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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystical, inspiring, energizing, January 3, 2004
Inspired by the mystical reflections of ancient Irish saints, Journey into the Morn combines the best of Celtic, world beat, and rock influences. The instrumentation includes haunting vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, drums, percussion of many kinds, basses, violins, viola, tin whistles, low whistles, soprano sax, flute, and chimes. The mysterious result is both soothing and energizing. Its tracks range from haunting to dreamlike, to pounding, but never grating. Many of the songs are long, and would never get air play, but they give ample time to explore themes and variations. I have enjoyed this album both as background music while working or entertaining, and during times of meditation. By far, my favorite track is "Encircling", a modern sonata in three parts. The music begins softly and builds to full force, with amazing electric guitar and drums layered over ancient themes and instrumentation. A portion of the lyrics (Lorica) are 4th century Irish, attributed to St. Patrick -- and by far the most beautiful English translation I have found of the Lorica. Other tracks are recorded in the original Gaelic. The CD lining gives both background information and the full lyrics used in the album. Reading these can be as inspiring as the music itself. As you read these notes, it becomes clear why they selected such timeless subject matter as the basis for their album. Iona's music is deeply rooted in the land and history. It literally inspired me to study centuries of Irish history, in order to learn the background for this great musical effort.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic voyage, September 16, 2000
Ireland has always been renowned for producing a wealth of musical
talent. Long before i discovered that Iona are in actual fact a
British/Irish combination, i considered them to be the best band ever
to emerge from the Emerald Isle (surpassing the likes of Van Morrison,
U2, Clannad, Sinead O'Connor, The Corrs and so on). Hearing this
gospel rock band play, their music so profoundly influenced by their
Celtic heritage and frequently using Gaelic lyrics, it is easy to
understand why one would believe they are 100% Irish. Named after a
small island off the west coast of Scotland where Christianity in
Britain supposedly originated, this exceptionally gifted band are
little known outside the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. And even
there their fame does not reach far beyond the Christian
community. The level of their artistry, musicianship and songwriting
however is such that they deserve to be an international household
name.Iona have been around for quite a while now (since 1989 to be
exact) and have continued to develop over the years - like White Heart
and Amy Grant for instance - into icons of the Christian music
scene. A scene which they appear to have outgrown, seemingly poised to
take the secular world by storm, without taking the final step. The
1995 "Journey into the morn" is their 4th studio
effort. Including more recent releases such as "Woven cord"
(live in London), "Open sky" and solo projects like Troy
Donockley's "The unseen stream" and Joanne Hogg's
"Looking into light", it is also their best. (I am not sure
where the 1999 album "Eye of the eagle" fits in.) Prequel
"Beyond these shores" (1993) introduced me to Iona's
atmospheric brand of progressive rock, fusing pop, symphonic rock, a
modicum of new age and Celtic folk in a highly original, inspirational
blend of superior quality. It is a great album which features my
favorite Iona track ever ("Beachy head", with a brilliant
saxophone solo), but misses the overall grandeur of its
successor. Northern Irish lead singer Joanne Hogg (multiple winner
of the Classic Rock Society's Best Female Vocalist of the Year
election) has one of those soothing, mesmerizing, angelic voices that
the Irish seem to have a monopoly on, but packs more verve and
intensity than most of her "compatriots". Fellow
nightingales Maire Brennan (Clannad), who also contributed to this
album, Loreena McKennitt, Enya and Mary Black are a few of the vocal
templates that come to mind. All of the songs are furnished with a
glorious tapestry of keyboards and synths throughout, but stealing the
limelight is guitar virtuoso Dave Bainbridge, who never ceases to
impress me with his supreme skill, expert timing and riveting solos. A
myriad of alternate instruments (flute, violin, Uillean pipes, tin
whistle, harp, sax a.o.) help summon that authentic Irish mood. In
between low-key opener "Bi-se i mo shuil Part I" (sung in
Gaelic) and closing track "When i survey" (with a vocal
structure similar to "Amazing grace") lies a whole gamut of
musical styles. Songs like "Irish day", "Wisdom"
and "No heart beats" (apt rhythmic beat, strong bass,
Clannad-like harmony vox) are prime examples of sophisticated
poprock. Their dreamy, acoustic based tracks, some not exceeding the 3
minute mark ("The search", the title track itself), are as
enchanting as their epics are complex and powerful. The latter
includes "Heaven's bright sun", the only non-vocal track
(discounting the men's choir), which would lend its name to their next
release, a terrific live double album. Their longest track to date,
"Encircling", is a microcosm of Iona's music, exploring all
of their differing styles and instrumental diversity within an 11 and
a half minute timeframe. At times breathtakingly sensitive, they are
equally adept at unleashing a tempest as the music swells and erupts
into one of Bainbridge's trademark solos, as is also emphatically
proven on "Inside my heart", which starts off on a
misleading acoustical note. "Irish day" sings Ireland's
praises in such a wonderfully evocative manner that i'm tempted to hop
the next plane to Dublin. "Lindisfarne" brings about a
similar effect. (A visit to this island in 1988 by key member David
Fitzgerald led to Iona's formation.) Despite its running time of
over 78 minutes, "Journey into the morn" can easily be
listened to from start to finish without boredom setting in, even if
only serving as background music. Its lyrics are inspired by and even
literally incorporate fragments of ancient Irish hymns, traditional
Gaelic tunes and verses from the bible. First and foremost they are a
Christian band, but one that avoids forcefeeding His message to its
listeners. Their m.o. is all about musical and lyrical finesse. In
case you have trouble taking a hint, this is one album that i advise
you promote a.s.a.p. to the top of your wants list. For progressive
rock fans of any religious or atheistic persuasion, they are a sure
thing ! You may also wanna check out their 15 track compilation
album "Treasures" (1993), a nice selection of songs from
their first 3 albums, "Iona", "The book of Kells"
and "Beyond these shores". "Beachy head"
unfortunately is notably absent. (To quote fellow gospel rockers
Liaison: "Go and sin no more...")
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly innovative band!, August 21, 2000
I can't say enough great things about Iona, or this particular album, "Journey Into the Morn". Iona are, simply put, one of the most unique and innovative bands to hit the progressive music scene in years! They blend traditional Celtic acoustic instumentation with new-agy synth washes, soaring electric guitar, and one of the most beautiful female lead voices in today's music scene, Joanne Hogg. I tend to like albums with a lot of variety on them, and like Alan Parsons or The Moody Blues, Iona never disappoints on that front! During the 75 minutes of this disc you will here complex, intricately-arranged progressive rock (Encircling, Irish Day, Lindisfarne, Heaven's Bright Sun), mellow acoustic-based tracks (Journey Into the Morn, Inside My Heart, Divine Presence), upbeat pop-rock (Wisdom, No Heart Beats) and dreamy, atmospheric new age (Everything Changes, When I Survey). This band has a sense of creativity and adventure that sets them far apart from most of the "look how hip we can be" bands on the current Christian music scene! Iona does not create slap-happy, cheesy "Christian" slogans disguised as songs, they create words and music of incredible spiritual and artistic depth. This bands musicianship is top-notch, if you are a guitar fan, then look no further than Iona's six-string master David Bainbridge, a true artist in every sense of the word! If you have never heard this tremendously inventive band before, then this album is the probably best place to start. Discover a truly unique band today!
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