GRIM

Dear Woolly comes back with his loyal band members : Steve Broomhead and Kim Turner were there already in the early days of "Maestoso" which means some twenty-five years prior this album. When I see the total lack of interest for his work (even amongst die-hard BJH fans), I wonder if he did the right choice in pursuing a second career. Well, actually he did. This work is probably his best one to date.

The opening number is very much "El Dorado" oriented ("ELO"). The "overture" is almost carbon copied (in its spirit). The next piece of music is brilliant. It is fully remininscent of the best BJH ones. Truely symphonic, bombastic keyboards, pompous sections. It belongs to the very best of Woolly's repertoire of course, but it also competes with the "Mocking Bird", "She Said" and "After The Day". I guess that you get the picture. The problem with such magical tracks is that either they are duplicated during the album and then you'll get a masterpiece work or they just over-shadow the rest of the album. Let's hear how Woolly is going to cope with this.

Since it is a concept album, several transition tracks will be featured (three, four in total).

"A Lark" is the second "real" song. A pleasant and pastoral song. Some orchestration will remind the very early BJH work. But it is not as much invading in this song as previously. This number sets the stage for the entire album. Quiet, pleasant and mellow music with some orchestrations. Nothing will hurt the listener (but I guess we are hardly expecting this from "Maestoso").

It is an album that any BJH fan (early Polydor era) should listen to. It does not play in the same division than their most brilliant ones but it is still a very decent work. Just listen to the beauty of "That's The Price You Pay". Fully in-line witht the spirit of the whole of "Grim". Some pop-rock with "The Iceman Cometh" to break the mellow (but nice) style.

Because this album sounds a bit too much of the same. Even if "Hebben Bridge" will feature some beautiful symphonic moments. Another good song. Did I say beautiful yet simple music ? Sounds a bit like "Entangled" (Genesis) during the closing and instrumental part.

"Harp + Carp" is some sort of medieval gigue. Not my cup of tea (but I guess that you might know this by now...). It will drastically change from mood after three minutes. Back again in the most symphonic style : great guitar and church organ. This is a more elaborate song. Not brilliant but interesting due to the mix of genres. When you listen to such a song (but there are many more in Woolly's repertoire which give me the same sort of feeling), this artist should better sit in the "Symphonic" section rather than in the "Eclectic Prog" (what a weird appelation - even if some other prog sites did use it for a long time already). To sit in the same category as Crimson, Van Der Graaf or Gentle Giant is rather strange.

Just listen to the second part of "Abendrot". Isn't it fully symphonic ? One will also notice Woolly's inclination for orchestration of course while listening to "Overture" (would you believe !). It is a long trip back in the early seventies and BJH "Harvest" years while the orchestra would almost ruin the band. This song is dispensible, to say the least.

"Pas De Deux" is another very smooth and romantic song. I would have titled it "Tête à Tête" (back to your on-line translation tool). Would have been more appropriate. The closing number is a bit of a weak one. I should have preferred something more "hazardous".

The last three songs are not on par with the rest of the album. Still, three stars for this pleasant album.