SYMPHONIC PROG

Because same as with Queen's BO, this is collection of really great songs, actually, there are almost the best songs by them. I don't know their albums so well (even I know them basically), but for me, these songs are separateable. Maybe I'm not so into this, but after all, who knows these things after all. For me, this, as a compilation is perfect. It won't appear in top list, it shouldn't make others feel bad, so what's the problem ?

4(+), because from what I see, giving 5 star is something like idiotic nonsense that no sane progger would do. It's almost prohibited, under the punishment of being hated by everyone, huh ? Nevermind, I feel that compilation is not true form, or in other words, how should it be. But as a represent of their best work it's very well. I would give 5-star, but you know, this is just best of.

Cressida is a sadly forgotten band who released two albums. I reviewed their first one a month ago. I liked that one. This, their second album is rumoured to be the better one. Well, I think they are pretty similar when it comes to quality. Two solid albums in other words.

What we get here is Richard Sinclair like vocals and a lot of other elements from Caravan. Remove the jazzy bits from Caravan and add some psychedelic and symphonic prog elements and you get this album. But if you like the Canterbury scene, this album will really be one you will like. It is a mix between symphonic prog and the that genre/scene.

Quality wise, this album is very solid without being excellent. There is a lot of good details strewn around this album. My main gripe is the lack of any really superb tracks. The musicianship is very good though. Cressida was a very good band. But they never had the X factor the likes of Genesis, Pink Floyd and Yes had. I happens to like them. It is a solid three stars album for me.

3 stars

Fruupp was a Ireland band that plays this excellent debut album in 1973 and that ages in extreme good manner. If please you the more Folk side of Symphonic Prog I think that Fruupp is another band for you.

Few words are necessary for a correct description of 'Future Legends'. When Folk meets Symphonic Prog... There are Fruupp!

It is true, in my opinion, that Genesis are more magical and Strawbs are too Folk but among them Fruupp is a great band for our collection. Probably this sentence is due to the production, not so sophisticated.So the music is not so exlosive as I would have expected. And the magic is poor. So it is difficult to describe song for song this album. Better to speak the construction of the songs. And the songs present, in general, this structure: Folk carpet mixed with Symphonic Prog, a ton of guitar and keyboards and full Folk arrangements in Symphonic way. But the final result is, correctly, Symphonic Folk with Folk layout. The sound is not aggressive but not easy listening.

This 'Future legend' is a great album for PG Genesis fans. But not a masterpiece. Also if great or/ and exceptional album.

But what was the purpose of editing this DVD? Wasn,t possible to make the technical arrangements to have a good product. Is not enough to be a lover of Renaissance music to appreciate this .

Sorry to prejudice ,but it seems this product had the main purpose to make money more than to satisfy fans.

I ,ve heard many videos of Renaissance in Youtube (in colours) with good sound.

I,m sure they could have done with a little more investment a very good work compiling good sound and good images of past live works.

The only thing i appreciate from this DVD is the selection of songs but the other forget....

I ,am hurt and disappointed. The good thing is that i saw the video in a friend,s home so I w,ont waste my money.

1 star

It might be worth mentioning here that I was in no way raised with Genesis and it wasn't until a few years ago that a friend recommended them to me.

The album is truly a Genesis album, the symphonic and bombastic feel of the older records shines through from the first notes with "Dance on a Volcano" and the fact that they open the album in 7/4 just made me all the more delighted; progressiveness was to be had!

Going through the songs one by one is pointless, I think records should be enjoyed as wholes and nothing else. What I especially like so much about this album is how each track really stands out from the others, yet does so in such a fashion that it never feels disconnected.

I had a pretty interesting experience when I had a friend over a while ago. He was playing some video game and I was by the computer listening to the album. He is the kind of guy who listens to hardcore and electronic music of all sorts, not the type of guy who'd lurk around on this site. He looked up from the TV and asked me what band it was, saying he loved the song that was playing(Entangled). I think this just goes to show how Genesis stretch over musical borders, bringing a lot of great things together for everyone to enjoy, no matter what musical background.

A fantastic album! 4,5/5

The first one CTTE is the main dish in the menu, maybe an excellent opening for an amazing album it could be the final track too. I dont want to say all the sections step for step because everyone have done it, i will say just a little phrase for this one : " If you want to know about prog, you need to listen CTTE... Amazing suite"

Then we have the second track, on it we can see clearly the folk influence specially in the intro of the song, it includes sweets armonics made by Steve, maybe this track is the weakest one in the album at least for me but i love the song is an essential part in the album and i want to say this song is not a filler all the album is essential.

And finally Siberian... wow the main riff is just incredibly, it has a magic from hard-rocky scene but its prog, the bass has a funky sound and all the song is amazing . I love it.

Well i know this album is overrated but this album deserve this category because is an essential piece of knowledge and mature ideas in the band. Maybe this is highest peak for Yes but i like others albums too. Maybe in others reviews. Classic, Epic, Amazing , Sweet and of course a must-have it addition for any prog colletion.

Highly recommend!!

NOT!

Sure, Chris Squire put out a great album in FISH OUT OF WATER; it has his bass playing to the forefront complete with technically brilliant solos and foot tapping licks. Soundwise, I might suspect hardcore Yes fans will find this trinket delightful as it (to me) sounds like what Yes might have sounded like if they directly followed up RELAYER. It's loaded with spurts of orchestra, brash synth solos (to be expected from Mr. Patrick Moraz), occasional flute and saxophone and drumming that can only be described as Bill Bruford.

If anything, this sounds like a halfway Yes album, just missing bunches of guitar riffs and Jon Anderson vocals. Instead, we get Chris Squire vocals...not exactly welcome in my book. He's done great backing vocals for Yes before and after, but his lead vocal attempts sound only halfway decent at best. The bass more than makes up for that shortcoming though.

Compositionally, there's a lot going on. In order, ''Hold Out Your Hand'' is very funky, ''You By My Side'' is a sappy, orchestra-led ballad, ''Silently Falling'' sound like any typical prog piece, ''Lucky Seven'' is back to funky rock and ''Safe'' sounds like sappy prog with an interesting orchestra/bass contrast right when the instrumental affair starts. It's a mixed bag, but it surprisingly exerts one overall sound, something I really enjoy from artists.

Not great because of Squire's prog star power, but very good by what it exerts. A mighty good ''filet of prog'' to put it lightly.

Last words: Left blank.

Yes must have known they were in a big predicament in the wake of this record. And I sort of use the word ''wake'' as an accidental pun because Wakeman is who Yes lost...again between TORMATO and DRAMA. While Yes have and could survive without Wakeman, losing Jon Anderson had to have been a low blow to Yes fans circa 1980, as the voice and creative mind was cospicuously absent for DRAMA. But, lo and behold, the Buggles are here to save the day and give Yes one last prog hurrah!

There are plenty of progheads who don't like the idea of an MTV pop band merging with Yes, or for that matter, any Yes album without Jon. And I'll be honest, it has lost a bit of luster over time, but the sound here is very fresh compared to what TORMATO spewed out. Downes's keyboards don't sound too strange or out-of-place, and the bass has this great phased(?) sound that is brought to the forefront; I'm not an acoustics expert, but I like the DRAMA bass under phase(?) as opposed to the TORMATO swamp water bass.

''Machine Messiah'' is the track of which Yes are trying to win prog fans back with; a heavy guitar thing in the beginning leads to spirals of grandiose keyboard-led passages, sombre acoustic moments, jumpy basslines and the great vocal harmonies Yes is well known for. I must say Trevor Horn does a good job of fitting in, but meshing with Squire's voice so well is something I didn't expect but am glad happened. At ten plus minutes, it should already whet your prog appetite.

The other songs aren't too shabby either, particularly showcasing Downes and Squire. Bass lines are the name of the game on ''Tempus Fugit'' and ''Does It Really Happen'' as both are propelled by them and everything on top is just bonus to me. ''Into the Lens'' has a very theatrical type of sound if ''theatrical'' can be used to describe music. Even as short of a track as ''White Car'' has a little magic to it (courtesy of Steve Howe guitars). Only ''Run Through the Light'' sounds weak as I hear the limitations of Trevor Horn's voice; Horn also plays bass here and it's noticeable as it sounds more like a trombone rather than a typical Squire bass.

Eddie Offord taking engineering range is a huge benefit for Yes as I have recently come to realise how important he was into bringing out the best in the instrumentation, especially the bass guitar. And hey, Roger Dean does the cover for this album, so there's plenty of Yes elements here. The lineup might not be classic, but the sound is; a rare example of how new wave and prog rock can go side by side effectively.

Last words: There are plenty of bonus tracks, but the two that I like are the first two right after the original album ends. They showcase what Yes could've been as an instrumental trio, but suffer in terms of production.

A remarkable thing is that Änglagard doesn't sound very much like that other band that revisited Genesis 10 years earlier. I'd say that while Änglagard picked up the 71-72 sound, Marillion focussed more on the 73-78 phase. For me it's just another proof of how versatile and truly remarkable Genesis was. I'm tempted to say that Hybris pales a bit by that dazzling perspective.

If I may continue with another bit of criticism, I think the vocals are slightly disappointing. In that respect they are nothing like Genesis at all. I'd say it's a bit ironic that the only aspect where they really differ from their idols turns out to be so unfulfilling. They must have felt the same as their next album would be entirely instrumental. Luckily, also here they don't sing all that much.

Looking at it from 2009, there's one big redeeming factor for their lack of originality. I can see the impact this must have had at the time of its release. Unlike neo-prog that took in too much of the 80's glossiness; this 'retro-prog' sprouted a new wave of bands that really re-connected with the musicality, the rich ambience and the feel for melody of the original symphonic prog bands. 4.5 stars for the instrumental tracks. 4 stars on the whole.