Customer Reviews

Be

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

 

 

This is my first taste of Salem Hill, "Be" having been recommended by friends and touted by several industry reviews. I wasn't disappointed. I find "Be" an engaging mixture of Beatlesque harmonies, eighties-style rock and a lot of very decent heavier prog/rock numbers. Many of the songs hark back to the quirky styles of 10cc and Godley-Creem
My favorites are the prog-tinged Symposium, the hard-driving Apollyon, the soaring Love Won't Save the World, the rocking I Didn't Come For You, and the Beatlesque finale, Regard Me.
Themes of death, despair, disillusionment and loneliness are interwoven throughout, but positive notes occasionally burst through. "Children of the Dust" is a subject the band touches on in several songs besides the one that bears that name.
Four stars for this exciting find. Overall, "Be" is a strong effort that makes Salem Hill a band that deserves wider recognition. Only a couple of weaker cuts and the corporate-rock feel of The Red Pool keep it from attaining the highest recommendation. Despite those fairly inconsequential negatives, I will revisit this CD many times and check out some of their other albums.

This is the first Salem HIll CD I bought, however, I have heard a few tunes from "Robbery of a Murder." This is more modern/hard Rock than prog and should appeal to a wide audience. The album sports some pulse pounding rhythms, strong bass lines, excellent vocals and interesting guitar/keyboard interplay. What struck me the hardest is the great lyrics and passionate delivery. This could easily make the "heavy rotation" list for your cd player.
Now I have to get the back catalogue..........

Simply put, "Be" is the best Salem Hill album to date and is a must buy for people who like modern progressive rock. All of the trademark Salem Hill elements are here, along with some new twists and turns not explored on their previous efforts. If you are tired of the same old spoonfed radio fodder, and are looking for new music with substance and creativity, give "Be" a shot. You won't be disapointed.

Saw these guys in concert in their home town in Tenn. last weekend and bought this cd. These guys are awesome, thats all I can say. Their show is better than their records, I can say that much for sure. The only downside to the band is the use of ONLY electric drums; as a drummer that takes away from the sound of the music. After the concert, the frontman (lead voice, guitar, keyboards -dont recall his name right now) invited everyone from the small venue to HIS house for a cookout. Definately the nicest people in a big-time band Ive ever met.

Salem Hill's release highlights their strongest song oriented approach in their career. With such awesome songs as So Human, Children of the Dust, and Love Won't Save the World, this is perhaps the best songwriting we have seen since The Robbery of Murder. Added to the mostly good vocals and professional production, this is a great introduction to Salem Hill for new listeners. The problem is the slightly off-key vocals on Symposium, which is really a great track, but soon the flatness of the singing will annoy you enough to the point where you can't listen to it anymore. Overall, the influences of Kansas, Dream Theater, Rush, and Queen can not be denied. This is an essential record for any SH fan.

This album is being touted as SalemHill's best effort to date and as the album that will place them firmly in the international limelight of progressive rock. With tight harmonies, smoking instrumentals, and the complex lyrics people have come to expect of these guys from Tenessee, this is the album you MUST get this year!