This mythic & heroic progressive rock album is surprisingly excellent! On side 1, It has TONS of BEAUTIFUL, poignant, intense and religious male & female choir parts. The heroic floating and symphonic keyboards are quite intense and anthemic. The keyboards and choir clearly remind Rick Wakeman's work in the 70's. The omnipresent electric guitar sometimes sounds like Steve Hackett's one of the Genesis' "Selling England by the pound" album. There are a few weird psychedelic parts, but fortunately they do not last for a long time.
On side 1, The OUTSTANDING & epic "Om mani padme hum" contains impressive jazzy piano parts a la Keith Emerson or Eddie Jobson; there is a brilliant, exciting & melodic tubular bells part; the symphonic & anthemic keyboards are just memorable. The electric guitar near the end, despite its hard rock tendency, does not kill the grandeur of this long track.
The other side is different and less good. The tracks are shorter and they often have a more straightforward loaded rock/hard rock tendency, without the flamboyant choirs and keyboards present on the first side. "Determination" contains dirty rhythmic organs, wah-wah hard rock electric guitars and fast & complex drums, a bit like on the first Camel's album. "Song for a king" is more like the first side: the beautiful and melodic track is absolutely memorable with the catchy and addictive lead vocals, refined keyboards arrangements and Hackett-like guitar solos. The very good "Roof of the world" takes a rather fast and aggressive mood: it has fast and restless drums, hard rock guitar solos, floating mellotron and catchy lead vocals: there is again a mythic & heroic mood present on this track. The last track has mellow Fender Rhodes notes: combined with the tender voice, it reminds me the Gentle Giant's "Aspirations" track.
On side 1, The OUTSTANDING & epic "Om mani padme hum" contains impressive jazzy piano parts a la Keith Emerson or Eddie Jobson; there is a brilliant, exciting & melodic tubular bells part; the symphonic & anthemic keyboards are just memorable. The electric guitar near the end, despite its hard rock tendency, does not kill the grandeur of this long track.
The other side is different and less good. The tracks are shorter and they often have a more straightforward loaded rock/hard rock tendency, without the flamboyant choirs and keyboards present on the first side. "Determination" contains dirty rhythmic organs, wah-wah hard rock electric guitars and fast & complex drums, a bit like on the first Camel's album. "Song for a king" is more like the first side: the beautiful and melodic track is absolutely memorable with the catchy and addictive lead vocals, refined keyboards arrangements and Hackett-like guitar solos. The very good "Roof of the world" takes a rather fast and aggressive mood: it has fast and restless drums, hard rock guitar solos, floating mellotron and catchy lead vocals: there is again a mythic & heroic mood present on this track. The last track has mellow Fender Rhodes notes: combined with the tender voice, it reminds me the Gentle Giant's "Aspirations" track.
Mandalaband - The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies (1978)
In 1992 German record company Line meritoriously re-released the classic second Mandalaband album The Eye Of Wendor: Prophecies, which was recorded between 1976 and 1978. All four members of Barclay James Harvest, all four members of the original 10cc, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span, Noel Redding (ex-The Jimi Hendrix Experience) plus lots of other musicians were involved, although leader of the pack was David Rohl, who wrote and produced the album and played the master of the keyboards.
Melodic art rock in the just established tradition of The Alan Parsons Project with beautiful kitschy bombastic tunes galore.
A lengthy piece named "Om Mani Padme Hum", which originally made up one half of the first Mandalaband output, was added to fill up the CD.
Melodic art rock in the just established tradition of The Alan Parsons Project with beautiful kitschy bombastic tunes galore.
A lengthy piece named "Om Mani Padme Hum", which originally made up one half of the first Mandalaband output, was added to fill up the CD.
3 commenti:
I got that Fuzzy Duck album awhile back and I must say it was a pleasant surprise. Its funny how many lost gems like these are hiding out there.
-->D.Moose
Io l'ho trovato veramente un buon album. Veloce, divertente, godibile dall'inizio alla fine: mai monotono. Bellissima "Time Will Be Your Doctor" col suo riff iniziale e l'Hammond e la chitarra elettrica. Bello anche il basso in Mrs.Prout e l'assolo finale di chitarra cupo e tirato in "Afternoon Out". Bello tutto comunque il disco. Grazie per la dritta.
Robertz.
ciao robertz! per me è un capolavoro!apena l'ho trovato su nternet l'ho comprato al volo!
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