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Toulouse Engelhardt Mind Gardens Review by Gary Hill Not everything here is progressive rock. Given the focus on instrumental guitar music, and the wide range of variants within that, though, I’d say this fits. There are some pieces that really call to mind prog stuff, too. Wherever you figure this fits stylistically, though, there is some great music on this album. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Nierika Starting mellow, but also dramatic, this is intricate and quite beautiful as it builds outward.

Theme To The First Annual Bluebelly Lizard Roundup Fast paced Spanish styled guitar opens this. It continues in a folk style with some bluegrass in the mix. It’s quite involved and energized.

Sarabande This is more classical in nature in many ways. Yet, it has a real folk element at play, too.

Luna More “song” like, this is very much in line with folk prog. Somehow it reminds me of early Genesis quite a bit, too. It’s one of my favorites here.

Golden Apple Vacancy This is deceptively delicate, seeming to have a real structure and strength to it at the same time.

Dom Perignon Energetic, this feels like “traveling music” to me. It’s still got a lot of intricacy and beauty built into it.

Lavender Ascension II Now, this makes me think of both Genesis and Hawkwind somehow.

Simple Gifts Somehow this reminds me of something that might have landed on Led Zeppelin’s third album. There are hints (to me) of something like “Tangerine.” There is a weird “detuning” section in the middle of this. It’s a live recording.

Huckleberry Meadows Forevermore Delicate and folk-like, this is quite pastoral in a lot of ways.

Lady of the Light Again, old school Genesis is a valid reference point to a large degree. This one of the more purely proggy things here. Still, it’s intricate and quite classical in nature, too.

Melting Stars. Breathing Heavens - Another that lands in the more song-like territory, this is a cool one. I love the descending section in particular, but the whole thing is cool. There are some hints of psychedelia in this number.

The Wedge An energetic world music piece, this is quite cool.

Dialogue with an English Rill ("Duet For Alto Flute & Guitar In C Maj") This is delicate and pretty and quite classical in a lot of ways.

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