CAPTAIN BEYOND

Captain Beyond

Heavy Prog

4.01 | 291 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer

I was mainly interested in this band because of the presence of ex-Mark I lead singer and I was curious to hear what sort of music Captain Beyond was playing.

In my opinion, the prog aspect within Purple has always been very thin. A couple of songs on their three Mark I albums maybe...The brilliant April is certainly the one that best fits the genre (and it is the only true prog tune that the band has ever signed).

Now back with the Captain: their music sounds a bit outdated actually. As if they remained in the late mid- sixties and the psychedelia that went with it. Some of them are ridiculously short and doesn't help to be overwhelmed with this album. Of prog music, there is little question (actually, I wonder why Ten Years After is not yet featured on PA when I listen to such albums).

This being said, since I like heavy rock quite a bunch, I also like this album. A few outstanding tracks are really worth like the opening number Dancing Madly Backwards and Myopic Void which opens as a spacey and loaded tune and develops in some crescendo towards a very dynamic closing part.

But to be honest, I have major difficulties to consider this work as a masterpiece as several of my fellow colleagues. Too few songs are on the average side (Mesmerization Eclipse, Raging River Of Fear even if the instrumental and final part of the latter is very good) and there are actually not a single song that deserve this status IMHHO.

I also never understood why the band had to slice these songs (which are already short) into smaller pieces. Thousand Days. would have fit perfectly as one and only entity instead of being split into two and spread over this album (same treat for I Can't Feel Nothing or As The Moon Speaks).

The former song seems to come out straight out an early TYA album (Cricklewood Green to name it). This debut album remains a curiosity of the early seventies. It is a good album overall. Three stars.

ZowieZiggy | 3/5 | 2008-10-17

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Share this CAPTAIN BEYOND review

Social review comments () BETA

Review related links

Send comments to ZowieZiggy
Report this review (#186175)
Buy CAPTAIN BEYOND music online with PA partners
Show all CAPTAIN BEYOND MP3/Stream
Go to CAPTAIN BEYOND page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
Go to Captain Beyond page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
Search the Forum for CAPTAIN BEYOND related discussions