Customer Reviews

Moonshine

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

 

 

All I can say after listening to Moonshine several times is WOW! This is an amazing cd. From start to finish, the sound and feel is deep and moving. With long symphonic instrumentals within each song and Robert Amirian's voice that fits the music perfectly, this is a first rate prog cd. This band now goes under the name of Satellite. Same line up and same great neo-prog sound. If you like IQ,Sylvan,Quidam,this is for you.

While listening to the records owned by a friend of mine I found this little jewel. When I asked what it was he said it was some type of progressive rock.... well, what the hell let's give it a try... anything prog can be good for me. At first I immediately noticed an overally big keyboard work... rich layers of electronic sound complemented with nice guitars (lots of acoustic too), a cool but sometimes absent bass and catchy drumming plus the very good vocals, these are particularly well sung and an interesting voice (particular but not strange or outworldish). Very nice and VERY tranquilizing... So the next step I took was to record the album in a mini-disc, knowing that it looked like a difficult one to reach (seemed to come from an independent records company) and it was a great listen.

Like good old prog-rock every time you re-hear it, it becomes better and more trescendental. I've spent some time looking for the album and finally found it here at amazon: at a very high price and probably even unacquirable... great. So I'm limiting on just comenting about... if you ever see it give it a try... you probably won't be disappointed... especially fans of great bands like Marillion, Arena, Pendragon and Gabriel-era Genesis, etc. It's VERY good and, trust me, worth it.

For anyone who bothers, here's the song names which were written on the cd... though I still haven't seen the cover or know ANYthing about the band... oh well...

1.Heroe's Cry 2.In Your Eyes

3.Lovely Day 4.Living In the Moonlight 5.The Blues 6.Wings In The Night 7.Moonshine 8.War Is Over

Total Time:67:23

The reason I give it 5 stars (besides that it's actually a great album) is the surprise a band so unknown can give, they can make great music and they need to be helped, especially by those of us who want to hear more from them.

One of the best neo-progressive CDs period. For fans of Marillion, Pendragon, etc. Thick lush sound - very emotional music. If you are going to own any Collage, own this one. One person told me that this was the best CD that Genesis or Marillion never made - I would have to agree.

In the early 90s Collage was one of the best European neoprog bands. Saying 'neoprog' I understand the style which began with Marillion, Twelfth Night and other artists who tried to re-vamp progressive rock starting in the 80s.

Collage was a progressive band formed in Poland in 1985. Their first album "Basnie" ('Fairy Tales') from 1989 although sung entirely in Polish gained eminence not only in their native country. Music, steming from Genesis & Marillion style had its individual touch, was very warm and ... honest.

Subsequently Collage released weird and ... not convicing "9 Songs of John Lennon" - a tribute album, as the name suggests.

"Moonshine" (1994) is the follower of "Basnie" and can be easily compared with the best Marillion and Pendragon achievements. Colorful, lyrical, rich, long songs can be listened to many times with no boredom. Still, some of them sounds catchy and invitingly even for casual listeners. The album was recorded in the Netherlands and mixed in Poland - the only shortcoming is that it is a bit over-produced: sounds too rich in some moments.

I first heard this music on the radio (there was a live transmission), just wondering "oh, that is the progressive rock style" - I hadn't known it before. I taped the show, then bought freshly released "Moonshine" - and it was one of the entry gates to the world of great Music.

I highly recommend this music to everyone who loves progressive rock and is bored with many average bands of this style (say Arena or Jadis). Collage won't disapoint you.

Another Collage release worth listening is "Changes" - a retrospective album with songs recorded between 1985 and 1992 - mainly outtakes, demos and alternate versions (Collage had 4 vocalists throughout this period!). Rough sounding but immense power and vitality.

The successor of "Moonshine" and last Collage album was "Safe" (1995). It's more close to neoprogressive standards. "The catchiness" of some tunes might irritate, but you'll also find some jewels there.

Collage disbanded in 1996. March 2003 saw the release of the first Satellite album. Satellite is the new band of Wojtek Szadkowski, Collage leader, some other members have been involved too. I haven't heard the full album yet, but I can understand from promo-clips and first reviews that it refers to "Moonshine" style very much.

This is a solid prog band from Poland that features English lyrics. The music is dramatic in the style of Marillion and IQ. The singer sometimes sounds distant from the music like Walsh on Somewhere to Elsewhere or Pedroza on The Stream. But overall this is worth a listen.

In the early 90s Collage was one of the best European neoprog bands. Saying 'neoprog' I understand the style which began with Marillion, Twelfth Night and other artists who tried to re-vamp progressive rock starting in the 80s.

Collage was a progressive band formed in Poland in 1985. Their first album "Basnie" ('Fairy Tales') from 1989 although sung entirely in Polish gained eminence not only in their native country. Music, steming from Genesis & Marillion style had its individual touch, was very warm and ... honest.

Subsequently Collage released weird and ... not convicing "9 Songs of John Lennon" - a tribute album, as the name suggests.

"Moonshine" (1994) is the follower of "Basnie" and can be easily compared with the best Marillion and Pendragon achievements. Colorful, lyrical, rich, long songs can be listened to many times with no boredom. Still, some of them sounds catchy and invitingly even for casual listeners. The album was recorded in the Netherlands and mixed in Poland - the only shortcoming is that it is a bit over-produced: sounds too rich in some moments.

I first heard this music on the radio (there was a live transmission), just wondering "oh, that is the progressive rock style" - I hadn't known it before. I taped the show, then bought freshly released "Moonshine" - and it was one of the entry gates to the world of great Music.

I highly recommend this music to everyone who loves progressive rock and is bored with many average bands of this style (say Arena or Jadis). Collage won't disapoint you.

Another Collage release worth listening is "Changes" - a retrospective album with songs recorded between 1985 and 1992 - mainly outtakes, demos and alternate versions (Collage had 4 vocalists throughout this period!). Rough sounding but immense power and vitality.

The successor of "Moonshine" and last Collage album was "Safe" (1995). It's more close to neoprogressive standards. "The catchiness" of some tunes might irritate, but you'll also find some jewels there.

(I've just copied my review from 2003 concerning the older release)