ROCK AND ROLL SYMPHONY

CARNEGIE was a 6-piece American symphonic progressive rock band formed by the classically trained twins Mark and Clark Seymour. Mark and Clark had a quite successful career before CARNEGIE as The MARK & CLARK Band, but that's another story. CARNEGIE's line-up is quite unusual, as Mark and Clark are both Grand Piano players who played back to back at the concerts, their brother Scot is a Moog and Mellotron player in addition to the traditional Guitar, Bass Guitar and Drums. Because of the line-up the music is very grandiose and pompous with both classical influences as well as reminiscences to EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, GENESIS, STYX, SUPERTRAMP and QUEEN. What could've been their big chance turned out in disappointment. Their signing to CBS was no good for the band. In the studio they never got the chance to play their unique kind of symphonic progressive rock. Instead they were "forced" to play a more hit-oriented music. Thanks to the interesting Shroom Productions label we now have the opportunity to hear CARNEGIE as they were in their heydays back in 1977. Unfortunately the sound quality is really bad at times and it takes away a lot of the dynamic you would've got if it was a proper studio recording released on a major record company. Shroom Productions is however honourable for releasing this CD called "Rock and Roll Symphony". And that is what it is, a Rock and Roll Symphony! If you're into the good old progressive American bands from the 70's you will surely enjoy this album although the somewhat poor sound quality. Recommended!

Carnegie....brothers (twins) Clark & Mark Seymour...apparently classiccal trained on piano..... along with band created this..ahem....pre-Queen....Aviary....Sort of Supertramp .....ELP like thing.....which works wonders even to this day!! The sound may be a little dated...but the music...HEY.. ITS G R E A T!!!! Superb piano playing and arrangements to boot.......this is a strangely....even smart... album...which could be...were it not for the pure sound....recorded today!! In all...great (read GRAND) music......with supreme vocal arrangements (Aviary-like)..with the occasinal high-second voice bummer...its wonderful...if you´re into pop prog!!! Actually..the more i hear...the more i love it!!! Despite the sound quality...this is a GREAT album in the vein of popprog!! Despite the awful cover. Not essential...not rubbish (certainly NOT)...but really a GREAT BUY!!! Get it if you can!!!

As this CD shows, the band Carnegie was a great promise, but one that remains unfulfilled to this day. The musicianship was excellent, the songs were adventurous and inspired, yet the first release of the band Carnegie never happened. Carnegie is a continuation of the Mark & Clark band; they released one album under that name ('Double Take'), which sold quite well and it even produced a hitsingle, 'Worn down piano'. Some of the songs on this CD are taken from that album. It remains a mystery to me why the record company insisted on denying the band Carnegie to plot its own course, because, as is evident from the material on this CD, there is plenty of commercial potential AS WELL AS challenging and inspired music. The quality of the recording -with exception of the tracks taken from the Mark and Clark album 'Double take'- is not very good, due to the fact that the live material is recorded from an audience position and not direct from the mixing console. But thanks to that recording we DO have an impression of what the first release of Carnegie might have been like, and boy, if there ever was a band that deserved a lot more support from their record company, it was this band. The unreleased material sounds great, and I wish that the original mastertapes would be released. I do not know what happened to Mark and Clark Seymour after the band went under, but recently I came across an announcement on the internet that Mark and Clark Seymour would be performing in Vegas. It's a pity they did not seek an alternative avenue for their musical adventures after Carnegie's demise, their music certainly was worth it.

Sorry this is only based on Worn Down Piano, but 30 YEARS into my prog listening history I heard this for the first time ever anywhere (on ARROW rock radio based in the Netherlands) tonight and it instantly sent all my music senses reeling. The depth, detail, production, uniqueness and sould of this song are simply superb, and would enrich the collection of any genuine prog enthusiast. Wow.

Carnegie is an american band who was lost in a dust of time, not because they were bad, contrary they were pretty good but in the late '70's their music was no more something to talk about. Even this album Rock and roll symphony from 1977 sold more than 400.000 copies, they never manage to make it big. The album sounds adventurous and is very pompous with great key passages, but as a whole something is missing. Form by the three brothers Seymour, all three trained on piano. Now the music is very close to what bands like Queen, Styx or ELP done in past years , with grandous choruses a la Queen, subtile and smooth piano arrnagements, solid moog and mellotron a la ELP. I must say no matter how good this three brothers were, they never catch my attention deeply, the one i realy likefrom the whole bunch is the drumer John Bebbs, excellent musician, with a lot potential and great druming, from fast movements to smooth interplays with the bassist. I can't extract a piece to be the best, all have the same level. Anyway if yoy are into bands like Queen, Styx, the comercial side of these bands combined with the ELPish escapades on keys this make be a good one to aquire, 3 stars, good, but sometimes sounds dated and very unintristing, nevertheless a good album, who desearve a better view.