Customer Reviews

As the World

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With the exception of an occasional stylistic (vocal and arrangement) nod to Gentle Giant Echolyn produces one of the most original progressive CDs of the 90's with As The World. The songwriting is excellent, songs like As The World, The Cheese Stands Alone and My Dear Wormwood develop while retaining melodic structure.

As a whole As The World is a consistantly entertaining album. While true that it may take a bit of time to get into the rewards are worth the effort. Some comments from prior reviewers make Echolyn sound overly complex and not accessible which may put some people off.

If you are familiar with progressive rock you will find a lot to be excited about on this CD. If you are looking for a super fast, prog metal album this might not be for you. There are plenty of dynamics and intensity but Echolyn are more similar to classic 70's progressive in terms of structure and sound. Don't let that scare you into thinking this is yet another retread or prog cliches as the music is contemporary. Another interesting aspect of the band are their American roots. On their next album, Cowboy Poems Free, they would develop an entire CD based on Americana. Some of that feel is here on As The World and is an interesting contrast to many of their contemporaries.

Some may find Ray Weston's vocals an aquired taste. They didn't do much for me initially, they are at times quite dramatic and seemed on first listen to be over the top. Through further listenings I've grown to enjoy his style.

These guys are excellent musicians that sing as well as they play. Their lyrics are also worth listening to. Sadly, this is the only major label CD by the band and it is their best. If you can find it get it.

Lush, complex progressive rock that uses familiar elements (from Yes, Gentle Giant, Kansas, jazz) in fresh ways to create their own unique sound. Impressive and beautiful, and I can honestly say I've never heard anything quite like it before. Recommended.

Note: they broke up due to their record company's utter indifference (not because they didn't become successful but, I'm guessing, because breaking up a band is often the only way to get out of a typical major label contract), but recently got back together with a new drummer and a new album on the way.

I just discovered the progressive rock band Echolyn this year, and they've made a big impression on me. This 1995 album isn't quite as good as 2000's "Cowboy Poems Free". At first listen, I was disappointed, because "As the World" is the opposite of all the things I loved most on the other CD. "Cowboy Poems Free" was modern, didn't wear its influences on its sleeve, and the band played with restraint. "As the World" is (like most second-generation prog bands) stuck in the 70s, is more obviously derivative (mostly of Yes and Gentle Giant), and most of all, the band is overplaying, with cluttered arrangements that change direction every few seconds. Still, after 5 or 6 listens, it grew on me a LOT, enough to give it 4 stars. Fans of 70s prog-rock should like this one; those who want to hear something more up-to-date should try and track down a copy of "Cowboy Poems Free". This album includes a lot of Echolyn's best stuff, and would be a real classic if not for the attention-deficit-disorder nature of the arrangements. In this case, more is less.

Echolyn is a very good bunch of musicians, and they show off their chops a lot more here than on "Cowboy Poems Free" or 2002's "Mei". Their vocal harmonies are perhaps the best prog-rock has ever produced, even better than Yes. The ballads tend to work better than the rockers here, because the arrangements are less jumpy. "Settled Land" and "The Cheese Stands Alone" are good enough to work despite all the twists and turns; "Uncle", "My Dear Wormwood", and "Audio Verite" aren't. The best songs, "How Long I Have Waited" and "Never the Same", are given more room to breathe. The latter is the most comforting song about dealing with death that I've heard in many years. "Best Regards", "Entry 11-19-93", and "One for the Show" are also good songs. "The Cheese Stands Alone" reminds me a lot of Living Colour, while the title cut is pure Yes. "All Ways the Same" and "Entry 11-19-93" have string arrangements that sound right off of an XTC album.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

This album had mass-appeal. Prog-fans are not the only ones who liked this album. This could have been BIG; but, as usual, Sony ...did not promote it.
"As the World" is filled with catchy, hook-filled, artsy songs that made it the best of its class. Nothing else released that year by a major label compares in song writing, musicianship, and production. Songs such as Best Regards, A Short Essay, and Wormwood were heads above the normal pop music of the day. The song Never The Same is an anthem in the same vein as Elton John's Funeral For A Friend.
Alas, since echolyn were too good at playing their instruments and therefore not "as the [rest of] world", this great band and album got grossly over-looked by the industry. This is perhaps the best example of how incompetent current record executives are. No wonder the music industry is in trouble.

I do concur with some of the previous reviewers that this album is a bit difficult to grasp during the first couple of listens. It feels quite disjointed and disparate in many spots; the odd meters and strange chord patterns seem like pieces of a puzzle that don't fit. But after a few more listens, the ingenuity of the arrangements begins to emerge, each song begins to possess an indelible charm, and everything suddenly makes sense. Which makes As The World the stroke of genius that it is. At this time, this is my favorite CD. I cannot seem to listen to it enough. The sound here is quite interesting. I discovered that Echolyn is an American band, but from listening to them, they sound very British, much like a 90's version of Gentle Giant. What is most fascinating here is the musical emphasis seems to revolve more around vocals than anything else. Many different characters emerge from the lead vocalist in most of the songs, adding a theatrical quality to them. Multi-part harmonies during verses takes priority over any riff or melody. Although the musicians are highly technical (the drummer especially, whose parts would drive a transcriber insane) and skilled, overindulgence is kept to a minimum, solos are generally rather short. As a result, songs rarely stretch beyond five minutes in length. I would highly recommend this for any fans of Gentle Giant, Kansas, the vocal stylings of Queen, or 70's art rock. I might add that the price is quite a bargain for a CD with as much quality music (almost 70 minutes) as this. Buy As The World now, before it slides away!

Sure, there are a few reviews here saying that this album is too complex- to the point of being annoying.

On the first 5 spins I said the same things about this album. I even came close to trading the thing in at the used store in my neighborhood. After about 8-10 spins though, I began to "get it" and learn the songs. I now consider Echolyn to be one of the best 5 prog bands of the 90's based on the merits this album. If there was ever an album that grows on you . . .

The joy with music like this is the anticipation of all those complex changes and weird tempo shifts. This is just about the most complex progressive rock album I have ever heard that is still accessable enough to enjoy doing most anything from driving to just hanging out.

To me it's like a cross between Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull's "Songs From the Wood" album on amphetamines. If that sounds good to you, you'll love it.

This disc definitely takes time to appreciate. The music is powerful progressive rock played by great musicians with outstanding lead and backing vocals.

Highlights - "As The World" a fast paced tune with great vocal interplay (similar to Gentle Giant)... "Uncle" has many intriguing time/tempo changes... "The Cheese Stands Alone" is a masterpiece with an incredible hook that makes me want to play this tune over and over... "My Dear Wormwood" an upbeat jazzy bit... and "Settled Land" showcasing terrific vocals.

A visit to the bands website will provide details where the re-release of this CD/DVD can be purchased. The DVD has about 38 minutes of live footage and a brief interview with Ray and Brett recorded in 1995.

If anything, this album reminded me of a cross between Yes (notably "Close to the Edge" and "Relayer") and Rush (1976-80 music)...and that's a recommendation. That's prog that I like; complex yet heavy and melodic. I think it a sin and a shame that Epic didn't bother to hang onto these guys, or to promote them more and/or better. In this age of cookie-cutter boy bands, pop tarts and rappers, something that's on a path other than the mainstream is worth checking out. Echolyn deserve to be heard; I would recommend them to anyone who has also sampled bands from the Kinesis Records stable (an independent and strictly prog company). I would even say they belong in that particular stable, where they will be properly appreciated.

Should you have liked Gentle Giant, most likely this will delight you. The sound is simular, more complex, perhaps a bit more edgey, rich and quite enjoyable. There are no extended solos here but there are some very intricate instrumental and vocal interplays and the musicians are top notch.

If you like bands such as Yes, ELP, King Crimson, and Rush then you will probably enjoy the band echolyn. that is all i hafta say.