LEON ALVARADO

The album cover shows two quite different images of Leon, and the reason for this is that in some ways this is a compilation in that it looks back over the last twenty years at pieces he had written and never found room for them on a release. A huge flood in 2017 destroyed the drives on which some of the pieces were kept, which meant a total recreation or re-recording while others could be utilised exactly as they were, even down to the mixing. It is somewhat difficult to realise this is from such a long period of time as they certainly all work together and the result is an album which I enjoyed far more than his last release, 2016's 'The Future Left Behind'. In some ways that was somewhat over ambitious, while this electronic progressive album knows exactly what it is about, with even the dreaded electronic drum machines making perfect sense in this context.

Most of his influences are solidly from the Seventies and then brought into the Eighties, with Tangerine Dream in particular having a huge part to play although Kraftwerk also come through in some places, and there is a slight hint of Vangelis here and there as well. It is an album which has been delicately composed and delivered, so much so that even someone like myself who does not play a lot of this style of music for pleasure can get a great deal from it. There is a great deal of space within this, Leon has deliberately not overplayed, with the arrangements being carefully crafted so they take the listener on a journey of discovery. The keyboards utilised are incredibly familiar to progheads, a combination of real and emulated famous keyboards, primarily a MiniMoog, a Roland Jupiter 8, a Korg M1, the ARP 2600 as well as the software version of the Roland TR-808. Dynamic and driving, with real force and presence at times, gentler at others, this is a wonderful piece of work.

Although this album was released in 2016, I have only recently come across it. What we have here is a concept album, based on a short story also written by Leon (which is included in the booklet), which concerns a polarized world where two distinct societies lead opposite lifestyles. The rich leave the earth to live on orbiting colonies while the poor are left behind trying to work out not only how to survive but also how to reconstruct the broken environment around them. There is a narration at the beginning of each instrumental, delivered in a wonderful bass tone by Steve Thamer, while the music is provided by keyboard player Leon along with Billy Sherwood (who provides virtually all guitars), Rick Wakeman (who provides a Moog solo on one song plus some additional keyboards) and Johnny Brauns who provides acoustic guitar on another.

I find the artwork incredibly important to an understanding of what Leon is attempting to achieve as the poor are represented on the cover by a girl sitting on a sofa surrounded by squalor, while the artwork on the booklet is the same image of the girl except this time sat on a sofa in the colonies with space behind her. They may be literally miles apart, in so many ways, but they each have problems the other wouldn't recognise. In many ways this reminds me of 'Journey To The Centre of the Earth', except the main difference this time is that the main point of focus for the listener is the dramatic and interesting narration, whereas the music seems often quite one-dimensional. It is solid symphonic prog, no doubt at all, but although there are times when it really does wake up such as on 'In Our Quiet Orbit', for the most part it feels too much at one level. It does work well as background music, with the narration just bringing it back to the foreground, but I had to concentrate as it was easy to lose focus. Overall it is a solid piece of work, something I am glad I have heard, but I doubt it is something to which I will often return.

The 2014 Microcosm

The first thing that strikes you when considering this digital EP by Leon Alvarado is how the cover picture brings to mind the incredible artwork of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's classic masterpiece Brain Salad Surgery. This is no coincidence as it is explicitly stated on the Melodic Revolution Records website where this EP is freely available for streaming that the artwork is indeed "dedicated to the memory of Hans Rudolph Giger" the artist who created the legendary cover for Brain Salad Surgery.

Musically, on the other hand, this has nothing to do with the Symphonic Prog of ELP. 2014 Music from an Expanded Universe is probably best described as electronic music. Trey Gunn (who was a member of King Crimson in the 1990's and early 2000's) adds bass and "Warr Guitars" and is also credited as co-composer of the ambient introduction, Irreverence, Part I. The highlight of the proceedings is the second track, The 2014 Microcosm, on which drums are provided by Jerry Marotta (who played with Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin, among others). This is an up-beat, sort of Jean- Michel Jarre/Vangelis kind of tune.

Blood Like Red is more ambient again at first, but builds towards a Mike Oldfield-like conclusion with guitars. Irreverence, Part II rounds the programme off before the "live" version of Cinemania (which first appeared on Leon Alvarado plays Genesis and other Original Stuff) which is best considered a bonus track. Audience sounds are lamely added to make it sound like a live performance, but it is obviously a pure studio creation.

2014 Music from an Expanded Universe is a pleasant listen, but ultimately forgettable.

Broken promises

Strangers In Strange Places is a three track EP by Lean Alvarado. The first track, Strange Places, is a sort of Jazz- Rock/Fusion styled piece and the highlight of the EP. Two guests are credited on this track including the legendary Bill Bruford of Yes, King Crimson and U.K. fame. However, when you read the small print it becomes clear that this is something of a fraud as it is actually only "drum loops from Bill Bruford's 'Packet of 3' used by permission of Bill Bruford Productions Ltd. Edited and arranged by Leon Alvarado". Well, well, at least the guitars by John Goodsall are "real".

Broken Promises is an ambient piece and a more monotonous affair. That is presented in an "extended" version does not help (the original version appears on the album Leon Alvarado plays Genesis and other Original Stuff). The final track a rather lacklustre cover of Genesis' Second Home By The Sea.

Tormato

The opening track from the album The Future Left Behind by Leon Alvarado is here presented in an alternate edit on this digital single. Actually, calling it an "edit" undersells it somewhat as it is really more of an alternate arrangement of the tune with some parts that came at the beginning of the album version now appear instead at the end of the track. It is hard to say which version is better, but it is anyway the best song from the album and a nice one in its own right. Yes legends Rick Wakeman and Billy Sherwood appear as guests on the track with Rick doing a Moog solo and Billy playing guitars. The cover art clearly gives a nod to Yes' Tormato.

Journey into space

The structure of The Future Left Behind by Leon Alvarado is clearly modelled on Rick Wakeman's Journey To The Centre of The Earth with similarly styled narration alternating with instrumental music. Wakeman himself actually appears here as a guest contributing a Moog solo to the opening Launch Overture. The guitars are provided by another Yes-man in Billy Sherwood with the exception of the lovely acoustic guitar piece To Be Loved which is played by Johnny Bruhns (at some point Sherwood's band mate in Circa). Everything else is done by Alvarado who plays keyboards and drums among other things. The drums is the weakest link in the sound and it would have been much advisable to hire another drummer for the proceedings. The narration is well done and the story paints a bleak picture of our planet's future albeit with some silver linings. Still, as is often the case with narration on music albums, it tends to get tedious on repeated listens. Thankfully the narration is isolated to separate tracks that can easily be programmed out leaving around 35 minutes of decent instrumental music.

Hardly a groundbreaking release, but pleasant enough.