The More You Live, The More You Love

STEVE COCHRANE The Purest Of Designs (1998) (Spirit Compass Music SC103) 'My goal in life is to communicate a sense of optimism in our world - to project the image of a hero, not only as a character to be viewed, but also as a part of each of us, something to be experienced - the best within us. I try to create a musical picture of what should be and express the conviction that it is possible.' - Thus Steve Cochrane. With the Purest Of Designs this Canadian multi-instrumentelist releases what is already his third album, although he is still pretty much unknown in the Netherlands. His greatest inspiration comes from listening to the music of Rush, Renaissance, Mike Oldfield and Steve Hackett. After listening to this wonderful album I think I can include the Wind and Wuthering period of Genesis in this small list as well. Much of the atmosphere of the music harks back to this album, and several keyboard and guitar parts bring back to mind Wind And Wuthering. The opening track ...

NO-MAN FLOWERMOUTH (1994) (One Little Indian Records TPLP67CD) With Flowermouth No-Man delivers their first full CD, showing they’re still alive. With the signing of a contract to a large recordcompany, there was time and money enough for a full album, which in spite of the multi-instrumental talents of Steven Wilson contains a list of well-known guest musicians. Since Steven Wilson played as a guest role on their CD Beginning To Melt, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri (also a member of Porcupine Tree) are both involved. Robert Fripp and Mel Collins are well represented. The final result contains a clearly stamp of Fripp, who makes use of his flippertronics. Vocalist Tim Bowness sounds like Marc Almond, but keeps its vocals too monotonous. So the real fire work needs to come from Steven Wilson and the guest musicians. Especially notable is the link of balance the band has created from their equivocal past. He who knows No-Man specifically from the Exposure albums (then working und...

I like to start with a new item within my blog. As an editor of iO Pages I wrote a lot of reviews in the past. Besides iO Pages I also wrote for SI Magazine and the DPRP, although the later was for a short while. Since most of these reviews are in Dutch, I will translate them to English and place them on this blog. All reviews are from the period 1990 - 2005. The new ones I am already placing on this blog, although I am a bit behind. The "from the vault" review series will start with one of my next blog entries. So keep visiting for more prog reviews from the past and present.

Volume 24 01. Leisure Process - A Way You'll Never Be 02. Blue In Heaven - I Just Wanna 03. Peter Coyle - Yours the spirit That Soared 04. B-movie - Just An Echo 05. 3D - Nearer 06. Interview - The Adventurers 07. The Mood - Watching Hour 08. China Crisis - African And White (steve Proctor remix) 09. Wild Swans - 1982 10. H2O - Go On 11. The Man They Couldn't Hang - The Crest 12. Zerra One - The Domino Effect 13. Scary Thieves - Only Fascination 14. Brother Beyond - I Should Have Lied 15. Das Kabinette - The Cabinet 16. Transparent Illusion - Vortex 17. Bone Symphony - Everything I Say Is a Lie 18. Two Minds Crack - One Sky Above Us 19. Toyah - Brave New World

Over the past months I got some requests of reposting some compilations from the past. Because of my illnes I wasn't able to do it on earlier state, but here they finally are: Exposure: link The Unknown Beauty of the Eighties: Volume 10 The Unknown Beauty of the Eighties: Volume 15 Enjoy the music.