Customer Reviews

Awakening

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

 

 

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

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.

First listen-"hmmm, not bad, excellent guitar riffs.." Kept it in my car player and upon a second listen "hey, really good". Now I am just repeating this disc, and it gets better and better. The beat, the guitar, oh the guitar. I want to rate this 4 1/2, but not sure if the stars are correct. A 5?-I leave that for the rare execeptional item. So, this must be pretty good at 4 1/2.

The modern new progressive wave (or "crossover prog"- as you often call it) sometimes is characterized by strange compromises...like their use of melodic but too much predictable dark lines (a bit easy in some circumstances), even though enriched by means of a good vocalism.
Well actually such vocalism, along with three different strong voices, is partially ruined by the recording (the sound is too much compressed and the mix is not perfect, also regarding of the bass guitar!!); and moreover They never forget the modern exigencies of the modern market, almost forcing them to lose their precise music direction!! Besides the final track "Within Cold Glass", featuring Steve Rothery on guitar, could make us change idea about it, as perhaps you find a leading guitar here, but it's not their usual mood.

"Awakening" has got a standard sound, standing in the middle between a typical n.w.p. music genre and the crossover genre, but a better production could have improved this tune. Instead that unique style by "The Reasoning" could meet your taste, despite of finding a song like "Playing The Game", with its sensible rhytmical section (do you remember the bass guitar within the ensemble of "Magenta"?) and a fairly good piano as well...nevertheless their production is not so modern (in the true meaning of this word, that is in the technological and polished manner, for example in the vein of a Terry Brown' sound engineering I mean!!...), so that is becoming a defect after a repetitive listen. However their typical rock is always present in the other songs, without any surprise, and They don't grow on me, also by recognizing their split from the commercial sound of the UK, which let us hope for their better music productions in the future!

You can add an half star, at the end!!

I recently discovered this band through related music on iTunes (Blackfield, Galahad, Pure Reason Revolution). Awakening is an excellent collection of songs, with beautiful harmonies featuring several lead singers.

The opening and title track, "Awakening", is a high-energy song that has elements of Dream Theater, one of my favorite bands. Other highlights include "Chasing Rainbows" and "Sacred Shape". There isn't a song I don't like on this disc, though.

What really blows me away in all of these songs is the voice of Rachel Cohen. The layering of her haunting voice and the two male singers is fantastic.

Listen to the samples - you won't be disappointed.

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.

I heard a cut from this band ("The Awakening") on a sampler from "Classic Rock Presents Prog" and was intrigued enough by the vocals to jump in feet first and get the CD. I was amazed after one full listen as to how under whelmed I was by the songs and musicianship but I decided to wait a week or two and give it several more tries.

Four or five listens later I'm still unmoved by what several reviewers here have referred to as a "prog-fest" or "modern prog at its best". Seriously, at best it's a decent contemporary rock record with a few undertones of rather tepid metal riffs and interesting counter melody harmonies and that's about it. The playing is adequate, the songs are decently crafted and there's melody galore but the front and center lyrics are rather bland to say the least and there is nothing structurally going on that is the least bit challenging musically. Every song is in a standard 4, there's not one even remotely interesting guitar break and it's recorded rather poorly to boot. Initially, something about the vocals on "The Awakening" struck me as Grace Slick & Marty Balin meets Renaissance meets...I don't know what I thought I heard but prolonged exposure just tended to make me sad that people would even remotely consider this amped up Fleetwood Mac (the evil, non Peter Green version) as a contemporary of current and past progressive bands.

It's pretty hard to put ones finger on what could be considered "Prog" but you know it when you hear it. Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Camel, UK, Rush, early Kansas, PFM, Marillion, Dream Theater (to an extent), Anekdoten, Porcupine Tree, Tool, Big Big Train, maybe Mars Volta and countless others have got it. These guys don't. I don't know how else to put it. It isn't awful by any means but I can't imagine anyone who now owns this CD remembering it five years from now and there certainly wasn't anything presented here that makes me want to explore the bands future or the individual members past. Just my humble opinion but you've been warned...

This album is not discovering any Americas, but it guarantees you pleasant listening. It's full of good melodies, tasty playing and inventive arrangement. Style? I'd call it "Prog mainstream", i.e. their music is sophisticated enough to qualify for prog, but in the same time is not over the top, so most classic rock fans also will like it.
This album was one of the biggest and pleasant surprises for me. Highly recommended.
I gave the album 4 stars. Unlike many reviewers here I believe that 5 star means "masterpiece" and should be used rarely.

I thought this would be a better disc based on the reviews I read for this album. However, I found it somewhat underwhelming upon hearing it for the 1st time. I've warmed slightly after a couple more listens but I think this disc is only okay, not great.

I gave this one star because it has Steve Rothery on one track on guitar.

I don't know what everyone is going on about. This is NOT prog, it is goth. There is nothing prog about this in my opinion. It is not enjoyable music. The themes are dark and unpleasant.

The recording is TERRIBLE. It is compressed beyond belief, there is no extension on bass or treble and the sibilants sound scratchy. It sounds like it was put together in someone's garage.