeccably done.

The mighty organ takes center stage on the wild and at times manic "Madri di Niente, Figli di Nessuno", an obvious wink to Uriah Heep, a track that seeks to blitz intimidatingly with no mercy, a whirlwind of raging voices, Middle Eastern synth sax motifs in a jazzy sandstorm and even some hypnotic psychedelia. The devilish voice spits venom and thankfully gets shown the door and cleared out by a bass security guard.

The final track is the longest one here, clocking in at 7:39 and as such is a perfect finale, a remote mirage of sweltering dunes of sound, perfectly encapsulating their rather unique style. The bass guitar once again flows along like a river of consistent tranquility, leaving the passion to be delivered by the residual instrumentalists and the madman's declaration. The extended finale is a shimmering wave of exalted guitar shadings, keyboard flourishes galore, manic, and relentless drumming and an apotheosis of vocal expression.

I was totally captured by the overwhelming natural rawness of it all, namely the theatrical vocal deliveries, the solid rhythmic pulse, and the fascinating keyboard interventions and the gritty guitar work. This is a band that should have a fascinating career, which I fully intend to follow and to promote as best as I can. By the way, the cover art is absolutely eye catching and luxuriant.

4.5 Squaring Circles

Australian studio/sessions musicians lured into breaking in a new recording studio just outside of Melbourne.

1. "Journey In Threes" (6:30) drums, funked up bass, clavinet, saxophone, and guitar open this one with a GENTLE GIANT-like circus romp, then there is a long spacious pause before the band kicks back in at 1:20, this time in a very tightly arranged nearly-Reggae weave with tenor sax in the lead and guitar doing accent strums and notes. The bass is now more straightforward (the previous sound I called a "funked up bass" may have been, in fact, the left hand on the clavinet). Clavinet gets the second solo spot but the sax comes back for the third--this time with a little more vim and vinegar. Very interesting! And danceable in a DON ELLIS way. I don't know why I like the clavinet so well! (9/10)

2. "Scope" (5:05) BRUFORD-like syncopated complex opening weave turns into a little smoother jazz at the 30-second mark with bass and drums weaving a tightly Then, at 1:45 the band stops at the stop sign, looks both ways, then takes a left turn down one of the Fender Rhodes as keyboardist Peter Jones starts flying over his plastic keys. Another stop at another stop sign at the 3:15 mark results in another change of direction--this one more straightforward as the car cruises out onto the Nevada desert where we watch it fade away into the distance. Very interesting, complex jazz-rock fusion--all of the motifs sewn together here are quite complicated. Impressive! (9/10)

3. "Duke" (3:50) a duet of moody sax and supportive lounge Fender Rhodes gives this opening a late night French Film Noire or Femme Fatale feel. Nice performance if a bit stereotypic. The guys must have been in a mood. (8.75/10)

4. "Scrichell Cat" (6:30) more music that feels like something from an old black and white film--until the three-chord rock bridges. Sax is again offered the lead role while bass, drums, Fender Rhodes, and wah-rhythm guitar provide support and accents. Oddly simplistic compared to the mind-bogglingly complex music of the opening two songs. Electric guitar finally gets a solo around the four-minute mark--it's nice! He's got a very nice tone and very flowing, technically sound run capabilities. When he pairs up with the sax in the sixth minute it works remarkably well and then they parts ways to return to the rock motif for an extended period over (beneath) which the searing ROBERT FRIPP-like guitar play continues to the very end. (8.875/10)

5. "Keith's Mood" (7:34) The angular, sometimes discordant Robert Fripp guitar sound and style starts off right from the opening note of this one while drums, bass, and saxophone play Coltrane or Ornette Coleman to the Robert. Around the two-minute mark the band takes a divergent path to explore a trash-filled alley that empties out next to the church onto main street in the form of a blues-based R&B passage. Sounds like The Isley Brothers, past (the Sixties) and future (Harvest for the World, Go For Your Guns. etc.) An extended drum solo fills the sixth minute and more sounding quite traditional jazz except for the use of a large floor tom. At the end of the eighth minute the rest of the band returns, playing some grroup scales before suddenly stopping. Interesting and impressive but not very engaging (or danceable). (13/15)

6. "The Long One" (6:32) this one sounds like early Herbie Hancock as he explored the landscapes and sonic possibilities of early funk and R&B-infused jazz-rock. Sax is the lead melody-maker but the funky bass and Fender Rhodes play a huge role in the song's overall feel. Very cool in the early-1970s meaning of the word. Fender Rhodes takes the next solo in the fourth minute while the bass, guitar, and drums do a great job of maintaining the funky base. The nuances of each instrumentalist's contributions to this song are really quite something to behold--and even study! Not my favorite song or song style but definitely praiseworthy for these incredibly mature performances. (9/10)

7. "Turkish Defunked" (7:41) Waht?! a straigt-time beat?! (Wait 20 seconds.) Oh! They were just messing with me! Back to some funk with some Eastern European/Middle Eastern sounds coming from the sax(es). When the opening mood and sound palette have been established, the sax drops out for an extended Fender Rhodes solo that sounds quite a bit like Ray Manzarek. Sax resumes the lead as Ray continues to add sass and bluesy funk around the sides. Cool song that has its feet more in jazz than R&B-rock but goes back to the Turkish theme enough to confuse us. In the sixth we finally get the return of the burning sound of Charlie (Glenn's nephew) Gould's fuzzy electric guitar, but then the band switches gears, gets more staccato rhythm-brained before finally returning to the main theme for the finale (while Charlie continues his nonstop Fripp runs from behind). High quality performances of a diversified composition. (13.5/15)

Total Time 43:42

I can see how the AVERAGE WHITE BAND inspired the world. "Cut the cake!"

B+/four stars; an excellent addition to any Jazz-Rock Fusion lover and an album that I think any and every prog lover can and would appreciate.

Brilliant and experimental/boundary pushing proggy Jazz-Rock Fusion from Sweden. They sound a bit like a Chick Corea-led FOCUS only better.

1. "Eber's Funk" (7:45) opens aggressively like something from the early J-R Fuse masterpieces from Tony Williams and John McLaughlin then gets really funky with Brynjulf Blix's masterful clavinet play. (One cannot help but wonder how long he'd been playing this rather new instrument and its funk applications.) Drummer Pål Thowsen is amazing! Then guitarist Jon Arild Eberson launches into a wonderfully fiery solo himself, showing no shame or fear of being compared to the J-R F greats like McLaughlin, Coryell, Akkerman, and Connors. (14/15)

2. "B.M." (11:45) I love the experimentation here with all of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra instrument sounds--and the way they take some of the music and style of Dutch progsters FOCUS and move it even further into the realm of jazz or jazz-rock fusion. The main electric piano four-chord motif gently propelling the song along does get rather old as the soloists go on (and on), but the work of drummer Pål Thowsen beneath is quite a nice diversion to pay attention to. (22.5/25)

3. "Flytende Øye" (6:39) again, the proggy side of Jazz-Rock Fusion--here exploring the Bitches Brew/Herbie Hancock approach to electrifying jazz. These musicians are so talented! (9.25/10)

4. "Skakke Jens" (5:32) with some scathing electric guitar in the spotlight and only bass and drums beneath this one feels more like a progression of power trio rock as Jimi Hendrix might have taken it had he lived longer. Not as jazzy as the previous songs, still very interesting. R-L reverberating-panning Fender Rhodes enters at 2:50 with great effect (essentially shutting down Jon Arild Eberson's guitar) taking over the lead for the remainder of the song. (8.875/10)

5. "O Kjød" (6:42) what sounds like electric piano (though it could be oddly processed acoustic piano) and gently-picked electrified acoustic guitar open as kind of a duet, though the guitar exists more in a support capacity for the first minutes. Very Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Chick Corea like. Jon gets a turn in the lead halfway through while Brynjulf settles back into an even-more-Chick Corea-like support roll. Wish it were better recorded. (9/10)

Total Time: 38:23

I often find it hard to understand how caucasian people can be so funky--as if African traditions have some kind of exclusive on the sound and form--but this band definitely has some serious funk running through their veins. Awesome stuff!

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion in its very quintessential form(s). An album every self- proclaimed prog lover should hear at least once over their lifetime. HIGHLY recommended.

An album of brass-enhanced pop jazz-rock music not unlike that of Blood Sweat and Tears: the band's lead singer John Redpath's voice is pretty much a dead ringer for that of David Clayton Thomas.

1. "Why Am I Doin' It" (7:50) built a bit more like CHICAGO's version of "I'm a Man" this one rocks, it rolls, and it blues- rocks, it even jazz-rocks a little. Nice Terry KATH/David CLAYTON THOMAS vocal from drummer John Redpath but the song does over-stay its welcome a bit despite saxophonist Hanus Berkas enthusiastic play. (13.25/15)

2. "Happiness" (7:00) piano-based blues rock that sounds very Southern USA like the Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, Dr. John, or even Van Morrison. (12.75/15)

3. "Journey" (7:30) a very-Sixties Bay area-sounding blues rocker built over a repeating three-chord piano arpeggi does ramp up for a bit in the third minute form some brass-rock before reverting to the original motif for some bluesy piano pounding. Nice recording engineering delivering clear tracks for each and every one of the instruments. Very solid. (13.5/15)

4. "Emergency Entrance" (11:20) opens with a nice weave of drums, percussion and bass before weird mosquito-like synth joins in with piano and rhythm guitar. Flute takes the next solo (I'm assuming that the mosquito-synth was intended as the first) with mostly-percussion backing. A bit like instrumental palette and sound beneath Van MORRISON's "Moondance"--or if it were extended into an instrumental jam. Organ, piano, saxophone (briefly), and electric guitar get the next solos, in that order--all of it pretty "raunchy" (though cleanly recorded). It's a nice song for displaying the capabilities of the band's individuals. The second movement of the song is pure blues--with saxes, low- end guitar, and organ takin' us into the Swamp. There is crescendos at in the tenth minute with some whole-band blasts and then some high-tailin' runnin' out for the final minute. (17.5/20)

5. "Killin' Time" (10:20) a two-part suite that starts out quite gently, even emotionally beautiful reminding me of some of NEKTAR's more tender moments. John Redpath's vocals are also very gentle--like BOZ SCAGGS on "Harbor Lights." But then the song jumps into a different gear, coming together for some more Southern Rock bordering on Chicago melodically. Here John's vocal is much more than something from an Allman Brothers or Blood, Sweat and Tears album. After a brief saxophone solo the song moves into its second phase: this one more organ-based and organ- dominated like something from an early Brian Auger or ROD ARGENT jam. Jiøí Matousek is a very talented organist! Sax takes the next solo--here reminding me of why I don't like this overgrown kazoo. I have to admit that overall this is a pretty cool song. (18.25/20)

Total time: 44:00

While I came here because of my deep dive into Jazz-Rock Fusion--something this album is NOT--I have to admit that I really enjoyed this experience. My several listens through Entrance has helped soften my rather dismissive "complex" against blues-rock.

B+/four stars; an excellent album of proggy/jazzy Blues-Rock music--one of the best of its kind that I've heard.

The ever shape shifting stylistic approach with a chameleoneque name to match, the fourth album under Godspeed You! Emperor's side project SILVER MOUNTAIN PROJECT returns only this time as THEE SILVER MT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA & TRA-LA-LA BAND (note the dropping of the "With Choir") from 2003's ""This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing,). HORSES IN THE SKY emerged two years later with the EP "Pretty Little Lightning Paw" slipped in between. Also noticed the unusually short album title!

Once again Menuck is joined by an army of musicians and vocalists who play everything from the standard rock guitar, bass, piano and drums to the more chamber rock appropriate cello, violin, trumpet, harmonica, mandolin and contrabass topped off by a veritable choir of backing vocals whose precision singing skills offsets Menuck's quivering vocal instability. In fact Robert Kennedy Jr? Is that you? LOL. While still considered a post-rock and musically speaking clearly follows in its own footsteps, this time around all those vocal tracks scattered around on the band's first releases suddenly because the dominant force.

In fact every track is song oriented and every song features an overdose of Menuck's hard-to-swallow vocal shortcoming, the boon to many (including myself) and the welcome accoutrement for others who can't get enough of that indie rock off-kilter singing bravado. In fact Modest Mouse comes to mind throughout HORSES IN THE SKY had that Washington based band delved into the world of sing-along post-rock campfire songs that is. In a way this album reminds me of all those gleeful songs we sang as kids in grade school with the music teacher playing her heart out on the piano while our underdeveloped innocent lyrical content came spewing from our less than professional musical mouths like an off-key choir struggling in its infancy.

Despite the innocence and childlike qualities of the sing-along sessions, the music is nothing but a serious matter with concert hall quality performances stealing the show whenever Menuck chooses to close his yap and let it all rise to the forefront. It's a welcome event indeed for those of us who find Efrim's best efforts to become a bit overwhelming throughout an album's worth of convulsing solfeggios punctuating the rich tapestry of sound like nails on the chalkboard. There's a bit of country hoedown feel to the whole thing as well as it evokes some sort of traditional bumpkin music in the USA Appalachians of the the early years of the nation's existence especially when the banjo comes out to play.

More chamber folk than post-rock this time around, this one will certainly test the patience of those who merely tolerated Menuck's vocal contributions on previous efforts and the worst nightmare of those who cringed every time he opened his big fat piehole. Musically the album is sweet and tender which contrasts greatly with the outrage expressed lyrical content which laments everything from war, prison life and myriad social injustices worldwide. In fact if you actually listen to the lyrics they are quite bleak and depressing, a stark contrast to the otherwise more uplifting musical score which belies the Godspeed and Silver Mt Zion trend of dark melancholic musical deliveries which occasional do overpower everything else.

The album is well regarded so apparently not everyone is as repulsed by Menuck's seismically unretrofitted vocal charm as i am and to be fair when his singing is subdued it's tolerable however most of the album finds him bellowing a pseudo-falsetto which makes me wonder if the whole thing is a parody of some sort or just a stylistic approach that offers a degree of separation from the competition and SILVER MT. ZION releases in general. Whatever the case this will be a hard pill for many to swallow but if vocal shakiness is not a problem then you will most certainly like this more than i do.

This time appearing as THEE SILVER REVERIES which no trace of Zion to be found, the Canadian Godspeed You! Black Emperor side project of guitarist / pianist / vocalist Efrim Menuck dropped this tiny four track EP between its two regularly album releases. The result was the 30 minute THE PRETTY LITTLE LIGHTNING PAW E.P. which slinked into the year 2004 and has remained one of those tag ons to the band's greater discography going noticed by many but highly appreciated by those who happen to find it bliss them with the aural essence that is THEE SILVER MOUNTAIN ORCHESTRA.

Another curveball in the zigzagging trajectory of uniformity, PRETTY LITTLE LIGHTNING PAW finds a somewhat streamlined lineup with only five musicians on board however the biggest surprise is that key members such as violinist Sophie Trudeau switches to the bass guitar and the increase of guitars, basses and percussion makes this what feels like a bonafide post-rock release rather than some sort of post-modern classical chamber folk hybrid. If that wasn't enough to set the SILVER MOUNTAIN clan in a firm creative footing, the band then played the recorded finished product on a boombox and then rerecorded it all again from that which gives it an unusually rougher than usual sound. Holy moly!

This EP is more on the surreal and ethereal side of the equation with the usual post-rock cyclical loops wending and winding in some cases such as the title track up to 10 minutes in playing time only fortified with everything from toy box music, and varying percussive click and clacks. Also feedback plays a major role in echoey chamber resonance and although Efrim Menuck's vocals are a hard pill for me to swallow, his performances here somehow melt right into the pulsating processions of the heavily orchestrated chamber folk atmospheres finding all the other members offering their own voice to the atmospheric majesty of the tracks. Menuck's vocals are made tolerable to me in most part though the modulating effect of an echo box and drowned out by the incessant manic swarm of sound effects provided by the instrumentation.

In a way the EP prognosticates the style of the next album with every track featuring Menuck's paranoid lyrical delivery accompanied by a purposeful out of tune backing singalong choir evoking the innocence of childhood only with the horror of awareness that the world is not what we were led to believe in our sheltered early years of grade school giddiness. The singalong sessions that feature a call and response methodology may be on repetitive mode but the swirling swarm of musicality that back it and often drowns it out altogether are what make this little EP a sweet little gem in the band's overall canon. All the weakness of the band (particularly Efrim's vocal style) is suavely pacified with all the right doctoring up and majestic ethereal percolating of the post-rock accompaniments is actually quite magical.

While i'm a fan of the first three releases, the following "Horses In The Sky" takes the approach laid down here and strips it down until only the annoying features dominate. In all honesty this EP should've been the next album with an extended track list of course because even though the overall direction is the same, this one features enough elements to guarantee that the focal point doesn't gravitate to the weakest link of the equation. I actually discovered this one quite by accident as i bought another album by the group but when i ripped it onto the my external hard drive it turned out to be the wrong CD but to my delight i loved it and discovered a hidden gem in the greater MT SILVER ZION musical reality. Now it's actually one of my favorite releases of all. A triumphant little musical expression that shouldn't be ignored.

A jazz-rock one off from Birmingham. The musicians were obviously inspired by COLOSSEUM, CHICAGO, and BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS as well as PROCOL HARUM, The SPENCER DAVIS GROUP and even Andrew LLOYD-WEBER.

1. "Look Upon Me" (6:13) Oh! The bluesy kind of jazz-rock, not really what I'd call fusion. The music shifts to BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS territory for the second motif and chorus (part of which sounds as if it is intentionally lifted from Andrew LLOYD WEBER's Jesus Christ Superstar: Jesus' emotional performance in the "Garden of Gethsemane" scene (and song). There's quite a little of The Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in there, too. Nice musicianship and pretty good sound reproduction throughout. (8.75/10)

2. "Winds of Change" (7:26) more music that feels as if it's on the verge of going PROCOL HARUM or ANIMALS with some nice (and original) melodic singing over the top of interesting, subtly shifting and changing instrumental performances beneath. The slower middle section sounds a lot like The SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, even when it picks up. The sound of the Hammond organ is so domineering despite the wonderfully performed and mixed bass and drums. The guitar and horn accents are pretty cool, too. The final sections up the tempo while letting the instrumentalists go unrestricted for a bit. Great blues-feeling song. (13.5/15)

3. "Bend for a Friend" (10:27) opens with a guitar and bass riff that sounds like a Sergio Leone film score. The rest of the band joins in and proceed to set up a motif that is quite stereotypic for what we consider "Indian music"--that is, the music of Native Americans (as depicted, of course, in the soundtracks of film and the occasional Indian-themed hit song). At the three-minute mark the motif switches to a different, more strident and jazzy interpretation of yet another fairly familiar N.A. melodic theme. Guitarist Adrian Ingram goes a bit crazy on his electric guitar, again bridging the jazz and blues-rock worlds throughout his solo: part Hendrix, part Johnny Mac (or Randy California). At the 5:30 mark there is another, rather radical thematic change--this one feeling as if we've started a completely different song. It's cinematic like something befitting a B-movie horror flick. At 6:30 we again stop to listen to a solo saxophone solo: that's right: a solo with absolutely no accompaniment. Finally, 45-seconds in drummer John Parker joins saxophonist Cliff Williams' chorused woodwind. Then in the tenth minute the rest of the band throbs their way back in before lining up to finish the song with original pseudo-Native American motif. Interesting song. (17.5/20)

4. "1066" (6:28) (a reference, I take it, to either the Norman Invasion or the Battle of Hastings.) opens with a bluesy motif beneath Alex's recitation of words and terms tied into the year 1066. But then the music turns anachronistic-- almost "mediæval"--with flutes, bass, organ, and harpsichord and a Michael Giles-like drumming touch. I find this anachronistic motif the most interesting and favorite of the album. Next is a rather spacious percussion-dominated passage that is quite reminiscent of King Crimson's quiet passage in The Court of the Crimson King's "Moonchild." Bass and drums get their time in the spotlight here. Hearing this makes me wonder if Carl Palmer and Greg Lake heard this song before (finally) rendering Greg's 10-year old song "Lucky Man" to tape. A very interesting song that never really seems to gel into something consistent or cohesive. (8.875/10)

5. "Wet Legs" (4:44) a kind of jazzy intro morphs into another Blues-Rock riff-based alternating four-chord progression. In the second minute of this completely-instrumental song there is a temporary detour down a jazzy sidestreet, but then we return fairly quickly to the original motif for some funky organ play and slow ROBIN TROWER-like guitar soloing (ending in "The Note": a single guitar note that is held for 45 seconds of slow decay while the organ continues to bounce around rather excitedly). The two motifs cycle around a couple more times before the song cashes out. (8.875/10)

6. "Winter" (8:06) a song that sits on the fence from its very opening notes as to whether it's prog or J-R Fusion, soon reveals its (surprise!) blues-rock nature. Syncopated drumming is the only truly jazzy element over the first few minutes as a descending four-chord motif beneath vocalist Alex Boyce's R&B voice drives the song until the instrumental vamp of the fourth and fifth minutes. Here a different rock rhythm motif is played beneath Alex Ingram's guitar soloing. The dude has obviously had some training in both blues and jazz guitar play (and may revere artists like Wes Montgomery and John Mayall) as he unleashes a truly nicely evolving solo over the course of its three minute length. Then the band suddenly stops and lays down a very spacious, mellow, and gorgeous gentle JIMMY WEBB-like motif to finish the song with. Great song though I wouldn't really call this Jazz-Rock Fusion--or even Jazz-Rock. (13.5/15)

Total Time 43:24

B+/four stars; an excellent album of well-crafted, superlatively-performed, and nicely-recorded Blues-Rock-moving- into-Jazz-Rock songs. Highly recommended to all lovers of progressive rock--especially if you're into the origins and development of Progressive Rock Music.

A quartet of classically-trained multi-instrumentalists from Spain have their first album released to minor acclaim, produce one other, more classically-oriented album two years later, and then disappear into the æther. Too bad! These Todd Rundgren's of instrumental Jazz-Rock Fusion are so very gifted!

1. "Agost" (6:54) the Return To Forever approach to Jazz-Rock Fusion is without doubt, but band members' foundations in and proclivity for classical music can neither be ignored. The virtuosity of these young musicians is at times jaw- dropping. The fact that they apparently have some kind of visceral need for frequent time and stylistic shifts has also been noted but it is still so striking to experience first-person. (13.5/15)

2. "Violeta" (8:20) a gentler, smoother, almost STEVIE WONDER approach in the opening minute of this soon reveals the band's "itch" with several sudden turns into very brief little quirky motifs: it's almost as if the band are acting partly from a collective attention deficit disorder and partly out of some kind of innate mischievousness though it could also come from a serious curiosity for the chaos and humor one can express through art. Perhaps it is a combination of these three traits that also drove artists like Frank Zappa, S(Z)amlas Mammas(z) Manna, Mr. Bungle, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and the like. An odd, at times humorous, at others annoying, song. (17.75/20)

3. "Vacas, Toros Y Toreros" (4:41) more quirk and circumcision--like a slightly more Latinized continuation of the previous song. Some of the melodies are like tongue-in-cheek pop riffs, others aborted and or "fake" forays into serious J-R Fusion. The whole time, however, I find myself smiling at all of the references being made (and being lampooned). Very interesting. At the same time, there is no doubt as to the skill and talent possessed (and expressed) by these musicians. (8.875/10)

4. "Font" (4:47) more musical ideas that seem to be purposefully making light of the seriousness of other people's music. The band is showing off their talents for imitation but in way that seems to show A) how stupidly easy these famous riffs and motifs are to make as well as B) how silly they are when put into other contextual fields or when contrasted with other equally classic riffs or phrases. I actually like this one. (9.125/10)

5. "Caramels De Mel" (5:24) opening with an edgy pseudo-cool, pseudo smooth jazz motif, the band then moves in and out of other equally-saccharine motifs. It's like listening to a Todd Rundgren album from the early 1970s knowing how NOT seriously he's taking himself with his music (whereas Frank Zappa, I think, took his music very seriously). Every note, every weave, every phrase just seems so tongue-in-cheek sarcastic! (9/10)

6. "El Vesubio Azul" (8:24) a piece that is a little less focused on exposing the perceived idiocy of others and, perhaps, more about expressing their own personal ideas for modernizing classical music--or for just expressing their own true musical ideas as a whole: I feel much less offended, embarrassed, or uncomfortable with the music coming out of this song than that coming out of the previous four songs. (17.5/20)

Total time 38:30

Such an unusual collection of music! I have to admit to feeling quite confused as how to respond to this album. Part of me is quite entertained by the band's irreverent poke at music in general (it would seem that NO artist or style is off limits from their jabs) as well as to their exceptional command of musical style and instrumental prowess, yet, at the same time, part of me is a bit put off by their unapologetic, almost cruel and nihilistic opinion of the artists they lambaste. I seriously wonder if there would be any fun to be had by hanging out with these always-critical, very cynical human beings or if any- and everyone in their circle of attention was equally subject to such unabated bullying.

B+/four stars; an extraordinary work of partly-satirical art that some will love and others might feel put off by. Highly recommended for your own personal experience.

This along with "The Shadow- Vol.I" were recorded live in studio over a four day period late in December of 2019 at Ocean Sound Recordings in Oslo, Norway. Sadly the band's founder, leader and man composer Per Ottesen came down with a serious illness shortly after these sessions and eventually passed early in 2022 causing them to hold off it's release until after he was gone. They are a four piece with Per on bass but some slide guitar as well. We also get drums, guitar and sax. A couple of them add electronics. This is mostly powerful sax driven music but the guitar does lead at times.

My favourite track on here is the 12 1/2 minute "The Shadow Of The New Praetorian" and I need to mention that Per knows how to compose some incredible music. I like the atmosphere to open as bass, drum rolls and other sounds come and go. An experimental soundscape then it kicks into gear and moves after 2 minutes. Sax is leading but 5 minutes in it's the guitar's turn to show it's stuff. And there's lots to show, check it out after 7 1/2 minutes. It all relents but it rises up again with the sax leading late.

"Beehive" has this repeated sax melody to open and close it with the guitar in the middle and I'm over simplifying it as this is 8 1/2 minutes long. "Chiaroscuro" is laid back with some lap steel and really except for the brief sax 3 minutes in this lacks the energy of that most of this album has. Other exceptions are the 23 second spacey opener and the 3 minute closer both quiet tracks.

Thankyou Apollon Records for sending me both volumes and as I said in reviewing "Vol. I" when you put the two cd covers together they form one bigger piece of art which is cool. And more importantly the music is high quality instrumental music and a fitting legacy for our departed bass player.