STARDUST WE ARE

After rating the first two albums from that highly-productive group, here is their first double- CD outing. The title is "Stardust We Are", and you'll find a track of that name as the last one of CD-2.

Well... When I try to convince people (not-prog people) that modern prog exists, while they know that Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis have existed, I turn to this production. And I insist that they listen to the title track ! An epic of 25 minutes... which I consider to be a classical event. One of the most extraordinary prog epic-song of all, I figure. It has eveything : multiple parts that join together, some musical lines that are repeated in another mood and rythm, an increase of intensity, odd-time signs, and... a climax near the end + the very known section where the theme is sung. Of course, this song deserves 5/5. How about the rest ?

The longest tracks the best, as usual with TFK : the first one "In the Eyes of the World" is fantastic, with a very heavy section and a more jazzy one, where you hear sounds related to circus for the first time (present in multiple moments later), beautiful; "Church of your Heart" is also very well constructed, complex, melodic all over; "Circus Brimstone" is a 12-min. instrumental one, with big circus sounds and atmosphere, in odd-time signs, energy and humor moments in the middle, it is one of my favorite instrumental of all-time (!!); "The Merrygoround" is another gem, with power but also smooth moments, melodic again, well twisted. The other ones are interesting, being very different, but with a circus mood. In addition, at the end of CD-1, if you let go after last song finishes (a secret track), you'll find electronic powerful moments, where you will shake if you augment the sound !

So... 4 or 5 stars ? Well, for 5, one has to consider : either every song being perfect, equalled in quality, the CD bringing something wonderful to prog-world; or a more unequal production, but with very unique moments (in that later case, it is dangerous that the CD goes 4-stars). Here, SWA belongs to the second category, and... I go for 5, because of the extraordinary contribution of the epics to prog modern music, mainly because of the title track... a perfect gem. I have better 5-ones in my collection (maybe around 15... ?); however, this one deserves it with no doubt !