Starcastle

Starcastle | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 16, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002563
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,955 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Yes of the New World, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Starcastle (Audio CD)

The last time the rock constituency excused copycat sounds was back during the '50s, when there were a lot of artists but not much variety in the sound. That sort of openmindedness was long gone by the time this Illinois band came on the scene. When they released this album, there was all sorts of whining by the press and on the grassroots level about "ripping off Yes", when the press was vehemently opposed to the prog sound anyway. I mean, nobody objected to Paul McCartney's Elvis imitation in "Lady Madonna". It never occurred to me back then to wonder about this phenomenon in rock. I mean, wasn't it all about REPUDIATION of hypocrisy? I guess we only THOUGHT we were self-analytical. But the truth about Starcastle was that they did a super job of providing additional Yes-type music at a time when the real dudes were in a productive and creative slump. In those days, there was no Spock's Beard or Dream Theater--the best my own generation of American could do with prog was listen to it. While Rolling Stone trashed it. But as for imitative bands, per se, if I like a certain style of music, I'm going to listen to WHOEVER does it right.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True-blue American progressive...a classic!, March 31, 2000

By 

"mjalltheway" (I dunno; where are YOU?) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starcastle (Audio CD)

After growing up with Yes, Genesis and King Crimson, it's all too easy to pass up a lesser known act such as Starcastle...but one listen to this album, and you'll wonder where you've been all these years...America's answer to Yes, musically and lyrically. If you really enjoy that early Yes sound (Yours Is No Disgrace, Siberian Khatru, And You And I, etc.), you'll LOVE this album...a beautiful and respected addition to any progressive rock collection!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evaluate them on their own merits, October 12, 2004

By 

Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Starcastle (Audio CD)

Much to my surprise, I found the debut by this American band to be actually quite good. My surprise stems from the fact that everything that I have ever read mentions something to the effect that Starcastle is a Yes rip-off band. Although high pitched five-part vocal harmonies, positively excellent bass playing (on a trebly Rickenbacker bass no less), some agile Steve Howe-ish guitar playing, several thinly-veiled references to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (Yes opened their shows with this piece), and Rick Wakeman-esque keyboard parts figure prominently, there is a discernible Starcastle quality to the music. In their defense, these guys had the ability to play music with great sophistication and possessed the compositional skills to write really interesting pieces of music. When you move past the superficial Yes trappings, the careful listener will realize that these compositions bear little semblance to any Yes piece written prior to the time of this release (1976). This is a great recording that deserves a bit more recognition and is certainly able to stand on it's own merits. For those folks that like Starcastle, the Italian band Cherry Five might also prove enjoyable.