Culture Of Ascent [Single]

Glass Hammer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single
• Label: Arion Records / Sound Resources
• ASIN: B000WW1Z9G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,547 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking up, December 20, 2007

By 

todd "3-LOCKBOX" (WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Culture Of Ascent (Audio CD)

I've never been big a fan of this prog band from Tennessee, but they sure are popular in prog circles. I've always critisized them in the past for being milktoast - not ballsy enough, too artsy-fartsy, lazy writing - steller musicianship though, at least one good song per album anyway. Kind of a souped-up Manheim Steamroller.

This new one is different. They have a couple of new members, Carl Groves of the band Salem Hill, who in my opinion is a much, much better writer of music and lyrics, and guitarist David Wallimann, who provides an edgier guitar sound. The songs on this new GH album, Culture Of Ascent, have bite, but still retain the air of symphonic prog. Not to say that GH sucked before, but they were a band patterned after the ELP side of prog (and I have little use for ELP). With this new album they have a more modern sound...well...as modern as this style of music gets anyway.

A few caveats - they touted this new one for months saying Jon Anderson was appearing on it...and he does, except he only provides "vocalizations" , not real vocals, so in my estimation, its like getting to second base on a date, over top of the winter coat. So anyone buying this CD thinking Anderson plays a major role on it will be disappointed. And while I appreciate the edge that Wallimann brings to this band, his soloing came acrossed a tad misplaced at times. The solos could have been thought out a bit better.

Carl Grove's touch is all over this one. I think the writing has improved and the compositions are stronger than on other GH albums. Perhaps GH is the prog outlet Groves has been looking for - fans of Salem Hill might want to take note of this new GH album, as its the prog album SH fans always wanted Carl Groves to make.

I like this rendition of Glass Hammer. No, this won't convert too many people already opposed to symphonic prog. The guitar play is meatier, but this isn't by any stroke a metallish sound; its still pretty much a keyboard affair. Sounding like a prog rock album, and not a Windham Hill album, it seems that someone finally lit a fire under GH for this new one.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Initial Impressions, November 8, 2007

By 

Eric L. Franklin "erictheviking2" (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Culture Of Ascent (Audio CD)

Where do you go from up? You ascend of course...

Glass Hammer is the best modern progressive rock band, and if it weren't for the existance of Gentle Giant, I'd put them solidly in the running for Best Progressive Rock Band Ever (sorry, Yes).

Other reviewers have hit several points: the more "metal" edged guitars, not enough Susie, repeated listenings, VERY hard to top "The Inconsolable Secret" et al. I think all these are all valid points, but my impression on one listening (so far) is that this is yet another darn fine effort from Glass Hammer. And now for the unavoidable prog band comparisons...

I find the harder edged guitar work more "Kansas" than "Dream Theater". It may be a little harsher than we're used to, but it works well in this work. If "The Inconsolable Secret" is Glass Hammer's "Close to the Edge", "Culture of Ascent" is their "Going For The One" (Awaken is perhaps my second favorite Yes song, so this is also a Good Thing). The vocals are fine throughout and Jon Anderson is always a delight to listen to, but Steve and Fred if you're reading this, more Susie B. would definitely be a Good Thing!

All that being said, Glass Hammer is not Yes, Kansas, ELP, or Gentle Giant. They are a fantastic band in their own right and their music has yet to fail to be anything less than uplifting. "Culture of Ascent" is no exception. A single listen in the old Grados has me sitting here with a big ear-to-ear grin; this is absolutely delightful music! It is a different and somewhat exotic flavor from their past work, but I'm looking forward to repeated listenings and digesting "Culture of Ascent" fully in the near future.

All in all, if you like progressive rock or Glass Hammer, you will like this album. It is definitely worth adding to your collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Astounding cover of Yes!, January 9, 2010

By 

Michael Northrop "Quell the Pang" (Whoknows, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Culture Of Ascent (Audio CD)

This CD has an absolutely breath-taking cover of Yes' South Side of the Sky, and Jon Anderson himself adds a small intro vocal. The rest of the CD is okay. There are a few good, extended prog riffs scattered here and there, but there are no other tracks that feature the female vocals heard on the Yes cover. Too bad, she is a great singer.