NUMBER SEVEN

With all the hype over this album, I was so incredibly excited to hear Phideaux's Number 7. I can see why this album has been rated so highly on ProgArchives. However, I have an extremely tough time recommending this album to anyone, unless you enjoy hearing what I consider the epitome of prog by numbers.

I tried listening to this album on so many occasions now. I enjoy tons of classic prog and new prog that follows in a 70s-ish vein (The Flower Kings coming to mind for the latter), and my favorite bands can range from every single sub-genre of prog, not counting any other genre.

This is an album that is played really well; but, for my interest, fails to do absolutely anything positive for me. Every time I heard this, I found myself bored out of my mind. The music is meandering and pointless and for much of the time, bordering on irritating and cheesy. I find that this album suffers a Camel syndrome, as I have the same problem with nearly all of their releases. Despite that, I'd much rather listen to The Snow Goose than this album. Don't think that I only enjoy fast-paced music though; Tangerine Dream is one of my favorite bands ever, and it is typically rare that I find a prog artist I'm not too keen on. If anything, listening to this album made me think back on my listening experiences of The Snow Goose with a newfound appreciation that I thought impossible to acquire.

The production is better than you'd expect for a self-produced album, very sleek and modern; honestly it does not particularly sound self-produced just from its sound. Unfortunately, the production is almost unfavorable, as it gives the album a very comatose-inducing atmosphere (and not the good kind). I'd say that the piano is the main instrument that benefits very hugely from the production treatment.

The lyrics are atrocious. I hardly ever put a whole lot of importance on the lyrics unless the album calls for it; but firstly, this is a concept album. Additionally, if the instrumentation doesn't keep my attention, I'm more apt to pay attention to the lyrics. In my opinion, there are more than plenty of other lyrical topics which would have made this album much more enjoyable. Not only that, but the matter in which the lyrics are portrayed completely ruins any possible effect they would have had on me in the first place. For my taste, vocals themselves are also bland and uninspired.

As a fellow composer, I understand how much work it takes to create an album. I wish Phideaux good luck with his musical endeavors, despite the fact that it seems I won't be hearing any more of his work.

One of the most disappointing acquisitions I've ever made, and my only huge disappointment thus far for 2009.