|
Label: Cyclops
Tracks:
- Prelude (4:21)
- Riding The Fence (6:23)
- The Last Enemy (7:49)
- January (5:56)
- Let Loose The Arrow (7:04)
- We Don't Know (4:43)
- Sweet Hope Suite (27:53)
Musicians:
- Michael Ayers - keyboards, piano, pipe organ, & backing vocals
- Michael Dearing - guitars, lead and backing vocals, mandolin, & additional
ys
- Carl Groves - guitars, lead & backing vocals, mandolin, electric piano,
d even more additional keys
- Patrick Henry - bass guitar and backing vocals
- Kevin Thomas - drums, lead and backing vocals, mallets & assorted
rcussion
Guest musicians:
- David Ragsdale - violín and baritone violin (7)
Fifth record of this American band, and in my opinion the best they've
released so far, lightly over the fourth The Robbery of Murder. With Michael
Ayers's definitive incorporation to the bands line-up, the family is already
complete.
Salem Hill continue with their progressive rock, neither too complex nor
innovator, but with excellent American taste and influences of the best AOR
bands. These Americans demonstrate that they are masters doing excellent
songs without too many pretensions and with a great feeling, and excelling
themselves in every album.
The influences, specially from Kansas and other American groups, continue
being obvious, but in this album Salem Hill approach more than ever to the
most conventional progressive rock, to the sound Yes-Genesis, thanks to the
excellent 28 minutes "Sweet Hope Suite", a real suite of
symphonic-progressive rock that deserves to be already a classic one, whose
last 10 minutes are really exciting. The rest of the tracks, are less
complex and more nearby songs in the style of the previous album, but of the
same great level as "Sweet Hope Suite", specially "January" (great!!), "We
Don't Know" and "The Last Enemy", but without forgetting "Riding the Fence"
and "Let Loose the Arrow".
Undoubtedly a great album.
Rating: 8/10
Ferran Lizana
|
