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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Pablo Embon

What Comes into Play

Review by Gary Hill

So, you say you like melodic fusion? Well, then you should give this a try. It's a great album. The music varies well enough from song to song, but also feels like one cohesive set at the same time. Every instruments gets a bit of spotlight time. This is just great instrumental fusion. It should be noted that at MSJ we generally put fusion under prog rock. That's why this lands there. That said, there are some moments that lean closer to prog.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 5 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2017.

Track by Track Review
Baby Steps
The rhythm section starts things here. They work out from there into some killer melodic fusion. This has a great groove and some definite prog rock tendencies. I love the keyboards sounds and the acoustic guitar on this piece. That guitar weaves such intriguing melodies. The piano work is noteworthy, as well.
Bluesy You
The guitar opens this with other elements joining in short order. This is perhaps more pure jazz than it is fusion. It has some intriguing melodic elements, seeming to come in from odd angles at times. It's a slow moving piece. There is some cool bass work on this piece.
Flogging a Dead Horse
I love the energy and vibe on this number. It's much more in the fusion-line of reason and sound. It's a killer cut that works really well. In fact, I'd consider it to be one of the highlights here.
Borrowed Dreams
This melodic fusion number reminds me of Pat Metheny in some ways. It has some killer piano soloing and really works so well. There is some cool soloing from various instruments during the course of this. It even leans just a little toward a space rock thing at one point.
Throughout the Years
Starting on piano, this works out to some slow tempoed, intricate fusion. It's another classy number on a disc that's full of them.
Infinite Raga
Now, this is such cool fusion. There is a lot of world music built into this thing. Sitar is a nice touch on this. The piano soloing on this is on fire. This piece is packed with passion and fury. It's one of my favorites on the disc for sure.
The Fall

I love the energetic piano that leads this out of the gate. The cut works from there to more fast paced fusion jamming. This is another highlight of the set for sure. It's one that wanders closer to rock territory than the rest. The keyboard soloing is just so tasty.

Wish I Were There
While this is no huge change, it's another solid bit of fusion. It features some cool soloing over the top of an energetic rhythm section.
When I See You

The guitar soloing on this number is intricate and expressive. This is another that makes me think of Metheny just a bit. I dig the percussive elements late in the number, too.

Somewhere in this World

Piano begins this cut, feeling quite classical in nature. Some percussion threatens to join as it moves forward. The cut doesn't really move beyond just the piano until around the minute and a half mark when the guitar enters. It becomes a lush and dense, but still slow moving, piece of music. There is some intricate soloing at hand. Although this took quite a while to move out from its origins, it's actually one of the most dynamic cuts on the disc. It has some really interesting interplay between instruments. This is arguably the most progressive piece here, but not in a rock way.

Ice Woman
I love the piano soloing on the early sections of this. The cut is another that's dynamic and particularly powerful. This probably works its way to the most prog rock-like elements of the disc. They definitely pack a lot of variety into this number.
Distant
While this cut isn't a big change, there is some particularly strong piano soloing on it. It also has some great rocking bits,
Morning T.

This is a short, classically tinged, piano solo that serves a nice ending to the disc.

 
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