Customer Reviews

Not of This World

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To any prog-lover who does not know PENDRAGON: it is time to get aquianted! With NOT OF THIS WORLD these guys have delivered probably the single best album of 2001 (although UNDER THE SUN's debut album comes very close, see my review of that one as well), but more important this is also an album that ranks as one of the strongest prog releases ever. Songs like IF YOU WERE THE WIND (AND I WAS THE RAIN), GREEN EYED ANGEL, DANCE OF THE 7 VEILS, and A MAN OF NOMADIC TRAITS should be enough to make any real prog fans mouth water, and the lyrics are very 'real' and heartfelt. The level of musicianship is very high and NICK BARRET (guitar, vocals) CLIVE NOLAN (keys), FUDGE SMITH (drums), and PETE GEE (bass) play together with incredible precision and feeling. I also really love Barrett's very 'English' vocals (some people don't), and his unusual voice helps put a lot of heart into these songs. To say that Pendragon are a band who deserve far more attention and respect is an enormous understatement. I am an older prog fan (now in my mid-50's) who lived through the 'glory days' when Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Procol Harum, and Pink Floyd were all selling gold records and filling football stadiums (and Kansas, Supertramp & Rush were considered the 'new guys' on the block!), listening to Pendragon today gives me that same feeling of being part of something special that the rest of the world just doesn't understand! (ahhhhhh, prog!) NOT OF THIS WORLD features some of the most rousing, involving, and heart-tugging music I've heard in my life, and it is one of the only albums I've ever heard that stirred the emotions so much it made me cry (see GREEN EYED ANGEL). most of this is due to the fact that Barrett is one of the best songwriters in the buisness. I am a musician (guitar, bass, keys) I always say that it is not how many notes a minute you can play, but what's in the SONGWRITING that separates the great bands from the mearly 'OK' bands - Pendragon hits the 'great' mark with songs that are extremely well-constructed, strong in melody and harmony, and flawlessly arranged. I believe that these guys rank right alongside the quality level of all the great progressive rock bands of the past, and may even be a little bit better in terms of being consistant, by this I mean that Yes, Genesis, and even the mighty EL&P had their embarrassing turns to commercialism (90125, Abacab, Love Beach), whereas Pendragon have stayed dedicated to progressive rock, and never embarrassed themselves with lousy "hit singles" or filler material. If you're a prog fan hungry for quality music, check out Pendragon's NOT OF THIS WORLD (and try UNDER THE SUN too), you won't be sorry you did!

Pendragon are one of the better prog-rock bands going today. If you haven't heard Pendragon, they sound like a very well-versed combination of early Marillion and latter Pink Floyd. Nick Barrett's guitar work is as close to David Gilmour as you can get (with the possible exception of Roine Stolt (Transatlantic and Flower Kings)) and Clive Nolan is terrific on the keys. Fudge Smith on the sticks is no slouch either. As for the vocals, they are very Anglo sounding (in other words, Nick Barrett clearly sounds English).
"Not of this World" follows the same well-tred course of Pendragon's recent output (the stellar "Masquerade Overture" or the excellent "Window of Life" for example) and is every bit as good musically and lyrically. The major difference really comes down to lyrical subject matter. Nick Barrett sings from a much more personal standpoint about a relationship that has gone sour. The songs are heartfelt and occasionally painful. Meanwhile, the music is sonic and the keys and guitar are full of feeling.
In addition to the 5-part, 9-song album, this cd includes to bonus tracks--'Paintbox' and 'King of the Castle' from "The Masquerade Overture" get the acoustic treatment and both sound fresh and are a welcome contrast to the original versions.
Highly Recommended.

This album is IMHO the best piece of progressive music (in the English style) that I've heard in a long long time. I am so taken with NOTW, it's been playing for two weeks solid. I rank this brilliant album with the classic benchmarks of the genre, dare I say it...Foxtrot( my all time favourite), Close to the Edge and the other biggies held in such high regard by all who love progressive. I never thought there would be a album to come close to these classics but here it is folks. Beautiful melodies, soaring guitar, wonderful and exciting lyrically and from the first note to the last it commands your undivided attention. GET THIS ALBUM.

For me fisrt came Marillion the i got into Genesis(their first albums), i listened to Yes I.Q.,Camel and other countless progresive groups and now up there with them is Pendragon.Those who have listened to the above mentioned bands will find a little bit of them in any of Pendragons cd,s.This said they are not copycats.As with any music style, groups playing progresive rock will all have things in common.Although they share many things with Genesis and Marillion particuraly, they have developed their own style.

Not of this World is a great cd.As with many progresive band's Lps the more you listen to it the more you like it and everytime you listen to it you will always hear something new.The cd kicks off with If i were the Wind.The begining of this song is Great with weeping guitars acompanied by Clive Nolans's Flawless keyboard playing.This sets the tone for the whole Lp and the songs just get better and better.It is one of those cds which you just can't stop playing time and time again.If you get the imported cd you will get two extra accoustic tracks from previous Lps.Overall a great collection of songs (played by very talented musicians ) with can be compared to Genesis Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Marillions Misplaced Childhood or any great album of this type of Music.I advise you to buy this cd or any of Pedragons albums.

I like Pink Floyd, Genesis and Supertramp. I still listen to prog music now, but as far as I can remember, few current group gets close to the masterpieces of the 70s. Except Pendragon with this album. I've liked it from the start (which is rare) and I still adore it after fifty listenings... Every listen reveals other details, and musical depth that I had not perceived before... Other bands such as Arena, IQ, Flower kings, Spock's beard, are good but have not offered such a varied, inspired, star-lit, magical album ...

I have always been a follower of Pink Floyd and Roger Waters, and to me there are very few bands who can even claim to come close to the Floyd/Waters level of musical genius, but PENDRAGON is the the one new band who succeeds in equaling and sometimes even topping them. This is their newest CD and their best one ever. Any prog or rock fan will love songs like World's End, Dance of the Seven Veils, and Not Of This World. Almost every song is over ten minutes and the band really jam and stretch out on most of the songs. Nick Barrett is hands down the best guitarist to hit my C.D. player since David Gilmore, Jeff Beck, or Eric Clapton, and he sings with a thick Brit accent that is a bit like crossing Graham Nash with George Harrison, only with a Floyd-ian prog twist. Clive Nolan is the keyboard master from bands like Arena and Shadowland, and he is just all over this album with great solos and sound effects. And like the great albums by Waters and Floyd this is an album where it is best played from beginning to end with not a bad song in sight. Oh' and did I mention that this drummer blows most other rock drummers out of the water? Even the lyrics grab me (like only Roger Waters words used to do). If you love thinking mans music played by real musicians (not computers) buy Pendragon's latest today!

This is the first Pendragon album I have ever listened to. A dear friend bought me this album for Xmas (knowing that I am an "Arena" crazy whose keyboardist is Clive Nolan). After a few times listening to it, I fell in love with this album.
Just the last two songs are worth the money. But every single song is absolutely incredible! This album is a great prog work. Amazing songwriting, very dynamic, and well-structured music overall. I have nothing more to say than the other reviewers on this site. Just read them and you'll have enough info that will definitely convince you to buy this album.

These four guys can hold their own with anyone! I don't know how Nick Barrett did it but he put together a CD that is as close to perfect as you can get! The music flows from one song to the next and the songs mesh so well, even though you might not think so by simply reading the words. I've loved Progressive Rock for many years and I can think of few CDs that should be put in the same list as this. If you're into Prog and don't own this I can't understand why. This would also be a good introduction to Prog for the uninitiated. I've seen criticisms of Pendragon in the past and I think the answer to most of them is to just shut up and listen! Don't hesitate to get this CD. The bonus tracks alone would be worth the price. The acoustic versions of King Of The Castle and Paintbox are absolutely beautiful.

With so many other reviews here already, I do not have much else to say. However, one of the things that really impresses me about this album (and most of their other albums), is how much I enjoy listening to it even after having listened to it a number of times. I can get tired of an album fairly easier, but this one is still delivering.

This album has been out for some years and has had pretty good critical acclaim, well justified. I have owned this album for the last seven years and after listening, yet again, to 'Man of Nomadic Traits' I have to say that it is the greatest rock song I have ever heard. 'Stairway To Heaven' or 'Freebird' usually get that acclaim but although Pendragon are classed as a progressive rock band, 'Man of Nomadic Traits' trancends that genre. It is simply the greatest piece of rock music I have ever heard. It starts off slowly with a few verses that are good but not necessarily stunning, but when the main body of the track appears it is just an amazing trip. These guys are not that well known in the West (they are adored in Eastern Europe) but they deserve to be - what they produce is music of the highest quality and muscianship of equal calibre. The album itself is a rare thing of beauty but 'Man of Nomadic Traits' is simply an astounding piece of music. Put aside any prejudices you might have about progressive music and let yourself go with the flow; Pendragon deserve to be known as one of the greatest bands Britain has produced - no hype just substance.