THE PAVILION OF DREAMS

Ah! Here we are, reading a review on one of the most overlooked albums by one of the most overlooked figures in both ambient and "progressive electronic" canons. That is, one of those people who does not seem to wish for any kind of mass recognition. Why is this record largely ignored? Maybe not a lot of people are aware of that album? Maybe. I mean, King Crimson's "Earthbound" and Genesis' "From Genesis To Revelation" did not get relatively a lot of good reviews but got a lot of attention. That means that there is a very good chance of me guessing correctly the following: the reason why this album so far did not get a lot of ratings is because it's a ghost to virtually 99% of the people on this planet. Well, OK, maybe 95%. And that's bad. I mean, ? really, really bad.

Well, what do you know? I happened to be the first person writing a review for this album. How is that? Well, ? . I wanted to write a good review for an album that I hold so dearly close to my (no matter how much I hate this metaphor) heart (my brain, OK?!), an album that I personally found extremely evocative, influential, non-highfalutin, and deep; an album that I wish could get some kind of recognition from at least the prog-rock public. On the other hand, it's one of those ambient albums that is too good to be held in human hands. Whether to take it or leave it, that's up to you, no matter what the real reason behind your decision may be.

Allow me to state that I proudly give this album a five. Not even a 4.5. Why? Hey, what masterpiece isn't flawed a diminutive bit? Besides, there are no real flaws on this record except for the theme from 'Juno', unless you think that having a brilliant track ('Madrigals of Rose Angel') is also a flaw. A brilliant track. Quite a complement, heh? The other tracks don't need any complement. They sound like caged birds that want to be released into the air (no matter how crass this may sound to you at any point in time.)

All I can say about 'Bismillahi Rhahmani Rhahim" is that it sounds better than any of the ambient-like performances by Miles Davis that I have heard up to this point. The sax seems to be a better instrument in this kind of affair than the trumpet, I think. As for 'Juno', I really disliked it's dark-and-bitter-chocolaty theme that opens and closes the piece. However, it's a great bit to be contrasted with the main body of the piece. I just had to suck it up and get used to that theme. And I did. Well, kind of. Nonetheless, I think that 'Juno' is the best track on the album, simply because 'Bismillahi' is a bit too long and not as amply captivating as the main body of the closer. 'Juno' has a very deep, dreamy, ethereal texture in the middle, created with a piano, majestic human voices (I bet Eno was a part of it), and percussion. I must note that it is one of the most human, ? no, divine things, even if it does sound somewhat unnatural due to that jazzy modality present in the music. It reminds me of my hometown, St.-Petersburg, but not in the way Genesis' classically and folk- influenced prog-rock does. So, in a way, this kind of ambient is very European/St.-Petersburgian. A little advice: you might want to Google for some landscapes of this city (or some other city or whatever) in case if you want to understand the record. The cover of the album might suffice just as well. I mean, the one that looks like a palace with a bunch of water reservoirs, not the one with everything dimmed out except for a window. And let's not forget the poignant vocal on 'Two Songs.' Partly a Coltrane, partly a Budd composition, it has just moved me almost to tears and got me to push its rating from four to five. There is nothing wrong with 'Madrigals of Rose Angel.' It is simply an intelligently built and adventurous piece of art, as some kind of a secret that Budd had unfolded for us. Note the vocal performance every time it comes to a resolution, like at about 2:11. Not exactly moving, but it's still a sweet musical secret to cherish.

This album is truly a masterpiece of the progressive electronic music. Please, please, don't miss out on such a great offer! Give the real peace a chance! On the contrary, it's so good that no one deserves hearing it. So, I suppose, if you don't understand the music, that's OK.

Ratings/comments:

'Bismillahi Rhahmani Rhahim' - *****

'Two Songs' - *****

'Madrigals of Rose Angel' - ****

'Juno' - *****

Stamp: "I like it" (Who am I kidding? I love it! But then again, who cares?)