Customer Reviews

Profiles - Mason + Fenn

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

 

 

SOUNDS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN RICK WRIGHT AND DAVID GILMOUR WITH SOME NEW AGE TINGES.

This album came out in 1985. It is 43 minutes long and the sound quality is very good, especially for a CD from 1985. There are no liner notes giving credits, so it is hard to tell who did what.

It is by Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, just before he and David Gilmore got back together to record the "Pink Floyd" CD, a Momentary Loss of Reason, and Rick Fenn, who was briefly in 10cc as the group was winding down in popularity.

This is a very nice CD throughout with some great moments. It is kind of rock-jazz album and much of the music sounds like the times (mid 1980's).

Some of the songs sound like they could be on one of David Gilmour's albums. David Gilmour actually does sing on Lie for a Lie. Some of the guitar playing sounds like it might have also been added by Gilmour.

Many of the instrumentals sound like they could have been on Rick Wright's first solo album, Wet Dreams. Who knows, maybe he is on the CD also.

But, what it really good on this CD is the original sounding compositions. They sound like the new age music being played at the time, but only with more life. The title composition is really the stand out piece on the CD.

As I write this, this CD is out of print, hard to find, and can be expensive to buy (but that could all change). For a regular priced CD, this would be a nice addition for any Pink Floyd fan. At the higher prices, you might want to think twice about it.

this is a excellant disc. it is underrated and quite rare in disc form. great guitar and synth. work by Fenn and nick mason is steady as ever.

While this is certainly a must have for any Pink Floyd fan, I should warn you that it isn't Pink Floyd. Unless you listen to this album with an open mind, you'll be disappointed. I was impressed with Nick's drumwork, particularly on Profiles parts 1 & 2. Rhoda is also a very peaceful and relaxing track with some great soloing. I think this collaboration runs circles around Nick's previous solo album, "Fictitious Sports" and it's nice to hear David Gilmour on "Lie For A Lie", although the song itself is a bit cheesy. Overall, it's a great buy and I highly recommend it.

As others have said, if you expect Pink Floyd, you will be dissappointed. If you simply listen with a critical ear, you will be surprised. I found myself listening to this (album) over and over when I found it many years back. In fact, it might be responsible for my foray into "New Age" music... whatever that really is. You know... Windham Hill artists and such.

Obviously, instrumental music does not have words to engage the listener. It requires effective use of melody to hook the listener, draw them in, and hold their attention. As well for me, the best collections of music have always been those that were formed in such a away that their actual structure - the placing of songs in an order that somehow fit - created a novel, a story, a chain. This is such a work.

Like the best symphonies from classical music, of which there are many, they are not composed of dissparate tracks, but pieces to a puzzle. Profiles is such an album, and I consider it one of the finest pieces in my collection. People are never less than surprised to know who is responsible for it when they hear it.

You SHOULD add this to your collection.

One of the most overlooked yet brilliant pieces of music I have ever experienced. It's like a secret that you are reluctant to share with others.

This is one of the best CD i ever heard, I can't found it in Argentina. I think is a good option to take

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and ex-10cc and Mike Oldfield guitarist Rick Fenn released the album Profiles in August of 1985.
At the time of this album's creation, Pink Floyd had disbanded due to the infighting between Floyd bass player/singer Roger Waters and singer/guitarist David Gilmour. Nick was the last of the four classic PF members to come out with a sophomore solo effort as Gilmour, Waters and keyboard player (the late) Richard Wright each released their second solo efforts in 1984 although Wright's was as part of a duo called Zee which made only one album (an .
Profiles, like 1981's Fictitious Sports, was Nick Mason collaborating with another artist and this time it is Rick Fenn (who has worked with Mike Oldfield and in a later incarnation of 10CC (a band that WWE/WWF wrestler Chris Jericho called "Pink Floyd without the b*lls")) and created an album that is very good but then at the same time hard to top Fictitious Sports IMHO (as I found out when I first got the Profiles CD in December of 1994 on the Columbia/CBS label USED). All of the tunes are written by Mason and Fenn but are helped out on the two songs with vocals by one time UFO keyboard player Danny Peyronel.
The first of the two tracks with lead vocals was the album's single "Lie For a Lie" (penned by Mason/Fenn/Peyronel) which featured Nick's Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour on lead vocals and is the hands down the album's best track. The other "Israel" (penned by Fenn and Peyronel) was sung by Peyronel himself and is also a great track (why did UFO let him go?!?)! These two songs are worth purchasing the album alone!
Then the rest of the album are all instrumental tracks. While "Malta", "Black Ice", "Mumbo Jumbo", "Profiles Parts 1 and 2" and "Profiles Part 3' are classic instrumentals, there is one OK instrumental "Rhoda" but the other three instrumentals "And the Address", "Zip Code" and "At the End of the Day" are just either bad outtakes from a bad B-movie film score or just yawn inducing IMHO.
Profiles puttered out at #124 on Billboard album chart and like Fictitious Sports is currently out of print. I guess only Pink Floyd and 10cc fans bought the album.
This album is currently out of print. If you are a Floyd die-hard (like me), scoop up. Otherwise, approach with caution.

It is ok but it doesn't set the world on fire. A must if you want the complete collection.