I'LL SING OF LIFE

Jack Intveld's "I'll Sing of Life" is a one off album that has a very theatrical flavour and is brimming over with symphonic keyboards and spacey guitar. It begins with 'Never Mind', and heavy guitar riffs are joined by ascending keyboard majesty. The guitars lock into a pop melody and some great breaks from the time signature. The vocals are frenetic and fast, and it rocks along solidly with staccato bursts of organ and guitar. The percussion is very splashy and has tons of paradiddle and triplets. The lead break is simple but I like the straightforward approach, especially how the Hammond organ blazes between the lead guitar licks. The spacey ending is terrific.

Next up is a folk acoustic and piano ballad 'Through Your Window', about knocking at his girl's door but she won't let him in, so he is sorry he even tried, and when he got to the mountain top she pushed him off. Not the best song on the album but a break from the chaos previous.

'Circles' is next, beginning with a simple acoustic chord structure like Yes' 'And You And I' intro. Layered acoustic vibrations drive this one and more folky vocals. Pleasant, but disappointing though after the stellar opening tracks.

'Stargazer' follows, with spacey guitar and lengthy organ soloing as a key feature. The synths are prominent with some glorious Hammond crashes and a driving beat. It feels upbeat with a bright rock guitar riff, and pulsing bassline. The vocals are a let down though, multi-layered and too monotone for my liking. The music makes up for it as it is very dynamic. The synth solo over a new bass time sig is wonderful. The finger work is fast and furious on the keys, and the balance of sustained chords works well. The lead guitar work is excellent on this track. It breaks back to the main melody and superb organ swirls and lead embellishments. Vocals return at the end and a bombastic finale like ELP.

Big splashes of keyboard and dramatic cinematic symph are found on 'The Lake'. It begins with grinding organ ascending to a splash of cymbals and lead guitar. The loudness dies down to make way for gentle vocals quite well sung by Intveld. Another outburst of music follows accenting the quiet passages. After another musical interlude and verse the song builds to a minimalist piano segment, accompanied later by vocal intonations. There is a creepy atmosphere built up and then a fuzz lead guitar solo, psychedelic and overpowering, as faster percussion kicks in. The pace quickens with bass and frenetic keyboards, until it finally settles into a quick piano run, and then more lead guitar licks to end this great song.

'To My Friends' is acoustics and crickets chirping, with folk vocals again. It sounds as if it is an outdoors song by the campfire, reflective, melancholy lyrics and all a bit clichéd for my tastes. It once again feels like a transition between the more complex louder songs. The lyrics are pure cheese; "And I want you to know I love you all, and I miss you when you're gone, our paths may never cross again but at least there was a time, we all sang the same song."

The music is dramatic at first on 'Phantasies' and settles into a driving bassline and layered organ textures. The keyboards have a bombastic quality bit I am particularly taken with the loud bursts of synth that are juxtaposed with gentle quiet piano. It builds to a pulsing bass rhythm and louder vocals and tons of cymbal splashes. The lead break with sliding guitar is similar to the style of Andy Latimer of Camel.

The last track is 'Soaring', with an acoustic intro, and ascending synths that are very welcome after the previous slush. There are some delightful keyboard runs, and it leads to layered vocals, well executed on this song. There is a bombastic theatrical feel, and it sounds great but cuts off too quickly.

Jack Intveld has moments similar to Yes, and there are heavier moments but heaps of Symphonic sounds throughout. The laborious use of keyboard and dramatic cinematic symphonic textures are a drawcard. The emphasis on symphonic music is prevalent throughout and it is as bombastic as early Yes or ELP. Quite a pleasant album with some moments of true keyboard and guitar excellence.