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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Colin Carter

One

Review by Gary Hill

Colin Carter is probably best known as the lead singer in the progressive rock band Flash. This is his new solo album. I wasn't really expecting progressive rock here, or anything that sounded like Flash. I was pleasantly surprised because a lot of this really does sound like Flash. This is proggy and psychedelic rock oriented a lot of the time. It does tend to focus more on shorter, more direct songs, but not at the expense of those types of elements. Carter is joined here by several guests, including Flash drummer Mike Hough.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review
Wings

I dig this rocker. It has a lot of psychedelic edge to it, but it's also not that far removed from some of the more accessible stuff from Flash. The later sections do grow upward toward progressive rock with multiple layers of vocals and some cool musical moments.

Reachin' Out

There is a bit of a bluesy edge to this thing. It has a lot of folk rock in the mix, too. Yet again, it's not that far removed from some of Flash's stuff. I can make out some prog in the mix here, but there are also some Beatlesesque things in place here, too.

Highway to Oblivion

This opens with such an intense and rather crazed progressive rock jam. As it settles in for the vocal section, it takes on a bit of a jazzy bluesy concept. There is a definite retro edge here. The instrumental section further down the road is built on some killer progressive rock. As much as some of the two earlier songs felt like Flash, this one really has a lot more of that element at play.

Star Crossed

I dig the cool mainstream rock vibe on this cut. It has some folk rock elements, but is still prog oriented in some ways. There are some intriguing melodic textures, and a nice driving format.

Cafe Elektric
There are street sounds and footsteps at the start of this. Then a door opens, and we hear the sounds of a cafe. This moves into some cool psychedelic prog from there. This has some intriguing shifts and changes built into it.
Underground
I love the fast paced groove on this rocker. I can make out some Beatles-like things on this, too. There are some interesting changes on the piece and does have more of that Flash prog element at play.
Munich Song
A harder rocking introduction gives way to a mellower section that feels almost like James Bond music. It builds outward with a trippy kind of prog texture. The cut builds out as it works forward. It really does feel quite psychedelic in a lot of ways. There are some noisier harder rocking things built into this, but overall it's more along the lines of subtle throughout. At times this makes me think of The Syn a bit. The hard rocking instrumental bit at the end is classy.
Obsession

After a soaring kind of introduction, this works out to a cool, nearly funky, rocking section for the first verse. This is a bit more of a mainstream driving rocker overall. It is one of the more effective pieces here, too. It does shift to more soaring proggy stuff further down the road.

Tortuga Tonight

A seafarer song, both in lyrical content and musical delivery, this has a lot of folk sound built into it. There are some proggy layers over the top, but overall this is olde world inspired folk music. I suppose comparisons to The Strawbs wouldn't be out of the question.

Sleeping with You
A slow moving, mellow rocker, there is a definite psychedelic edge to this cut. It is another that makes me think of the Beatles, but also The Syn.
 
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