THE CLOCKWORK FABLE

I'm Befuddled "The Clockwork Fable" has but 100 or so ratings. By far my favorite album of 2016. I feel a tad guilty that I haven't reviewed this beauty till now. 2016 was young when I preordered Gandalf Fist's triple disc Steam Punk musical. Clockwork Fable is comparable to "The Wall", "Tommy", "War of the Worlds", and best of Ayreon.

I suppose the triple album length and the plethora of albums that prog aficionados shuffle through yearly, partly explain the lack of collaborator reviews. What a shame. I understand. I own a few thousand albums and CD's, yet I don't have enough time to give my precious collection of classic albums, the attention the albums deserve.

"The Clockwork Fable" transports me to the days of my youth when I would warp and wear out vinyl. Less then a year old, The Clockwork Fable has become an dear old friend who comforts and pleasures moi.

I adore every song but in this review I won't go through a song by song critique. Trust me, resplendent tunes abound. For a deeper peek into the music, please read other reviews for song by song details. The same holds true for a detailed history of Gandalf's Fist. Until a year ago, Gandalf's Fist was but a name that reminded me of kinky hobbits. Wow, I was wrong. Although, kinky double entendres, aplenty, pop up like tarts to entertain and amuse.

I purchased The Clockwork Fable because of the shear ambitious audacity of the project. I thought, " Either Clockwork Fable is a swing and a miss or a grand slam." I happy to report Gandalf's Fist hits this baby outta of park! These guys went all-the- way. Maps, alphabet, original lingo, extended metaphors and a plot line worthy of a major movie musical. They even produced an excellent youtube movie preview for the Fable masterwork. Every song is memorable and sublime! The lyrics superb. Since other reviewers have covered the music portion of the album, I'll speak to the spoken dialog.

Every other selection on The Clockwork Fable uses dialog to further the story. You would think after 40 spins I'd skip the spoken dialog. Oh contraire. The dialog is spoken by professional actors and flows like honey. For God's sake, these actors populate the world of Doctor Who! The dialogue is Dickensian, poetic, humorous, full of intrigue. I find myself rooting for the different characters. Political, social, and religious satire abound.

It's amazing what Gandalf's Fist did with the annual "Shadow Mass" holiday. Just genius.

Cogs and gears grind melodiously dark yet heighten the underworld that is Cogtopolis. Every word and gear adds atmosphere, melody, or rhythm to this post-apocalyptic tour de force. Embedded within the vinyl grooves of The Clockwork Fable" Cogtopolis's history comes alive and is made real. Shadow is light. Everything topsy-turvy yet right on. Very Steampunk and deep ( multiple layers of meaning) Absolutely brilliant ! If you dig English humor you're in for a treat. At times the melodious dialogue reminds me of Shakespeare. I just blasphemed. So be it. It's obvious the actors have Shakespearian training. If you enjoy musicals that keep getting better with each viewing this is a MUST HAVE! It's such a fantastic album, I can't help but give 5 stars.

So friends, if you dig concept albums with an extremely well defined plot line, multiple vocalists, post apocalyptic stories, and an entire world unto it's own, this triple disc steampunk musical is just what the doctor ordered! One of favorite albums ever. Thank you universe!