Customer Reviews

Hommage Symphonique

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Prog keyboard maestro Erik Norlander tributes his influences in unique and intense fashion. Erik's versions of songs from Yes, King Crimson and ELP among others are very well-crafted. Spectacular things are done with nuggets like Procol Harem's "Conquistador," Wakeman's "Sir Lancelot and the Black Night" and dynamic jazz of Chuck Mangione's "Children of Sanchez." Augmenting his own talents with those of Kelly Keeling, Don Schiff and Greg Bissonnette, Erik once again enthralls the listener with technique and flair.

In keeping with longtime collaborator Lana Lane's Gemini theme, keyboardist (and Lana's husband) Erik Norlander releases his own covers album. Instead of your average, run-of-the-mill covers album, Norlander takes the unique approach of transforming underground prog-rock classic of the seventies and turning them into a fusion of symphonic jazz. If you've heard Norlander's work with Lana Lane, then you know this is they style and the music that has influenced his keyboard playing.

Even though this is a Norlander affair, vocalist Kelly Keeling delivers some of the smoothest melodic tones when Erik isn't tearing apart his keyboard. Fans of Erik's work in Lana Lane may be a little put off by the slight change of style, but fans of 70s prog-rock will be astonished at how Norlander has reshaped these underground classics and made them his own.

Well usually I don't like any tribute album introducing classing symphonic rock like this one, especially as I'm fond of such a classic and new experimental symphonic progressive music in the vein of bands such as After Crying or Isildurs Bane. Moreover - as a fun of the old Yes - I've been very curious listening to another different version of "Turn of the Century", which can be another bad emulation...naturally I'm still just a little bit perplex about the present music project, nevertheless you can find some interesting passages within, by forgetting the performance of the bass player as well as the oddest vocal break through, sometimes strident in a couple of songs... of course it's not an hard rock album and the style of the vocalist is closer to that style, but at the end you can appreciate the honest approach by Erik and for me that's enough!

Make your own choice!

This is a pretty good covers album with an excellent group of songs from the "difficult to play" prog genre. Hard rock singer Kelly Keeling shows tremendous range in making these tunes come to life, often with real sensitivity in his voice. Norlander's analog keyboard sounds are right at home with this material. He is perhaps most successful in arrangements of unexpected tunes such as Chuck Mangione's "Children of Sanchez." However, the album comes to a clumsy close on what should have been a climactic version of King Crimson's "Starless." The song is absolutely ruined by a terrible performance from the bass player is badly sharp in many sections, particularly during the long, slow-building middle section that features the bass extensively. These parts are just excruciating to listen to, like fingernails on a blackboard.