Spirit of Autumn Past [Import]

Mostly Autumn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Cyclops Records
• ASIN: B00001QEKS
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,229 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Winter Mountain

2. This Great Blue Pearl

3. Pieces of Love

4. Please

5. Evergreen

6. Styhead Tarn

7. Shindig

8. Blakey Ridge/When Waters Meet

9. Underneath the Ice (Troubled Dreams)

10. Through the Window

11. Spirit of Autumn Past, Pt. 1

12. Spirit of Autumn Past, Pt. 2

13. Gap Is Too Wide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Autumn creates the spirit of great music!, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Spirit of Autumn Past (Audio CD)

Just one listen to "The Gap Is Too Wide" will convince you that this is no ordinary album. The only word to describe this song is "transcendent". It is a progressive rock CLASSIC! It starts out very mellow, with acoustic guitar, cello, and flute. Sad lyrics are sung dripping with emotion by one of the most beautiful female voices I have ever heard. There is a gradual transition to a melodic, electric-guitar-driven flight to another time and place. Eventually, bagpipes come in, in unison with the electric guitar, only to have the guitar fade until we are left with bagpipes alone, and finally, the babbling of a brook alone. Of particular note among the albums other numerous highlights are "Winter Mountain" and "Evergreen." "Winter Mountain" is a folksy hard rocker which builds to a furious eerie-keyboard-dominated climax. "Evergreen" has poignant lyrics and a catchy melody that sticks in your head, starting softly and the shifting into high gear. While there is an underlying traditional folk feel to the album (in terms of the lyrics, style of singing, and song titles), this is far from traditional folk. Mostly Autumn uses influences from a wide variety of styles (folk, Celtic, New Age, hard rock) and a wide variety of groups (their sound could best be described as a rocked-up combination of Renaissance, George Winston, REM, Penntangle, and Mike Oldfield with occasional sprinklings of very early Kansas and early Pink Floyd) while utilizing a wide variety of instruments (acoustic & electric guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, organ, piano, flute, whistles, cellos, violins, bagpipes) to create a sound that is refreshing. While each of the aforementioned influences are evident, Mostly Autumn doesn't sound like a clone of anyone. Add quality musicianship, intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, and very good production, and you have a definite winner. This is music which moves and evokes feelings in the listener; it is one of the best albums I have heard in some time - definitely one you'll be playing over and over.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational album that stands alone from all others., November 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Spirit of Autumn Past (Audio CD)

The Spirit of Autumn Past is an extraordinary album in many respects, not least through its ability to capture a lifetime of emotions and effortlessly transform them into musical expressions. Each track demands understanding, with echoes of Pink Floyd to be heard within the meandering chords, haunting suspensions and inspired melodies. So much energy though is reserved for the lyrics, from the simple poetic imagery of 'Evergreen' through to the poignant and beautiful, "The Gap is too Wide". The Spirit of Autumn Past is a rare achievement, and contains the creativity, uniqueness and quality to potentially live with any other album, past or present.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Autumn Forever, September 23, 2002

By 

swriter7 "swriter7" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spirit of Autumn Past (Audio CD)

Wow, what an album, I had written a long review and decided to shorten it up a bit. The band has three studio albums and this is definately the best. The band sounds like a mixture of Renaissance, Floyd, and has Celtic moments. Vocals are shared by the guitarist and a female vocalist who has to have the best voice since Annie Haslam of Renaissance. Winter Mountain starts the album off on a high note and features both singers with Heather doing mostly backgrounds.
Pieces of love is a beautiful Heather track that is a ballad with great atmospheric guitar. The Spirit of Autumn Past is a two part tune with again, great Floyd like leads and vocals from both singers. The last song is the over 10 minute highlight of the cd, The Gap is Too Wide which is great and goes through various musical passages with the two vocalists. If you like a type of atmospheric progressive music with great guitar, vocals, and flute, this album is a must and goes through celtic, harder prog, folk prog, and atmospheric musical excerpts all in one album. Fans of October Project, Iona, Renaissance, Karnataka, and Fairport Convention will absolutely love this album. This is the one to start with and then get For All We Shared and The Last Bright Light.