Artist: Happy the Man
Album: The Muse Awakens ( 2004 )
Format: CD
Label: InsideOut
Genre: [Instrumental Progressive Rock]
Overall Rating: 8.5
Music: 8.5
Production: 8.5
Website: www.rockreviews.uni.cc/reviewpage.php?ID=113
Sometimes I seem to have missed some really good bands (I find out about them and notice that they have already released quite a lot of albums). That is the case with Happy the Man, who play instrumental progressive rock (with the exception of one song that contains vocals). It's hard to believe that the Muse Awakens is already their 8th album (I haven't heard of them before). When I listened to the Muse Awakens for the first time, I wondered where did these guys come from. One name sounded familiar, though... David Rosenthal, the keyboard player, who appeared on Steve Vai's Passion & Warfare album.
This album is full of classic, beautiful progressive rock with flutes and saxes (both of which have been used felicitously). The first song (and few others) contained some gimmickry, but otherwise the compositions have been crafted quite melodiously. There are lots of beautiful melodic passages and harmonious arrangements. My favourites on this album are tracks 4, 6, 8, 9 and 11 (also tracks 2, 3 and 10 are quite good).
The Muse Awakens has been produced well... There's not much to complain (except a few details). For example, the cymbals could have been mixed better (in some ways the china cymbals had a "broken" sound).
There aren't much albums released these days that please fans of classic progressive rock. However, this is one of the few "must-have" albums released this year (if you're a fan of instrumental progressive rock, that is).
Visit Artist's Website
- MAGE (14.10.2004)
Album: The Muse Awakens ( 2004 )
Format: CD
Label: InsideOut
Genre: [Instrumental Progressive Rock]
Overall Rating: 8.5
Music: 8.5
Production: 8.5
Website: www.rockreviews.uni.cc/reviewpage.php?ID=113
Sometimes I seem to have missed some really good bands (I find out about them and notice that they have already released quite a lot of albums). That is the case with Happy the Man, who play instrumental progressive rock (with the exception of one song that contains vocals). It's hard to believe that the Muse Awakens is already their 8th album (I haven't heard of them before). When I listened to the Muse Awakens for the first time, I wondered where did these guys come from. One name sounded familiar, though... David Rosenthal, the keyboard player, who appeared on Steve Vai's Passion & Warfare album.
This album is full of classic, beautiful progressive rock with flutes and saxes (both of which have been used felicitously). The first song (and few others) contained some gimmickry, but otherwise the compositions have been crafted quite melodiously. There are lots of beautiful melodic passages and harmonious arrangements. My favourites on this album are tracks 4, 6, 8, 9 and 11 (also tracks 2, 3 and 10 are quite good).
The Muse Awakens has been produced well... There's not much to complain (except a few details). For example, the cymbals could have been mixed better (in some ways the china cymbals had a "broken" sound).
There aren't much albums released these days that please fans of classic progressive rock. However, this is one of the few "must-have" albums released this year (if you're a fan of instrumental progressive rock, that is).
Visit Artist's Website
- MAGE (14.10.2004)