Delving further into the experimental and esoteric side of his music, Peter Gabriel delivers one of his most accomplished and influential works with his third self-titled solo album, universally known as 'Melt' or '3'. With a new producer on board and an all-star cast of guest musicians, this record explores some new wave dynamics and offers a reflective and exhilarating art rock sound that is not only unmistakable, but also rather progressive in nature. The ban on the use of cymbals, the obsession over the "discovery" of the right rhythm, and the novel use of various studio techniques for modifying and rendering sound are among the characteristics of one of rock's most innovative early 80s albums, a tremendous experiment replete with cinematic soundscapes and that eerie ambience that Gabriel had been exploring over the course of his solo career.

The multi-faceted nature of 'Peter Gabriel 3' (both lyrically and musically) definitely places its creator among rock music's most successful innovators and visionaries, and while Gabriel himself had more popular works released afterwards, many would rightly argue that none of them ever surpassed the quality of 'Melt'. The album opener 'Intruder' has an almost unsettling Crimson-esque industrial edge, achieved through the use of the gated reverb on Phil Collins' drums and the excellent synth effects. 'No Self Control' sees a more diverse palette of instruments use, which brings an element of eclecticism to the record, while the groovy, progressive rhythms of 'I Don't Remember' manage to emphasize Gabriel's vocals. Robert Fripp's all-encompassing guitar playing suits neatly the new wave experiment that is album largely is, even if the exotic post-punk aesthetic is all over tracks like 'And Through the Wire' and 'Not One of Us', together with the eerie feel of the latter. On 'Games Without Frontiers', Gabriel brings the art rock pedigree through the peculiar mix of synths, percussion, and vocals, which together with the unconventional arrangements render this track and 'Biko' some of progressive pop's most experimental early 80s songs. There is also 'Lead a Normal Life', one of the most ominous and avant-garde pop pieces of the entire PG catalog - and even if some might not treat this record as "the perfect pop album", its significance, edge and vision remain unstirred to this day.

What you might enjoy about Supertramp's really fine self-titled debut album is the naïve eccentrics of the music and the artsy songwriting sensibility displayed by the four band members - here Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson, Richard Palmer, and Robert Millar, with the former two clearly establishing themselves as the creative leaders of the act. An intriguing and promising album by a young English band, this 1970 record is rather different from the classic Supertramp sound of the second half of the decade, with the music here being rather somber, melodic and orchestral at times, virtually displaying all the qualities of a progressive pop recording from the early 70s. The poetic lyrics and the subtlety of the extended instrumental sections are indeed a delightful aspect of this record, whose length also indicates that the band had some progressive ambition from very early on.

As for the songs themselves, the general mood is uplifting and nostalgic, with the band focusing mostly on the song structures and the instrumental parts, which often benefit from the extended use of the organ, the electric piano as well as some woodwinds. Rumor has it that the album's lyrics were written by guitarist Richard Palmer and that nobody else would be willing to engage in this activity. Nevertheless, this is a good example of an early progressive pop effort with some delightful musical passages that could have been inspired by Yes, The Nice, or Traffic - and some fine tunes on here would be 'Aubade', 'Nothing to Show' and the big 12-minute piece 'Try Again'. This rather artsy debut album by a young Supertramp is as peculiar as it is dilettante in nature, and considering the general lack of a clear direction on the album, it is almost surprising that you can hear some really enjoyable and "flowery" prog tunes.

2025 has presented interesting music so far, but not many from symphonic progressive rock. Agropelter is a new band for me, but I am familiar with some of the musician from before. Kay Olsen is someone I have never heard of before. This album flows perfectly from start to finish, and it should be listened to that way. For lovers of classical music, this will be very interesting. Few albums deliver such flawless dynamics and relationship between light and dark, high and low, major and minor. I really enjoyed the piece "Burial Mound", it reminds me of the atmosphere you can sense in a place of worship. A bit too short, but a moody and atmosperic piece. The tracks "Levitator" and "Flute of Peril", is also a nice touch to add some lighter moments before the big workout and the reason to buy this record. The four part epic, which is among the best I have ever heard. The themes jump effortlessly between old space prog to baroque to experimental jazz to cinematic feel. Lovers of AOR need not apply. The production is crisp and the instruments seem well thought out with some strong performances from everyone involved. This album has been on repeat since last weekend, and every spin reveals new details and layers into a complex and interesting world. This never sounds dull and uninspired. Instrumental music should be like this. A future classic and a must own.

Today I'll be reviewing "Ambient Den", the self-titled album by the project of the same name. The album is a collaboration between three Australian prog musicians: multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ben Craven, Tim Bennetts, keyboardist and vocalist from the bands Seven Day Mask and SUB INC, and drummer Dean Povey of Frankenfido. According to the information I have, the project began during COVID lockdowns. The album is based on a concept of mankind searching for a new home in the cosmos and terraforming a planet for us to live on. While the album is said to be inspired by 70's prog, it maintains the cinematic qualities of Ben Craven's well-respected solo work. Incidentally, Ambient Den is an anagram of the 3 musicians first names: Ben, Tim and Dean. The album contains six primary tracks and 4 single edits and is produced by Ben Craven.

Disclosure: Anne Claire of Bad Dog Productions sent me a digital copy to listen to and review. I receive no other compensation for this. I call it like I hear it! As usual, this is a "cold listen".

Without further ado, let's prepare for liftoff!

Track 1- Future History, Part 1

This is the shortest track at under 2 minutes. It begins with "spacey" sound effects. A gentle synth takes over and backs an acoustic guitar solo. At around 1:15, the music becomes more rhythmic, and an electric guitar solo becomes the focus. The overall sound is very reminiscent of Pink Floyd, especially the guitar and organ tones. A synth sound gives me the impression that we have landed, then a synth drone leads us to the first full track. This is a terrific introduction to the album, as it has me anticipating what is coming next and sets the stage.

Track 2 - For All Mankind

This is the third longest track at 8:16. The drone continues, and synth lead begins over the top. The Floydian vibes continue. The rhythm kicks in and we are at a moderately fast tempo. Lead guitar takes us to the first vocals; we are primarily in a meter of 7 here. I like the vocal tones that are first done solo, then in unison with others. In the second verse, the vocals become harmonized. I am enjoying this! At 3:50, the key and the underlying rhythm changes, and we have a synth feature. Slide guitar follows with the rhythm section accenting underneath, while synths create a nice wash of sound. Another guitar solo takes the spotlight at around 6:20. The solo continues as the vocals sing the chorus as we approach the ending. Wonderful track! I love it!

Track 3 - Provenance

We begin with an accented chord in a moderately slow 4-4. The lead guitar is featured first\. This is a mid-length song coming in at a bit longer than 5 minutes. At around 1:45 the dynamic level eases off, but the lead guitar continues. So far this is shaping up to be an instrumental track, let's see if that proves to be the case. Ben Craven is really showing us his wonderful guitar skills on this one. Definitely some David Gilmour influence here, but not a clone, as his own style comes through. As the track nears the end, delicate, almost classical-style piano takes over. Yes, it is a purely instrumental track. Very nice! A low synth drone connects us to the next track.

Track 4 - Earthrise

This is the second longest one at over 9 minutes. The drone carries over and crescendos into a mid-tempo, atmospheric groove. The vocals are in harmony. I love the soundscapes in this one, and there is a sequenced groove that keeps the song moving in the verses. Just before 3 minutes, the groove stops, and we have an acoustic guitar solo. The groove returns in the second half of the solo, which ends with a slight ritardando (slowing down) then another crescendo to take us to the next verse. At around 4:50, everything but piano drops out initially and we have a beautiful piano solo, joined by some subtle slide guitar. This is followed by the rhythm resuming and an acoustic guitar solo. By 6 minutes the tempo and dynamics pick up and he switches to electric guitar. There is a great moving bass line underneath (played by Craven, I presume). This solo is quite extended and seems to be taking us to the end. While the solo has a definite Gilmour influence, there are a few quicker runs near the end of the solo that are a bit more "shreddy" than Gilmour is known to do. With about a minute left the instruments fade out in favor of a pair of classical guitar parts. Fantastic track!

Track 5 - Terraforming

This is the big epic of the album, clocking in at 16:31. I am looking forward to hearing it, as I have enjoyed the rest of the album to this point! It begins with some basic piano chords in a well-executed rhythm. An acoustic guitar comes in on top playing a solo. Eventually some subtle organ joins as well. At about 1:35 the drums lead the rhythm section in, and he switches to electric guitar with a rotary speaker effect on it. At around 2 minutes in, the music modulates up and the backing arrangement adds more layers. He is now on slide guitar. Nice crescendo at around 2:30. We modulate back to the original key and electric piano takes the spotlight, and the bass is the most prominent that it has been on the album to this point. Just after 3:30, acoustic guitar takes the lead again, joined by choir sounds (mellotron, perhaps?). By around 4:30, the rhythm changes and there is an organ solo. The beat becomes a quick shuffle, and I am reminded of "One of These Days" from Pink Floyd's "Meddle" album, but a bit quicker with slide guitar returning. By around 5:30 there are some "gothic choir sounds". But then we get jazzy! Not sure if we are going to have vocals or not, but I am enjoying it either way! Next, slide guitar and organ trade solos for a bit. Right around the halfway point, there is a brief glorious cacophony, then the guitar plays some un- accompanied licks with band accents in between. The beat soon returns as does the awesome guitar soloing. Around 9:30 the instruments sustain and bring the dynamic level down. Povey plays some nice ride-cymbal rhythms to keep a sense of time, then more rhythms join back in. It is a slow build for the next few minutes with many layers of sound. Just before 13 minutes, the rhythms smooth back out. Acoustic guitar leads take the stage, soon joined by actual vocal "ahhs" in harmony. By 13:25 the vocals are augmented by the synth vocals. Harmonized guitar parts join the dense soundscape. It almost feels like we are ascending to a spiritual plane. At around 14:30, things come back down, and some electric guitar licks take the lead. There are also nice electric piano parts from Bennetts. Things begin to wind down and the electric piano plays some strong chords with a little flourish at the end to close out this dynamic epic instrumental piece (the few vocals are instrumental in nature, so I'll call it an instrumental despite their presence). Incredible track!

Track 6 - Future History, Part 2

The second part of the bookends of the proper album (not counting the 4 single edits of songs) is considerably longer than the opening part, but still not very long at 5:37. This begins with a funky, phasey, mu-tron groove. This part of it has vocals. There is either an actual horn section, or a convincing synth horn section after the first verse/chorus cycle. The funky groove remains throughout. This one is much more jazz fusion oriented (or even like Toto on "Pamela") compared to the Floydian feel of the rest of the album. The instruments jam out on the groove as the song reaches an end. The instruments get fewer as the song fades out. A cool ending with a very different vibe from the rest of the album. Well done guys!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I am really glad I chose this one to review! I truly enjoyed every minute of the album. With the exception of the final track, the Pink Floyd feel is strong throughout. Some might call it "derivative", but so what? I was quite impressed that they pulled off a 16 and a half minute instrumental that never got boring (see my review of Jethro Tull's "Curious Ruminant" and you'll see that that can be a tall order sometimes, even for seasoned prog veterans).But still, anyone who liked Pink Floyd inspired music will surely enjoy this, and the 3 band members individual musical personalities still shine through! I'll give this a very solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. This will rank highly in my year end rankings for 2025, I am sure.

Clicked 4, but really 4.5!

Counterclockwise by Faun Fables is a great eclectic folk album from married musicians Nils Frykdahl & Dawn McCarthy. Keeping the eclectic nature of his Sleepytime Gorilla Museum ability, Frykdahl's vocals and music accompaniment bodes well with the beauty of McCarthy's pleasant tone and melody, with great harmonies between the 2. Imagine if The Incredible String Band, Current 93 & Fairpoint Convention had a baby and you kind of get the idea. Their cover of Yes's Wondrous Stories sounds very eerily to the original, with Dawn McCarthy's phrasing and tone being very similar to Jon Anderson's original performance. I'd give this a low to mid 7 out of 10. The track I'd recommend is Washing Song.

'Equus' for its blend of technical metal rock with string instruments reminiscent of Believer, alternating between softness and a grinding edge; an incessant back-and-forth between hard shredding and melting blues, including the delightful final guitar solo; 'Misericorde I - As the Flesh Falls' with its Opethian undertones, featuring instrumental machine gun fire and a stressful growl. The heavy surge is amplified by the melancholic violin before the final earthy return; the string outro as an interlude leads into 'Misericorde II - Anatomy of Quiescence' for the classical chamber quartet duo with Tim on violin. A slow, latent bluesy-post-rock movement with this metallic ballad and its explosive electric guitar break. This avant-garde track from another era seems to come from another band, which appeals with its innocuous but well-integrated blend.

'Suspyre', a death metal ersatz with a striking growl, riding on Dan's explosive triple-pedal machine gunfire. Alana returns as a Hynde-like female guest, attempting a healthy breach of restful musicality; Xenoyr's growl joins in before letting the lucid violin break still look to Believer. The final crescendic rise is pure musical chaos. 'Graal', with its extreme neo-classical intro, recalls the basic formation of many metalheads. Dark/black metal with an invasive growl embellished by the syncopated violin taking over; acoustic guitar break with Martino's rhythmic bass; clashing guitars, machine gunning over 90s-style death metal with a fluid guitar solo. The chilling outro, a martial rhythm stuck in a defeatist violin solo. 'Anhedonia' closes this explosive album with a clear sound, a solemn piano sharpened by the Arabic-tinged vocals; Dalai on cello melts the torrid atmosphere.

— First review of this album —

Alessio Trapella reached out , inquiring about the possibility of reviewing his debut album. He had mentioned that he had worked previously with Aldo Tagliapietra of Le Orme fame. That he also was the bassist for New Trolls as well as Le Orme was enough credentials for me but Alessio adding a picture of himself with a legendary Rickenbacker red double neck monster was a notice for me to agree wholeheartedly. Alessio sings, plays the basses, guitars, harmonica, flute while Luca Chiari mans the guitars, Gianluca Raisi on the drum kit and Ares Savioli completing the group on keyboards for this recording "La Ricerca dell'imperfezione", a very personal, ear friendly, charming, and finely crafted set of songs that has certainly a lot going for it. All the 10 tracks are in the 5?6-minute range, so don't expect any epic, bombastic extended soloing, just solid songs with staying power and lots of diversity.

The first three tracks certainly sets the stage of what kind of groove we are going to get. The bruising bass carves hard and relentless on the opening track, and for me, that is just an ideal settler of any doubts. A gently subdued voice and an echoing piano show that he picked up melody and passion while working with Aldo, the reference obvious. A return to the previous instrumentation serves the mood very adequately indeed. "Freeda" also possesses that slight Le Orme touch, with really terrific vocals, powerful drumming, roiling organ and that rotund bass swirling below it all. A glittering Chiari guitar solo adds fuel to the fire. Next up, a more serene piece, as if it is time for reflection, in a quasi-religious setting, a melodic prayer of sorts to an unborn brother with the ever- present bass guiding the organ and the medieval sounding guitars. Fascinating scene as the mood hardens with pulsating passion.

The ingenious "Bando" for example, possesses a sunny Italian folk tinge, with that classic RPI tradition of incorporating "canzone italiana", a touch of flute and a breezy melodic lilt with tons of vocals and a wholly unexpected gushing Hammond organ solo from Ares that really raised my eyebrows. A brilliant change of pace that showcases the talent here. The impressive "Euridice a Milano" has some entertaining theatrics, loaded with topsy turvy licks, loopy synth lines, stop and go rhythmic pulse as well as simply awesome vocals from Alessio. Startlingly daring and inventive, this piece is halfway through the set list, and I am conquered already, a rare event I assure you. Clocking in at 6 minutes plus, the effusive "Silenzio Azzuro" (Blue Silence) sets out on a softer tone, what with a long and soothing synthesizer intro. Out of the blue (pun intended), the voice explodes in an enthusiastic cry, the guitars pushing the envelope and we have a most enjoyable ride. A child-like voice only serves to enchant even further, a lovely touch.

The bass guitar drops some fine anchor on "Un Amaro", a fantastic piece initially with sparse instrumentation, as the focus is really on the rhythm section as Gianluca pounds effortlessly in following the wild guitar solo, which has a little Mark Knopfler tinge that is most welcome. A jazzy touch compounded with a sublime electric piano venture, scat vocal effects and a fine harmonica extension. Playfully emulating musically the Spanish football small-pass technique of "tiki-taki", the scat singing on "Ti Cat tachi I tachi" is highly original, but the Spanish instrumental flamenco-prog section is a clear hint that the inspiration came from a round ball. I applaud the audacity and the creativity. Truth is the title refers to a specific Milanese tongue twister, only adding to the mystery.

"Regredendo" is the final 'arrivederci', a tale of two sides like Hermes, a first half rather song oriented with agonizing vocals and the second more doom-laden and experimental, as if the spirit of Goblin took over the band, only the booming bass connected the two halves. I was not expecting to love this as much on the first listen, but subsequent auditions have only increased my appreciation for this little jewel. Looking forward to many more future releases from this gifted performer. Bravo Alessio, un bello lavoro.

4.5 Imperfect Searches

Inaugural album from Down Under. a project that features the masterful talent of guitarist Ben Craven, alongside mates Tim Bennetts on keyboards and drummer Dean Povey, all contributing vocals. The chosen musical path is space rock and science-fiction, one of the cornerstone progressive genres, with a superfluity of storied albums by a slew on international bands. This album will be released in late July 2025, and I am privileged to receive an advance file. Let us blast into orbit and boldly go where many have travelled before but where endless discovery awaits. Of course, the spirit of the legendary Pink Floyd, Hawkwind (still going strong more than a half century later), Eloy and countless other space explorers is impregnated into the very fibre of the music displayed. They are claiming to invent or even dare to reinvent the style , the are simply offering a tremendous upgrade.

"Future History part 1 " is the obligatory liftoff, and once the stratosphere is left behind, "For All Mankind" throttles forward into the great 8 minute and some seconds beyond. The set-up is wondrous contemplation emanating from the keyboard command module, booster rocket thrusts from the drum package and the searing /soaring electricity from Craven's guitar settles the agreed upon Warp speed vector. When the crystal-clear whispered vocals enter the cabin, the galactic melody coalesces into mind numbing bliss that cannot fail to please even the most jaded cosmonaut. The swooping synthesizer loops emulate the ever so rapid time travel, a kaleidoscope of coloured shapes and glowing stars zipping by the cockpit with streaking abandon. The repetitive chorus is outright intoxicating and unrelenting, slashed by a myriad of meteoric guitar intrusions, this is an immaculate space rock track that should enter that genre's Hall of Fame.

Now firmly entrenched in full auto-pilot mode, the lush instrumental "Provenance" keeps the sonic journey in full acceleration, a cosmic platform where Craven gets to split atoms with his laser-like bluesy beams, at times sizzling in intensity, swerving with ferocity and scouring for the loftiest realms. Bennetts' piano is a fascinating addition, provide an elegant keyboard-driven rhythmic alliance with the drum percolations, and the solo at the end is simply pure heaven.

Nearly 10 minutes long , the eloquent "Earthrise" reignites the vocalized thoughts of our planetary travelers with an intricate set of lyrics expertly sung, buoyed by a crafty usage of acoustic guitar among the ongoing trembling guitar shafts that dominate the arrangement, never wandering too far from inspirational melodious arches. When the ornate piano tethers itself to the slide guitar, the shaking riffs still in place, the acoustic solo leading straight into an electric spacewalk, yearning to see beyond the crater at the earth awakening from the horizon. Utter magnificence.

The procession towards a whopping colossus, the 16 minute+ extravaganza "Terraforming", comes across as a prefect summary of all what went on previously, compressed into one global planetoid of sound. Obviously, the dimension of this composition gives the players enough room to stretch out their interventions and really let the juices loose. A desperate piano sets the controls to the heart of the sun, with stinging acoustic guitar in tow, the discreetly camouflaged organ creeping in underneath, the Gilmourian flurry in full view , all held together with the sovereign pace of Povey's kit. Toss in some e-piano musings (a perennial fave of this reviewer), choir vocalizing to add majesty as if in doubt and let the groove hit the fan as it may. The extended organ section is an asteroid's throw from the fury of a Brian Auger, as Bennetts simply mauls the lunar daylight (as well as the dark side) out of his instrument, broiling, chugging, humping and destroying the entire span of his ivories within his reach. Engaging Craven's rabid guitar comes as no surprise, as the three just conflagrate into a colossal outburst worthy of a super nova saying sayonara. Talk about a jam, the absolute ferocity of the solos is awe-inspiring, literally blowing water right at the mason (oooh, wordplay again), a complete lapse of reason. The zenith is reached with an apotheosis of emotional utterance that veers on insanity (a mini-Carmina Burana-like choir folly) and a climactic sonic ejaculation that will leave any listener spent. The extended afterglow is all sensual and soporific, with extended guitar notes caressing the senses, as if slowly building up for a second orbit around the sun, as the band sadistically ratchets up the madness. Mercifully, a detailed choral section of aaahs provides only temporary relief to the cosmic melee, this is perhaps the wildest Floyd track not written or played by the famous foursome. Ridiculously awesome, I could not help giggling in giddy astonishment.

"Future History Part2" closes the main album, as the following 4 tracks are single versions of the existing tracks (save for "Provenance"), which is fine for a debut album as one may want to cover all the bases at the onset. The choppy organ/ flickering guitar combo sets the vibe, a psychedelic essay on the impending chronicle of our times, and I am gratefully reporting that it has no pessimistic, gloom and doom feel to it, quite the contrary. Cheery, hopeful, lovingly redolent of a time when smiling, laughing and having a good time was the norm.

As close to a 5 star ever for a debut album, what the galaxy! : 5 environmental lairs

The studio album return of Ian's long-time collaborator, saxophonist Brian Smith. Also, gone from the fold is wonderful bass player Roger Sutton, but watch out: here comes the funky fretless play of New Zealander Billy Kristian.

1. "Gone With the Weed" (3:25) great "smooth" Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion of the Herbie/Donald Byrd kind with some cool electric piano stuff underneath and some great trumpet play and trumpet and sax interplay up top. Billy Kristian's adept bass play is obviously being doubled up by guitar and keys while an uncredited rhythm guitar (could this possibly be a wah-wah-ed keyboard?) fills the spaces during the rhythm section's frequent stops and restarts, moving toward an unexpected Disco finish. Excellent energy: so vivacious and fun. (9.333/10)

2. "Lady Bountiful" (9:17) smooth, rolling bass and keyboard foundation provides the safety net for Brian and Ian to take turns up front--Brian using his soprano sax in a very satisfying (not annoying) way with those rich keyboard chords buoying him from beneath. You know I'm not a sax fan but this is quite nice. Piano is next, creating a pond of lullness while everyone steps back to watch for a few seconds. The band returns to support more of Brian and Ian's tandem interplay for a while before another break gives Billy Kristian the spotlight for a bit. Piano and trumpet join in while Billy continues holding down the groove (with embellishments), now playing off of one another, taking the song like this (sans drums) to the end. I like and appreciate this but it's not a very memorable song. (17.5/20)

3. "Solar Wind" (7:33) I love the long, drawn out development of notes, chords, themes, and motifs on this song. There are even some smoothed-over sounds and themes that feel as if they'd come from a Return to Forever album or Jan Hammer's concurrent output. Though everyone performing on this one hits all the stellar highs, I want to give a special shout out to the very satisfying contributions of the percussionists. I love how the rhythmatists of the final run present a motif that sounds like Talking Heads' "The Great Curve" while Brian and Ian play their smooth melodies. (14/15)

4. "Selina" (4:06) the main theme presents a lot like Miles Davis' classic tune from 1959's Kind of Blue, "All Blues," the big difference is a kind of Steely Dan feel and attitude from the keys and sax. The horn section definitely fit right in with the horn melodies of Cannoball Adderley, 'Trane, and Miles on "All Blues." Even Ian's solo with his muted trumpet in the third minute totally conjures up Miles' play on the song in question. The biggest difference here is Billy Kristian's explosive bass lines: they're very different from those of Paul Chambers. Plus the Latin percussion from Richard Burgess. Still, this is a very fun, highly-nostalgic and winning emulation of a great old tune by some great, very capable next-gen players. And great sound engineering! (9.25/10)

5. "Out of the Long Dark (Conception)" (7:29) another long, slow moving mood piece that sees Ian using a mute over his trumpet--and he's occupying the spotlight for the vast majority of this one. Brian is playing a mellifluous flute over the tropical night mood music of the rest of the island cabana band: he's part of the mood but also making his ethereal commentaries/mimicry of Ian's cool muted horn (which reminds me of a lot of Mark Isham's work in the 1980s). Nice melody making, nice trumpet playing with very solid support from the late night cast--especially Neil Ardley's subtle Lyle Mays-like underscoring of Brian's flute and Ian's trumpet. Quite lovely--and perfectly arranged and recorded. Noteworthy. (14.125/15)

6. "Sassy (American Girl)" (5:13) coming across like a Steely Dan number--like a cross between "Peg," "Josie," and "I Got the News"--there are a lot of quirky, happy elements congealing into one funky tune. The Tony Banks Duke electric piano is especially prominent. (9.25/10)

7. "Simply This (The Human Condition)" (4:28) Billy Kristian is locked into a funky groove with Roger Sellers right there with him as Neil Ardley's synthesizer riffs, Geoff Castle's Fender Rhodes, and the horns fill in some of the spaces over the top. Again, I feel the need to bring light to the amazing sound engineering: the imaging makes one feel as if one is sitting on stage with the band playing around you, for you. (9.25/10)

8. "Black Ballad (Ecce Domino)" (6:56) wandering and meandering, stopping and stutter-starting, this jazz song still has more of a Bob James/Freddie Hubbard/Steely Dan Smooth Jazz feel to it than any of the other songs on the album. The riffs that make up the main motif are rather pop-oriented (Steely Dan), the solos pretty and melodic with very little dynamic surprises, and the drumming fairly Steve Gadd-like. It's nice--it's pretty--it's just not as jazzy as I like from my J- R Fusion artists. (13.25/15)

9. "For Liam" (0:58) solo flugelhorn from Ian that sounds like a day- or life-closing homage--a gentle, peaceful bugle call like "Taps."

Total Time: 49:25

A lot more tendresse and emotion-provocative melodie than I'm used to hearing from Ian & Co. but not enough to make it sound syrupy or maudlin--this is not Ian's concession to the trend to create money-making Smooth Jazz or Yacht Rock: the arrangements are still quite sophisticated and jazzy, fully-challenging his wonderful cast of virtuoso contributors

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of sophisticated pre-Smooth Jazz Jazz-Rock Fusion. It happens to be one of the greatest albums from the very end of the 1970s that I've heard . . . ever!

1. The Blissful Little Life of Frank Bigbof for the explosive track, avant-garde for the atmosphere; notes of instruments placed end to end, a little jazzy, heavier, much more violent and crazy with the bass and the drums, both aggressive and catchy; the musical comfort zone is reached with this dark Crimsonian hard fusion, with this invasive minimalist cold wave sound, this festive fairground break, this desire to surprise, well, Unexpect comes back to me; the finale worthy of a cinematic soundtrack, in fact. 2. The Short Way Home with its bass line over children's screams; a voiceover and a slow musical drift into an ambient psychedelic alternative mode, solemn and haughty vocals; an agonizing Crimsonian escape. The finale with this post-syncopated guitar solo takes you far, high, beyond, it becomes fruity.

3. Glory Whole in compulsive Latin-jazzy mode with the track Addict for the frenetic build-up. 4. Letter to Sandrine for the Levin-esque bass, see 'Thrak' or 'Discipline'; a repetitive tune alternating with the relative softness of the Noise Box; a sensation of musical cataclysm with an abusive synth fire. Experimentation reaches its peak with the cinematic and explosive crescendic finale for orgasmic trance; the crystalline outro brings us back to prog earth and rests the ear. 5. Atmosphere ... on that of Joy Division; a simple, monolithic, solemn sound reminiscent of the work of Siouxsie Sioux and perplexing with this Olympian keyboard and bass from the Cure in the background. The sound is invented, exported, and is not just noise.

Often instrumental music that feels like waves crashing onto pebbles in a cyclical and uninterrupted fashion, alternating dissonant and melodic notes for inventive psychedelic-post-rock-jazzy. (3.5)