CROSSOVER PROG

Let's just start here by saying that this band just keeps progressing and gets better and better with each release. No easy task as their previous effort 'Black Rain' was an outstanding offering, well worth checking out if you haven't already. This one, arguably, is better still. It is filled with beautiful arrangements, melodies, and instrumental excursions that are at times haunting, other times invigorating and uplifting. The lyrics are catchy and intelligent, often highlights of the songs. The vocals are most enjoyable and pleasant. They are strong when warranted, appropriately soft and aethereal at times, with plenty of engaging harmonies. This band is a master of songcraft for sure! I seriously wonder if this group of artists could produce a bad song even if they set out to do so deliberately.

This album, like the previous one, is highly accessible, but has plenty of cross-over prog aspects such as tempo changes, instrumental shifts, and different sounds and moods. There is plenty of variety to keep it interesting over repeated listening. That being said, some may tend to say this is more on the soft rock & pop side, and this is arguably so. But be thinking in terms of later years Moody Blues, Alan Parsons Project, early Beatles, some solo David Gilmour, Pink Floyd, pre pop ELO, early Supertramp, Blackfield, and others in this vein. There are more influences that are not coming readily to mind, but you should get the idea. The outstanding achievement is that while you will catch glimpses of these influences, this is no knockoff band. FoF has a definitive and unique sound. The conclusion is that, if this is somewhat more pop than prog oriented, it is highly elevated, sophisticated, and has a musical integrity and degree of complexity that doesn't insult your ears or intelligence. One can only hope this album gets the exposure it surely deserves!

So, some thoughts on the tracks...

8mm: FoF have a knack for starting their albums with a great opening track and this one is no exception. Here we have the title track and what a way to start! This is nearly a perfect song. Starts with pensive piano over projector sounds. Anyone with a little age on them like me remembers these noises and it creates an uneasy DeJa'Vu and a sense of loss for days gone by. Full instrumentation quickly follows with the opening lyrics soon following perfectly encapsulating these feelings. About 2:15 the tempo changes and there is an instrumental escalation that captures the sense of emptiness and frustration that comes from being able to recollect the past but not bring it back, and then to conclude, it returns to the lovely opening melody and lyrics, and fades out. Prog oriented enough for me. I'll say it again, a nearly perfect song. Hard to believe, but there is better yet to come. (10/10)

Collateral Damage: Okay, another nearly perfect song, albeit in this case more on the pop side of things. Starts once again with a tinkling of the piano and then full instrumentation following, nice acoustic oriented guitar work building up to electric guitar with some pleasant, restrained soloing. The catchy lyrics and hooks drive the earworms in deep. If you don't want to sing along with the chorus after a listen or two there must be something wrong with you. Perhaps a tiny bit repetitive, but it's just so good that you won't care. (10/10)

Overture to Flame: The shortest track, and the only instrumental, and it is way too short. Starts with a striking guitar riff over light synth wash, drums enter to up the beat, and then a synth rhythm follows that raises up the Alan Parsons vibe in a big way. If you like the old APP instrumental tracks, you will love this. It is unfortunate because it is so good, that instead of exploring this instrumental line more fully, it drops off quickly to fade into the next track. It is an overture after all, the warmup and lead in for what is to follow. We'll lean this one to the prog side. (9/10 Docking a point because it is too short!)

Flame: So here we roll into the longest track of the album, and arguably one of the less pop and somewhat more prog like ones. According to their web site, this is the first cover that they have ever done, and they chose a good one. I looked for the original to compare them, but couldn't find it, so I'll venture to say that it is a bit obscure. In any event FoF seems to have made it their own with their signature way of constructing songs. This one starts slowly with nice acoustic guitar, almost with a hint of a Spanish melody, slowly builds and then ballad type lyrics and vocals enter around 1:45. The music drops back to acoustic guitar and slowly builds up again. The arrangement is very nice with some upfront bass and enjoyable drum fills steadily moving things along. About the 6:00 minute mark the beat picks up out of ballad mode and starts to take flight, the intensity builds to its outro fade out. Another great track. (9.5/10)

Jump This Wall: This was the one that was a grower for me. It's curious that this was the case really, as it is a very good track, musically interesting and upbeat, with even a touch of brass laced throughout. The male and female vocals add an extra dimension, and the lyrical content is timely, touching on 'being locked up in a lock down', seemingly alluding to the contradiction of having freedom to move and at the same time dealing with so much isolation at the same time. All good and well. Here though, was my problem, the 'I'm having a ball trying to jump this wall' chorus which is prominent throughout the song didn't really work for me. Although a catchy rhyme, it just seemed clunky and awkward. It even annoyed me a bit. But after a few listens to the album, what lyric kept popping into my head? Yeah, this one. Go figure. So, it's a grower. My lowest rated song for this album, but still very good all in all. (8.5/10)

Don't Lose Your Spirit: This is a big one for this collection and for FoF in general, starting with a great instrumental intro for the first 2:30 that slowly keeps building in intensity, pretty rocking for this band! Then suddenly, a big tempo change but still with a strong beat, and vocals enter. The blend of male and female singing makes this full and rich sounding. Another chorus here that you can take home. Last minute ends with yet another contrast, a quiet contemplative tone with a slow brooding vocal fade out finish. These guys are just so good at what they do. Yes, another near perfect tune! (10/10)

Funerals: This is my number one track here, and may in fact be the actual perfect song in this offering. This one checks all the boxes for me. While still cross-over and immediately accessible, this has definite prog roots with some nice shifts and variations, but it's long enough to develop the themes and sections to satisfaction. Starts with a slow tempo, and just slightly eerie tone. The vocal carries the feeling further, with guitar coming in to further enhancing the eerie flavor. A little further and the synth enters just building things up more. At about 3:45, there is a big tempo change and the mood shifts to a more happy feeling but with an organ underneath keeping the slightest hint of the eeriness, and then a memorable acoustic guitar lead over the top. Very nice! Drops back to bring the vocal full cycle with the opening flavor but just a bit more lifted up in intensity. Lyrics in this song shine. On the one hand you can relate to the idea of unrequited attraction, but on the other hand there is just a bit of creepiness given the context. Leaves you wondering. A great song! (10+/10)

Silently Raging: Starts with a light synth roll and percussion, while spoken word vocal touches on the growing loss of privacy by facial recognition, followed by a female lead vocal with male backing, so there is a different and warm feel to this. There is a bit of edge that picks up the anxiety of the brave new world we are all facing. Some nice lead guitar in this one to good effect, but always in control, never unrestrained. This is followed by a second spoken word section that this time touches on trying to allay any concerns of our being monitored by the powers that be. Timely stuff, and another strong track. (9/10)

Instillers: Starts with a sort of Genesis atmosphere, with synths similar to their Duke era sound, but quickly grows into a big up tempo arrangement. Big guitars, bass, synths, and drum propulsion. Every instrument is sounding distinct and powerful here, well mixed. Lyrics regarding the madness of mankind's course and poor interactions with one another sets the tone. The musical arrangement is intense, at least as intense as it gets on this album, and the ultimately positive message works well with it. (9.5/10)

A New Home: This is a beautiful duet in a mid pace ballad with just a bit of a jazzy vibe. This band makes these songs seem so easy to make. They sound so simple, yet there is a delicious subtle complexity and sophistication in the musical arrangements that is undeniable. It is just another example of how it so easy to be absorbed right into the FoF musical universe and just get lost in it. The lyrical theme centers around the plight of refugees. The predominant essence of the music is a mournful, longing overtone that has a sense of despair, yet it has enough uplift in it to also carry a ray of hope. Just so well done. Another very strong song for sure! (9.5/10)

Life is Like the Weather: The slowest, simplest, and most stripped down offering on this album. This one raises the ghost of early Beatles type ballads. It is also short like a 1960's single should be, catchy, warm and immediately likeable. A most classy and elegant closer. These folks sure know how to transform their sound in a myriad of ways and do it so well! (9.5/10)

In conclusion, this album is extremely high quality in most every way. Don't miss out on it! It's truly dumbfounding that it hasn't received more exposure. In my book, there are four nearly perfect (10 pt) tracks, another four (9.5 pts) that are just shy of this mark, and the remaining three receiving high marks as well. The production is extremely high quality, clear and vibrant, with every instrument easy to pick out and follow. Nothing muddy here at all. The arrangements are superlative, a combination of top tier song writing along with prime musicianship that extolls the talent of these artists. Everything here works together in a logical cohesive way, yet each song is strong enough to stand alone. The songs channel various emotions through both the lyrics and the melodies, creating a most refreshing experience, one that you will want to come back to frequently. This is definitely a five star effort in the cross-over prog category, highly recommended, and absolutely essential if you are into the accessible end of the prog wheel house!

1. Darkest Hour crimsonian stoner prog psyche atmosphere 2. Ominous Signs with swirling guitar on an airy new wave synth base 3. At the Gates synths, do you want some here, pronounced space tune with the melancholic violin, brightened up; its like King Crimson chance or not 4. Dark Days sung and haunting tune on a cottony Asia, especially for the guitar solo; odd, 5. Lonely Landscape is worth the strident and eclectic metronomic space tune, redundant, hypnotic 6. The Long Night vocal by Angel, track on Yes, Asia, UK

7. The Quasi Effect for the BOF Miami Vice for example, fruity, well-crafted and consensual sweetened theme 8. The 11th Hour well from the looks of it we are in full matching mole for some fruity jazzy psyche; here again the guitar solo is highlighted between two space synths from Flash Gordon, very new wave synths 9. Between Two Worlds with the atmosphere that sinks into the 70s psyche genre; vocal which can recall the Archangel, air well perched 10. Distant Thunder continues with a synth from the time of special effects... spatial, hard to write that, kitsch time! The flowing marshmallow solo 11. Dark Money very 80's again with Joe who enjoys playing a tune that I would have liked to hear on the BOCs of yesteryear 12. For All to See variation in the tormented Eric Serra style where the bass shows that it can be primordial and that we too often forget; the enjoyable, dazzling guitar solo 13. Beyond Reason again a keyboard base and a percussion forward, the guest must be a drummer!

2 bonuses on CD on 2 flagship tracks featuring Billy on a light piano with I Saw the Light and on I'm Not in Love the flute for the finale of an album to be taken for what it is, a great reunion of musicians who come here to just have fun without trying to make a hit; They understand that prog is very outdated these days!

The last review I made for Todd Rundgren's music was nearly 2 years ago. Good lord that was a while ago. I still fully believe A Wizard / A True Star isn't really a good album after all this time, and even stated that I'll not touch another Todd Rundgren album again. However, conveniently enough I manage to still lay a finger on one of his works due to an album swap, and, well, let's just say I kinda back peddled on my statements a bit, since now I am fairly interested in what he has made.

Initiation, the sixth album within Todd Rundgren's studio discography is much like any other record he has made, featuring lots of music crafted with the intent of adding as much space to a vinyl as possible. This time, though, instead of putting a lot of filler onto one record, he decided to strip things back a bit, and only add 7 full-on tracks. 6 tracks with more normal lengths that showcase his more prog pop rock sides, similar in vein to bands like Supertramp and ELO, and 1 massive 30+ minute electronic epic on the second side.

Right off the bat I already liked this a lot more than A Wizard / A True Star, since now I find there are less mediocre tracks here to sit through to get to some of the more better stuff. In fact, this record only really has one bad track on here, being Born to Synthesize. I will get to that later, but most of the tracks here are a lot more dedicated, and may even rival some stuff off of his Utopia project.

My favorite tracks are more on the first side, with my particular favorite being Eastern Intrigue and The Death of Rock and Roll, being these very fun progressive pop-like tracks that combine the prog with elements of more commercial genres (The Death of Rock and Roll being classic rock n' roll, and Eastern Intrigue having elements of soul and funk). I also really dig the epic of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, which I think gets very close to being my favorite Todd Rundgren epic, aside from The Ikon of course. It feels like proto-80s prog electronic music, where I can hear stuff that can be related to some 80s Tangerine Dream albums, and funnily enough with the second movement, III - The Fire of Spirit - Or Electric Fire, Frank Zappa's album of Francesco Zappa. I guess Todd is certainly a man who tries to be quite innovative with his works, and it all does work out very well in my opinion.

Though I won't say this album is a masterpiece. For one, Born to Synthesize feels like one of the biggest missed potentials on this record. It is merely Todd singing with a filter on. That's it. I don't mind Todd's singing; I think as a vocalist he is pretty good, but I don't wanna hear a 3 minute 'song' of just his voice through some crappy wobbly effect. If the track had some synths in the back, it probably still wouldn't be my favorite but I wouldn't mind hearing it, and it could be a nice song that could tease a bit of Cosmic Fire, kind of like how the beginning of A New Career in a New Town by David Bowie teases a bit of the more ambient side off of Low. Unfortunately, the track doesn't do that and all we get is a very mediocre song.

Also, like all the other Rundgren albums I have heard, this album drags a lot. This is kind of a problem I see with the albums I have heard from him, especially when it comes to his epics. I do enjoy his more long, proggy stuff, but a lot of times it feels like he doesn't quite know when to stop until he realizes he is recording an album and not performing a live jam session. At least on here it is a bit more understandable as it is more electronic based than rock, and I have become a bit more used to the long winded epics thanks to bands like The Flower Kings, Echolyn, and Moon Safari, so I can get quite used to Cosmic Fire quite quickly, but still sometimes I wonder if, for its time, 38 minutes verges on the line of fun proggy goodness, or overly pretentious musicianship. Not quite sure still, but it does make things rather overbearing.

Still, I did very much enjoy this record. I am certainly willing to check more of Todd's music out, and maybe a bit more Utopia albums too. If you like a mix of pop, prog, and electronic in your life, check no further than here as it is a very good offering of just that.

Best tracks: The Death of Rock and Roll, Eastern Intrigue, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire

Worst track: Born to Synthesize

Annette Peacock is an American composer, multi- instrumentalist, singer and on and on. She was at the forefront of Timothy Leary's movement in the early 60's as well as feminist movements as heard in her often irreverant lyrics. She is probably connected most to the avant/jazz style of music even though she was an early user of the moog as Robert Moog gave her a prototype in the late 60's.

"X-Dreams" is her second studio album from 1978 and her vocals are the focus as she speaks, sings and well you name it. Even though we have an astonishing amount of talent on here instrumentally she didn't take advantage of that. We get 5 bass players including Jeff Clyne, 4 drummers including Bill Bruford, 6 guitarists including Mick Ronson, Brian Godding, Chris Spedding, one keyboardist Peter Lemer, 3 sax players and 2 conga shakers. She had to be an influence on Laurie Anderson the way she speaks and sings and the sensual nature of the lyrics. I really do not like "Dear Bela" but the two opening numbers along with the closer are pretty good.

3 stars as the enjoyment factor is low.

LAGWBAT is a freaking masterpiece and one of the best rock albums of all time for me. Each song continues to grow on me, having been listening to it on repeat since 2022. This album is more nuanced and richer in every aspect, while the three preceding records are all uniquely amazing creations in their own right, this one feels - for lack of a better word - fuller. More evolved. More definitively Rishloo.

The songs Dead Rope Machine and Landmines are absolute jewels not only in the overall composition and execution but lyrically, they are deep, hard-hitting and quotable-unforgettable masterpieces. The melodic and heavy parts merge beautifully, ebbing and flowing together, leading the listener into the heart of each song - which, for me, is the deep well of emotion at its core. And for me, that's what makes Rishloo so special and original. It's --- uncontrived and full of heart and yet refined and poignant at the same time. That's what this album nails for Rishloo. Drew's vocals get better than they've ever been, *and that's saying something.*

I love every song on this album. Dark Charade, The Great Rain Beatle and Winslow are pretty heavy and gutting; they seem to have become my go-to angst anthems over time. On the other hand, take the song Salutations, or Radio --- clean, soft singing, and the overall production is so light while packing the gut-wrench at the same time. Or the beautiful demented vocal part in Winslow that goes: "See it for the shadowbox cannibal dance distraction, see it for the tiered smoke-and-mirror display, see it for the crimson neon-stained glass refraction, see it for what it is.. not what you want it to be" (actually typed this from memory) that haunts you long after you've listened to it. They seem to achieve this balance of lyricism and profundity and poise and straightforward brutality in this album, not to mention the sheer skill that each of the four musicians bring. I have no technical insight or comparisons to other bands to offer, and I believe not everyone enjoys or processes music predominantly that way. Really immerse in the songs, the entire composition and lyrics and the energy of it all, and if you're like me, you could never have enough of this album; or any previous work of Rishloo's for that matter, as they all plot the points of their journey, leading into ever more exquisite mindstreams and inimitable experiences with each song and album... getting us thoroughly jaded and melancholy-holic with this one.

And perhaps that is why their art, underrated and unpromoted as it's been, stands out like a monolith in prog rock for me --- it gets very personal, the emotions are intact, the whole output has its cohesion and integrity... and all the while the musicianship continues to blow my mind. Thank you, Rishloo.

Review Nº 772

"XII" is the ninth studio album of Barclay James Harvest and that was released in 1978. This album represents a mark in the musical career of the group because it was the last studio album with the presence of the keyboardist and founder member of the band Woolly Wolstenholme. He left the group due to musical differences with the other band's members. He had become disillusioned because the band moved away from their initial progressive roots, and he started his solo musical career, creating his own band. The limited success of the group leads him to withdraw from the music life and dedicate his life to an organic farm. "XII" is unusually a long vinyl album and is also their last album with a Mellotron.

"XII" has eleven tracks. The first track "Fantasy: Loving Is Easy" written by John Lees is a very solid song to open the album. It's a straightforward rocker with nice lyrics and strong guitar work with a good riff, very well accompanied by Hammond and synthesizer works. The second track "Berlin" written by Les Holroyd is a song inspired by separation of the citizens of both sides of Berlin by the wall. It's mainly a beautiful ballad performed essentially by Les Holroyd on piano and Woolly Wolstenholme on keyboards. This is a very emotional song that became a classic in their musical career. Sincerely, this is, for me, one of the finest compositions made by Les Holroyd. The third track "Classics: A Tale Of Two Sixties" written by John Lees is a very melodic rock song in the same vein of "Titles" from their album "Time Honoured Ghosts". This song was an attempt by John Lees to revisit his early musical influences and it also represents his personal homage to the music of the 60's. The fourth track "Turning In Circles" written by Les Holroyd is a very good and interesting rock ballad with some good guitar riffs and excellent bass work. It's true that this is a commercial track not very original but very well played and nicely and tastefully arranged. The fifth track "Fact: The Closed Shop" written by John Lees is a song based on the political and trade union situation in Britain in the late 70's. Musically, this is, for me, a very surprising song. It's a song with some medieval influences composed in a folk/rock style. It's a song that reminds me strongly "Part Of The Union", a song on "Bursting At The Seams" of Strawbs. This is, for me, one of the finest moments on the album. The sixth track "In Search Of England" written by Woolly Wolstenholme is a song about the conflict of youthful inexperience versus the wisdom of age. This is really the last great classic symphonic composition made by Woolly Wolstenholme with the band. This song represents one of the great progressive moments on the album and it's also one of the best compositions made by him. The seventh track "Sip Of Wine" written by Les Holroyd is a pleasant and nice rock ballad not very original but at the same time is very well performed and very well arranged. This is also a song with good guitar work. The eighth track "Harbour" written by Woolly Wolstenholme is a song that counts the feeling and the reflection of to return home after a long journey. It's a very simple ballad with an extremely beautiful melody and rich harmonies, very well supported by nice guitar work. This is a completely different song from "In Search Of England" and represents the other musical side of Woolly Wolstenholme. This is also one of my favourite songs on the album. The ninth track "Science Fiction: Nova Lepidoptera" written by John Lees is a very strong track and is inspired by John Lees' love for science fiction. It's a majestic piece of music and one of the most progressive on the album. This song is, in my opinion, a reminiscence of their earlier musical times. John Lees and Woolly Wolstenholme are simply brilliant. This is another great musical moment on the album. The tenth track "Giving It Up" written by Les Holroyd is another very atmospheric ballad with nice backing vocal moments of John Lees and Les Holroyd. Like "Turning In Circles" and "Sip Of Wine", are very nice songs but although not very original, they're very well played and nicely and tastefully arranged. The eleventh track "Fiction: The Streets Of San Francisco" written by John Lees taking is inspiration from the famous American TV police series of the 70's. It's a very beautiful ballad with some nice musical parts like the harmonica work, in the end of the song, playing in the back over the acoustic guitar.

Conclusion: "XII" is, in reality, an excellent album. However, it hasn't so known and beloved songs of their fans like "Hymn" and "Poor Man's Moody Blues", such as "Gone To Earth" has. Still, "XII" is probably, in my humble opinion, a better album than "Gone To Earth" is. "XII" is a more cohesive, uniform and balanced album that "Gone To Earth" is. "XII" is also an album that represents the end of an era in the music of the band. If John Lees songs are great and with some progressivity, unfortunately Les Holroyd songs start to sound too predictable and commercial, a tendency that would be confirmed in the near future. By the other hand and unfortunately, with the departure of Woolly Wolstenholme, the last progressivity influences and their symphonic roots have gone permanently from Barclay James Harvest. And it was really a pity. "XII" is in reality the last album of Barclay James Harvest that can be considered a true classic album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Having been a PG fan for decades, I have to say this album infuriates me. Not because of the music, which is excellent, but because of the formatting. Many people have criticized progressive rock as being pretentious - the songs are too long or too complicated. That has never been a problem with me. I prefer my music intelligent. On i/o, PG has achieved a new level of pretention in giving us two different mixes plus a Blue Ray Audio file that will not play on older systems such as mine. Having two different mixes signifies either that the artist is not sure what he wants his album to sound like or that he is trying to cover all bases for commercial reasons. The artistic reasons given I declare spurious. PG has always included visuals with his music, first with his costuming and performances in early Genesis and beyond, then creating interesting videos. His live shows remain legendary. The Blue Ray included in this package is his way of including visual artists with his music production. All good and fine, no problem. But to put it on a such a format that is incompatible with older systems is too much for me. I understand this format sounds better than older formats, which should be expected. If only I could experience it without buying a new system. Innovation is a good thing, but not in itself, which is what is going on here. Having listened to both mixes I can honestly say I prefer the Dark Side mix to the Bright Side mix and would have preferred the artist had the integrity to release an album worthy of his legacy, a single album. I now have three versions of the same album, an absurdity in itself, one I prefer over the other, and a third I cannot listen to. This nonsense I do not need. Even if I could play the Blue Ray, I would probably only do it once. If I want to watch music I will watch a live performance because, you know, music. I have long disliked having multiple mixes of the same song on a single CD, or even worse, a live version of a song I had just listened to. No, not happy with this album. I repeat that the music is excellent even if it constantly reminds me of music he has released in the past. The album is a culmination of all he has done before. But I won't recommend it because of the pretentions involved. I realize I am likely in the minority on this issue, but that has never bothered me. I will maintain my position even if I am the only one to do so. I hope that Mr. Gabriel will put out another album soon, and not makes us wait twenty years for new music, one that is an album, and not an exercise in pretention.

Hello fellow music lovers. Caught by surprise, this album didn't have much hype before its release apart from the great video of impossible tightrope which is how I found out about the album.

This album seems to be in a similar category to "to the bone" however Steven Wilson as usual has put together an album that conjures up different styles of progy music into one package which I like.

This album,in typical Steven Wilson fashion has absolutely great sonic excellence throughout, songs like "what life brings" has beautiful acoustic guitar and those beautiful lush vocal harmonies I really enjoy more so it's a nicely arranged with elements of rock, Pop and very slightly prog which is a throw back to the "lightbulb sun" album days.

The stand out track for most prog rockers will obviously be impossible tightrope. This tracks has elements that could be a 70's ECM record (but heavier) or something fusiony from a vertigo label album, it also has a great requiem/choir part in the middle and there are individual solos for key, sax and guitar so it explores some interesting territory.

Songs such as Economies of scale, then basically all tracks 7-10 have what I would describe as prog electronica rock but superbly executed in terms of additional acoustic instrumentation,theme of lyrics and arrangement etc. Whether the tracks are rock or electronica type of songs they all have great space, atmosphere and depth with cool guitars, keys and of course Gavin Harrison on drums mixed in there. If your into your audiophile Hi-Fi stuff you will really enjoy this album and it has a lot of dynamic range.

The song "The Harmony Codex" has an excellent monologue which is deep and touching in itself with an interesting audio trick which I forgotten what it's called.

In summary another great album from Steven that covers a lot of ground, has a very high degree of sonic excellence if listened to form start to finish it has a nice flow to it. A nice addition to any music lovers collection.

I rate it 3.75

4.5 stars. ONCE AND FUTURE BAND are from Oakland, California and this is their debut from 2017. Seasoned musicians, in fact a trio here with two guest female backing singers and two guest guitarists, and one of those would become the fourth member on their next record. This is jaw dropping music that took me completely by surprise. The drummer is outstanding and the best musician on here in my opinion but the vocalist has to share the spotlight for just being off the charts good. He's also a multi-instrumentalist as is the bass player both adding guitar and keyboards here.

I still can't believe how good this record is. It is consistently great to be truthful and yes bands like ELO, 10CC and STEELY DAN came to mind the latter more for those sophisticated, thought provoking lyrics. Yet as catchy and poppy as it is, it also exhibits some demanding compositions with long instrumental breaks revealing a very proggy band with chops. I mean you can focus on the bass which I love or the drums or synths or vocals and just be blown away. The guitars on here are good but not on that level in my opinions. We get seven tracks and just under 39 minutes.

And like I said consistent. First listen I kept waiting for the throw away, the "I wish they didn't go there" song but it didn't come! I have trouble picking a top three because of this and to pick a top five out of the seven seems silly but I do have a favourite "Hide & Seek" which is about this beautiful girl named Sarah and the lyrics are so witty and well done. This is the first track where they slowed things down and it's track three. Hearing is believing but this is so good. It's so meaningful! There are so many sections on this album where it's the combo of drums and synths or drums and bass leading the way and it's the synths and drums late to end this one.

I have to mention the next song "Rolando" for that jazzy start and yes this drummer could be in a Jazz band he's that good. Drums and bass only at one point here. The other track where they slow it down to great results is "Magnetic Memory". The vocals and sound are a beautiful thing. More great drumming on that instrumental break. The bass is most impressive on the closer "Standing In The Wake Of Violence". The vocals are a little different here too. ELO comes to mind the most on "I'll Be Fine" and that opener "How Does It Make You Feel" could have been a hit despite being six minutes long. The vocals kill.

It doesn't look like I can get a physical release of the followup at this point but man I'm pretty content with owning this.

So (pun intended), here we have it. This is Peter Gabriel releasing his inner Phil Collins in this magnificent double vinyl disc (single cd) album. It was after his parting from Rosanna Arquette that PG released this, one of his finest albums, with several oblique references to the breakup (break down?) of his relationship with the said RA. While certainly not as explicitly painful as PC's expressions on the same subject, Gabriel does get his point across in some of his compositions here, "Come Talk To Me", "Love to be Loved", "Blood of Eden", "Only Us" and "Secret World". That's nearly half the album. But whereas his old mucker PC gets his own point on the subject across very clearly and in simple terms, Gabriel broadcasts the same message here, in utterly compelling complexity. Did I say, "complexity"? Simply put, once this album goes onto the turntable (or into the cd player), the listener can't stop listening, to everything, and again listening to everything, until the end of song number twelve. And then listening again, just to try to take it all in. The musical quality here is just so good that its great. Yes, it does have to be said that like all great albums, US requires more than just a couple of spins for the listener to appreciate all that it has to offer (reference The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway as an example). But if the listener can invest a little more time that would be required by, say, something akin to a Take That offering, then the rewards will be exponentially more. A Big Five Stars Here for this magnificent album.