MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Radiati0n

"I was horribly surprised."

Almost invariably, I tend to really enjoy the Marillion albums everyone else seems to rag on. Holidays In Eden, This Strange Engine, and even Marillion.com are all good or great albums to my ears. (Of course, they don't hold a candle to Afraid of Sunlight or Brave.) So when the chorus of derision descended on Radiation, I was comfortable in thinking it would be at least pretty good despite the criticism.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. While there is some good songwriting present, it is low in volume, with a more limpid production than any other Marillion album. In fact, the production is one of the big detriments to the CD. The individual notes of Rothery's guitar gets buried under the thick, messy sound quality; Kelly's keyboards barely have any presence in the mix; and Hogarth's great voice is suffocated by murky textures. But even if this album had a crystalline and visceral production, it wouldn't help much since the songwriting lacks the magic of their better work. Songs like "Under the Sun" and "These Chains" exhibit catchy songcraft, but the lyrical matter is frequently uninspired (especially "Under the Sun"). "The Answering Machine" is the worst song they've ever done, with a cluttered arrangement and lyrics so bad I am embarrassed on the band's behalf. It's affixed to an ugly riff that seems to characterize most of the songs, and all throughout Rothery's soloing -- one of the best elements of Marillion's music -- is emotionally tepid, inciting no more reaction than Hogarth, whose voice the production can't seem to get up into the forefront.

I love Marillion. They are one of my favorite bands, and many of their albums are all-time favorites of mine. It's very disappointing to me that I can't "connect" with any of the songs here. "Now She'll Never Know" is nice to listen to...it's quiet and soothing...but while it's easy on the ears, I can't say I actually like it. The ten minute piece "A Few Words for the Dead" is interesting and eclectic musically, with some Arabic drumming, ethereal synthesizers and good vocal melodies, and I like listening to it, but I don't feel that "pull" I feel with the band's better writing. "Under the Sun" is swell...I like the whistling synth, the chorus is simple, but catchy and fun to sing with, but it doesn't have that same endearing quality of similar songs that they've done, largely due to the production, but also because there's undertones of weak writing. I don't want to say "passionless," because that word is too strong, but it does creep into my mind as I write this.

It's strange though...for an album that I don't find terribly good, I've listened to it quite a bit. Go figure. I guess I was just optimistically thinking the album was good and I couldn't recognize it as such. Unfortunately, the album just isn't all that good at all. Disappointing Marillion release overall.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Clutching at Straws

"Hardly clutching at straws."

After Misplaced Childhood, Marillion frontman Fish found success a difficult thing to cope with. You wouldn't think that he could get anymore personal than he did with the previous album, but here the lyrics are often seriously disquieting as they reflect upon drug abuse and alcoholism unraveling a man's life and corroding his self-respect. It's gritty and lucid with that special, distinctive Fish lyrical prose, which is just a part of what makes Fish-Marillion's music so special. And although few of us experience the problems the character "Torch" goes through, Fish has a good knack for making us empathetic with the songs. It's hard not to be a little stirred by the sad "Warm, Wet Circles," the directionless wandering of "White Russian," the abyssal misery and forlorn fragility of "Going Under," or the lamenting, plaintive "Sugar Mice."

Of course, the accompanying musicians aren't slouches by any means. Rothery, as always, evokes an incredible degree of emotion from the gallant chords that sing from his guitar. While I think the most individually impressive Rothery solo is that from Seasons End's "Easter," Clutching At Straws is his most emotionally powerful work to date. His guitar is Fish's second voice. Rothery's ability to isolate and preserve Fish's emotions is unmatched by anyone. It is possible only through a collegial magic and musical connection that these men share. Keyboardist Mark Kelly is equally important, not being much for pizzazz, but being remarkably effective in subtle tones of atmosphere and feeling.

Clutching at Straws was the last Marillion album with Fish before the band separated (not counting the live La Gazza Ladra). It's thankful that they didn't let themselves record an awful album during this wild and stressful time, and their schism ended on a high note, establishing a faultless legacy as a precursor to their separate ways. It's probably the tension between the musicians that helped create the thick threads of emotion in this release. Now, Fish enjoys a fine solo career, and Marillion brought in the different but still wonderful Steve Hogarth to take the reins.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - This Strange Machine

"Not so strange."

"Coming down" from Afraid of Sunlight, one of my favorite all-time albums, This Strange Engine is good, but leaves a bit to be desired. Songs are quieter, often less ambitious and diverse, and the album misses an element of cohesion found in Brave and Afraid of Sunlight. The epic title track is missing an integral musical theme to hold it together. This is no Afraid of Sunlight.

Given time, I realized that it didn't matter. There's some great work here, some of the band's best writing, I'd say. "Man of a Thousand Faces" is one of their best album openers ever, I think -- quite simply a GREAT song. Driven by acoustic guitar and piano flourishes, think "King of Sunset Town" with acoustic guitars and you're close. Actually, Rothery uses lots of acoustic on this album. "80 Days" and "Estonia" are wonderful songs both anchored in acoustic guitar melodies.

The title track in particular is totally beautiful. Quite simply, it is a progressive songwriting showcase of huge proportions, and certainly one of my favorites of theirs. Rothery's slow, sparkling guitar solo near the end is gorgeous, with sonic grandiosity and innovative arrangements building up to it. The song reads in at a little over 30 minutes, but in reality there is only about 16 minutes of music. This is followed by a long moment of silence before some piano chords chime in and there's some creepy laughter. Did they think it was funny tricking us like that? It was mean, very mean! That's the most progressive thing on the album, although "Estonia" is fairly reminiscent of the "classic" Marillion sound, as well.

I always find myself liking songs no one else enjoys. "Memory of Water" is a spooky, haunting arrangement where Hogarth's voice is the main instrument, supported by quiet synthed violin and what might be cello and some flute. There's also some, uh, provocative lyrics in the form of, "Your taste is blood and ecstasy | But I must drink you all alone." I have mixed feelings about some of the other work, though. "One Fine Day" has an overly pushy guitar riff for a song with those quiet vocal melodies and rosy lyrics. "The Accidental Man" is pretty good, but "Hope for the Future" is too unlike anything they've ever done for me to appreciate -- it just doesn't fit. The refrain "Carrying a message" is overused and overall the music sounds like it belongs on someone else's record.

So it's an album of peaks and valleys, but those peaks are certainly some of their best moments.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Crucify [EP]

"Tori Amos' covers will make you forget the original song."

Tori Amos is quite simply a wonderful musician. Her music comes from the heart, she truly uses her voice like an instrument, and her singing just melts me. Because I highly respect Tori musically, I enjoy hearing covers that reveal her own musical qualities and her distinctive revision of songs she likes. "Angie," a song from the Rolling Stones' more decadent days, is tremendously beautiful with the implicit intimacy of Tori's effortless singing. Great piano arrangements too. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is truly radical compared to the original. Instead of Kurt Cobain's loud, crass delivery with ringing guitars and pounding drums, Tori sits down at the piano and sings it quietly and beautifully. Finally, Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" gets the Tori-treatment. The piano is achingly good here, and Tori's voice...well, its awfully pretty. Funny how I've never really loved Led Zeppelin, but covers of Led Zeppelin songs are almost always excellent.

The EP version of "Crucify" is, in my opinion, superior to the album version. Although this one is shorter and lacks some of the piano flourishes of the "real" version, I think this is a more compelling arrangement, with the added guitars. The EP version of "Winter" is unchanged, which is fine, because you shouldn't mess with perfection.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Hey Jupiter [EP]

"Music this good can speak for itself."

Tori Amos' singles/EPs are usually good treats because they feature interesting remixes of the eponymous album versions, and sometimes some great covers and superb b-sides. Hey Jupiter is no exception, making it an inviting disc for the collection. "Hey Jupiter" from Boys For Pele is an utterly gorgeous song, and I thought it was inappropriate to remix something so...perfect. The EP version doesn't surpass the original -- it adds some harrowing drum programming and almost an industrial vibe. Yes, it's cool, but it overwhelms the simple intimacy of the original, which was basically just piano and voice. The four live cuts are very worthwhile: both "Sugar" and "Honey" are great songs (it's truly a shame that "Honey" didn't make it on Under The Pink). "Professional Widow" is considerably more delicate until the end, but it retains that weirdly lovable vitriol. This little disc culminates in a beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL) rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Judy Garland would be quite humbled to hear this. Tori's graceful fragility and shimmering emotional precision just kill me on this song. Heck, the EP's worth the 8 bucks just for this song.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Anoraknophobia

"Changing the face of neo-progressive rock?"

Listening to Anoraknophobia, one really gets a feel for how Marillion has changed over the years. It's been a long time since they paralleled Genesis (with Fish at the helm), and now after a decade with Steve Hogarth, the band is entering the twenty-first century with something quite different from their previous works. In fact, as you can infer from reading Marillion's biography at their site and checking out Barry's "dislikes" on the back insert, they are trying to distance themselves from the whole neo-prog thing (which they helped invent).

Perhaps you can see it coming. Lay out all your Marillion albums, from Script for a Jester's Tear to Marillion.com, then look at the cover for Anoraknophobia. It doesn't quite fit, does it? And just like the clashing cover, the music within is really dissimilar to their previous albums, although it is a reinvention that feels natural, with no contrived deliberation to sound effervescent and cool.

There's a welcome element of diversity here. Songs such as "Map of the World" and "Between You and Me" are warm commercial tracks with undeniably hooks to boot that are far more honest and "real" and the manufactured tripe on the radio these days. Also spread thickly throughout are wonderful, evocative songs like the beautiful and contemplative "When I Meet God" and the ambient "This is the 21st Century." "If My Heart Were A Ball It Would Roll Uphill" sounds like the title belongs on a Meat Loaf album, but fortunately the track is nothing as awkward as Jim Steinman's work. (If you like Meat Loaf... you have my sympathies.) I initially found this song noisy and hard on the ears, but persistence paid off...it's perhaps the most interesting musically, with that densely layered composition and heavy production.

Marillion's latest often tackles unusual song structures, and journeys down paths new to them. This has them straddling lines between a number of styles, which separates them from the masses and keeps them away from being a "me too" band. The trance-like "This is the 21st Century" is a lengthy (11 minutes), spacey song with Hogarth's subtle inflections effectively calling attention to the details of the arrangement. "When I Meet God" is just gorgeous stunner worthy of the band's most sensitive moments, with Kelly's exquisite synth chords giving me goosebumps near the end. "Quartz" is another long one, nearly reaching ten minutes with compelling bass & guitar interplay, dynamic Hogarth vocals, and ambitious melodies.

I'll be honest though -- I was really expecting to be blown away on the first listen. It didn't happen. I liked track 7, because I was familiar with it already (having downloaded it from mp3.com awhile back), and of course the instantly likable "Map of the World," but it took quite a while for this album to really sink in...and it's still got a ways to go, I'm sure. But I've noticed the best albums are like that. For now, anyway, I'm sincerely enjoying what they've put together, and I'm readily cognizant of the long-term listening pleasure this will give me.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - marillion.com

"Go! give it a chance. The truth lies within!"

Many have derided Marillion for the pop-factor on marillion.com. I actually enjoy well-done pop music, so I wasn't so apprehensive about getting this. Plus, I thoroughly enjoy Holidays In Eden, which is one of the band's "poppier" releases.

I initially enjoyed marillion.com, aside from the contrived rock infusing "Built-In Bastard Radar," but I wanted to make sure my satisfaction wasn't ephemeral as it sometimes is with albums like this. So I wanted to give it plenty of time before reviewing it.

Now I can comfortably say that it's a good album, but not quite up to par with the best the band has to offer. Of course, the song in question is "Interior Lulu," the 15-minute epic. Hogarth's singing at the beginning of it reminds of Tori Amos (that's good!). The second passage begins with some off-the-wall keyboards that remind me of a carnival funhouse (that's bad!). All in all, though, it's a very satisfying epic that takes a good deal of time to fully sink in, with a wonderful Rothery solo at about 8 & 1/2 minutes into it and all the tight instrumental interplay that's characteristic of this band.

As for the other cuts, I have no compunctions about saying that Marillion knows how to write good, commercially viable songs (although none of it would ever get on the radio). The opener, "A Legacy," is a great song that's easy to sing with. The ballad "Go!" highlights the emotive power of Hogarth's voice, in sharp contrast to the preceding track "Deserve," which is a more insistent rocker with a great hook. "Rich" is similarly catchy, and "Tumble Down the Years" is a beautiful song with an incredible chorus. The album comes to an end with "House," the 10-minute song that feels much shorter than 10-minutes. It's sort of surreally jazzy and mellow...and great way to bring things to an end. I wouldn't miss "Built-In Bastard Radar" if it suddenly vanished off the face of the album. Although there are some interesting melodies, it seems a little forced and Hogarth's voice on the chorus is suffocated by the arrangement.

It's a little shallower than works like Afraid of Sunlight and Brave, and in some ways it might be a little too unlike their other work, but .com is a great album from a band that continues to grow and impress. Since this gets mixed reactions from Marillion fans, you will have to judge it for yourself.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

"Beautiful in so many ways."

Perhaps it's redundant to add yet another flattering review to what is already a chorus of praise. Still, I'm suddenly inspired to write as I listen to this CD and yet again marvel at how truly excellent it is. The emotional layers of her songs are not as furtive as later releases, which is one distinctive merit relative to its peers in her catalogue. There has been no other CD I've ever owned with such unadulterated emotional clarity, although other Tori albums come close. She is an artist of remarkable honesty and beauty.

Here, Tori rocks with her piano, and she also writes gorgeous ballads the likes of which are unattainable to lesser artists. She is complemented by lovely orchestrations and lyrics that tantalize with their complex imagery. Certainly one of the best artists of the nineties, and her brilliance puts today's pop puppets to shame. There's something magical about this album. It's too difficult to describe what exactly makes it so good. Just listen to it yourself. If you aren't moved, you'd better check for a pulse.

Some would say that Little Earthquakes is insuperable compared to Tori's other work. I don't feel this way; I think each of her albums offers something different but no less wonderful. And wow, she has a sweet voice, doesn't she?

MUSIC REVIEW: Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee

"Music doesn't get any better."

Toy Matinee is really nothing more than a highly sophisticated pop record, although its sublime excellence goes far beyond anything like it. Kevin Gilbert and Patrick Leonard have an unmatched sense of melody and canny pop sensibility, and -- with plenty of diversity from song to song -- they've whipped up the perfect album. I find this album's greatness impossible to express. Quite simply, the ears hear what words cannot describe. The English language would need countless synonyms for "great," but it wouldn't be enough.

I'd like to say more, but little comes to mind. Every song offers here something different and exciting, and every facet of the album is flawless. It's well-composed, well-crafted, clever, charming, and...perfect. Certainly one of the best albums I own.

(Note: Kevin Gilbert was by far one of the most gifted musicians around, and his untimely death is truly a loss to the world. Check out Gilbert's other albums, Thud and The Shaming of the True, the former being great and the latter being an unequivocal masterpiece.)

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Holidays in Eden

"Marillion goes pop and does it well."

Call me crazy, but I sincerely enjoy Holidays In Eden. I won't deny that it's commercially directed, a bit streamlined, but when the quality of the music is this good, who cares? This may be one of the few glowing reviews from a Marillion fan, but it deserves it. It is still characterized by good old Marillion attributes (awesome guitar solos, ambient arrangements, and lots of emotion), but it's diluted a bit by the pop endeavor.

Highlights include hook-laden "Cover My Eyes," with Hogarth showing off his deft vocal acrobatics, "Splintering Heart," a dramatic piece of classic Hogarth-Marillion (it's even a bit "Fishy"), the peppy title cut, and the radio friendly triad "No One Can," "Dry Land," and "Waiting To Happen." My favorite song would be "The Party," the moving story of a young girl who attends her first party (of the drugs, drinking, and promiscuous variety), and loses an element of her innocence as a result. A generic little idea that's made markedly compelling thanks to interesting lyrics and sad, atmospheric music. The final song, "100 Nights," also proves absorbing when given the attention ('cause it doesn't grab you right away). Under-appreciated, but many great things are.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - 90125

"Negative review from loudmouth prog fan with an arrogant opinion."

This should have never been a Yes album. Chris Squire and Alan White had the right idea when this project was started as a new band called "Cinema." Unfortunately, things got ugly when this turned into a Yes project. As such, this comes across as quite lame compared to Yes' glory days, when they were a band that was once known for their brilliance and their originality.

That said, it is not entirely fair to compare it to classic progressive rock albums. But even compared to any good intelligent pop music, 90125 is too cheesy for my tastes. The album waxes insipid lyrical subjects and corny keyboard sounds that gave 80's pop a bad name. The rocking songs have no hooks, and the ballads lack the beauty that made tracks like "Turn of the Century" so pleasant. Strictly on a basis of musicality, the album is average (thus banal) adult pop. I have to admit that a few of the tracks of moderate interest, like "Leave It" and "Changes," but the rest - even the 'classic' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is not enough redeeming material here to make anyone care.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - To Venus and Back

"Good and/or great."

Tori Amos' studio work on this 2CD set is somewhat polarizing. With From The Choirgirl Hotel, Tori fleshed out her sound by adding denser arrangements with the rest of her band. With To Venus And Back, she sticks with this formula but meets with less success. Some of the songs feel overproduced, which handicaps the level of intimacy usually associated with her music. With Choirgirl this worked, but here the results are iffy. Tori doesn't cut loose with her voice as much, there's way less piano balladry, and some of the songs are a little 'ehhh'. However, the album does have its share of highlights. The ethereal, dreamy "Datura" is wonderfully enigmatic. It's to her credit that Tori somehow manages emotional expression with a fairly detached voice. Also, "Concertina," "1000 Oceans," "Bliss," and the provocative "Lust" are almost as good as anything she's ever put to record, I think. My problem is that sometimes she waxes the techno sound a bit too much.

But then we come to disc 2. The live album included is incredible. I've never seen her live, and I'll take for granted that this album is no replacement, but it's great for a live recording. It's full of revelatory moments as Tori radically rearranges many of her songs and boosts the energy level. For some reason, I don't like most live albums on my first listen, but this is my one exception. The haunting "Bells For Her" is entirely different on a piano that isn't all busted. I don't know where "Cooling" comes from, but it's an incredible showcase of Tori at her best: an emotionally intense piano ballad with utterly beautiful vocals. The violent "The Waitress" is extended by six or seven minutes, and it totally rocks. Overall, the setlist (you can see it above) is basically perfect, and Tori's onstage charisma is remarkable. The b-side "Purple People" is one of her best songs so that's good to hear. "Sugar", cut from Under the Pink if I remember correctly, is f'ing awesome.

The studio album is not her best, but the live album is one of the best things she's released. So really, the album on the whole rules.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

"Opaque, confusing... beautiful and perfect."

Is this, the most difficult Tori Amos album, actually the best Tori Amos album? Concurrently seducing and frustrating, Boys For Pele is Tori Amos' easily most complex and enigmatic work. With her previous albums, Tori showed an unashamed pretentiousness in songwriting. Even so, she was consistently able to isolate and preserve the emotional element, making for stirring music that generated a throng of fervent fans. It was her alternately accessible yet eminently deep songs that people loved.

Boys For Pele isn't quite the same. It's confounding, confusing, and challenging. Here, the music is very experimental compared to what we expect, with traditional song structure generally often eschewed, and arrangements are highly varied. There are pianos and rock instruments, but also lots of harpsichords! Tori's idiosyncratic lyrics are complex and strange, heavy on puzzling imagery and surrealism. For many people, the album doesn't seem to work. The level of intimacy ascribed to Tori's previous work is awfully obscure, which may alienate some fans.

Fortunately, this album is worth the work to make it "stick." It is indeed intriguing, and its mystique implores exploration. Analysis reveals that the songs are deeper than they first appear; Tori has crammed enough peculiarities under the surface that it succeeds in making her relentless experimentation highly satisfying. Many moments positively shimmer with genius (particularly on the first two-thirds of the disc), and others are more subtle in their brilliance due to stylish quirks. But it's all good; there's not a single song I don't like. Some songs, like "Professional Widow", are just freakin' nuts. Tori also proves that sometimes all you need is a piano and a voice (and what a voice!) to create some of the most beautiful music around.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tara MacLean - Passenger

"Rather gorgeous vocals with a flat production."


Frequently compared to Sarah McLachlan (who I absolutely cannot stand at all), Tara MacLean is a way better singer and a better songwriter. MacLean's vocals are really quite beautiful, and when performing live she really belts it out and shows her chops. However, this studio album suffers from the lifeless production. The lack of vivacity in the arrangements (too many amort electronic rhythms) doesn't complement the simple charm of MacLean's expressive, ebullient, and clean vocal styling. With just acoustic guitar and drums in live performances, she has a lot more breathing room without some jack-wad producer trying to make her "cool" and "hip". On this album, while she's a lovely singer, it sounds like she's restrained, or holding back. One definitely gets the impression that the producer was putting too much emphasis on a stifling atmosphere. On the haunting slow-tempo tracks this a more tasteful choice, but this aural quality persists on the lively songs and it just bogs down the music. It may seem as if I'm lingering on this complaint. The production isn't TOO bad, it just frustrates me as a listener. The lyrics are decent, not that it's all that important to me anyway, and gives even this bitter listener a thing or two to ponder. Lots of charm in the vocals and songwriting, but the arrangements bring down the overall quality.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - From the Hotel Choirgirl

"Amazingly good."

This is certainly Tori Amos' most robust album, as it adopts an approach that fleshes out the roles of the other musicians. Tori's piano shines as always, but it's not always the driving instrument in the music (lots of guitar here). The compositions are more "rocking" and less florid, less delicate. The arrangements are denser and that is new to feature to Tori's sound, and yet because of her magical touch they preserve a very warm and human element that makes them so accessible. As always, vocals are superb: her effortless (but hardly lackadaisical) delivery is charming, visceral, and powerful, with semi-conscious phrasing and a semi-cool tone.

Tori's albums are always snapshots of where she is at the moment, and at this point she was obviously very intuitive emotionally. Her lyrical subject matter takes on staple Tori topics, but with particularly keen emotional expression. All her emphatic poetry is there, it's just slightly more obscure than Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink. However, the album is consistently excellent and proves to be extremely well rounded, both lyrically and musically. There's also considerable variety, including the requisite piano ballads "Jackie's Strength" and "Northern Lad" (two beautiful songs), the dance-inflected beats of "Raspberry Swirl," (virgin territory for Tori; a fun tune with a nice combination of wit and sass), and the hard-rocking "She's Your Cocaine" (complete with rumbling bass and quirky melotron). The album finishes notably strong (she often saves the best for last). With the final three tracks, Tori flexes her musical vocabulary and comes across as intelligent, classy, even adventurous.

From The Choirgirl Hotel is pleasantly unpredictable and makes for joyous listening. Boys For Pele sometimes feels heavy-handed and thick, and Under The Pink is a little inconsistent. As such, From The Choirgirl Hotel is Tori's best work since Little Earthquakes, but it has more variety and creative songcraft.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Under the Pink

"Takes time to sink in -- then it hits you with its brilliance."

First things first: Under the Pink is not as good as Little Earthquakes overall. But considering Little Earthquakes is one of the most beautifully heartfelt albums I've ever heard (6/5 stars by Amazon's ratings), it's not like Under the Pink stood much of a chance. Nonetheless, it captures plenty of emotional power between Tori's emotive and elegant singing, her deeply personal lyrics, and her expressive piano playing.

Under the Pink is also a little less immediately accessible than Little Earthquakes. For the first several listens it's merely good, but it seems like the album's true greatness is bubbling below the surface, just explode and inundate the listener. The first 1/3 or so of the album hits you right away. "Pretty Good Year" is a gentle tune, and it moves into the witty and rocking "God," whose chorus contains an amazing hook. The beautiful "Bells for Her" is played on a weirdly tuned piano, but strangely enough the effect is chilling and stirring all at once. That harrowing chorus gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. "Past the Mission" features guest vocals by Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, of all people. Surprisingly, he's a big contributor to the greatness of this track. The bouncy, light feeling choruses are juxtaposed with that slow, somber, and delicately sung chorus. During the chorus, Reznor's own whispered vocal lines layer Tori's lovely voice. The effect is very cool. (You might consider this to be special praise because normally I hate Trent Reznor.)

And then most people might listen to the rest of the album and not be excited. "What a good album this could have been," some will say, and go listen to something else. These people will not know what they missed. Although the later portion of the album are less approachable, it also offers the best songs in the long run. The astonishing 10 minute ballad "Yes, Anastasia" is particularly incredible, as is the one-two emotional punch of the back to back ballads, "Icicle" and "Cloud on My Tongue." The jazzy feel of "The Wrong Band" makes for a fun track, while the heavily rhythmic "Space Dog" and snappy "Cornflake Girl" are both hook-laden rockers. "Baker Baker" is a pretty song, and the "The Waitress" is enjoyable in its irony.

At first I thought Tori had toned down on the personal and emotional side of her songs, but it's just more subtle than before. The great stuff here is just as good as the good stuff on Little Earthquakes, and everything else is pretty darn close. A worthy, but not quite equal, follow-up to the yet unparalleled Little Earthquakes.

Neal Morse - Neal Morse

"Neal Morse knows what it takes to make good pop music."

There are times when I think pop is synonymous with CRAP. But that's usually only the "popular" pop -- pop is not inherently bad. Neal Morse, the GODLY master behind Spock's Beard, does pop-rock very well. The "poppier" songs from Spock's Beard's own albums are an indication of what this disc is like, except with musicianship that is toned-down (yet elegant nonetheless) -- it's worth noting that Morse plays almost all of the instruments on here himself. This disc is replete with infectious hooks that you'll be humming for days. Fun songs like "Nowhere Fast" and "Lost Cause" are balanced out by the stuff like the pretty ballad "Emma" and "Landslide." There's considerable variety here.

Oh, you're obstinate and you hate pop? You like Neal Morse for his PROG and ONLY his prog. Then get this for the final track, "A Whole Nother Trip," the twenty minute epic. It's not up to par with the dazzling epics produced by the Beard, but that's part of its charm. It's different...not bad at all, just different. It's like a Beard epic "lite" version.

As long as you don't expect Spock's Beard epics and virtuosity with this album, you should enjoy it.

Spock's Beard - Day for Night

"Basically the same Beard."

I think it is interesting that people say Spock's Beard tried to go more commercial with this album. Not sure what evidence enables people to ascribe that intent to the band. Now, the Beard has always involved a very identifiable pop element to their music -- big choruses, catchy hooks. I don't find the music any simpler than on previous records, or any more "commercial" than previous albums, but it's true the songs are generally shorter (lengthy tracks are commonly associated with prog, ya know).

Still, there is the amazing "The Healing Colors of Sound" epic suite that's over 20-minutes long. It features the Beard's familiar epic style...songs within a song, wrapped together by recurring themes. The individual parts of this suite are very strong, be it the rockin' hooks of "Mommy Comes Back", the sad balladry "Lay It Down", or the inspiring "Healing Colors of Sound" section, which never fails to put a smile on my face. Spock's Beard's music makes me feel good about life.
Maybe some people perceive this album as "poppier" because has an ordinary pop ballad, "Can't Get It Wrong" and a fairly simple upbeat cut "Skin". But the rest doesn't seem like much of a digression from the band's style. "Crack the Big Sky" is big song rife with ear-catching instrumental melodies, a huge singable chorus, and little tempo changes to keep you on your toes. (Hand claps too!) "The Distance to the Sun" is a beautiful ballad that proves Neal Morse's unmatched talent of tugging at your emotions. "Gibberish" is the requisite "zany track," with funky vocal counterpoints a la Gentle Giant and a guitar riff that's best described as crazy! The title track that kicks off the album is good fun too, including the omnipresent Beardian (new word) hooks and savory, monster Rickenbacker bass lines. I like this whole album!

Like all the Beard's work, Day for Night is fun, addictive progressive music that I never grow tired of. My only problem is that they divided up the "Healing Colors of Sound" suite into eight separate tracks. Eck. I hate that (I like to play lots of my albums on "shuffle" or "random"). But if that's my only complaint, I think Spock's Beard is doing okay.