DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON

I am not sure if Andy Tillison is a football fan, although he lives in England. But those of us under the spell of football often talks about "a game of two halves". That is exactly what I feel about this album.

The Tangent goes on the offensive from the first tone with the great twenty minutes long Where Are They Now epic. The best from the previous album Not As Good As The Book, which I gave five stars, is carried over to this song. Great epic symphonic prog heavily influenced by eclectic prog too. Unfortunate, the next song Paroxetine is a downer. Maybe a downer is what that drug is. I don't know it. Perdu Dans Paris is another great The Tangent epic. The next song The Company Car is another The Tangent light hearted working men hall inspired song. It is good in the working men clubs, but not in my estimation.

The two final songs......... Well, let's say The Tangent plays with ten men just inside and in the front of their own box, desperate defending their own goal against the marauding team called Mediocre. I am not sure what the name Everyman's Forgotten Monday and Ethanol Hat Nail. Canterbury prog ? Well, the fine folk in Canterbury may take issue with that. Although both songs are growers and not as bad as first thought, they are not up to the normal The Tangent standards. Mediocre stuff at best.

I note a substantial drop in standard from their excellent Not As Good As The Book and COMM. This album is not, well, upcoming pun, not as good as their usual standards. Hence my verdict.

3 stars