Customer Reviews

The Road Home

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's funny to hear all those negative opinions on Jordan Rudess being a mechanical player. That's the reason most people who don't like post-Moore era give when asked why they don't like Jordan Rudess. Well, those who discredit his playing will have to give The Road Home a close listen, and see how soulful a player Rudess truly is. Maybe then they'll also go back to his other solo albums and discover how unique his compositions are. He is not just a technical musician with no understanding of songwriting. On the contrary, to Rudess composition comes first; technique is just applied to express the necessary feelings.

On this tribute album, Rudess covers songs from some of prog's greatest bands, including Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, and ELP. The CD starts with the Genesis track "Dance on a Volcano", sung by former Spock's Beard vocalist Neal Morse. It's weird cause Morse sounds totally different from what he did in Spock's Beard or Transatlantic. Laden with various sound effects by Rudess, the song is mostly played true to its original form, but you can see how bits and pieces of Rudess' vision have been injected here and there. Guitar virtuoso Marco Sfogli (James Labrie, John Macaluso & Union Radio) plays a smooth, somewhat unexptected solo here while Rudess' long-time friend Rod Morgenstein is on drums through the whole album. His fills on this track are amazing, and Rudess closes the piece in grand fashion.

In the middle part of Yes' "Sound Chaser", the atmosphere becomes so dense and heavy that I can't help but think no one else could have interpreted this piece so well except Jordan Rudess. One can notice how much he's been influenced by greats such as Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz, and Tony Banks, but there is still something in Rudess' playing that gives him his own flair. With Nick D'Virgilio and Kip Winger on vocals, this track lends itself to modern-day soundscapes as well, but there is still plenty of vintage keyboard material present here.

Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson appears on "Tarkus", along with Kip Winger and guitar god Ron Thal, among others. At over 22 minutes, this is the centrepiece of the album, and the track that sees the most variations from Rudess. His synth lines are simply gorgeous here, as is the tenacious drumming. The busy keyboard run in the beginning is my favourite, not only on this song but possibly the whole record. Ricky Garcia's guitar solo laidback and natural; it fits the flow perfectly. I had no idea he was capable of so many diverse styles, and hearing Steven Wilson on a vintage prog tune is great as well.

Over three minutes, "Piece of the Pi" is an original song by Jordan Rudess. It is a perfect amalgamation of the 70's and current prog music scene, as it feels like vintage prog played and recorded on today's equipment. It's a fun, playful tune, slightly similar to the stupifying solo material Rudess does on stage. I always thought it'd be great if he recorded something in this vein, and he's finally done it. On the piano medley, where he touches on songs like "Sons", "Supper's Ready", "I Talk to the Wind", and "And You and I", you'll hear him try some vocals as well. I am somewhat surprised he chose the King Crimson song out of all these pieces, but he pulls it off -- it's good to hear his voice finally.

Of course many will still continue to be displeased just because they think Rudess is an awful musician with just the chops and no heart. If you're not one of those people, and actually like to hear his take on some of prog's greatest tunes, you can't pass this album up.

I wish all tribute albums were this refreshing.

As a life long fan of Emerson, Wakeman & Minnear (of Gentle Giant), I never gave Rudess his due, mainly because I guess I could not accept the Dream Theatre material as being all that musical. Well, here are many of my absolute favorite themes, done with reverance & renewed energy. Are these as good as the original?

Well, as much as I hate to admit this...I think they might be even better.

Jordan Rudess set himself a virtually impossible task by taking on a set of the greatest prog classics ever recorded. There's a lot of fun, frenetic-paced stuff here which brought a smile to my face more than once, but in the end I can't say a single cover is better than the original, though I applaud the effort and appreciate that each song has been given a new interpretation.

a. "Dance on a Volcano" - The CD starts off on a great note. Bank's and Hackett's rapid swings up and down the scale are a perfect choice for Rudess, who plays them even faster. In my opinion the song is just brought to it's knees at about the five minute mark by the insertion of a totally irrelevant guitar solo that has no relation whatever to the rest of the song. I don't have a clue what it's doing in there.

b. "Sound Chaser" - Probably the least successful attempt on the disc, though once again Rudess' frenetic keyboard glissandos suit the original. But there's so much artistry on the original -- it's truly a collaborative effort. Once again, the abrupt guitar solo falls face forward, not to mention the lack of any segue into or out of it. Need proof? Clickwheel your way to track two of "Relayer" and just listen to the incredibly artistic way the band allows Steve Howe to rip into his solo, with Patrick Moraz adding just the necessary background enhancement.

c. "Just the Same" - Rudess' version of the classic opening riff from "Free Hand" is sure to bring a smile to your face. Carbon copy of "Dance on a Volcano" though; it's cooking on all cylinders right up to the pointless guitar solo.

d. "Piano Medley" - Interesting effort, although I have to ask myself, "Why these four songs?" Rudess opens with "Soon" from "Relayer", which is meant to be a slow and contemplative melody. It becomes difficult to pick out that melody between all the frenetic bursts up and down the scale, so I found the opening piece the least successul of the four. "I Talk to the Wind" is the most successful of this odd pairing, and not coincidentally, vocals are added which I believe helps break up the constant trips up and down the keyboard and assists in keeping the melody moving forward without getting lost in too much ornamentation. At least there's not a guitar solo on this one!

e. "Piece of the Pi" - I have no idea what this is doing on this disc, unless the last 30 seconds is some sort of homage to the end of "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression". Sounds a lot like a typical Rudess solo piece -- which -- don't get me wrong -- is great. I have all his solo CDs and I like them all a ton. It's just that this is really odd man out here, and I'd of rather listened to another tribute piece in its stead. Anyone for "Benny the Bouncer"?

f. "Tarkus" - Lots of great interpretations of the original on this piece, once again not helped a whit by a couple of throwaway guitar solos that have no connection to the original. One niggling criticism I do have is that the original made heavy use of trademark Hammond B3 by Emerson, and I wouldn't have minded hearing a bit more of Rudess' interpretation on organ (or a Kurzweil organ patch!). I do like varying textures of music, but going from e-bells to heavy strings from phrase to phrase just doesn't work here as well as in the original, when Emerson kept pretty much to the Hammond.

Overall, the vocals are good, but then again, how can you compare with Greg Lake, the Shulman brothers or Jon Anderson?

In summation, lots of fun to listen to with trademark Jordan Rudess energy and -- how else can you describe it but "joy of creating music"? The guy is an amazing talent. He picked a great bunch of songs to work with which, I think, tends to make me uber-critical of a very enjoyable CD. Definitely worth four or five stars if he'd left the guitarist home.

Jordan Rudess is an outstanding keyboard player and as usual he has gathered a group of great musicians to support him produce this new album. The album sounds great and everyone puts in solid performances especially Kip Winger and Rod Morgenstein. I like the crisp production too. I just don't know why we need more covers from such great musicians. There are enough tribute albums out there. I want more original music to sink my teeth into! Can't wait for a new album of awesome original music that will add to the legacy of these legends of progressive rock.

These are compositions that have been favorites of mine since they were originally recorded. Jordan Rudess' interpretation of these compositions is incredible, giving them a refreshingly modern sound and drive, yet leaving them true to their original sound and feel.

Typically, I will purchase any cover of an ELP song, almost in an obligatory sense. I'm also usually underwhelmed by such. Making me even more dubious was the fact that I've yet to warm-up to Dream Theatre, a sentiment shared by another reviewer. Well what a wonderful surprise! Between me and my three sons, it seems as if this album is always playing, either in the car or at home.

All of the songs are great, but "Dance on a Volcano" and "Tarkus" are definitely my favorites. While the tunes are true to the originals in most respects, the fresh instrumentation and the crafty addition of new melodies make them decidedly different and completely worthwhile. Call it "value-added" musicianship. Starting at about the 5:00 mark, Dance on a Volcano moves into a frenzied barrage of new refrain which truly invigorates the original melody. The other thing that I like about this song is that Neal Morse sings the lyrics in such a way that I actually understand them. His interpretation is excellent.

"Tarkus" is played pretty straight until "Stones of Years" where a very soothing guitar solo with new melody appears prior to the vocals. Speaking of vocals, it is usually this point that makes me wince when listening to ELP covers. Fortunately, the vocals of Steven Wilson and Kip Winger do not detract from the overall performance. I would even say that Wilson's understated approach approximates the somewhat melancholy nature of the original. The rest of Tarkus is peppered with appropriate new electronic hooks, my favorite being those employed in "Mass". This is definitely the best Tarkus cover with vocals that I have heard (still pining for a completely acoustic version by Keith).

I have noticed that not everyone appreciates the added material. My feeling is, why bother doing it if you are not going to add your own take somewhere. This is what Emerson does with his borrowed pieces. An example of an ELP cover which does nothing for me is Erik Norlander's version of Pirates (Hommage Symphonique). Even though he does add a little snippet of America, the arrangement is basically identical to the original.

This album is the real deal folks!

THIS IS AN AWESOME ALBUM,THE SONGS MAINTAIN THEIR CLASSIC FEELING WHILE JORDAN UNLEASHES HIS ARSENAL OF TECHNOLOGY ON THEM IN A VERY CREATIVE AND INSPIRING WAY.THE SINGERS ALL DID A GREAT JOB,AS WELL AS THE GUITAR PLAYERS,AND ROD MORGENSTEIN DID AN AWESOME JOB WITH THE DRUMMING,HE AND JORDAN ARE A GREAT MATCH.

NOT TO MENTION THE PIANO MEDLEY WICH IS PERFORMED ON A STEINWAY D CONCERT GRAND PIANO!!,WICH IS A NICE BREATH OF ACOUSTIC AIR IN BETWEEN THE MULTI LAYERD SYNTH ASSAULT ON THE OTHER TRACKS.BUT OF COURSE EVEN THEY HAVE THEIR BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS.

BOTTOM LINE THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ALBUM FOR SHURE ONE OF THE BEST OF 07
SO BUY IT!!

I gotta say... nothing against Jordan. If you are the type (and there are many of you) who view the great 'prog' pieces as mini-symphonies, then I guess it makes sense to get other artists' 'interpretations' just as one might have several recordings of a Beethoven Symphony and appreciate them all for their various qualities.

But then there are guys like me who listen and simply hear a cover version. Granted, it's a hell of a technical achievement.

So... if you're like me and cringe whenever anyone besides Sir Paul sings Blackbird. If you can't understand why the world needs another Gentle Giant when the original was just fine, thank you very much? If you go to a Yes concert and really wish they would play 'And You And I' just like the record. Then this won't do it for you.

In short... I eagerly look forward to hearing -original- material from Mr. Rudess.

this is an oportunity to listen fresh some of those songs you love from the past whith an extaordinary sound you only get from a magizian of keyboards.
he shows how good he is and how he loves good music,adding some virtuosism here and there .
I love this cd for it makes me feels younger and dont get tired of listen to it again and again.
for those lovers of good old music, impresive sound as a bomus.
good job and thanks jordan!!

How many times is Yes going to reissue live versions of And You and I or whatever. They have not put out anything worthy of putting in the same sentence as CTTE, TFTO, Relayer,GFTO, or Union for that matter, in over a decade or more. " Oh. whats this. Some guy does a version of Sound Chaser"-(one of the wildest live rides if you have ever seen it performed) I thought OK then, I like this guys already. Nice choice. Dance on a Volcano, what can you say but "Yeah, go for it". And then there is Tarkus....well pretty ambitious you might think. Look at who is playing it and check out the samples above. This is a good disk full of great, experienced performers. Rudess's arrangements and interpretations, sounds, production are fantastic to hear. I laughed out loud at Sound Chaser-when the vocals first come in --he has so much detail in the song and stuff panning back and forth it's almost too much. Patrick Moraz must be smiling somewhere. It's great. Dance on a Volcano, done today with state of the art production, e.q.ing, plug in samples, etc make this legendary monster jump out of the speakers. Wow, huge, lush, and fun to hear like this. Rod does a very nice job on the kit throughout the disk. Any fan of any of the bands covered should buy it for that alone. The other songs on the disk, piano medly, and Ruddess's originals are desert. Great work Jordan-keep 'em coming.