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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Gary Wilson

The King of Endicott

Review by Gary Hill

Gary Wilson is a unique musician. He's not progressive rock in the traditional sense, but his music is experimental enough to fit there. All his music is tastefully DIY and lo-fi. It's electronic to a large degree. It's pop oriented, but twisted in a way that makes that title seem almost ironic. Imagine Captain Beefheart doing electronic, lounge-pop and you'll be in the right vicinity. In any event, this new disc shows that the man is still in fine form and hasn't wandered from his music vision. This represents a new slab of precisely what you expect from him.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review
The King of Endicott (Intro)
A saxophone opens this. As the other instruments and voice join, it makes me think of a weird Prince meets Frank Zappa kind of sound. This is a short piece that runs just less than a minute.
The Town of a Thousand Lights
Bouncy, weird and fun, this is trademark Gary Wilson.
The Lonely Park
I dig the retro groove that is at the heart of this track. There are definite references to Zappa to be made here. This has some cool electronic prog elements, too. This is weird but also classy.
Walking in the Rain Tonight
I like some of the keyboard melodies on this number quite a bit. It's a typical light-heartedly weird Gary Wilson piece overall.
I Think I'm Falling in Love
Fast paced and bouncy, while this isn't a huge surprise, it's quite entertaining.
The King of Endicott
The title track is particularly effective. The groove driving it is tasty.
I Don't Want to Be Alone
Not a big change, this is bouncy and fun. I dig the keyboards on this one quite a bit.
Lugene Lived in Johnson City
This 45-second interlude is basically just weird electronics and sound effects.
I Dream of My Secret Girl
Driving, fun sounds are on display here. The keyboards paint some retro pictures.
Midnight in Endicott
The beat on this is unusual. The track has some interesting melodies, too. It's still trademark Wilson, but it has some variety to it.
A Perfect Day in Endicott
No big surprise, this is a fun driving number.
Mary Walked Away

I love the soulful groove brought by the organ at the beginning of this cut. The whole piece has almost a soul meets space-age feeling to it. This is one of the highlights of the set.

Another Dimension
This is very weird stuff. Layers of keyboards and echoey voices create a strange tapestry that does seem to drive into another dimension.
It's Summer Time
A driving, flowing musical groove is at the heart of this. It's trademark Wilson, really.
Hail to the King
Classical music, weird lounge-pop and odd electronica all merge on the closing number.
 
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