EKSEPTIONAL CLASSICS - THE BEST OF EKSEPTION

EKSEPTION was an underrated band. The pieces they played were traditional gems of classical music in rock (and sometimes jazz) tempo, with not extremely complex arrangements and without innovation, but plenty of beauty.

There are few own compositions in some albums, but not here. This compilation is entirely instrumental and, of course, if you see the track-listing, you'll know that chosen themes are masterpieces of classical music. The lower points are some simplicity and the weak percussion section, but -in the other hand- Rick van der Linden is the keyboardist: even if this kind of music isn't your favorite, you MUST hear mister Rick playing. He is an absolute genious, a wizard. Just his performance justifies the album purchase.

EKSEPTION respected the original classical pieces and didn't recreate them in the CANARIOS ("Ciclos") or IL ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA ("Contaminazione") vein. This Dutch band wasn't so refined and didn't take a lot of compositive risks, but his stuff well worth a listen, and this album is an excellent place to start.

Recommended, specially for those who love classical music beside progressive rock. 3 1/2 stars

As we know, Ekseption was a band leadered by keyboardiste and great duch musician Rick van der Linden, and as we know, Ekseption was a band which made instrumental songs, all based in Classical Music, classical pieces converted into rock.

After 5 sutdio albums, in 1973 they released their first "Th Best of", compillation called "Ekseptional Classics", which has the most well known clasical pieces converted by them into rock, jazz, and symphonic, here , you can find songs originally done bye Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin and Albinoni, all very well known songs, like Beethoven`s 5th symphony, Albinoni`s Adagio or Bach`s Toccata, if you are fan of classic music, you should try this music, maybe you will find it strange, because of course it has a faster rythm, electronic atmosphere, and a mix of various instruments which make this music great and special, in some songs you can listen clearly a symphonic progressive, but in others, because of saxophones, flutes, trompets and piano, you can imagine some VdGG tones or jazzy passages.

All the songs were very well arranged, the first thing which could catch your attention is of course, keyboard sound, because the most of the songs have it, and it is the main instrument, also it has a nice guitar sound, maybe reminicent of Focus`Hamburger Concerto, but anyway, it is a different way to enjoy to classical music.

It is a nice compillation, over 1 hour of great classic themes, it is not the best for me, but it`s very enjoyable sometimes, (it could be also a nice album for bussiness hours) , so for that reasons, i think the correct number of stars for this album is 3, good, but non essential, anyway, if you want, try it (not only this "The Best", but the whole Ekseption music). My favorite song: Italian Concerto (Bach).

Before buying this LP, I was hooked on their wild instrumental abilities shown on the track "Improvisation", so I expected to hear this track here. Unfortunately, I was dissapointed. Instead, this collection contained only the band's reproduction (I even would not call it "cover") of several famous classical works. Very cold, technical sound, no innovation, heartless fusion style... boring to hell! I ever played this vinyl few times, with painful patience. The original LP contained only ten tracks as shown on the cover image, so the above list is probably from some expanded CD issue, which may be different from the one I had in mind here. This is only for the collectors of EKSEPTION!

My vision of hell is satan himself and some sound-speakers, blasting out this album.

This is an album full of this band's versions of classic music pieces. Very few of them done with any finesse. The only saving grace here is some good work by it's keyboard player. The rest of the stuff is very annoying muzak/elevator music. Although, if you put this music in the elevator in a big apartment block, people would gladly prefer walking the stairs to the 120th floor than endure some minutes of this album. I would !

Some of the music here is ghastly and does not deserve to be called symphonic prog at all. It is not even a fusion of progressive rock, jazz and classical music. It is rock and jazz violating the remains of Ludwig Van Beethoven and the other classical composers. Although not legally regarded as vandalism, Ekseption is challenging the laws in this respect. The trumpet and saxophone is very annoying on this album. Some of the music even sounds like a Mexican brass band after a tequila bottle too many. This product has nothing to do with progressive rock. It is a matter for the courts.

The only saving grace is some good keyboard work. 2 stars and I want to live forever (avoiding an eternity in hell together with this album).