RAINDANCE

As far as I am concerned, their previous album was their absolute top. It was a superb combination between symphonic and folk prog. This work is not too bad either, but the grandeur of its predecessor is not present.

The first part of the album features an upbeat & jazzy track ("Down The Dog") which is not the best opening number I have heard from the band. The mood is completely different with the sophisticated and melodic "Raindance". It is a tranquil track which features some beautiful background piano.

There is also truly folkish music ("Le Cambrioleur") which is not memorable and some" press next" type of tracks as well as "Ormulu", but there are also some more interesting musical parts available like the melodic "Mother Nature's Son"; but the latter sounds pretty much as a "Simon & Garfunkel" affair (which is not a poor comparison; on the contrary).

A song as "Fontinental Version" is quite Canterbury oriented. It is somewhat jazzy, but the vocal parts are quite well achieved, and the instrumental sections are extremely well played. It is a very good song indeed.

Some songs from this offering are on the average side ("Wallbanger") and are more on the soft rock angle ("Don't Say Go"). Not bad but nothing spectacular either.

As far as I am concerned, I am rating this album with three stars thanks only to the "Heldenleben". It is a very good epic that should pleased most prog lovers: symphonic, folk, jazz and rock: it is all there. The band demonstrates, once again, their great musical skills during this long piece of music (just around the sixteen minutes mark).

At times it sopunds as a great YesSong and during others "Tull" is not very far away. Still, this great piece of music is rather personal. One of their best song ever for sure.

Most of this piece is on the rocking style but it is also combined with sweet and classical piano and wonderful flute sections.

This album holds some very good moments, but it is too much unequal. Three stars.