TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

My introduction to Gandalf was 1992's Gallery Of Dreams album on which he collaborated with one of my great heroes in Steve Hackett of Genesis fame. On this follow-up album, Gandalf collaborates with the queen of Neo-Prog, Tracy Hitchings, known from (among other bands) Quasar, Landmarq, and Strangers On A Train. Hitchings, who also sang on one song on Gallery Of Dreams, provides vocals throughout on this vocally dominated album. I absolutely love Tracy's powerful and distinctive voice and it brings great value to Gandalf's music and makes To Our Children's Children a very nice listen for me (even if the lyrics are often clichéd and full of environmentalist myths).

Soundwise, the closest comparison would probably be with Strangers On A Train where Tracy worked with Clive Nolan and Karl Groom. As such, this is a bit softer than most of the other projects that she worked on (Quasar, Landmarq, etc.). Still, people who appreciate Hitchings voice and enjoyed her participation in various (mostly Neo-Prog) bands should definitely check out To Our Children's Children.

We have here sweeping, symphonic soundscapes with piano and acoustic guitars and occasional electric guitars and some percussions. There are no proper drums as such and the tempos are usually slow. You might perhaps call this "progressive Soft Rock" with a pleasant New-Age feel. But even though softer than I would normally appreciate, Tracy's magnificent voice commands my attention and drives the well-structured compositions along.

This is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it!