Feb 21, 2012 15:09:26 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Just listened to a couple of samples from Primary Elements, the first album from Stanley's new project Six Elements on www.sixelementsmusic.com/
You can pre-order the CD and/or download right now. Cool stuff and great band:

Stanley Whitaker – vocals
Jeffrey McGahren – guitars, organ solo's on two tracks
Michael (Misha) Shengaout – keyboards and samples plus production
Dave De Marco - bass and percussion on one track
Marc Norgaard - drums
Betty Seni - vocals on one track
Inna Satunovsky - piano on two tracks
The Fauxharmonic Orchestra - brass on one track and string quartets on two tracks

Edited Mar 14, 2012 7:44:33 GMT -5 by steamingears

Feb 22, 2012 16:03:34 GMT -5

Quote |

	befrost	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,610 posts I joined January 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

A surprise project to me. Stan's voice sounds great, and the music sounds promising.

Mar 7, 2012 14:04:31 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Here's a review, published on Just For Kicks:

New symphonic rock band from Georgia (of all places). The band was assembled by keyboardist Michael Shengaout. He linked up with guitarist Jeff McGahren and then afterwards enlisted Happy The Man's Stanley Whitaker to handle the vocals. It's a bit odd to not hear Whitaker's guitar on here but McGahren does an accomplished job. The music is pure 70s symphonic rock, with Whitaker deliberately sounding as much like Peter Gabriel as humanly possible. Shengaout does a pretty credible Tony Banks turn incorporating delicate piano and organ. I presume the flute parts are keyboard samples but it works just fine. The melodic side of the band clearly demonstrates that Camel was an influence as well. I'm reminded a bit of the California band Metaphor but without the heavy handed religious themes. If Six Elements goes out and gigs they could turn out to be a real force to be reckoned with. This one is a lot of fun. Highly recommended.

Edited Mar 7, 2012 14:06:08 GMT -5 by steamingears

Mar 14, 2012 7:42:15 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Just received the album through the post. First listen right now. The sound gives me a nice, warm nostalgic feeling. Good old folky progressive poprock with a modern twist. Like the review above mentioned the flute parts probably come from samples, but because there are many it's too bad they didn't ask Kit Watkins for those

Edited Mar 14, 2012 7:59:37 GMT -5 by steamingears

Mar 26, 2012 9:06:14 GMT -5

Quote |

	befrost	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,610 posts I joined January 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Have you listened to the album any more recently? If so..any thoughts?

Mar 26, 2012 13:20:33 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Mar 26, 2012 9:06:14 GMT -5 befrost said:

Have you listened to the album any more recently? If so..any thoughts?

A pleasant album all in all. Don't think "Happy The Man" or "Oblivion Sun", but song-orientated Genesis with Gabriel and a folky touch. You can listen to two full tracks this week on the Xymphonia-site; we played those songs yesterday.
Stanley's voice is very warm, while it has been recorded in many layers, so there's a lot of harmony-vocals too.

Mar 26, 2012 14:02:07 GMT -5

Quote |

	befrost	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,610 posts I joined January 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Harmony vocals is a good thing i think. I saved the page so i can check it out later on this week, thanks!!

Mar 31, 2012 9:54:31 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

All Things If (see also this post) is an interesting site, that has a direct link to Six Elements. The song If is based on the poem with the same title and indeed Misha is one of the people behind this site. He mailed me this information:

On April 15th there will be a special issue of All Things If magazine devoted to Stanley Whitaker. It will contain interviews with Ken Scott, Ron Riddle, Rick Kennell, hopefully - Paul Reed Smith (owner of PRS guitars), Cliff Fortney, Michael Beck, Ken Whitaker (Stan's brother) and, of course, a very long interview with Stan himself. The topic - Triumph and Disaster (quite from Kipling's poem "IF"), to which Stan's life is such a great illustration.

You can listen to If on this page of All Things If.

Edited Mar 31, 2012 10:00:39 GMT -5 by steamingears

Apr 1, 2012 9:04:10 GMT -5

Quote |

	steamingears	Right now I'm Offline I have made 1,442 posts I joined February 2003		I currently have no messenger contact information filled out.	I currently have no social network information filled out.

Here's a nice clip from IF: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNaNKwGVkh0