METROPOLITAN SUITE

I've just finished a long-winded review of Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra, so I'll be brief here.

Metropolitan Suite is my favorite Larry Fast Synergy release and I'm very surprised that I'm the first to review it on progarchives! Has anyone out there ever listened to this magnificent recording?!

This record is somewhat controversial amongst Synergy fans because of Larry's choice to employ the Yamaha DX7 throughout most of the compositions. As any recording which uses the DX7 you will notice the well-worn bell and keys patches which have appeared on everything from Michael Jackson records to the blandest of new age CDs. But don't despair! The DX7 shares the tonal landscape with a Moog Modular, Memory Moog and SC Prophet 5.

Metropolitan Suite is a concept album relating to Larry's interest in urban architecture. From the liner notes:

"Although the compositions were already under way, they were given direction after I received a book entitled "New York 1900" by Robert A.M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin and John Massengale. This architectural study of New York during the central years of what is commonly called the Metropolitan Age reinforced what I have observed to be a common thread of development between music and architecture."

The Prog genre, as we all know, is replete with concept albums. So what's another one going to do for us?! In this case Larry Fast nailed it. He offers a magnificent and sublime aural backdrop to New York City's architectural treasures. Having lived in the NYC metropolitan area I can attest that listening to this CD while walking around Manhattan was an unforgettable experience.

The music on this CD should appeal to fans of futuristic sci fi movie soundtracks and to connoisseurs of symphonic electronic prog, reminiscent of Vangelis' The City and Direct. I give this CD an easy FIVE STARS and consider it an essential prog recording and the very best of Larry Fast's solo work.

Metropolitan Suite is an excellent release,with an incredible potential,but unfortunately waste in this case.This record could be one of the best electro-prog efforts of all time.Songs like "West Side Nights" with an interesting use of trumpets that remember me the smooth atmospheres of the first Tower of Power project,and "City goes to war" that looks like a march anthem took from Blade Runner,are the highlights of this album .But the rest of the tracklist,even if is composed by very good songs,have a lack of originality that compromised the jump into the masterpiece.However this effort is absolutely necessary to a prog collection,expecially in a Synergy's collection.A little less good than Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra,but still great!.For fans of Vangelis,Jean-Michael Jarre,Tangerine Dream and the most oniric Brian Eno.

1.Metropolitan Suite: North River (1:20) = 7/10 2. Metropolitan Suite: Steam and Steel Towers (6:15) = 7.5/10 3. Metropolitan Suite: City Goes to War (6:17) = 9/10 First masterpiece 4. Metropolitan Suite: Metropolitan Theme (Main Theme) (4:11) = 6/10 5. Metropolitan Suite: The End of an Era (3:10) = 6.5/10 6. Into the Abyss (7:18) = 7/10 7. Prairie Light (6:54) = 7.5/10 8. West Side Nights (8:15) = 10/10 The Pinnacle 9. Redstone (4:27) = 8/10

Total = 7,66 rounded without problems to 8

Steam and steel towers

Metropolitan Suite was my introduction to Synergy, an electronic project by synthesizer man Larry Fast. I previously knew Fast primarily from his longtime contributions to Nektar that go back as far as their Recycled album from 1975 but also from his presence on Peter Gabriel's early solo albums. Synergy is, however, an entirely different beast and is closer to the type of music made by Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre, but more symphonic and melodic and less minimalistic.

The best part of the album is definitely the Metropolitan Suite itself which is made up by the first five tracks. This suite can be described as sounding like a piece of Classical symphonic music being performed entirely on synthesizers. As it is a wholly instrumental affair, the only guide to the concept of the piece comes from the track titles and the mood set by the music. There is a triumphant and somewhat bombastic feel on Steam And Steel Towers which is probably intended to represent the industrial era or something similar.

The other side of the album is less interesting, though Into The Abyss is a quite good piece in the style of the Metropolitan Suite. The remaining tracks fall rather flat and momentum is lost. The over eight minute long West Side Nights is the worst of the lot with its uncomfortable lounge-Jazz feeling and a quite horrible synthesizer-generated saxophone sound. Here you can really tell that this was recorded in the 80's. Still, this is a reasonably pleasant album and a good introduction to Synergy.