Customer Reviews

Happiness With Minimal Side Effects

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

 

 

Well being a crimson afficianado and collecting all their stuff i was a bit dubious about this, but it really is rather good and it has Ian McDonald on sax/flute which is even better. Ian has a pretty decent voice and his drumming is spot on and his songs are top notch. It is VERY crimsonish paticularky on 'too much dogma' and 'castaway' (shame the intro didn't last longer) there is mellotron aplenty and it could well fit into 'islands' no problem. There is some Beatle-ish chorus's throughout and the band are tight and if the latter tracks are like Steely Dan with the funky bass lines so what! It does lose its way toward the end, but it is a good and unusual debut album. Actually if you pine for early Crimson or rate Pete Sinfeild's 'still' album you could do a lot worse than buy this!

I was very interested to hear this album because I am a huge King Crimson fan and loved the Islands album. For those reading this you probably already know that Ian was the drummer on that album. Since he was fired from King Crimson he has played for many people including Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. I was very excited to find out he had actualy put out a solo album. I really wanting to hear it and I found a copy online and listend to it. I'll have to say this music is very weak to me. I don't like some of the harmonys on this and Castaway sounds way to cheesy and a bit lost in time. I heard this was very much like a Crimson record. It is in places but that doesen't necesarily mean it sounds good. I'm glad he put out 1 solo album before he left us but unfortunutly I was very disapointed with this album. Some of the jazz parts sounds great but the vocal parts sound very cheesey and bland and there just isn't any real life to the songs here. I listened to this a handful of times and I just can't get into it. Musicaly it's weak and lyricaly it's very weak. Fans of King Crimson Islands era look elsewhere. You will not find a classic album here.

Personal insight served up with taste,texture, and flavourful jazz overtones.

It reminds me of works from John Lennon, except Wallace was influenced by Jazz, as evident on this album and the obvious Crimson Jazz Trio album produced!

Anyone familiar with Wallace's work should buy this album.