Customer Reviews

The Great Leap

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

 

 

This is wonderful wonderful music, well crafted songwriting with various progressive/psychadelic/classic rock influences (you'll hear things like Tull, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Van Der Graff Generator), which is truly original and refreshing rather than a rehash of the cliches common in the modern prog genre. All of Phideaux's CDs are essential listening, they grab you at first with catchy melodies but also continue to grow on you because of the attention to subtle detail. The Great Leap is the first of a three part "concept" triology, my favorite of his current discography because of it's raw intensity and emotion.

"The Great Leap" surely defies simple description. The CD consists of heavily composed, hook-laden songs that, while lyrically themed, represent diverse ilks. One song sounds as if it could be from an REM CD; another is redolent of Billy Idol's musical style. The vocals are rough-edged and often compelling; the excellent and varied drumming shows a strong 80s influence. It's worth noting that the successor CD by Phideaux, the spectacular "Doomsday Afternoon," is a progressive suite that, although part two of what Phideaux has labeled a CD trilogy, bears only a passing resemblance to the far more traditional-rock music that comprises "The Great Leap."