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Ken Baird - Ken Baird & Sue Fraser: Orion CD (album) cover

KEN BAIRD & SUE FRASER: ORION

Ken Baird

 

Crossover Prog

3.37 | 10 ratings

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kenethlevine
Special Collaborator
Prog-Folk Team
2 stars The formula has not changed much between "Fields" and "Orion" - lush spacey keyboard dominated ballads with both male and female vocals. Here Sue Fraser's voice is just as prominent as Ken Baird's. The folky aspect is less pronounced, but the lyrics still tend to the reflective and mystical, such as on the pretty "Dolphins" and on "Fields", where a brief segment of Oldfield's "Incantations" is barely re-interpreted. This effort has 2 epics, but they really aren't much different from the shorter tracks. As before, Baird specializes in languid, low energy themes that contrast with.....slightly less languid themes. The songs or extended compositions seem to suffer from a lack of compositional ingenuity, even if there are pretty segments scattered here and there. Development and progression are missing in action, as is any sort of punch. Even when the synths get mildly pluck as in parts of "Orion", reminding me of a young Rick Wakeman circa "Six Wives" and "Criminal Record", they lack the context of being part of a greater whole. "Orion" does not provide the constellation of expressions that I look for in symphonic rock music, even if it is melodic and pleasant to listen to once in a while.
kenethlevine | 2/5 |

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