TRY ANYTHING ONCE

The first one produced after Eric Woolfson dropping off, this album is better than an old Parsons fan might expect (or want to admit). The sound is new and fresh, reviving, cool and clear. A friend of mine borrowed this album from me once. He enjoyes bands like Dream Theater, and he really loved "Try Anything Once". And as I thought of it, some of it is actually somewhat similar to something that DT might come up with, atleast when it comes to the sound.

This album has a sort of dark thread running through it, with every song having something troublesome or worrying in them. For a fan of the old Alan Parsons Project tunes and for hardcore prog-lovers, I think this album could be a bit of a disappointment. This is not so much a progressive album as it is a rock album. But it is a very good rock album, very melodic and exciting. The songs really have the power to awaken many feelings, not so much because of the lyrics but more through the music. "The Three of Me" starts you off in a confused mind, still capable of creating nice music. Bit of a warning for sensitive ears; this track starts off with some loud and heavy musical 'explosions'. As the title suggest, this is a song of someone believing he is actually three different persons simultaneously. "Turn it Up" is in my opinion the best song on the album, both the lyrics and the music encouraging you to stand up for what you believe in. It's a very nice piece of rock, gets you up and up in a bigger and bigger crescendo towards the end. Superb. "Mr. Time" is also a very good song; although being over eight minutes long, it feels like much less. There's action and energy in the music, keeping you inside the song for the duration of those eight minutes, never losing focus on the main theme. "Siren Song" is, as the name suggests, an appealing, soothing and relaxing song, plunging into the very dream- like "Dreamscape", leaving you in a mindscape similar to that desert where they took the pictures for the cover art. Finally, "Oh Life (There Must Be More)" wraps it all up, ending the album in a magnificently beautiful and touching piece, being the story of a woman taking her own life as she jumps from a bridge at dawn. Listen to this album, let it soar into you, stay with you, arouse feelings in you and let the music run through you and you will find this album better than one might think at first glance. Beautifully put together, it is an excellent addition to any rock listener's collection.