Customer Reviews

Tempest

5 star:		(4)
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I saw one of the first concerts with Tempest, it was back in the early 1970:s. It started with Alan playing fiddle ( in stereo ), i was wery confused for about 3 minutes, then everything exploded and some of the best music i have ever heard came out of the speakers. Paul Williams ( one of my absolute favorite singers ) sang like only he can. The rest of the band was on their best mood and they did one of the best concerts i have ever seen. I saw them again about one year after, then Paul Williams Was gone and Alan Holdworth had quit beeing replaced with Ollie Halssal. They were still a good band but the magic was gone.
My advice to you is!! BYE THE TEMPEST album!! It must be one of the best "hard rock" albums ever.
Michael

I bought this album when it was first released in 1973. I just recently had to dispose of it for two reasons: 1)It was worn out, 2)My turntable died and I already had most albums I wanted to keep on CD("...sniff...bye Tempest.."), never thinking I'd miss it. WRONG!!! Found the CD at Amazon and the price would have been right at double the cost.

This album sounds fresh even 27 years after its initial release. For anyone on the fence, thinking about buying this album, don't hesitate. You will not be sorry you spent the money! Jazz time signatures and knuckle busting guitar chords in a hard rock setting. The lyrics are basically meaningless; vocals are used mainly as an instrument within the context of the band, just like good Jazz.

In 1973, I had a friend who owned a record store and one day when I stopped in, he told me I had to listen to this new album, a new band from the UK, Tempest. I waited while he started "Up and On" and was completely blown away within a minute and bought it on the spot. Little did I know that the entire album was great.

Since that time, I have given tape copies of the original LP to musician friends. The guitar players have tried to emulate Alan Holdsworth, the drummers Jon Heisman, but none of the bands have ever even attempted to try to do a Tempest track. Complex, dense, and the best hard rock you will ever hear. Buy this disc NOW!

One of the greatest rock albums of the 70s. Four great talent combined with some excellent material this is a great album, its heavy, its melodic, mind numbing muscician ship. Its Deep Purple in rock, its Le Zepplin 4 its better than both. Gorgon will stop your breath and stranger will raise your heartbeat. One of the very best, by the best.

the guitar work alone on this cd is worth the price of admission. Alan Holdsworth's rapidly evolving style works well in the context of the rhythms and song structures-concepts of Jon Hiseman,Paul Williams and Mark Clarke. Jon Hiseman's percussion work is excitng and innovative (as it is in Colloseum) and Paul Williams voice carries well the lyric content of the songs. This is one of the cds that I have to (1) listen from start to finish and (2) as a musician,find myself referencing for ideas from time to time. I think the ending of "Gorgon" is one of the best crash/slowdowns in rock....