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On disc: The Tangent



Not As Good As The Book - Claudia Ehrhardt - 9 stars
COMM - Claudia Ehrhardt - 9 stars


www.thetangent.org







COMM

COMM
(InsideOut Music - 2011)


The Tangent is Andy Tillison, the line-up changes quite frequently, but as he always hooks up very talented musicians the music don't suffer. And perhaps the input from different involved musicians is essential for The Tangent...

You hear some Morse code which is picked up by the keyboard and so The Tangent lead you into The Wiki Man, a 20+ minute long tune. Guitarist Luke Machin is back and as his play fits in perfectly, his return is more than welcome. Tillison's keyboard-laden retro prog get spiced up with some jazzy elements. Theo Travis is responsible for the saxophone and flute parts which are well embedded in the keyboard-laden sound. Lyrically COMM is about communication, and the fivesome communicate perfectly on this album. Especially the 'conversation' between Tillison and Machin is awesome - just listen to The Wiki Man! At The Mind's Eye Tillison and Machin are presenting a duel for which drummer Tony and bassist Jonathan Barrett lay the playground. This one is more guitar-based and rocks more than the opening opus. For Shoot Them Down they slow down, especially the opening passage of this balladesque tune is enchanting. The flute at Tech Support Guy adds a Tull-ish edge to the song, but then it's the vocals which hook you up. This track is the shortest on COMM, but pure fun! A good choice to check out COMM, even if it shows just one side of The Tangent.
The closer is another long track, it's called Titanic Calls Carpathia. Slowly they head into this one, the tune had a dramatic edge, first symphonic, then it becomes a dramatic prog rocker. The sad undertone fits perfect, for me the best tune on COMM. But at the end of the day it's a matter of taste. I might dig it more then the others, coz some vocal passages remind me of Asia's Wildest Dreams - and I always loved John Wetton's vocals.

The Tangent stick to their guns, the songs sound familiar without repeating themselves. Thanks for this entertaining piece of sophisticated music!


9 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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Not As Good As The Book

Not As Good As The Book
(InsideOut Music - 2008)


Singer and keyboarder Andy Tillison and The Tangent are back with their 4th CD. Not As Good As The Book is double CD and available in different versions incl. a special book edition. Why that? Well, the album is telling a story and that is illustrated in a 100-page booklet! The story was illustrated by Antoine Ettori who also did the cover artwork. The story leads the listener from the past to present and into the future of a music lover. A cool idea!
A Crisis In Mid Life is starting off the album and somehow you feel be transferred back to the 80's... Mastermind Andy Tillison says that he focuses on the song, making it somehow simple to hook up the listener. And that he achieved! The song is catchy and with all its complexity and progressive elements its kinda simple! Musically some references to 70's bands like Nektar and even a dash of Tangerine Dream, but also some more 80's sounds... Saga springs to mind first. At the following Lost In London Twenty Five Years Later the flute adds something Tull-ish... Later in the song Theo Travis changes from flute to saxophone and gives to song so a different feeling. On Celebrity Purée they add some heaviness and Jonas Reingold's bass is pushing them ahead. After a break they slow down a bit and get a bit more jazzy... The instrumental is culminating into a frenzy, just to reduce it again. The title track Not As Good As The Book is melodic and carried by Andy Tillison's voice. Reminds me partly of Pink Floyd, but due to the different sound elements, it gets it's own identity - e.g. with the flamenco part they included. The last track on disc 1 is Bat Out Of Basildon and a dark, heavy tune, but then lightens up a bit... Reminds me slightly of ELP - without the classic citations -, but with a light pop touch. Disc 2 kicks off with strange sounds... and it's like you listen in to some radio conversation.. Then guest singer Julie King starts singing, her voice on top of spherical sounds. Later Tillison joins in and the song gets a bit Floyd / Genesis-like.. But that didn't last long. They speed up, get heavier. Btw, disc 2 has only 2 songs - both about 22 minutes long. Four Egos One War is taking you on a musical journey with long instrumental passages. The last song The Full Gamut starts slowly with keyboard / piano and vocals.. But it surely doesn't stay that way. Andy Tillison's vocals partly are more narrating and so it gets a bit like an audio book with prog rock / art rock music as background music. Interesting tune.
Andy Tillison gathered some of the best musicians for The Tangent, not just from the prog scene and so there are citations of jazz next to prog elements and spherical sounds. While listening you will think of one or the other band, but in it's way The Tangent created their own sound. A retro-based sound, but with modern parts and elements.
A great piece of music which easily carries you away... Drags you into the story. Enthralls you. A pleasure to listen to! Need to check it out? Okay, then listen to the title track Not As Good As The Book!


9 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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           ©2008-2014 by Claudia Ehrhardt • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com


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