Prog-Nose

Release: 2010 Style: fusion Label: Moonjune Records Website: www.myspace.com/doubt3 Contact: Playing Time: 51:37 Cat. N°: 00000 Review by: Misha Translated by: Rating: 4/10

Bringing three brilliant musicians together can sometimes result in a perfect chemical mixture, an excellent piece of original music. Or, if you like, the famous musical equation, 1+1+1>3.
Alas, it is not the case this time. Alex Maguire and Michel Delville collaborated earlier, and more successfully, within Alex Maguire sextet on “Brewed In Belgium” cd, issued in 2008, also by Moonjune. You can learn everything about it, and about Alex Maguire on our brother site Rockadvice (www.rockadvice.org/news.php?item.175.7).
Michel Delville we know also from his participation in the Wrong Object, a fantastic RIO/fusion band from Belgium. They issued a wonderful cd in the same 2008, “Stories From The Shed”. The review of this album can be found on www.prog-nose.org/news.php?item.127.6
What is there more to be said? It’s a pity that this cd didn’t come out right. It is recorded live in the studio. This kind of recording definitely can have its advantages, but also disadvantages. Here, the song writing is weak, the improvisations too long. The production is not too sharp; the sound has often that dirty quality. Mostly I regret the choice of sound by Alex Maguire himself, who plays Hammond and synths in a little too dirty and annoying sound.
There are of course some better places on the record, luckily. The first song, “Corale Di San Luca” is a beautiful piece of music, with Richard Sinclair joining on vocals and bass. This is something very different from the rest, sounding very strong and clear. Cover of Terje Rypdall’s “Over Birkerot” is another brilliant, however it doesn’t surpass the original.
Well, I hope, next time it will work out better, I will definitely keep the track of these brilliant musicians.

Tracklist: 1. Corale Di San Luca (3:05) 2. Laughter (6:25) 3. Over Birkerot (8:53) 4.Sea (7:57) 5.Passing Cloud (4:08) 6. Cosmic Surgery (6:45) 7. Aeon (7:28) 8. Beppe's Shelter (8:16)

Musicians: Alex Maguire / Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, mellotron, syntheziser Michel Delville / electric guitar, Roland gr-09 Tony Bianco / drums Special guest: Richard Sinclair / vocal (1 & 5) & bass guitar (1 & 2)

[Aangemeld door misha]