GRAND STAND

Opener "Jurassic Spark" shows an affinity to early Genesis, yet also brings in much more modern styles and while contains many progressive themes and styles there are also sections that are much more AOR-oriented. Contrast that to "Words Are Not Enough" that sounds at times as if Camel and Jadis have jumped into bed together while at others using much more jazz-influenced piano chords to create a totally different mood.

I found on playing this album the first few times that they do sound quite different on the songs, as if they haven't totally settled on their own style but want to encompass everything that they like listening to. Not a bad thing for a prog band in many ways. The closing number, "Old Man's Tale", is the longest at sixteen minutes, and contains both very delicate interludes and much more powerful pieces with some great guitar/keyboard interplay, as well as pieces that sound familiar but yet are not (especially if you are a Genesis fan).

An album that is bound to find a lot of favour among the progheads. For more details contact the label at www.progressrec.com.

Originally appeared in Feedback #68, Jun 02

"Tricks of Time" introduces a singer-bassist and a superb guitarist to the mix and the results are worthwhile beyond your wildest expectations. Veteran producer and artist in his own right Hansi Cross handles the production with Swedish precision. The dynamics are impressive right from the whopping opener "Jurassic Spark", lush keyboard patterns with the entire arsenal of instruments out on parade, synthesizers leading the charge on one hand and Michael Renk Jensen's sweltering Fender interventions on the other. The short 4 minute instrumental "Words Are Not Enough" is right out the debut album in terms of style where pounding drums, piano ruffles, organ hustles and synth whistles coexisted so happily. "Waiting for Water" is the most accessible piece here, a moody lullaby with incredible self-discipline, a bellowing guitar screaming above the symphonic oasis, clearly influenced by the legendary Camel. The deliberate pace is gentle and dreamy with an "aaaaah" voice mellotron backing that recalls 10cc' "I'm Not in Love", Renk Jensen explodes oozily like a starry sky of suave sounds while Olov unleashes a sweeping synth barrage that would make the Tony Bankman proud. "Empty Barrels Rattle the Most" despite its rather impressionistic title is a full bore assault on the symphonic senses, the melodies are clear and concise , not too simple or overtly complex but enough technical attention aimed at creating a mood of comfortable numbness. A quiet mid-section with humming pedal-effected guitars recall the finest Hackettisms , floating organ pools shimmering with flute synth patches and then, out of the blue, amid thundering drum/guitar salvos, a slippery Moog solo that devastates all in its passage and a finger-pickin'-lickin' axe solo to wake you up, just in case. If you are a solist then just do it and they both account for themselves rather brilliantly. "Old Man's Tale" is a16 minute epic flight that somehow does not get boring or tiresome because the artists keep things in perpetual effervescence, from the puerile organ intro to the slow buildup using acoustic guitar and finally the outright jazzy "set the controls to the heart of the sun' Latin-tinged main melodic line. Hurtig in particular propels this theme nicely forward, giving the rhythmic foundation for Jensen's excruciating guitar phrasings to flutter above the pulse. Various tempo and mood changes keep everything in breathless expectation, not to say all the piano, mellotron, percussion colorations go unnoticed. They are finely chiseled allies in a cause that is rewarding to the patient listener. Yes, Goran Johnsson is not the finest singer in progland but neither is he the worst, by any stretch. But this is an album that has met universal praise for its quality and can easily rival the venerated symphonic prog classics that adorn our genre. There is something for everyone except for the death-metal aficionado and the popfan for whom this is way too "pretentious" (love that anti-prog word , probably the most flattering denigrating term ever, as if one has to feel sorry for having multiple talents). It's too bad that the band has seemed to have disappeared but in the meantime, "Tricks of Time" will bamboozle your tail, if you get my drift. Nothing weak here at all, just perfect sympho-prog. . 5 aqua halts

1. "Jurassic Spark" (11:24) nice familiar sounds (of GENESIS) to open the album--the motif in picked up in the second minute even moreso. The vocal of Göran Johnsson are a little bland--having a tone and style quite like that of GUY MANNING. Nice Phil Collins-style drumming throughout. It's not until the eighth minute that the next motif (a brief break) is used, but then it just reverts to the same as before. Göran's limitations begin to show more as he tries to stretch his pitch in the ninth minute. (17.25/20)

2. "Words Are Not Enough" (4:01) beautiful intro of melody and chord progressions. The synth begins soloing at the one-minute mark, just at the perfect time for something new to happen. Then wonderful/beautiful Jan Akkerman-like electric guitar solo ensues. Beautiful! I am blown away! This is so gorgeous! Would that all of this band's music could be like this. Easily my favorite song on the album. (9/10)

3. "Waiting For Water" (9:39) nice enough sound palette and IQ opening, but the song just kind of goes nowhere, repeating the same melody lines over and over over the course of quite a long time. The singer repeats this same melody with a pleasant enough voice but no real force or enthusiasm. The Eef Albers-like guitar and the "I'm Not in Love" Mellotron chords are really the only things saving this one from total failure. (17.75/20)

4. "Empty Barrels Rattle The Most" (9:34) a somewhat bluesy GENESIS instrumental. Nice sound production (except for the drums). Why repeat the "Waiting for Water" theme in the final minute? (17/20)

5. "Old Man's Tale" (16:00) a well-intended suite falls a bit short despite the rather faithful imitation of GENESIS sounds and motifs. (25.75/30): - I- Make Way For The Old Man - organ sounding as if background/intro for a children's story hour. - II- Questions & Answers - bluesy guitar establishes interesting drumming pattern. - III- Floating Among The Clouds - the exciting pace and textures of this section are weighted down by the vocals. - IV- The Rumble Dance - an instrumental passage very much like Genesis' "Back in NYC", "Dance on a Volcano" or "Los Endos" - V- Second Thoughts - more Genesis motifs explored. - VI- Back To The Park - - VII- Live Your Life, Be On Your Way - pulling it all together for the finish. Competent just not enough newness.

Total Time: 50:38

A very polished prog band in the vein of TONY BANKS/GENESIS, it is in their wonderfully clear, precise production that I actually find my issues: the way the drums are recorded (are they computerized? or just super cheap and super gated?), and the way the voice is mixed (seemingly without effects). The lyrics are a bit banal and the singer, though possessing a nice voice, is the least polished "instrument" in the band. In fact, some of his vocal attempts sound outright amateur. All in all, Tricks of Time contains some very nice music--especially if you are a fan of Tony Banks' keyboards (and solo work), Phil Collins' drumming 1970s style but 1980s sound, Mike Rutherford's bass/bass pedals and solo albums, and Steve Hillage, Steve Hackett, and John Mitchell's guitar styles and Eef Albers' guitar sound, and, most of all, the music of GENESIS between 1974-1977. The album's last song, however, the 16-minute, seven-part suite, "Old Man's Tale" has (mostly) a different (non-Genesis) sound and style to it--it sounds more like some of GUY MANNING's work (except for the middle section which is almost stolen straight out of "The Cinema Show").

B/four stars; a nice collection of Genesis-like NeoProg that many prog lovers will love despite the fact there is a lot of imitation here and not much fresh, new sounds or ideas.

'Words Are Not Enough' (which is instrumental) and 'Waiting For Water' are the two most appealing tracks for me. The former has a 'smooth jazz' feel and a lovely melodic, jazzy solo from Jensen which is echoed by a similarly sweet lead synth, whilst 'Waiting For Water' is a very gentle and mellow piece with lovely melodies in the verse and some majestic settings created by the keys, including a brief moment that recalls 10cc's 'Im Not In Love'. Elsewhere, 'Jurassic Spark' is a decent opener with good Steve Hackett-like guitar solos and the epic 'Old Man's Tale' serves as a stamp of the all-round musicianship of Grand Stand. However, it is not a particularly coherent piece, sounding too often like disparate musical ideas stitched together to form a 'suite'. Not good enough in my book. My biggest gripe is with the overuse of some of the musical ideas in each song. Grand Stand are treading water and stretching their musical ideas to the very limit of interest.

Overall I found this a charming and very polite album to listen to. It's the sort of album you bring home to meet your grandparents secure in the knowledge that it would not offend, but that's also it's problem for me because it doesn't really excite either. Nevertheless with their songs bearing the hallmarks of many neo-prog acts from the '90s, it's as if Grand Stand were unable to see an alternative direction for their own compositions, and if you're a fan of of Late-GENESIS, late-CAMEL, PALLAS, SAGA and maybe IQ, I think you'll find plenty to enjoy in this

Almost a three - 2.75

The album starts with the track I already knew and after having heard it for at least 100 times by now I can tell you it still doesn't bore me one bit and that's only achieved by the very best of songs. Jurassic Spark is an amazing composition with perfect alternation of vocals and instrumental passages, exactly how a song should be written, composition to perfection, I can say no less of it. Complex and yet accessible, can only get the full score of course: 5 stars.

Second track is called Words are not Enough, a laid back short instrumental that could well have been a left over from their debut where the style is concerned since that album was fully instrumental albeit just keyboards and this one contains also guitarplay. A wonderful track that gives you the chance to recover after the great opener, 4,25*.

Waiting for Water is the lesser track of this magnum opus but is still very worthwhile to listen to. Being the lesser track is not a shame anyway when the rest is of such incredible standard. For instance the instrumental passages after 3: 30 and 5:30 are excellent, the only real downside is the vocal part that sounds a bit dull. Still 4,25* for this effort.

Empty Barrels rattle the Most turns things up again and is the second almost 10 minute song in a row and is at the same time the second instrumental. Very lively start of the song with great guitar in the first minute followed by varied other instrumental passages most of them pretty energetic. The musicianship is amazing, what a class act this Swedish band is. 4,75*.

Old Man's Tale is the second track that will get the full score from me. It's a true epic clocking over 15 minutes and shows as final proof the full potential of the band. The song starts quiet then gets into a slightly jazzy style for a while. After this the pure prog takes its turn again with again several instrumental bits before the vocals set in at 3:20. Göran Johnsson's voice is the only slight criticism I can think of with Grand Stand. He doesn't have the most exciting voice you'll ever hear but it's not disturbing in my opinion. With this track it's the same as with the brilliant opener: great alternation of vocal and instrumental parts. Guitar and keyboards again shine brightly and deliver simply all you can wish for. And this goes on for the full sixteen minutes, no filler moments !

Recapitulated I can only say the full score is totally deserved. That is if you're not a devoted seventies freak who claims that only in that era the real thing was produced. Because it's always possible to call this great work derivative (Grand Stand started as a Genesis coverband) and therefore not interesting. But if you listen closely and open minded to this album you can only praise it and grant it what it's worth: 5 stars. This is simply how I want a prog album to sound: superb quality in every sense (also production) without fillers and dull moments. Highly recommended for all lovers of extremely melodic music executed in a perfect way. What a shame this album from 2002 is their last so far. How I wish they got back together to make another jewel !

I first thought this was another Roine Stolt sideproject. This album reminds me a lot about his debut album The Flower King. The most symphonic parts of The Flower Kings and Genesis creative outputs is the most obvious references here. Which is both a compliment and a problem. The music is very, very nice. It also lacks identity. The only Grand Stand DNA profile I can come up with is the vocals. Besides of that, I would probably say The Flower Kings if blindtesting this album. I happens to be a fan of that band so Grand Stand is down my alley.

The music here is symphonic and the sound is modern. There is plenty use of guitars and tangents. Most moog and hammonds. This album has both a modern and a 1970s feel. The song structures is symphonic too with a lot of changing themes. The songs are long and driven by keyboards. Grand Stand is probably more compact than The Flower Kings which at times goes out on a tangent in their song structures. The quality of the songs are good too. Old Man's Tale and Jurassic Spark is the best songs here. I am not convinced that this is an excellent addition to a prog rock collection. If The Flower Kings and Genesis is kings in your world; please add this album and the other Grand Stand album. If not; this album is another good prog rock album. I happens to like it a lot. But I still prefer the originals.

3.75 stars

The vocals are on the weakest part. Not that bassist Göran Johnsson does not sing well, he does have a nice, warm voice (even of with a heavy swedish accent), but it is clear that the band would improve quite a bit if they had a singer as powerful as the players in the band. Aside from that small detail is hard to find any fault with this record: fantastic keyboards much in the vein of Tony Banks and Peter Bardens, fine melodic guitar lines all over the record and a very tight, precise, rhythm section (the drummer is very creative). The arrangements are tasteful and varied. But the group's most notable talent lies on their songwriting: all the tracks are excellent and there are no fillers. In fact, there is no pointless display of virtuosity nor too much noodling.. This is clearly the case of team players

There are no highlights either, as all the tracks flow smoothly when you hear the CD, but I might say I have a soft spot for the instrumental Words Are Not Enough and the beautiful, gentle, Waiting For Water (Johnsson's voice fitting very well here). In fact, the album seems to be shorter than it really is (always a good sign!). The production, done by Hansi Cross, is very good.

Conclusion: an excellent work! It's amazing that not so many people know this gem. I really hope they release a follow up soon. My rating shifts between 4,6 to 5 stars. I'll round up to five, because it fits perfectly with my personal taste. Highly recommended!

The first thing I noticed it the fact that Olov Andersson is not only a fantastic player, but also a good songwriter. Every track is a mini epic on its own. And every note is on the right place, Judging by what I read in Grand Salm's biography, their music is utterly influenced by Genesis. This is not what you hear here, really, at least for my ears. Sure, some of Peter Gabriel's former band influences are evident, but the CD is far from derivative. In fact I found his compositions very pleasant, creative and original. The closest thing I can compare with is the very fine dutch combo Trion, which also uses a lot of analog sounding keyboards as the core of their music. It is hard to believe this piece of work was so recently recorded, for it sounds too much like something coming straight from prog's heyday in the early 70's. And, make no mistake, this is a big compliment.

The first three tracks are good, but the truly gems are the ones from the fourth onwards like the brilliant Triumphant Forrest Going Frenzy and, specially, Minor Mischiefs In Big Ways, an 8 minute masterpiece . All songs are instrumentals and I must say you don't miss any singing either. The production is very good, even if the drums seem to be recorded a little too loud for my taste on some parts, but that's something I can live with. Like any great prog record, the more you listen the more you enjoy it. Brilliant.

If you like very fine, tasteful prog instrumental music, with lots of vintage keyboards this CD is highly recommended. Another nice surprise from Sweden! My rating is somewhere 4 and 4.5 stars.

This album starts with a very entertaining instrumental called The Trees and the Chopping Nutcracker. I've been doing a birds study many years ago so I happen to know a nutcracker is a very interesting bird that's only breeding in Scandinavia and a few other countries in Europe. It's related to crows and is only rarely seen in my country so that's why the bird is special to me. Anyway, it's obviously interesting enough for Grand Stand to write a song about. Maybe these guys are nature lovers as well, that would be a plus to me for sure. The song is good enough for a four star rating for me mainly thanks to great keys.

Actually next song is also about a bird and that species is even much more special because it's the super rare and impressive condor from America. The song is called Condor and the Java Cup to be precise and it's another instrumental in roughly the same style with dominant (and excellent) keys. These first two songs are really how I had imagined them, very high quality in both composing as well as execution. 4*.

Third track (The first steps of another Day) is more wind dominated so that's nice for a change. Must be wind imitation on the synthisizer because I read nothing about wind instrument playing in the line up. The sound reminds me somewhat of a song by Galleon, a bit fairytale like but not too cheesy, simply beautiful. 3,75*.

Triumphant Forrest going Frenzy is going back to the keyboards, needless to say it's instrumental all the time because it appears there are no vocals at all on this album and that's a surprise to me because in the songs I already knew by Grand Stand there were both vocal contributions. Anyway, another very fine track and another 3,75* effort.

Minore Mischiefs in Big Ways is another very melodic effort, I have to admit that you will have to love the style if you want to love this album. If you are not into very melodic, laid back keyboard/synth music you'd better forget about this album. It's much of the same in that sense but I have no problem with it as I like this kind of music a lot. Another 4 stars for this lengthy tune.

Ok, I'd better stop the song by song reviewing before I start repeating myself. The other three tracks are of the same level and in the style as above mentioned and deserve ratings between 3,75 and 4 stars as well so that completes this album and I think I have said all there is to be said about it. This Grand Stand is a bit different from the real band it became later on. This is a two men effort and I think they did very well. Recommended for lovers of melodic keyboardplaying like I said. Good stuff. 4 stars.