GOD HAS FAILED

This album opens with some gimmicks in pure Roger Waters style, including screams during the song. However "Hole in the sky part 1 and 2" is closer to Porcupine Tree than to Pink Floyd. The guitar doesn't sound like David Gilmour (also when RPWL play Pink Floyd covers live). What makes it very similar to Pink Floyd is the use of background noises, voices, echoes, in a perfect Roger Waters style. Also the electronic sounds in the slow instrumental coda seem to be taken directly partially from The Dark Side of the Moon and partially from Ummagumma while an acustic guitar harpipng and soft drumming in Mason's style lead the song to its end.

Starting from the 2nd track it's like they are travelling in time: "Who do you think we are?" looks like a late Beatles song. Nice pop that turns into prog in the chorus. Also the choirs are Beatlesian. Sorry but I like it. The guitar solo doesn't have anything to do with Gilmour again. I try to imagine Bryan Josh in RPWL. That would be a real clone.

The acoustic guitar on "Wait five years" seems coming from the A-side of Meddle. This is a slow and short song mainly acoustic with some electric guitar in the middle and slide at the end.

"What I Need ...Leaving" is just a short opener to "What I Need ...What I need". Some acoustic guitar and keyboards plus gimmicks. The B-Side of Atom Heart Mother. There are clues of Fat old Sun (children voices), If or Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast (acoustic guitar). The second song is more in line with Porcupine Tree.

Now let's move forward: "In your dreams" is a clone of "Sorrow" in the first part, so we are in 1986 with A momentary leapse of reson, but the chorus is Genesis (or Phil Collins). of the 80s. A nice mix of the two big bands. Waters is always present with his background voices.

"It's Alright" starts as Tears for Fears but the chorus is Porcupine Tree. Another nice pop song with some Gilmourian chord passages. Nice pop.

"Crazy Lane" is nothing more than a love song in Fish era Marillion style. This is what I think the general meaning of neo-prog.

"Fool" reminds again to Porcupine Tree more than to Pink Floyd. Very melodic but powerful. The guitar solo is nice and I think it sounds halfway between Gilmour and Rothery. The track is closed by some gimmicks.

"Hole in The Sky Part 3" doesn't add anything to part 1 and 2 apart of the excellent guitar solo. Porcupink Floyd, let's say...

"Spring of Freedom" starts with a sequence of chords from Sysyphus, followed by "pizzicato" guitar like in Marillion's Childhood's end. The chorus is again in Porcupine Tree style.

"Farewell" could have been a great closer if it wasn't followed by another track. It's neo-prog but I hear a King Crimson influence here, other than Porcupine Tree and Marillion.

The album is closedcby the title track. A 12 strings guitar and voice with a country-rock flavour. The Final Cut or Dylan? I think Waters was sometimes inspired by Dylan, so both.

When Marillion appeared at the beginning of 80s they were marked as Genesis clones. I remember Genesis fans very concerned refusing to listen to them. My opinion was that Marillion were doing things that Genesis were no longer doing and the "clones" were actually better than the originals.

This applies to RPWL as well.

Good music is good music even when not original. If you already own all the albums of Pink Floyd, Marillion and Porcupine Tree this is a good album full of nice songs. If you don't own them already and have to choose which to purchase, pick the originals first.

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