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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

L. Shankar

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Review by Gary Hill

This is the fourth release from L. Shankar that I have reviewed. Like the others, I have landed this one under progressive rock. Honestly, the fact that I’ve got him listed as a prog artist is one reason. Tony Levin’s presence on everything here is the other. Beyond that, I’m not sure I’d put it there. It feels more like AOR rock most of the time. While the mainstream approach here provides some solid hooks, I don’t think this is his strongest work. It’s still solid, though.

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Track by Track Review
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Progressive rock, fusion and mainstream sounds are on the menu as the title track gets us going here. This has a cool groove and nice energy.

Lot of Things

This isn’t a huge change from the opener, but has some slower sections built into it. I really like the hooks on this thing.

Innocent

Another that feels pretty similar to the other two tracks, this doesn’t seem redundant. It’s probably closer to the first track in terms of energy. The violin on this track really elevates the instrumental section to new heights, making this one stand taller than the two that preceded it.

Heaven and Earth

This is an energized song that gets into some soaring territory at times. It’s not a paradigm shift, but it works really well.

Power Within

More of a folk rock tune, this is solid, but not a highlight. It does bring some variety to the table, though.

For You

A bit mellower and slower, this has more of a folk prog thing at its core. That said, it’s delivered with a more mainstream angle.

To Live

I’m not crazy about the processing on the vocals on the early parts of this track. This tune has a good rock energy and groove, but it’s not a favorite for me.

Calm Down

This is a step up. It’s catchy and has a great energy.

Thinking

I think this one might resonate with me better than just about anything here. It just has a solid driving jam and some classy hooks and stylings. There is some classy melodic prog jamming later, too.

 

 
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