Customer Reviews

More than a Dream

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow! What a fantastic CD. Full of rich orchestrations, clever song writing & brilliant musicianship. Great thought provoking & socially conscious lyrics! I actually found it hard to believe this is their first album, and from Adelaide too. It will be a challenge for them to top this with the next album.

It goes from full on prog rock epics to orchestral laden world music beats. This CD has everything that's great about the burgeoning state of the neo prog industry at the moment.

They deal with real world topics like the environment and global warming, to deep aspects of human relationships such as grief, unfulfilled desires, co-existence, intolerance and man's inhumanity to man. Unitopia manage to weave all of it together to create a cohesive and moving work. You just never get tired of listening to it.

My favourite tracks are the 13 minute epic `Justify' with multi-layered harmonies, duelling guitar/hammond solos and ethereal solo soprano voices, `Take Good Care',a world music anthem with tribal percussion, African voices and a superbly orchestrated prelude that reminds me of Thomas Newman or Gerry Goldsmith and `Still Here' that intertwines marimba, ethnic percussion and banjo of all things!

If you're into Genesis and Peter Gabriel then Mark Trueack's vocals will impress you. He's not a soundalike, but his timbre reminds me of the vocal characteristics of both Gabriel & Collins, but with a touch of David Gilmour & Roger Waters from Pink Floyd.

Even though the songs definitely have a prog feel to them, they have mass appeal thanks to the strong lyrical and vocal hooks.

With such a strong debut from Unitopia, I predict great things from this up and coming Australian act. I can't wait for their next release!

ho ho - are you in for a treat; undoubted find of the year!! aussies come good, a stunning debut album.

as i understand this is the first cd from this group of clearly talented australian musicians, it is really hard to pigeonhole the music as it is very diverse

production quality and sound is superb

go on give it a try you will not be disappointed

mike hudson

I purchased this CD AFTER I purchased "The Garden" by Unitopia. (which I loved!) The problem with "More Than a Dream" is that it is all over the place in terms of the song styles. Some are close to progressive, others are kind of pop, and some sound like they belong on the sound track to the "Lion King". They definitely seemed to find their strengths for their sophomore release, and I strongly recommend "The Garden" with a 4 star rating.

The musicianship is superb through out and the vocals are all top notch. It is just that if you are looking for something in the more Progressive style of music they may not be for you. If you like pop and theatrical songs then you may like it.

I want to give it 2.5 star rating (which to me means "average") but one cannot here. So I will give it the benefit of the doubt with 3 stars, so as to not to scare everyone off. But, do not pass up "The Garden".

I was very pleased to have found this great new group via Amazon.com's recommendations. This music is just what the Doctor ordered! I like every song on it. The singing and musicianmanship are both outstanding. The songs are well written and hold the attention. Immediately, this has become one of my new favorite albums and will be getting a lot of play on my iPod!!! :)

I would categorize it as Prog-Rock; which is my personal favorite kind of music. Other groups I would recommend that sound a bit like this group are: Din Within, Osada Vida, Sieges Even, and perhaps Jupiter Society. All of these are groups that greatly deserve to be discovered.

This is the fantastic debut CD from Unitopia. As of this time (November 2010) plans are underway to re-release this CD in early 2011. It will have bonus material that was not in this original version, and all-new artwork from the very talented Ed Unitsky.

Okay, I'm a music lover - especially all things Prog Rock. I can't add much to what has been said already. Suffice it to say that I've bought 100's of albums through Amazon, and this is the first time I've been so moved that I had to write a review. Here's my attempt at articulating some of my appreciation for this discovery: Sophisticated, rich, lush, stunning production quality, intelligent lyrics, surprising, effortless listening quality.

I'll never get tired of this disc.

Unitopia - More Than A Dream Review

My first exposure to Unitopia was about a year ago through the CPR 3 CD compilation. I listened to the MP3s on their website. Suffice it to say that MP3 will never replace CDs for this music fan. I did not hear all the power in this music until I took a chance with an even more expensive CD, their Garden double CD.

After hearing that CD set I thought this album would fall short of the high mark set by the Garden. However, I was pleasantly wrong. In fact, I don't think this band is capable of a 30 or 45 minute traditional CD. Thankfully they have too much to say and play! This one stretches beyond the hour mark.

The lyrics on this album were also carefully crafted to get the message out about what this band is all about. However, this is not spoon - feeding. This is get off the couch and do the research...find your own way. It's out there for you to find!

Common Goal - The almost IQ Outer Limits beginning makes you think you have heard this before, until they really start hammering you with those awesome drums and the hallmark lyrics. Great opener, even the horns, who puts them in prog any more...well there are more surprises to come! "Our time has come to focus on the richness of life. If we search long enough we will find what we're looking for." Message received!

Fate - "I remember travelling through a town long ago. No money, just a surfboard that I would not let go." Somehow I think Mark will not need to worry about having money for surfboards in the future! Wonderful uplifting song you will be humming even if you don't know all the words.

Justify - The epic on this album! Thankfully this band likes epics! This one is as deep as a river! From the sound effect of a tree falling after, "can't you see the forest for the trees? I forgot, we chopped them all down", to the glorious end of this song, the listener is treated to a grand epic worthy of the Garden album. So much here to enjoy. But it's the lyrics again on this album, supported by powerful music. "You come to realize there's more to life than this.

A bowl of dirt revolving 'round a distant sun. It's the way we live and die in constant state of fear. All we do is cover weakness, don't shed a single tear. And every waking moment only serves to tell us why, there's no second chances here." If you think that is strong, wait until you hear the music that supports these lyrics.

Take Good Care - That fantastic orchestra that opens this song really helps bring out the immediacy and importance of the message that it heralds. Some of the reviews I have read compare this band to Alan Parsons, well maybe, from an engineering standpoint. I see more similarities with early Moody Blues, especially with the perfect use of orchestras or classical inserts. "Take good care of this world. We've been given too much to lose. Shout it from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the oceans below." Strong lyrics again supported this time by world music. No this is not traditional English prog and their interpretations will not sound the same. But that's a good thing.

Ride -That In the Air Tonight beginning is quickly replaced by the power of the drums and the lyrics. "Why do we ride ourselves to the ground?" Good question. Hopefully making all of us think more deeply.

More Than A Dream - "A journey that takes us to the ends of our lives. A race never lost, never won. More than a dream, less than a vision. Adventure again just begun." Yes, this album was the beginning of the adventure and I can't wait to hear the next installment. That piano entry and the uplifting message carry you through this adventure! Orchestra supporting and helping uplift you even higher!

Slow Down - Normally for me, the epics are my favorite. But this time this song takes the trophy for me. The powerful beginning and then the message: "Have you ever watched your child on a merry-go-round, or listened to the rain splashing to the ground? Did you ever tell your friends, "We'll do it tomorrow??" And in your haste, not see their sorrow?" We all need this song as we rise in the morning and as we retire for the night. Keeps life in good perspective. Then you get on the drum treadmill and listen as the orchestra lifts you even higher! Pink Floyd would love this interpretation of Time from Dark Side, including, this time a single clock at the end. Maybe the message will get through to all of us this time!

Lives Go `Round - "In a world gone crazy, our minds are lazy. On an earth that's turning to dust." This is a good pop song. Very upbeat and again there are those strong lyrics. Good support from additional vocalists. "We're living our lives from day to day. They say, 'He who hesitates is lost." Is it any wonder the years fly by? Do we ever stop to count the cost?" Here the violins sound like Alan Parsons, Day After Day...but only for a moment, which is so effective. Provide the memory, but make your own statement.

Still Here - "The plans we made for a future bright. Evaporate like water under the blistering sun. The pain of your memory paralyses me with fear. But I'm still here. And I'm still here, I'm still here." This one sounds like 1980s Peter Gabriel. Very powerful drums and vocals!

There's A Place - "You've got to believe in yourself. You've got to know just who you are. It's the time to follow the dream." A duet, which was written for a charity CD. It reminds me so much of the Gabriel/Bush duet Don't Give Up."

I have read comparisons of this band from Procol Harum, the Tangent to Alan Parsons. But Unitopia cannot be categorized. They provide the memory of great prog, but make their own statement, in an Australian way. That is an early hallmark for this band. Lyrics are finally just as important as the music. And both are great on this album.

Fantastic debut, but I think the best is yet to come for this band.

Gli Unitopia suonano Rock Progressive (genere che ci ha già dato gli eccellenti Fonderia su questo stesso forum), ma il genere è vastissimo e lista i Genesis, Peter Gabriel, gli Yes, i Marillion, gli Arena, gli Alan Parsons Project (nella sua versione elettronica) ma anche Transatlantic, Porcupine Tree e Dream Theater (nella sua versione più "dura") e molti altri, ed è riduttivo accomunarli tutti se non per il gusto di brani dal respiro quasi "sinfonico" (anche nella durata), dalla composizione complessa e curata nei dettagli, ed i testi mai banali.

Gli Unitopia hanno un album ed un EP all'attivo (l'album, "More than a dream" può essere trovato su iTunes) e sono una vera gemma nel genere e personalmente li adoro da quando li ho scoperti (per caso, come troppo spesso avviene per gli indipendenti). Arrangiamenti ricchi, orecchiabili ma mai semplicistici, una voce leader incredibile e persino, sovente, una vera orchestra come nel miglior stile di Parsoniana memoria... Ma passiamo ad elencare i tre pezzi da me scelti (i deep link sono MP3 non completi, per ovvie ragioni, mentre io ne recensisco la versione completa, contenuta nel CD, che ho prontamente provveduto ad acquistare da iTunes, adorandolo fin dal primo ascolto)...

"More than a Dream": Questo è senz'altro il brano più adatto per iniziare a parlare di questa band. Sin dall'inizio, infatti, questa "title track" pone l'evidenza sulla grande abilità degli strumentisti (a partire dal bassista, che ci ricorda lo stile del grandissimo Tony Levin (chi non ha adorato "zio" Tony nel live al filaforum di Assago del 2003 con Peter Gabriel? Se non avete quel video, che venne anche distribuito con Panorama, dovete assolutamente procurarvelo! E' un vero capolavoro di spettacolo, mi ringrazierete più tardi!). Anche la voce ci ricorda Peter Gabriel per timbro, estensione e gusto (evidente segno che il cantante è bravo) ma a tratti sentiamo anche l'influenza dei Genesis (fra 0:40 e 1:20, ad esempio, si sente un non so che di "Dreaming while you sleep" da "I can't dance"... nella versione del deep-link è proprio all'inizio del pezzo) ma anche degli Alan Parsons Project (l'arrangiamento vocale, infatti, ci ricorda le più belle canzoni del duo Parsons-Woolfson (in arte proprio "The Alan Parsons Project", per chi non lo sapesse) ma anche, nell'assolo arpeggiato di chitarra acustica, Mike Oldfield. Tante influenze per dire che la sonorità risultante ci ricorda tante band ma è originale, moderna ed accattivante.

"Take Good Care": Questo brano in due parti ci ricorda, ma solo nella sua struttura, "The fall of the house of Usher" di Alan Parsons (da "Tales of Mistery and immagination, Edgar Allan Poe"). Infatti, anche gli Unitopia si appoggiano ad un magnifico preludio orchestrale (arrangiato con maestria e suonato dalla Adelaide Art Orchestra) che introduce un lungo brano dai contorni world e rock al tempo stesso. Nel suo corpo avanzato, il brano ha un arrangiamento vocale in stile Phil Collins o Fish (primo cantante dei Marillion). Molto diverso dal precedente, dimostra non solo l'ecletticità della band ma soprattutto la loro grande preparazione musicale: un'altra chicca.

"Justify" - Unitopia: In questo lunghissimo brano in tre parti (12 minuti e rotti, ragion per cui è separato in tre link a tre diversi esempi tratti dallo stesso brano) sentiamo influenze degli Yes e del loro cantante Jon Anderson, sia per l'impostazione vocale che per l'arrangiamento e persino gli assoli jazzeggianti di tastiera ci ricordano Rick Wakeman nel suo periodo d'oro (un grandissimo complimento!). Ma da un certo punto in avanti, il brano quasi si trasforma in una collaborazione tra Dream Theater, Yes, Genesis (con la voce di Peter Gabriel), Marillion e persino una punta di Alan Parsons, regalandoci un mix dalle sonorità moderne con un sapore colto e meravigliosamente complesso ma mai cervellotico. Un melange di stili che personalmente ho sempre sognato e non ho mai osato chiedere! Testo intelligente ed arrangiamento sublime, gli amanti del genere lo adoreranno letteralmente.