DIVINITIES - TWELVE DANCES WITH GOD

The main thing about instrumental albums, in any genre, is that the music must, or at least suggest, a story without lyrics. This is done by different means, such as dramatic changes in the music, switching to softer passages before switching back, etc., along with melodies powerful enough to connate moods, feelings, and actions.

Unfortunately, Ian Anderson's venture of combining his flute with orchestral music misses that mark. As the sole lead instrument, a flute is very one dimensional when compared to other instruments, be they acoustic or electric. And only most the profound songs can shine in that configuration. "In the Grip of Stronger Stuff" and "In The Moneylender's Temple" fall into that category. The rest of the songs fall into the category of musak, with pleasant melodies sprinkled with vague world music motifs, that boringly dominate the rest of the album. The lack of rock instrumentation on these songs is definitely a problem, but that is probably a band aid cure. Looking at an all instrumental album like Peter Gabriel's Passion soundtrack, the quality of those songs totally dispenses with the need for rock instrumentation. So, it's the song compositions on Divinities that are really the problem.

Anderson's compositions do better in a conventional rock song format, with lyrics, and that's where he should stay. Charlie may have stolen the handle, but at least we know that he didn't fall off the train.