Customer Reviews

21st Century Man

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I got all of my Billy Thorpe albumns out of the cut-out bin at Co-op records. Can't believe how difficult it is to get them on CD. The purpose for this review is to answer the question "is there are Part 3 of the trilogy ?" Not really. "East of Eden's Gate" followed 21st Century Man. I really liked it but it wasn't a part 3. I guess Side 1 was part 2 and part 3 was on the other side.

There was another record released prior to East of Eden. I think it was called Stimulation. A couple songs sounded a little bit like the Police reggae stuff. Definately not trilogy material.

Children of The Sun Revisited mentioned a Children of The Sun video/movie and... nothing.

I was able to write to Billy Thorpe via his website and he responded. I was very happy. He said he might do a 5.1 version of Children of The Sun someday. Sadly, Thorpie died of a heart attack on February 28, 2007.

He will be missed

So here is my answer to the question, is there a COTS 3? Everyone knows that the last five on COTS is part 1, and 21st century man is part 2 (- the song "in my room" that closes it which is a about a boy in his room.) but is the last 4 on COTS revisited really part 3? let's take a look. East of edens gate is the title track from that album and never intended as part of COTS story , "earth calling" is basically saying we should wake up and do something before we destroy our planet. stretching things a bit it could be seen as a reprise to the story. doesnt strike me as part of it though. "turn it into love" is about a couple in a room tryin to do just that and "free enterprise" is about money,business and free enterpise. so how in the world could they be the "completion" of the story? there is nothing science fictional about any of them. I think they were just new studio tracks from billy. (also revisited strikes me as remastered,not remixed. I dont know. I have carefully compared the tracks and they seem to be original recordings remastered ,as a remix usually changes something fundamental to the sound, and these tracks seem identical but clearer,which is the point of a remaster) I'm sorry but Billy never completed the trilogy and if you must have one here it is: the last five on children of the sun = p.1, the first 3 on 21st century man = p.2 and finally tracks 4-6 on 21st century man is part 3 with rise completing the trilogy with wind noises the way it started. "In my room" (the last song) is not part of it (and I read something where billy says it is not.) this all kind of makes sense. think about it. the first part is ONE SIDE of a RECORD so couldn't the next 2 parts be also? side 1 (part 2) and then most of side 2 (part 3) of 21st century man. they were records back then and thats how you have to think about it. hope that might clear things up a bit ;-)

Billy Thorpe released 6 projects aimed at the US market. Children of the Sun, 21st Century Man, Stimulation, East of Eden's Gate, Children of the Sun Revisited, and a collaborative project with Mick Fleetwood in a band called The Zoo who did one project, called "Shakin' The Cage." Stimulation and East of Eden's Gate were never released on CD. The others mentioned here can sometimes be had on ebay, here on Amazon, or via other international sources (all out of print).

21st Century Man is part two of an intended trilogy which tells the story of Earth's demise via nuclear war. Surviving humans are rescued by humanoid aliens from another world, and taken to live on another planet ("Caledrus"). Billy's character fathers a new race with "the Sun King's daughter", also referred to as "The Queen of All The Universe."

This is great rock and roll from the era where synthesizers and hard rocking guitar freely intermingled. On this project, you'll hear the best of fat analog synthesizers, spacy sound effects, and balls-out rock and roll.

Other reviews here have inquired about the "Trilogy". Part one of the trilogy is side 2 of the "Children of the Sun" LP. Part two is this entire album, and part three is the final 4 songs of "Children of the Sun Revisited". "Revisited" isn't really a full project. It's a remix of side 2 of Children of the Sun with 3 new songs added to close the story. The fourth song on "Revisited" is the title track of "East of Eden's Gate" which wasn't really intended to be part of the story, but die-hard fans suggest that it does relate thematically and have more or less included it as part of the denoument of the rock opera.

21st Century Man, when inserted between side 2 of Children of the Sun and the 3 (4?) new tracks on Revisited, opens up a bit of a continuity problem. In Children of the Sun, humans are taken from Earth to another planet and we are left with the humans on the new planet with the song "The Beginning." However, 21st Century Man begins with an Earthly nuclear holocaust in the year 1991. A rescue ensues, and Billy's character eventually has a child with the Sun King's Daughter and becomes "The New Crowned King from Planet Earth."

Regardless of these inconsistencies, the project's aim was ambitious. And there's no denying that this album rocks with great production, tight harmonies, and slammin' bass lines from studio legend Leland Sklar. If you should ever, ever encounter this disc you owe it to yourself to pick it up and listen to it repeatedly. It's a great snapshot of a moment in time when the year 1991 seemed futuristic, synthesizers didn't sound digital, and rock operas were (barely) still cool.

I had this recording on vinyl when I was much younger than I am today. I guess there's just 'something' about being able to reach way, way back into your past and relive a few moments.

The CD is everything I hoped it would be. Billy, for whatever reason, had a rather narrow appeal, but I am so freakin' glad that I caught on to what he was, who he was, what his music was about and how much it could move you. This recording is a classic and if you're on the fence about how it will sound or if it made the transfer from vinyl mastering to digital/CD mastering, worry no more. This disc is loaded to the gills with dynamics and even if you scrutinize the sound with headphones, you won't be disappointed.

Wasnt two versions of 21st Century Man released? With narration before each song and In My Room was omitted from this version?

When i first found this "album" (yes a vinal disc) i totaly freaked out.. it had been out of print for years.. (i think i got it in the late 80's) i grabbed it, (was brand new) and children of the sun used record and hurried home.. what really got me was its part two of children of the suns story... 1991 is kind of a remake of children of the sun, and it explains the world being destroyed by war, and we are taken away by the children of the sun.. it continues on from there.. the last song is a rockin tune called 'in my room'.. but all in all, for all of you you hunger for more of the children of the sun saga, get this.. its a great investment.. one not that i did not see in the cd booklet that is in the record booklet is a mentioning of the children of the sun is a trilogy, and this is part 2.. i havent found any other information is there is actually a third part...