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Terry Draper Remarkable Women Review by Gary Hill We live in an interesting age. There are all kinds of possible media for releasing music. Vinyl is finding its way back at the same time new things are emerging. We have a "physical only" requirement at MSJ, so something that's strictly digital can only be covered in certain cases. The thing is, this is a "physical release," so that doesn't apply. It's not a CD or vinyl, though. This comes as a guitar shaped USB drive with a postcard. Terry Draper is best known for his work as one of the founding members of Klaatu. His solo work tends to sound a lot like that band. As such it leans heavily toward progressive rock while still managing to be pop-oriented. However you slice it, though, this is good stuff. 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

A Remarkable Woman Mellow keys open this. A guitar comes in over the top of that as the cut moves forward from there. It works out to a bouncy kind of poppy sound. This is entertaining. It has a definite Beatles element to it. There are some intriguing shifts here. Those land it in progressive rock territory, even if in subtle ways.

Maria I dig the Latin vibe to parts of this number. The cut has a bit of a Santana thing at times. It works into more pure prog rock further down the road, though. There are other sections that move toward Latin jazz.

Honey B. The main musical reference here seems to be 1960s pop music. That said, there are prog elements, some Latin moments and some psychedelia here, too. This mid-tempo number is a solid one.

Pour Soleil Classical music opens this. The cut is gentle and playful. It's a very proggy thing, but in a lighthearted way.

Abigail This is in the old fashioned music tradition that Klaatu often did. It's a fun little number with some jazzy elements at play.

Dragon Lady I dig this song a lot. It has a lot of prog rock and some psychedelia in a hard rocking package. It still manages to maintain a bit of mystery.

Younger Girl / Flower Girl This bouncy cover feels a bit like a cross between The Beatles and the Beach Boys. It's a fun one. It still has some hints of prog rock.

Annabel Lee The music here is old-fashioned. It has some modern elements at play, too. The lyrics are from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The music feels cheery, serving as an odd contrast to the tone of the words.

The Young Girl This is one of my favorites here. It's also one of the most decidedly prog things here. Mind you, it's sort of a pop AOR prog, but it's prog. This has definite leanings toward the music Draper did with Klaatu. I dig the horn later in the track.

Marie Claire Much more of a proggy piece, this is a mid-tempo number. It's another that does feel like Klaatu to a large degree. It's a classy cut.

Shy Girl Screaming hot guitar opens this thing. It's a lot more of a rocker. While this isn't bad, it doesn't work as well for me as some of the rest do.

Amelia A playful, folk music styled number, this is obviously about Amelia Earhart. If you were unaware, the sound of an airplane overhead would make it clear.

My Girl Overseas The sound of the seas start this. That's followed by a ship's horn. The music rises up from there. Folk prog is probably the best label for this. It gets bombastic and intriguing.

Anna Bella Now, this is weird. It comes in with an electronic pop meets dance sound. This is odd, but fun.

She's All Mine Bouncy, AOR prog rock is the idea here. This is a fun number and one of the most satisfying of the set. It's a great way to end it in style.

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