Customer Reviews

Almost Pure Instrumental

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do not agree with the conception of the publisher. The album cover says, that the album is instrumental, and the last non-instrumental song serves as a bridge to the next album. The songs are previous A.C. songs, with four new songs. Aqua and Windblown Waltz are sweet, light songs. They are good, but not outstanding (rate 4 of 5). The Pilgrim's March is based on Mendelsohn's 4th symphony. The best of the new songs is the Sonata for violoncello and piano, which is a nice work from Peter Pejtsik. This is not the best After Crying album, and I would be happier, if they had released an entirely new album....

This is the first album I have from this remarkable Hungarian progressive rock band. Almost Pure Instrumental represents their best selection (and remastered!) from their early albums. As you hear them you can feel ELP and King Crimson's influences. Of course East European classical music too. My favourite track is Insulted and Injured. After Crying is not a typical progressive rock nowadays bands. They played instruments, which are common in orchestra/ chamber, in a progressive rock way. They are very innovative, perhaps the only new progerssive rock band which is really 'progressive'.

This is a compilation album of instrumental tracks (well most of them as the title implies) from the bands first 5 studio albums. The tracks are put together in a way that they kind of flow together as a whole. If you did not know it was a compilation it sounds like a well crafted original studio album. There are also 3 tracks that were new at the time of this release. Lots of fine listening here and as mentioned the album kind of flows together so it is less a collection of tracks than a lengthy piece. Some of the music is very symphonic while some is almost classical in nature. The keyboard player is obviously influenced by Keith Emerson as some of his solos are practically clones of Emo's stuff. There are two vocal selections, one a spoken word piece done in Hungarian which does not really work for me. The other sung by a woman in the finale of the album called "Shining". This is my favorite track on the album. I believe the song is about a bullfighter with a very cool trumpet solo near the end that makes you feel like you are right in the bullring in Mexico or Spain.