SCHIZOPHRENIC PRAYER

Schizophrenic Prayer is a single released with the Riverside album Rapid Eye Movement (2007). It´s very seldom singles hold any real value to me but Schizophrenic Prayer is a bit different.

The single starts out with the album version of the song Schizophrenic Prayer. So no surprises here. It´s one of the best songs on Rapid Eye Movement though and I find it beautiful. Rainbow Trip is the only real new song here. It´s an instrumental piece heavily inspired by Pink Floyd around Wish You Were Here (1975). It´s a very good song and it could have been a great addition to Rapid Eye Movement. Beyond the Eyelids are an album track from Rapid Eye Movement which has been reworked here and called Behind the Eyelids. I find it pretty exciting and not as heavy as the original version. The fourth track Rapid Eye Movement is also a reworked song from the Rapid Eye Movement album. It´s a pretty ambient version of the song, that is nice and enjoyable allthough not too exciting IMO. There are parts from different songs here. The last song is a remix of Schizophrenic Prayer. This version sounds more electronic and ambient than the original, it´s allright but nothing special.

Both the production and the musicianship are top notch, and I won´t go into details here, as I already wrote about this in my review of Rapid Eye Movement.

I think this is a great addition to the Riverside discography and for fans of the band this is a must. The reworked versions will probably scare some away, but I think it´s a great initiative. Rainbow Trip, as the only new song, is the most interesting treat here though. With a Total Time of 32:46 you really get something for your money. I think this release would be an excellent addition to your prog rock/ metal collection and I will give Schizophrenic Prayer 3.5 stars.

Looking at this new Riverside EP my memories went back to the Fish-era Marillion in the first half of The Eighties, I was stunned by the following similarities: a strong debut album and within a few years embraced by the progheads, a charismatic and emotional singer, a captivating cover art and, last but not least, a serie of EP's/mini-CD's/singles. In those days the record company (EMI) couldn't release too much material but later I felt a bit explored, just as my feelings are now when I notice that this EP (35 minutes) contains 3 songs that can also be found on the 'limited-edition 2-CD' version of the new album Rapid Eye Movement: Schizophrenic Prayer, Behind The Eyelids and the long titletrack. The only new songs are Rainbow Trip (it starts atmospheric, then a tight and hypnotizing rhythm with synthesizer beeps and bleeps and in the end a Floydian inspired guitar solo), a remix of the song Schizophrenic Prayer and a video ('special enhanced cd') of 02 Panic Room. In my opinion a bit disappointing record company strategy ("pecunia non olet") but the Riverside die-hards (like the Fish-era Marillion Freaks) don't mind is my idea when I read about the good sales...

I'm so disappointed with Rapid Eye Movement (I mean the song). It is so boring! I can understand a need for creating extremely long, atmospheric, slowly-swinging-into-action pieces, but it could be at least interesting. It is not at all. It's dull, dull, dull. Much duller than accountancy.

The single begins with Schizophrenic Prayer. It is a very good song but it's also very well known from REM which means there's nothing to celebrate. Rainbow Trip and Behind the Eyelids are both decent pieces, but that's it. Rainbow Trip is very monotonous and space rock song. The other one is a fairly nice and soothing song which is based on a few themes from Beyond the Eyelids. The last piece is a remix of Schizophrenic Prayer but it's just atrocious.

I enjoy this single from time to time but most often I don't bother to put the CD into a player.