Customer Reviews

Babylon

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was curious to hear this CD on learning that lead guitar was played by Vinny Burns, ex-Dare member, and a true guitar hero. The album is hard rock with a metal edge, and the songs, penned by vocalist Gary Hughes, are outstanding. The album is based on a simple conceptual story, "Babylon" (hence the title!) but the songs rock and the musical ability of everyone involved is exemplary. Besides Burns and Hughes, Don Airey guests on keyboards, adding a melodic edge to proceedings. Every song has a memorable hook, but my favourites are "The Stranger", "Barricade" (with a brilliant mid-tempo guitar solo), the moody "Love Became the Law", and the almost Deep Purple-esque "Black Hearted Woman". This band definitely deserves to become well known on the basis of this effort. I'd place this as one of the top heavy rock albums of 2000.

Remember STYX "Kilroy Was Here"? Ten's Babylon is a concept album much like this classic STYX offering. Ten's vocalist Gary Hughes is much like STYX vocalist Dennis De Young as well, with wonderful vocal range and expressing intense emotion. Ten's "Babylon" takes the listener through the world of 2999 AD, under the premise that "The Great War" has left most of the earth uninhabitable and the human population lives in atmospherically controlled "domes". The album songs stand by themselves, but if you read the literature with the CD you get further insight to the story they are telling (much like STYX "Kilroy Was Here", once again.) "The Stranger" is a powerful song about feeling alienated. "Barricade" is a very sensual song that has a really good rhythm to it . . . but is NOT a ballad by any means. "Give in This Time" and "Love Became the Law" are powerful melodic rock songs. "The Heat" speeds up the pace a bit while still sporting the heavy guitar work heard throughout the album. "Silent Rain" is a powerful ballad. "Timeless" is another rhythmic song accompanied by LOTS of guitar work. "Black Hearted Woman" is a solid offering that is about a perfect murderess. "Thunder in Heaven" starts off with tons of guitar work then smoothly transitions into the vocals and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. "Valentine" finishes the album with a gentle, beautiful ballad. Overall, the album is strong melodic hard rock with a lot of heavy guitar . . . very much like STYX or Foreigner might offer. Many of the songs have a strong "grind" kind of rhythm that is infectious . . . makes you want to get up and dance. Some of the lyrics are very haunting and send a shiver up your spine. In between some of the songs there are spoken snippets that help string the story together. If you are already a fan of TEN then I expect you will enjoy this album. As a band that typically exhibits many facets on any given album, the style should not come as a big surprise to a seasoned TEN fan. For those of you who are new to TEN, I think if you like bands like STYX, Queen and other melodic hard rock acts that like to dabble with different sounds, you'll really enjoy TEN. I was hooked from the first song I heard by them! Any band with a really strong vocalist plus a different sound will always get my attention! Add this CD to your collection. I think you'll be glad that you did!

Nearly every song is a gem on this fine, fine disc. Ten is the number of years since I've last heard an album this good! Well, almost. I'm rounding a 4.5 review up to 5 stars here, due to the occasional whiff of Steve Perry ballad-itis on a couple of tracks. Gary, let your band shine. The production, the hooks, the Neuromancer-esque concept, the wonderful Luis Royo cover art - I'd buy this album twice just to hear "Timeless" or "Paradise" again when this CD breaks.

After the success of their 1998 album The Robe, Gary Hughes and Ten came back in 2000 with another concept album, this one called Babylon. The subject matter is a bit less epic than The Robe, focusing on a Blade Runner-esque love story. Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to the story, and the little "dramatic interludes" that have been tacked on to a few songs are somewhat annoying, but the music more than makes up for it.

Babylon is a perfect example of Ten's particular brand of melodic rock. Hughes is a first rate songwriter and producer, and his warm vocals add a tremendous sense of emotion and strength to these songs. Add that to Vinny Burns's guitar wizardry and Paul Hodson's masterful keyboards, and you have a melodic rock album that's close to perfection. There isn't a weak song on the album, and even if you don't pay much attention to the story behind the songs, they way they all fit together and hold the same mood is noticeable.

If you're a Ten fan, this is a must-have. If you're new to the band, this is a great place to start (though The Robe is a better album). It should appeal to most AOR/melodic rock fans, especially those into Magnum, Rainbow, Harem Scarem, Pink Cream 69, TNT, and Pretty Maids.

PS - If you like what you hear on Babylon, you should definitely look into Gary Hughes's Once and Future King albums. They're a pair of concept albums based on the legend of King Arthur that feature some of the best vocalists in the melodic rock genre.

Remember STYX "Kilroy Was Here"? Ten's Babylon is a concept album much like this classic STYX offering. Ten's vocalist Gary Hughes is much like STYX vocalist Dennis De Young as well, with wonderful vocal range and expressing intense emotion. Ten's "Babylon" takes the listener through the world of 2999 AD, under the premise that "The Great War" has left most of the earth uninhabitable and the human population lives in atmospherically controlled "domes". The album songs stand by themselves, but if you read the literature with the CD you get further insight to the story they are telling (much like STYX "Kilroy Was Here", once again.) "The Stranger" is a powerful song about feeling alienated. "Barricade" is a very sensual song that has a really good rhythm to it . . . but is NOT a ballad by any means. "Give in This Time" and "Love Became the Law" are powerful melodic rock songs. "The Heat" speeds up the pace a bit while still sporting the heavy guitar work heard throughout the album. "Silent Rain" is a powerful ballad. "Timeless" is another rhythmic song accompanied by LOTS of guitar work. "Black Hearted Woman" is a solid offering that is about a perfect murderess. "Thunder in Heaven" starts off with tons of guitar work then smoothly transitions into the vocals and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. "Valentine" finishes the album with a gentle, beautiful ballad. Overall, the album is strong melodic hard rock with a lot of heavy guitar . . . very much like STYX or Foreigner might offer. Many of the songs have a strong "grind" kind of rhythm that is infectious . . . makes you want to get up and dance. Some of the lyrics are very haunting and send a shiver up your spine. In between some of the songs there are spoken snippets that help string the story together. If you are already a fan of TEN then I expect you will enjoy this album. As a band that typically exhibits many facets on any given album, the style should not come as a big surprise to a seasoned TEN fan. For those of you who are new to TEN, I think if you like bands like STYX, Queen and other melodic hard rock acts that like to dabble with different sounds, you'll really enjoy TEN. I was hooked from the first song I heard by them! Any band with a really strong vocalist plus a different sound will always get my attention! Add this CD to your collection. I think you'll be glad that you did!

...a few phrases that describe this gem. I first heard "Give In This Time" on an import compilation and was drawn to obtain more. If you're looking for something a bit different and are sick of Top 40 rubbish - give Ten a try - "Black Hearted Woman" is worth the money anyway.

I decided to pick this up after listening to Bob Cateley's new album "Legends", which Gary Hughes (Ten's lead singer) wrote songs for. And I must say I am glad I did.

This is a great album, reminding me musically of Magnum at their best, with just a touch of Foreigner's Lou Gramm in the vocal department.

The whole album is a highlight from beginning to end, with Gary adeptly covering the gamut of emotions from anger to sorrow to love in his vocals.

If you like melodic hard-rock, this really is a top album. One of the best I've heard this year.

Remember STYX "Kilroy Was Here"? Ten's Babylon is a concept album much like this classic STYX offering. Ten's vocalist Gary Hughes is much like STYX vocalist Dennis De Young as well, with wonderful vocal range and expressing intense emotion. Ten's "Babylon" takes the listener through the world of 2999 AD, under the premise that "The Great War" has left most of the earth uninhabitable and the human population lives in atmospherically controlled "domes". The album songs stand by themselves, but if you read the literature with the CD you get further insight to the story they are telling (much like STYX "Kilroy Was Here", once again.) "The Stranger" is a powerful song about feeling alienated. "Barricade" is a very sensual song that has a really good rhythm to it . . . but is NOT a ballad by any means. "Give in This Time" and "Love Became the Law" are powerful melodic rock songs. "The Heat" speeds up the pace a bit while still sporting the heavy guitar work heard throughout the album. "Silent Rain" is a powerful ballad. "Timeless" is another rhythmic song accompanied by LOTS of guitar work. "Black Hearted Woman" is a solid offering that is about a perfect murderess. "Thunder in Heaven" starts off with tons of guitar work then smoothly transitions into the vocals and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. "Valentine" finishes the album with a gentle, beautiful ballad. Overall, the album is strong melodic hard rock with a lot of heavy guitar . . . very much like STYX or Foreigner might offer. Many of the songs have a strong "grind" kind of rhythm that is infectious . . . makes you want to get up and dance. Some of the lyrics are very haunting and send a shiver up your spine. In between some of the songs there are spoken snippets that help string the story together. If you are already a fan of TEN then I expect you will enjoy this album. As a band that typically exhibits many facets on any given album, the style should not come as a big surprise to a seasoned TEN fan. For those of you who are new to TEN, I think if you like bands like STYX, Queen and other melodic hard rock acts that like to dabble with different sounds, you'll really enjoy TEN. I was hooked from the first song I heard by them! Any band with a really strong vocalist plus a different sound will always get my attention! Add this CD to your collection. I think you'll be glad that you did!