Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Rock Classic AllI In Itself, April 24, 2007
Remember the good old days when music was MUSIC????And NOT just a thrown bunch of malarkey that all the bands of today seem to be dishing out like a tidal wave flowing through an open dam???One listen to this record by UK's The Reasoning,spearheaded by ex-Magenta bass player Matthew Cohen,and I can guarantee you that you will get that warm promising feeling that music in general is taking a turn for the better once again.After listening to this recording,I just don't know what parts of the record to rave about first.The music itself is a prog feast but goes beyond the term "prog".The vocals and harmonies are purely magical yet intense.Guitarist Dylan Thompson and keyboardist Gareth Jones bring back a true Hughes/Coverdale Purplish type of up and down melodic balance and its all topped off with ex-Karnataka vocalist,the lovely Rachel Jones whose octaves take a back seat to one before her.Guitarist Lee Wright and drummer Vinden Wylde cap off what is a true musical section of brilliance and swank musicianship.This is one of those records that you will be listening to over and over again,and will know all the songs by heart in a very short time.No my friends,they just don't write music like this anymore.Steve Rothery of Marillion (a truely underrrated guitarist)makes a special guest appearance along with a beautiful violin and mandolin virtuoso by Blue Horses' Liz Prendergast.Dave Meegan(Marillion,Rush)did the mixing.The album is produced,recorded and engineered by Matthew Cohen.The tracks are flawless from beginning to end and the problem is...you just don't want this record to end...It makes you anticipate and wonder just what their next record will be like...Just like in the good old days,when music was...well, music!! Do yourself a favor and give this a listen.I guarantee you will be mesmerized by the true beauty and sound of this great recording and how much heart and determination these fine musicians have put into this piece of work...Happy Listening ONE and ALL ,,,,Michael Maffei,New York
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Modern Prog Rock at its Best, January 14, 2008
This is a fantastic offering from The Reasoning.
Excellent vocals with three distinct vocalists flowing seamlessly. The melodies and musicianship are great. They remind me of Pure Reason Revolution - another prog band that mixed male and females vocals. If you like PRR at all, you like like this. The sound is very listenable, yet not oversimplified.
My favorite is "Fallen Angels", but really I listen to the entire album from top to bottom.
Five stars all the way. Hopefully they will become more well known and continue to make great music.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vocals, vocals, and more amazing vocals!, November 12, 2008
The Reasoning... a prog ensemble with 3 strong lead vocalists.. are no doubt a great band. I was never a fan of Magenta or any of the bands this band was born of, but the quality of the vocal melodies here are just stunning. Almost every song leaves about 3 or 4 very catchy vocal melodies swimming around your head. The first time I heard the album, I was a bit put off by the production.. being a home studio prog rock freak, I know I could have produced this album better than whoever did it. The rhythm section (bass and drums) are hidden way far back in the mix.. musically, the guitar playing and the guitar tones are just horrible. The producer should be ashamed of how the guitar solos sound so antiquated and so decidedly unclean and un-prog (with the exception of Marillion's Rothery showing everybody how it's done on the last song).. I also wonder how much pitch correction was used on the vocals... they sound heavily doctored, and watching clips of the band performing live confirm that the vocals aren't so sweet on stage as they are in the studio.
Highlights:
** The title track "Awakening" is very predictable standard prog.. it's almost as though they used a template.. but the vocal melodies make up for it, in my opinion. I get chills when the keyboard player busts out the line "we stood on a hill, the wind went through our hair" .. it's tasty stuff.
** "Playing The Game" is one of the best songs on the album. The vocal melodies are unforgettable and timeless.. amazing hooks all over the place.. the bass playing and piano playing are also very tasteful and impressive.
** "Sacred Shape" is by far my favorite song on this album.. it's so textbook prog, I know.. but these guys pull it off masterfully. I love the overtly proggy lyrics "but here's the part that no science can explain" .. the acoustic and slide guitar work isn't bad, either. I just love this song.. I know it's cheesy as hell, but it's so good, I can't get enough of it.
Some of the songs are downright bad.. songs like "Aching Hunger" and "Fallen Angel" could have used more time in the post-production room.. they don't sound very tight or convincing here.
In closing, I need to emphasize that despite my criticisms, I really like this band and I hope they find a good producer and take their time on their second album. They would do well to hire a lead guitarist, also. This album is so prog that at times it almost sounds like a joke.. but these guys are for real.. and I love textbook prog as much as anyone. To any prog rock fan, I recommend at least buying a few of the MP3's and check out the crazy good vocal hooks.
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