Customer Reviews

Time of Legends

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

 

 

Cairo are a creative, complex, and wonderfully bombastic band that I would recommend (and often do!) to anyone who is a fan of the Classic progressive rock bands of the 70's; Yes, ELP, Kansas, and early-Genesis (just to name the most obvious.) However, having said that I should qualify it by saying that Cairo is no mear copycat of any of these bands, they have a distinctive, finely-crafted sound that incorperates elements of all of these diverse influences, as well as their own unique stamp of artistry. While England has produced most of the great prog artists over the last three decades, I often say that Cairo is the best progressive rock band to ever emerge from American soil, and this album only strenghens that opinion. Released late last year by Magna Carta Records; "Time of Legends" is Cairo's third album, and rates very highly alongside the rest of the Cairo catalog (even their hard-to-follow 1998 gem "Conflict & Dreams"!) It also rates extremely high among recent releases from other new (and old) progressive rock bands (in fact, I have played "Time of Legends" far more often than the most recent Yes release "Magnification", and this says a lot since I'm a life-long Yes fan who quite liked "Magnification"!) When I first recieved this CD and started flipping through the CD booklet (as I often do), one thing that surprised me was the length of songs - quite shorter than most of those on the first two albums (which featured some 18 to 22 minute epics like "Western Desert" and "Ruins at Avalon's Gate"). On "Time of Legends" the longest piece clocks in at just under 11 minutes, with most songs in the 6 to 8 minute range. So, I wondered; was Cairo going going more mainstream and commercial on me? Was the band watering-down their bombastic songwriting and complex playing?...Well, after many, many listens to this album I can now say with certainty....NO!...DEFINITELY NOT!! Cairo has just as much power and artistic strenghth as they ever have, and in fact, if anything, they have become a tighter and more consise unit with this album. As usual, the music is built around the dazzling keyboard work of Mark Robertson (who uses an especially colorful arsenal of vintage and modern keyboard sounds), and the rhythmic power of drummer Jeff Brockman (these two guys could give any of prog's legendary musicians a run for their money!). The soaring tenor vocals are provided by the talented Bret Douglas, who has become of of my favorite singers with his rich, distinctive voice. Bret sings in a higher vocal-register, similar to someone like Jon Anderson or Dennis DeYoung, but Bret's actual voice and vocal delivery are all his own! Long-time Cario guitarist Alec Furhman left the band shortly before the recording of this album, but he is more than ably replaced here with two "special guest" studio guitarists, Brian Hutchison and Luis Maldonado. The album kicks off NOT with a long instrumental intro like most prog albums, but with the whole band (and vocals) charging at you from the first note! Songs like "Homecoming" and "The Prophecy" are some of the finest examples of dynamic modern prog-rock you will ever hear, and they show off the many talents of Robertson, Douglas, and Brockman quite nicely. "Coming Home" is an intense rock piece highlighted by some tight vocal harmonies and nimble-fingered Hammond Organ work from Robertson. Cosmic Approach" is an atmospheric instrumental piece based mainly around rhythms (its perhaps loosely comparable to Pink Floyd's "On the Run"). "You Are the One" is a mid-tempoed rocker that clocks in at just under 6 minutes, and includes some excellent vocal touches from Douglas, and melodic lead-synth from Robertson. "The Fuse" is an ELP-like instrumental showcase than closes the album, and features some blistering interplay between Robertson and Brockman. The only real problem with this album is that, at only 47 minutes, it simply seems TOO SHORT!...especially when the other Cairo albums all clock in at over an hour. I felt that this already strong album could have been just a bit stronger if another piece featuring Bret's vocals was featured towards the end of the album (as it is, Mr. Douglas's distinctive voice, one of the most defining elements of Cairo's sound - is missing from the final 10 minutes of the album! This seems like a strange choice to me). Anyway, I am only taking a star away from my rating because of the short running time, otherwise, this is another five star album from one of prog-rock's best!

I have been a huge fan of the Flower King's and Spock's Beard's progressive rock stylings, and it is probably why I am enjoying this disc so much. I honestly havent heard any Cairo before this, so I am pleasantly suprised to hear this cd rocking so much. They have a great powerful classic prog-sound going on, reminiscent of classic Yes and ELP as mentioned above.
This is truly some great prog-rock! Highly recommended!!

In 2001, I found a promotional copy of this cd in a cut-out bin at the local record store, liked the name of the group and the cover art, and took a chance on this group that I had previously never heard of.

For less than $5.00, I discovered a real prog gem!

Cairo is an American band that features virtuosic keyboards (Mark Robertson) very much in the ELP and Triumvirat style, and a lead vocalist (Brett Douglas) who possesses a vocal clarity similar to Josh Pincus (Ice Age) and Dennis DeYoung (Styx) that can soar richly above the music. (Actually, Noel McCalla's voice from Mike Rutherford's "Smallcreep's Day" also comes to mind.)

The music is mixed very brightly, and overall has a very powerful and inspiring feel, without ever really getting heavy. When I first put this cd on, I was immediately drawn in as the music punches right in on the first beat, with strong vocals quickly following ("It will soon be here..."). Very exciting and layered keyboards throughout the album, excellent driving drums (Jeff Brockman), some fine guitar solos from various guest musicians - all combine to perform some really great compositions very well. This cd is a real treat.

Shame on them for only including 47 minutes of music...I was hungry for more. Unfortunately, shorter albums automatically lose 1/2 a star on my rating scale. But, this cd was the single catalyst for my re-exploration of so much more progressive music over the past six years, so I'm indebted to Cairo. Recommended.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9/10; Performance = 9/10; Production = 9/10; CD length = 7/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 8.8 ("4-1/2 stars")

This 2001 release by USA neo-progressive outfit Cairo makes for a very pleasant listen - it is highly melodic and should please a lot of neo-progressive fans. Unfortunately, while I can appreciate the crisp production and the high standard of musicianship, this album just did not push all of the buttons for me.

The lineup had changed slightly from previous albums and included the core of Mark Robertson (Hammond organ, piano, synthesizers), Jeff Brockman (drums, keyboards, and percussion) and Bret Douglas (lead vocals). Joining them are electric/acoustic guitarists Luis Maldonado and Brian Hutchison, along with bassist John Evans. These guys are all good players, with Mark Robertson apparently influenced by aspects of Keith Emerson's approach - although derivative, I generally enjoyed Mark's playing. After all, anybody that can quote convincingly from Keith Emerson is OK in my book. The guitarists are also very good and contribute solos that are technically excellent and highly polished. One of the nicest aspects of the musical approach are the vocals and the vocal harmonies - Brett has (what sounds like) a tenor that is similar in quality to the vocals of Dennis DeYoung (Styx). Although he has a high-pitched voice, there are times when Bret does push a little too hard into the upper registers - it is not distracting though.

In contrast with the debut, these guys have apparently backed off from the 20+ minute epics. Musically, the seven tunes are all fine examples of the neo-progressive style, with the added twist of influences other than late 1970s -early 1980s Genesis. Specifically, I can hear bits and pieces from the Emerson, Lake & Powell album (1986), John Wetton's solo work, and maybe a little Asia. The music is very pleasant, richly arranged, and highly melodic - indeed, a pop tune lies at the heart of each of the vocal tracks. Layers of synthesizers and exciting ensemble playing are used to generate a quasi-symphonic fullness and the emphasis throughout is on the use of "cheery" major chords - this is very positive sounding and uplifting music. One of the most interesting tracks on the album (for me at any rate) was the atmospheric instrumental Cosmic Approach, which was written by the drummer. This is a fairly original sounding piece of music.

This Magna Carta release boasts excellent sound quality and highly polished production values. The liner notes feature the lyrics and list the personnel. Total running time equals 47:31 with the individual tracks ranging from 2:39 to 10:15.

All in all, while this album is certainly not bad at all, I just can not get too excited about such a conservative approach to a genre that thrives on both experimentation and forward-thinking. However, these guys are capable of some fairly original sounding music - I just wish they would focus on developing it further rather than expending all of their efforts on a style that has been "done to death". For those folks that enjoyed this album, Conflict and Dreams (1998) is recommended along with Emerson, Lake, & Powell (1986).

If you are a fan of Progressive Rock this CD will bring a smile to your face. This CD covers the best of ELP and Yes while updating those sounds through the technology of today. Time of
Legends has a big sound of keyboards, soaring gitars and
Carl Palmer like drumming. Don't hesitate to buy this CD!

Cairo's new album does not waste any time, and one second into the first song Underground, the vocals kick in and take your attention over. This is a great kicking song with keys similar to that of ELP coming in the song and taking you on a ten minute journey, this is the highlight of the album.
Prophecy is an intense instrumental song that keeps the album fantastic. Imagine a mix of the best keys you heard since ELP but in a harder rock vein and mixed with gret lead guitar parts. The vocals of Cairo are extremely well done and the vocalist has a high voice but great and it soars to the heavens. The next short song takes you in another direction into Scottish Highland. You are the One is a shorter tune but more ballad oriented, a beautiful song!!! Coming Home is also a highlight of the album and great, great key work as well as guitar leads abundant. The last track is a great way to end the album in an instrumental tune. This is Cairo's third album and although the songs are a bit shorter then the tunes on their first 2 albums, I feel this cd is much more focused and more song oriented and well thought out key and guitar parts as well as an awesome bass player and great vocals. This is the best in the Cairo catalogue. Also on this album, Cairo is now a three piece band with studio guitarists and they really fit, a great album.

As a fan of more guitar-driven prog bands like Dali's Dilemma and Dream Theater, I was a little surprised at how much I liked Cairo's first album, since they're a bit more of a keyboard-driven '70s type progressive group. Though "Conflict and Dreams" was a worthy follow-up, I'm starting to think they were holding out on us; "Time of Legends" represents a new height in songwriting quality for this band. The songs (seven in all, the most of any Cairo album) seem a bit more focused (none is over 10 minutes in length); included among those tracks are three instrumentals, the first of their career.

Musically, Jeff Brockman and Mark Robertson (drums and keys, respectively) live up to their well-deserved reputations, but vocalist Bret Douglas is the real standout here; all lyrics were written solely by him, and his voice displays a range and maturity that wasn't present on earlier releases. Departed guitarist Alec Fuhrman has not been replaced (the band apparently has elected to continue as a three-piece), but his shoes are ably filled by Luis Maldonado (who also appears on "Leonardo: The Absolute Man") and Brian Hutchison; John Evans contributes bass tracks.

Top tracks: "Cosmic Approach" (on which Brockman plays both keyboards and drums), "Coming Home," and "The Prophecy."

Conflicts and Dreams is quite good, but this one is great. I can listen to this over and over again. Took me a while to get used to it, but the overall album hangs together and sounds great. Superb musicianship, and even the vocals are developing beyond what I believe is the weakness of most hard playing progressive rock bands.

I hope these guys start making money and keep making music.

I had high hopes for this album, as Conflict and Dreams is a great album, imho. I did not like the first Cairo album and hoped the improvement would continue with this one, but the songs here come off flat even though there is an occasional wailing instrumental passage. I really liked Bret Douglas' voice on C&D, but here it manages to grate on my nerves.

I'll give it a few more spins, but I'm not very optimistic that it will improve very much.

No not this time,I can`t hear any progression since
Conflict and Dreams. MAGNA CARTA has much better artist
try UNDER THE SUN OR LEONNARDO the absolute man. Sure Cairo have that YES like spiritual edge, but thats what gave prog its BAD name in the first place.I am pleased to own this CD as It
in some ways is not bad, good musicianship.