Music

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And Now for Something Completely Different
If only 6 stars was possible
"She oped the door, she drew me in...."
After 40 years Tangerine Dream morphs it's style again.
Get the DVD/CD release of it.

Madcap's Flaming Duty
Tangerine Dream
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paradiso
Detroit March 31st 1977
Live in Preston: November 5th 1980
Lamb with Radar Eyes
Rocking Mars

ASIN: B000NQDCH4
Release Date: 2007-04-16

Tracks:

Astrophel And Stella
Shape My Sin
Blessed Damozel
Divorce
Dream Of Death
Hear The Voice
Lake Of Pontchartrain
Mad Song
One Hour Of Madness
Man
Hymn To Intellectual Beauty
Solution Of All Problems

Description

The Stunning new album from Tangerine Dream. Tangerine Dream celebrates their 40th Anniversary in 2007 with the release of their latest album -'Madcap's Flaming Duty'. The album is dedicated to former Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett who died in July 2006. The lyrics for each of the songs on the new album are adapted from English and American poets from 17th and 18th century literature by Bianca F. Acquaye. The music is written by Edgar Froese and Thorsten Quaeschning. This recording is dedicated to the influential spirit of a legendary musical mind, Syd Barrett, who had to end his present incarnation in summer 2006.

Customer Reviews:

And Now for Something Completely Different.......2007-06-24

As other reviewers have pointed out, Tangerine Dream is an old and very prolific group that has put out over a hundred albums that span a wide range of musical styles. With masterpieces like Phaedra and Rubycon under their belt, sometimes it's just too easy to dismiss the rest of their work as uninspired product, ignoring quality work that doesn't fit the same mold.

Occasionally TD does a "voice" album, and, truth be told, I tend to skip the lyrical songs when they crop up in my player. They aren't necessarily bad, but they're not what draws most people to TD. Imagine a well-known comedy actor doing a "serious" role and you more or less get the picture--even if it's done well, you can't help but think it's just wrong.

However, with Madcap's Flaming Duty, I was shocked to find myself putting the album on repeat play. First off, the instrumental work here is impressive, but it's really the lyrics and the vocals that make this album work. The lead singer's voice complements the instrumentals rather than overpowering or distracting from it. Furthermore, the lyrics are some of the best I've heard (and yes, I know they're adapted from old poetry and literature).

The album reminds me at times of some diverse groups, such as VNV Nation, Peter Schilling, later Depeche Mode, and Peter Murphy. It's soulful stuff that's quite inspirational, with only the occasional "muzak" flourish to make you wince (TD seems to struggle sometimes to avoid sounding like elevator music, especially when a saxophone is involved).

"Shape My Sin," "A Dream of Death" and "Lake of Pontchartrain" really stand out to me as the best songs on the album. These are catchy songs that I've been unable to get out my head since I first heard them. I was really surprised to hear such fine voice work from a TD album; it makes me wonder if they haven't found a new direction--though I also find their new "Blue Dawn" album a new high point in their career. It's exciting to be a Tangerine Dream fan again!

If only 6 stars was possible.......2007-05-25

I am not surprised to see reviews ranging from 3-5 for this album. As more reviews come in, I expect to see a few 1's from the die-hard fans. However, in my humble opinion, this is the best TD release since the early 80's and contains my new all time favorite track (Burning Babes Reality Song). This song was previously released as Earthlings Reality on Metaphor with keyboards from Edgar and Thorsten and vocals from Chris. I think this new singer is absolutely great and could easily fit into any group. I do admit something that helps boost my score and that is that I have the DVD/CD version of this which contains videos for the whole album...some just performance and some combination of performance and artistic. If noone else has seen the video, it is nice to see the group perform as there is a lot of guitar, cello, violin and analog drums. Even Thorsten sings on a couple of tracks.
I really hope people give this a chance. I don't like every TD album and certainly not everything they do with vocals but this is a 5 star gem easily.

"She oped the door, she drew me in....".......2007-05-08

Tangerine Dream (TD) has been with us for 40 years. Wow, that is a lot of time (man, I'm getting old). Like other fans, I have most of the CD's, DVD's, etc., etc. I recently got my 2 DVDs celebrating the 35th Phaedra Concert Anniversary and the 40th Tangerine Dream Concert Anniversary. Both DVDs are a great resume of TD history (70's, 80's, 90's and New Millennium). Then I got Madcap's Flaming Duty (MFD) CD. What can I say?. It was totally unexpected for me. The music is great but the voice, I don't know. But at the end this events are the ones that makes TD unique. Edgar Froese, as a great artist he is, is always reinventing himself and he is showing it with this new release. So, after listening to MFD few times it started to grow in me. Even my kids are already singing it. As for this moment, I think that the best track is the fifth one; "A Dream Of Death". So, just after the "Their faith the dead and living plight..." Linda Spa plays her flute and the magic starts to grow, then the guitars come along, and, wow, what a great track!!!....

Yes, definitely it is starting to grow in me...

Greetings from Mexico City.

After 40 years Tangerine Dream morphs it's style again........2007-05-01

Every decade it seems Tangerine Dream releases an album that alienates fans because singing never fit well with their style.In the 70's it was Cyclone which even founder Edgar Froese brushed off in an interview as "just an experiment".In the 80's there was poetry set to music in Tyger an oddly schizophrenic album with half sung poetry and half instrumental tracks.Tyger though is an interesting predercesser to this album which boldly forges ahead with all vocal songs like it or not.The good news is that most of the songs are a mesmerizing blend of vocals and music that bring to mind Pink Floyd.The bad news is that poetry doesn't always gel with the music and the vocalist is good but not quite David Gilmour.Edgar's son Jerome is absent but TD's new member Thorsten Quaeshning has revitalized the group since Jeanne D'Arc,the long instrumental middle of track 5 is brillant.There's even a surprisingly good Irish song(!) and a hypnotic Depeche Mode like final song.Like their Dante trilogy this isn't for all tastes but they deserve credit for continuing to evolve and try new approaches to music.How much you like it is a matter of taste but it's still a bold musthave for all TD fans.

Get the DVD/CD release of it........2007-04-28

Mindblowing, mystical, romantic, and brilliant. Can't stop playing it. Been a big fan since 1981... this one is one of my favourites ever and is easily the best TD album with vocals.... easily.

Live in Concert: Newcastle City Hall 1974

Average customer rating:

Live in Concert: Newcastle City Hall 1974
Refugee
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Refugee
Live at the BBC
Story of I
Mainhorse
Live at Montreux 2003

ASIN: B000N3AXCE
Release Date: 2007-03-26

Tracks:

Outro (Ritt Mickley)
One Left Handed Peter Pan
Diamond Hard Blues Apples Of The Moon
Someday
Papillon
She Belongs To Me
Grand Canyon Suite: A)Source B)Theme For The Canyon C)Journey D) Rapids E)Mighty
Refugee Jam

Description

Refugee was the band formed by Patrick Moraz, Lee Jackson and Brian Davison in 1973. They quickly became established in the UK and Europe thanks to both Jackson and Davison having previously been founder members of the hugely influential and successful British progressive rock band The Nice. This release has been cleaned up and remastered with the full co-operation of the members of the band.

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Guitarded, my review from Barcelona
Leslie "the Best" West
This is a compilation
great!
guitared

Guitarded
Leslie West
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Got Blooze
Blues to Die For
Blue Me
As Phat as It Gets
Dodgin' the Dirt

ASIN: B0002QI626
Release Date: 2004-10-11

Tracks:

Allergic
Cross Cut Saw Blues
Stormy Monday
Honky Tonk Women
Hang Me Out To Dry
If Heartaches Were Nickels
The Cell
Dragon Lady
Goin' Down
Third Degree
Born To Be Wild
Old Brown Shoe
Theme For An Imaginary Western

Product Description

1. Alergic
2. Solution
3. Cross Cut Saw
4. Stormy Monday
5. Honky Tonk Woman
6. Hang Me Out To Dry
7. If Heartaches Were Nickels
8. The Cell
9. Dragon Lady
10. Theme From An Imaginary Western (From The Night Of The Guitars)
11. Bardot Damage
12. Born To Be Wild
13. Out Into The Fields
14. Old Brown Shoe

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Guitarded, my review from Barcelona.......2007-05-25

Leaving apart four songs composed by West, the other tracks are great classic that Leslie West covers with dignity, but to tell it short, this record is more a Hard Rock-Blues record than a Blues record, with too much hard guitar and a strong voice in several moments similar to John Foggerty's (Credence Clearwater Revival) more suitable for Rock than Blues.The guitar is very good and also the voice but I prefer the subtlety of the original versions.It is considered one of the Best Blues - Rock Album of the 2005 year and it really is a very good record, hard driving Blues-Rock with intense guitar and voice, but most of these tracks have been released on other albums over the years by the great names of the BLUES. If you want to listen to Leslie West, my recommendation is "Blues to die for", a really very good album with some very nice covers as well. Nonetheless, anybody who likes Blues and Rock like I do can enjoy this album. It contains a good cover of "Honky Tonk women" (but I prefer the Rolling Stones original) and very interesting live tracks.

Leslie "the Best" West.......2006-11-13

If you are into 70s rock you will love this album...I am an aspiring guitarist growing up in the 60s .. 70s..Ye..I am old... but if you like pure Rock & Blues some of us "old timers" still can hold our own !!!

This is a compilation.......2005-11-09

There are no liner notes, or anything on the CD or its cover to so indicate, but if you look at these songs as part of Leslie's catalog, they were released in the 10 or so years preceeding this disc.

That being said, it amounts to a post-Mountain "best of". Stormy Monday and Third Degree especially sound fine, but the rest of the album is good too. I would have liked some real liner notes, but the music is tasty.

great!.......2005-10-10

Hard driving blues by a master. I was pleasantly surprised by the intense guitar work and fell that West was really enjoying himself.

guitared.......2005-09-30

I found this to be weak. covers are feeble at best. a sign of that current time in music history

Average customer rating:

Annie Haslam's Vocals Rise Again !
This is a gem!

One Enchanted Evening
Annie Haslam
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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It Snows in Heaven Too
The Dawn of Ananda
Night and Day
Live Under Brazilian Skies
Live Studio Concert Philadelphia 1997

ASIN: B0009GUT8I
Release Date: 2005-06-13

Tracks:

Some Enchanted Evening
Bali Hai
Nature Boy
If I Loved You
Desafinardo
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
The Sun Whose Rays
Tit Willow
Gymnopedie 2
One Day
I Don't Know Where I Stand
Lascia Chio Pianga
Dank Sie Dei Herr
One Hand One Heart
She's Leaving Home

Product Description

1. Some Enchanted Evening
2. Bali Hai
3. Nature Boy
4. If I Loved You
5. Desafi nado
6. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (corcovado)
7. The Sun Whose Rays
8. Tit Willow
9. Gymnopedie 2+
10. One Day
11. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
12. Lascia Chio Pianga
13. Dank Sie Dei Herr
14. One Hand One Heart
15. She’s Leaving Home

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Annie Haslam's Vocals Rise Again !.......2006-12-01

Annie Haslam's tremedous and multi-octave voice rules supreme, on this diverse, live "One Enchanted Evening CD". She is so talented it is easy for Ms. Haslam to sing classical, jazz, broadway, torch and rock songs. Annie Haslam arguably has the most heavenly voice on the planet. She sounds better in 2000 than she did in the 1970's when she was deemed the ultimate female vocalist. This is another inviolable live recording in front of an East Coast Audience. Ms. Haslam is a reserved humanitarian, vegetarian, animal lover and superlative painter. If she did an album with Steve Howe (Yes's guitaist and her good friend) God only knows how popular she could become. Her rendition of the Beatle's (Paul McCartney) "She's Leaving Home" is worth the price of this CD that is replete with an array of outstanding songs. Her classical CD titled " Still Life" will compel any listener to purchase all of Annie Haslam's glorious recordings !

This is a gem!.......2006-02-25

How is it I'm the first to review this recording? This is a gem! Annie covers a fine selection of Broadway musicals with her wonderful vocals. If you like good music and fabulous vocals (understatement) don't hesitate to acquire this recording -- or for that matter, every thing she's ever done. She IS that good. Yes, really. Period.

Average customer rating:

Lyric sheet not included. . .and still no guitars

Sequencer
Synergy
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra
Cords
Games
Audion
Reconstructed Artifacts

ASIN: B000167XW6
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

S-Scape
Chateau
Cybersports
Classical Gas Paradox:
A. Largo, New World Symphony
B. Icarus
Sequence 14
Sequence 14 [Original 1975 Demo]

Product Description

1. S-scape
2. Chateau
3. Cyber-sports
4. Classical Gas
5. Paradox
a. Largo, New World Symphony
b. Icarus
6. Sequence 14

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Lyric sheet not included. . .and still no guitars.......2005-12-04

After the promise of Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra the previous year, one would think that Sequencer would have been a comparatively impressive work. Unfortunately, this album is gravely disappointing compared to the first album. S-Scape, the first track, ends as soon as it starts to get good. Other tracks, like the wonderful Chateau and the cool Cybersports, are good short pieces but offer only a taste of the Synergy heard in ER. It just strikes me that Larry Fast may have been a bit short on material (or energy) at the time he created this album as the majority of the pieces on it are either covers of others' works or tone sequences. Only once the last track (Sequence) 17 gets going do you begin to hear the Synergy character that you wanted to hear more of when you bought the album.

Now don't get me wrong--there are tracks in here that are definitely worth listening to. It's not a bad album, but this is not the best that Synergy has to offer.

Average customer rating:

interesting first listen, but do you want to hear this again?
Muzak for Aging Proggers
CONTEXT BEING THE THING
Excellent Prog-Rock Interpretations for Jazzy but not Jazz Piano Trio
Great CD! Bring on Volume 2

King Crimson Songbook, Vol. 1
The Crimson Jazz Trio
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pictures of a City: Live in New York
Love Cannot Bear
The Brondesbury Tapes (1968)
Live in Japan
Exposure

ASIN: B000B865DM
Release Date: 2005-10-17

Tracks:

21st Century Schizoid Man
Three Of A Perfect Pair
Catfood
Starless
Ladies Of The Road
I Talk To The Wind
Red
Matte Kudasai

Album Description

Very, very few players have covered King Crimson repertoire and no-one of prominence (other than The Schizoid Band and Andrew Keeling's orchestral arrangements) has attempted more than one or two pieces. There have been honourable renditions & representations but, until now, without significantly adding to my understanding of Crimson material.

The CJ3 have respectfully & irreverently taken 8 Crimson classics, repositioned them in the musical spectrum, and delivered their first Songbook with superb musicianship in service to wit & invention. I have heard, as if for the first time, Schizoid, TOAPP, Catfood, Starless, Ladies Of The Road, I Talk To The Wind, Red & Matte Kudasai.

Ian Wallace provides personal hotline & Crimson-juice authority to the Trio, although anyone unfamiliar with Ian's jazz passion & experience may be surprised by what is going on here. O for a shabby & smoke-free jazz club to sit back & savour The CJ3 in living sonic colour. O for someone to persuade Ian, Jody Nardone & Tim Landers to climb into the back of a van and travel.

Album Description

CJ3 have respectfully & irreverently taken 8 Crimson classics, repositioned them in the musical spectrum and delivered their first Songbook with superb musicianship in service to wit & invention. Featuring well known King Crimson members Ian Wallace and Mel Collins. Sleeve notes by Robert Fripp.Voiceprint. 2005.

Album Details

Very, Very Few Players have Covered King Crimson Repertoire and No-one of Prominence (Other Than the Schizoid Band and Andrew Keeling's Orchestral Arrangements) Has Attempted More Than One Or Two Pieces. There have Been Honourable Renditions and Representations But, Until Now, Without Significantly Adding to My Understanding of Crimson Material. The Cj3 have Respectfully and Irreverently Taken Eight Crimson Classics, Repositioned them in the Musical Spectrum, and Delivered their First Songbook with Superb Musicianship in Service to Wit and Invention. I have Heard, as If for the First Time, Schizoid, Toapp, Catfood, Starless, Ladies of the Road, I Talk to the Wind, Red and Matte Kudasai. Ian Wallace Provides Personal Hotline and Crimson-juice Authority to the Trio, Although Anyone Unfamiliar with Ian's Jazz Passion and Experience May Be Surprised by What is Going on Here.

Customer Reviews:

interesting first listen, but do you want to hear this again?.......2006-08-09

Being a big fan of the King Crimson material chosen for this disc and of good jazz piano (Evans, Jarrett, Tyner, Charlap, Gustavsen,....), I had high hopes. Sadly, this just doesn't work for me.

Faster tempo sections lack grit or aggression, and the quieter passages frequently descend into a Hilton lounge vibe.

Do the guys have musical chops? Certainly. And drummer Ian Wallace brings Crimson bandmate experience to the plate (the drums are the highlight of this set). I would have preferred an acoustic bass instead of the "front of the mix" electric that was chosen, but ability and instrumentation are not the problem. Soul and innovation are.

Despite an ever-changing band line up (sans Fripp, the only always-present member), King Crimson was always filled with musicians who had a lot to say and the ability to say it (even if you didn't didn't necessarily enjoy every incarnation or album).

Sadly, this CD doesn't live up to its concept. Great Crimson "standards" were chosen, but (unlike a great jazz trio tackling a stanard tune and building something new and exciting) these interpretations don't go very far.

I DO recommend checking this disc out. It's interesting to hear these pieces in a different context. The question will be whether or not you would like to hear them more than once.

Muzak for Aging Proggers.......2006-03-19

A few years ago, following the dubious success of "The Orchestral Tubular Bells" we were treated to a rapidly-descending series of lugubrious orchestrations of the music of Jethro Tull, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd (Oh, the humanity!) and several other Baby Boomer favorites. Thankfully, the trend died out as fast as it arose and elevators all over the world have gone back to "Tiny Bubbles" and "Raindrops."

Or maybe not. Is the Crimson Trio a harbinger of the next wave of bowderlization, where everything sacred is turned into Lounge Jazz this time? Can Nick the Lounge Singer, crooning "Aqualung" in airport lounges to blue-haired travelers, be far behind?

Oh the Trio is tasteful -- Landers is one hell of a bassist and Wallace is underappreciated -- but the first signs of the Apocalypse always are.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

CONTEXT BEING THE THING.......2006-03-11

The equation is pretty simple: The Crimson Jazz Trio is to jazz somewhat less than King Crimson is to rock. But the real import here is a dramatic change of context, one that shifts the rhythmic and melodic components from an often clinical glare into a warm and generous new light. By allowing us to recognize these now familiar pieces in a completely new setting is a great way to demonstrate just how compelling, flexible and open-ended the music of King Crimson is. Even more interesting is the way in which the music of various generations of KC, each with its own distinct stylistic signature and aesthetic preoccupations, adapt to the here "standardized" jazz form.

More than an exercise, the first volume Songbook shows us that no matter what the form, interpretation is a critical aspect of making music. The interpretations here are uniformly worthwhile and exhibit the outcomes of what must have been some difficult decisions. Just consider untying the Gordian Knot that is "Starless", absent of Alexander's sword. Music such as this, with its strictly metered progressions built on razor-fine divisions and subtle, clockwork variations would seem impossible to adapt to the freer shadings of jazz. Yet, the Crimson Jazz trio accomplishes just that, to great effect.

Listening, however, proves to be equally demanding and rewarding, especially when compared to a spate of comparatively onanistic "mash-ups" of the original work. Anyone interested in music and its seemingly infinite pliability and potential should spend time with this Songbook.

Excellent Prog-Rock Interpretations for Jazzy but not Jazz Piano Trio.......2006-03-05

This disc is almost an instant classic, give or take a few minor reservations. Exceeded all my expectations that's for sure.

Landers & Wallace need no introduction but it is the unknown Nardone who is the revelation here. He's unfailingly tasteful in the slower and medium-tempo sections, really catching the immortal spirit of classic KC but he also tends to overplay and overstate and bang on the keyboards and take the song through some sort of climax, unnecessarily ruining his own extended state of grace, apparently thinking he has to do this just because this is the mighty King Crimson after all that they're interpreting and a bit of loudness and 'rocking out' is called for! Not so. By riding out the entire song in a perfect state of understated balance which is what cool jazz is all about and with fresh inventiveness each step of the way, he creates a masterpiece whereas whenever he bangs on the keyboards he creates only annoyance since no piano can match the power of Fripp's guitar.

That criticism aside, the great thing about Nardone is that when he's flying improv he's flying strictly with the 'beyond' feel or 'transcendent' feel of a tune, the mysterious spirit that makes it great and he's all about that 100% and where that takes him and not at all tied into a jazz idiom. In other words, if Keith Jarrett or Chick Corea or Herbie Hancock improvised on these same tunes, it would sound too jazzy and they would take a jazz approach and subordinate the feel of the tune to the jazz approach which tends towards homogeneity. Not Nardone, he takes the improv approach but leaves the jazz patterns or feel out because it would take away from the superior classic KC feel. The Jazz or be-bop derived style of playing with its established patterns of approach has been run down into the ground by hundreds of players over the years so it's great to hear a guy who likes the freedom of improvisation but likes the transcendence prog aims at at its best better than the very different type of transcendence jazz tries for. You could say that this is cool-jazz played with equal parts cool-jazz spirit & prog-rock imagination but without any be-bop dervied stuff thrown in that you hear in all standard jazz albums from Pat Metheny to Keith Jarrett.

Excellent job recording the CD as well, super-thick very nice piano sound, a killer deep electric bass that stands in for an upright and the classic Wallace drum tone.

Great CD! Bring on Volume 2.......2006-03-03

While this is not officially King Crimson, it's definitely a must for any Crimson fan. This is even a great jazz CD for those who aren't (yet) fans of KC. I really enjoy the very melodic fretless bass guitar. I definitely hope they stay together and record a Volume 2. I'd love to hear some more arrangements from the '80s Fripp/Belew/Bruford/Levin line up as well as the '90s Double Trio.

Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Pre-Digital Electronic Music
A very sophisticated recording of electronic music

Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra

Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sequencer
Cords
Games
Audion
Reconstructed Artifacts

ASIN: B000167XVW
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

Legacy
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Classical Gas [1975 Version]
Synergy
Relay Breakdown
Warriors

Album Details

This Re-issue Has Been Remastered and is the First in a Series that Will Make their Entire Back Cataloge Available. Includes Different Bonus Tracks to the Us Version.

Customer Reviews:

Pre-Digital Electronic Music.......2006-08-24

I have the original lp of this album(it came in clear vinyl) which was recorded in SQ quadrophonic sound! The early U.S. release on CD doesn't even come close. I only wish it could be remastered using SACD or Dolby Surround like some of todays CD's or even DVD Audio. But, even on CD this is one of the best early electronic music masterpeices!

A very sophisticated recording of electronic music.......2006-06-20

This 1975 album is, in my estimation, nearly singular in the world of electronic music due to its sheer complexity. In fact, this album by American electronic composer Larry Fast is much closer to progressive rock than Berlin School electronica for example - there is just a lot going on in each of these compositions.

The six tracks on the album range in length from 2'58" to 12'50" and feature a range of tones and dynamic contrasts. Another interesting aspect of the music, and I never expected to discuss this in a review of an electronic composition, is the abundant use of melodies, harmonies, and most importantly both rhythmic and melodic counterpoint. In fact, it is amazing what Larry achieved with just the use of a mini-moog, an Oberheim Polyphonic, and a Mellotron 400. In fact, it makes me wonder what it would have sounded like if he had scored these complicated synthesizer pieces for rock instruments, including a full drum kit.

Interestingly, Larry's link with prog rock is not as tenuous as one might think with his being an electronic composer and he struck up a good working relationship with the prog band Nektar around this time. His excellent work can be heard on Nektar's Recycled album (1975).

This remastered album features restored cover art and excellent sound quality, along with some skimpy liner notes.

This album is very highly recommended to those electronica fans who want something a little more varied than the typical fare. Also recommended are two albums by Isao Tomita including Snowflakes are Dancing (1974) and The Tomita Planets (1976).

Average customer rating:

Little Wing
Snowy White and the White Flames
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Keep Out - We Are Toxic
Restless
White Flames
The Way It Is
Snowy White

ASIN: B000G04V0O
Release Date: 2006-08-17

Tracks:

Discoveri
Long Distance Loving
I'll Be Moving On
The More You Live
Little Wing
That's When I Stop Loving You
Terpisah
The First Move
Like The Sun
That Ain't Right
Melting
There Are Ghosts Walking
Snake Eyes

Average customer rating:

My second favorite Synergy album
Stands Up After 30 Years
melodic depth
A return, of sorts, to the beginnings.

Cords
Synergy
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Games
Sequencer
Audion
Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra
The Jupiter Menace

ASIN: B0001BH6HS
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

On Presuming to Be Modern
Phobos
Deimos
Sketches of Mythical Beasts
Disruption in World Communications
On Presuming to Be Modern II
Small Collection of Chords
Full Moon Flyer
Terra Incognita
Trellis
On Presuming to Be Modern III
Phobos & Deimos [Radio Edit]

Album Description

Cords was the third album to be released from Synergy and was originally released in 1978 whilst Larry Fast was recording and working with Peter Gabriel on his second solo album. The album is wholly composed and performed by Larry fast and contains the tracks Full Moon Flyer, Trellis and Terra Incognita. Cords has been re mastered for release alongside the other Synergy releases, which will be re released over the coming six months.

Album Description

The man behind Synergy is Larry Fast a native of New Jersey who was to have a far-reaching effect on the use of synthesizers in rock music during the seventies & eighties. 'Cords' was the third album to be released by Synergy & was originally released in 1978 while Larry Fast was recording & working with Peter Gabriel on his second solo album. Remastered with one bonus track 'On Presuming To Be Modern III'. Voiceprint Records. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

My second favorite Synergy album.......2007-03-24

While I like Sequencer a little better than Chords, I like Chords better than the first album.

My incentive to post a review though is that the editorial blurb states :
"The album is wholly composed and performed by Larry fast"
which I believe is incorrect.

Chords was the first Synergy album to include any form of guitar work, specifically in the form of an early prototype synth guitar and it was performed by someone other than Mr. Fast.

Really interesting stuff though, with a 'darker' feel than the first two albums. This one is a must have for synthesizer fans in my humble opinion.

Stands Up After 30 Years.......2007-01-10

This album blew me away in 1977 as a thoughtful, fast-forward use of electronic instrumentation for melodic music. While others around were utilizing similar technology, this album is truly inspired with music commensurate with the instrumentation (technology) that moves from beginning to end with the right mix of excitement and understatement making this a truly classic recording.

melodic depth.......2006-10-06

I own an original 1978 "clear" vinyl copy of CORDS which I am afraid to put a needle to. So this CD allows me to listen to this synthesizer masterpiece at will. CORDS stood out from the other electronica of that era due to its advanced layering and oceanic depth. Even in today's electronica genre this project has a fresh sound. An assemblage of titles which posses an ominous "breathing" quality about them.

A return, of sorts, to the beginnings........2005-12-11

This album is more like Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra than like Sequencer. If you liked the original Synergy album ER you'll probably like this one. If you like Sequencer (and I do) you'll probably like this one more. It's a return to the early days of synth music, when composers and musicians were just figuring out what to do with them, and just what they could do.

Average customer rating:

Let this one grow on you
A (mostly) disappointing mixed bag from Billy Sherwood

No Comment
Billy Sherwood
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Big Peace
Euphoria
White
Fear of a Blank Planet
Conspiracy

ASIN: B0000C84PH
Release Date: 2003-11-10

Tracks:

Metaphors
False Prophets
Man Over Bored
Dying Breed
Everyday Life
In the End
Pendulum Swing
Merlin's Undone
Fortunes
Empty Castle
Fireworks

Product Description

1. Metaphors
2. False Prophets
3. Man Over Bored
4. Dying Breed
5. Everyday Life
6. In The End
7. Pendulum Swing
8. Merlin's Undone
9. Fortunes
10. Empty Castle
11. Fireworks

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Let this one grow on you.......2004-01-06

I am a big fan of Sherwood's work both solo and with his group projects(World Trade, The Key, Yes, Conspiracy). It disgusts me that most of his work remains in obscurity! If you like Sherwood music you should like this new cd.I agree with the other review that the first impression was not good.I was expecting another "Big Peace", his fine first solo cd.This is not that. It lacks that cd's lush,dreamy keyboard work. But after a few listens I found myself going back for more. The songs started to grow on me everyday. This album focuses on Billy's guitar prowess. Electric, bass, acoustic, banjo are all used to good effect.( Maybe he was trying to show he could be just as clever as a certain Steve Howe!)I feel the melodies are strong. You just have to give it a chance.(like all good progressive rock and this is definetly prog.)Now for the lyrics. Me thinks that about 90 percent of these lyrics are about his time spent with Yes.And it aint good. I would have to say his primary targets are Anderson and Howe. Very biting and cynical.One can understand that being this was his first work after being "let go" from Yes. (The Conspiracy project was completed after this but released before it.) So the bottom line is if you like Sherwood you should like this. Just give it a chance!

A (mostly) disappointing mixed bag from Billy Sherwood.......2003-12-28

Let me state something right up front....I consider myself to be a major fan of Billy Sherwood! Billy's previous solo album, "The Big Peace", is one of my favorite rock/modern prog albums of recent years. I was/am a huge fan of Sherwood's one-time band, World Trade, especially their early-90's Magna Carta release "Euphoria"...great stuff on that album! Most recently I was impressed with the latest Conspiracy project, "The Unknown", where Billy shines (and nearly steals the show) alongside frequent collaborator Chris Squire. I was in the seeming minority that was quite happy to see Billy Sherwood join Yes (even if he was mostly relegated to a side-man status), and I consider "The Ladder" (with Sherwood) to be one of the band's best overall albums. I am one who has often defended Mr. Sherwood and his music against his critics (especially the elitist Yes snobs!), but this time, and it pains me to say it,...the critics will be right!!! While I put this CD into my player with the highest expectations, "No Comment" is unfortunately one of the most disappointing & unfullfilling albums in recent memory. I actually put off reviewing this album for several weeks, hoping that maybe it would 'grow on me' and make more sense with further listening...I'm afraid it didn't. Anyone expecting the sort of energy & craftmanship which Billy displayed on the the latest Conspiracy release will likely find themselves being let down - it's almost as if Billy used up all of his best new tunes on the Conspiracy project and had nothing more to give. Aside from a few bright lights (such as the dark-edged rocker "False Prophets", which makes use of some clever lyrics, the proggy-instrumental "Metaphors", or the mystical/atmospheric "Fortunes", which recalls the brilliance of his previous solo effort) this album falters at nearly ever turn. Billy Sherwood is a songwriter and musician with many strengths, but it's almost as if he left those strengths behind so that he could concentrate on his weaknesses for one album. For instance; Billy can be a wonderful, clever craftsman of melody & arrangement, but many of the tracks here lack a strong sense of melody, or suffer from random/cluttered/half-baked musical arrangements - "No Comment" all too often seems more like a demo recording than a finished album. Many times when I first hear an album that really moves me the songs will run through my mind for the next few days (which of course always brings me back to the album for more listens!) After my first listen through "No Comment" I could hardly remember a single melody, lyric, or chorus from the album...and, unfortunately, sebsequent listens have only solidified my initial impressions. Granted, great albums from the complex/creative genre of progressive rock can often take repeated listens to fully absorb or appreciate, but there is not much on "No Comment" that could really be considered as progressive rock, or even particularly "complex". While the occassional Yes/World Trade/Conspiracy sounds do pop up here & there, Sherwood now seems to be more influenced by the mock-quirkiness of the current "alternative rock" scene, although at other times he sounds like he's going more for the blandness of 70's MOR radio (see the closing track). Worst of all, at over 65 minutes, far too much of this album sounds simply like time-filler (in my opinion there is around 20 or 25 minutes of truly vital/inspired music here - although other listeners may certainly disagree.) Mellower songs like "Man Over Bored" and "Fireworks" seem to wander tunelessly, while the more energized "Everyday Life" starts out great (with a World Trade vibe), but seems somehow incomplete in the end. While most of the songs here are in the 4 to 5 minute range, this album's one attempt at a longer, more progressive 'epic' piece (the 10-minute plus "Empty Castle") is dominated & almost completely ruined by the annoying tinny 'ping' of a BANJO, which runs throughout most of the song!!! (And no, this is NOT electric banjo ala-jazz artist Bela Fleck, this is the nauseating country & western "a' pickin' and a' grinnin'" variety!) Granted, perhaps not everyone out there shares my extreme dislike of the banjo, every music fan has their own personal likes and dislikes - but I can't help but wonder how differently this song may have come across if the fuller/warmer tone of a mandolin or a Japanese koto had been used to play these same parts (remember how nice that mandolin sounded on Conspiracy's "The Unknown"?) Hey, perhaps I am totally biased because of my personal distaste for country music, but to my ears (and speaking as a long-time supporter of Sherwood's music) "Empty Castle" just seems like a botched "quirky" experiment which went completely awry! Why was this embarrassing, slipshod track even released?...O.K., after all of my criticisms you may be asking, "Are there positive points to this album?" Yes, there are! As I said early in this review there are a few standout tracks that will likely satisfy the Sherwood faithful, Billy's singing has never been better, and there are some clever production 'fiddle faddles' along the way...but to me, when the majority of material is weak, these things just don't mean as much! Well, what else can I say? I am very disheartened to write such a critical review of an artist who's work I usually admire quite deeply. I can only hope that Billy quickly bounces back and gets to work on a more satisfiying solo project. Please understand that eventhough I am disappointed today, I still hold out hope for great things to come from Mr. Billy Sherwood. Hey, I was fairly disappointed when Yes released "Open Your Eyes"...but then they came back with "The Ladder", one of their strongest albums in my opinion!...Also, if you are looking for some great modern-tinged prog-rock, check out "Fanatic" by JADIS (read my review here on Amazon), or if you don't have it yet, try the aforementioned "The Unknown" by CONSPIRACY.

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