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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The last of the trilogy of excellent albums made from 1976-1979 , April 9, 2006
This 1979 album opens with an incredibly spacey synth introduction (Astral Entrance) that would not have been out of place on the album Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd, 1975). In fact, the combination of Gilmour-esque guitar playing, the wall of synthesizers, and the chord sequence sounds a little...well, TOO familiar. It's not a big deal for me though - I love both Pink Floyd and Eloy, and musicians are generally fond of quoting one another as a form of tribute.
However, once Master of Sensation kicks in with the punchy, trebly, bass of Klaus-Peter Matziol, the virtuosic drumming of Jurgen Rosenthal, and the heavy Germanic accent of vocalist/guitarist Frank Bornemann, it becomes clear that this is in fact an Eloy album. I know this has been stated a billion times before, but a lot of people don't like Frank's vocals, citing his thick accent as a major problem - I for one like his vocals quite a lot. In addition to Frank, there are some "soulful" female backup vocals by Brigitte Witt on a few tunes - in fact they don't sound unlike the vocal parts on Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd, 1973). The lineup on this album is simply spectacular, and along with great keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen and his spacey keyboard work (Arp synth, mini-moog, mellotron, and Hammond organ), generated the best music Eloy made in the 1970s (including the albums Dawn (1976) and Ocean (1977). Unfortunately, drummer Jurgen Rosenthal and keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen left Eloy after this album, which is a pity - they really contributed a lot to the band.
The 6 tracks on the album range in length from the 3'03 Astral Entrance to the 14'55" mini epic The Apocalypse. The lyrics by drummer Jurgen Rosenthal are pretty cosmic and I have absolutely no clue what he was writing about, but then that's part of the fun of listening to 1970s prog.
The remastered album by EMI is excellent although copy-control technology was used and some folks have complained about playback problems. I for one have played this copy controlled product on everything including a cheap Sony discman; my laptop; and an excellent Harmon-Kardon CD player with no playback problems whatsoever. The liner notes are detailed, although they are in German, and there are loads of band photos scattered throughout. Like all of the Eloy albums, the sound quality is excellent with good separation, crisp highs, and deep bass. The two bonus tracks include the not-so-great Child Migration and the slightly better Let the Sun Rise in my Brain.
All in all, this is an excellent album of well played spacey prog and is highly recommended along with Dawn (1976), Ocean (1977), and Planets (1981).
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Metaphysical art rock, February 1, 2006
Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes is the only Eloy album comparable to Ocean in scope. Very long and well crafted songs (five this time) are the last statement from this line up before its breaking up. Jurgen Rosenthal and Detlev Schimdtchen would leave the band after this album.
The first song is divided in two parts. The first one, Astral Entrance, could be compared with many Pink Floyd tunes such as Shine on Your Crazy Diamond. However, any floydy reference is blown away when the band kicks in with Matziol bass taking on a leading role. Master of Sensation, the second part, features some excellent guitar and synth work while Rosenthal's drumming is outstanding.
The Apocalypse is the epic of the album. This song is divided into three parts. Parts I & II are fairly standard Eloy material (That means excellent!) featuring, again, excellent instrumentation and a beautiful female choir. The last section, Force Majeure shows us Eloy at its best. Pumping bass playing, some percussion, powerful guitar chords and especially excellent synth work which really gives the song the necessary scope. At times you can hear until five synths at the same time. Brilliant!
Next three songs are a bit shorter. Pilot to Paradise is a driving and dynamic song where bass is pumping again and the drum fills remind of some Neil Peart's work. The main melody is beautiful, with a very symphonic feel. The last section is heavier with Bornemann's guitar solo taking the leading role.
De Labore Solis is a beautiful atmospheric song that features some lovely synth work and some beatiful harmonies and melodies.
Mighty Echoes ends the album with another classic, symphonic kind of melody. Before the end there is a break that features some intricate synth work before the band repeats the main theme until the album is finished.
Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes rivals Ocean thematically and musically. The scope is similar and the lyrics are great dealing with some religious, or if you want, metaphysical issues. Very poetic, philosophical and profound lyrics as Eloy got us used to. As usual artwork is fantastic and the atmosphere of the album is quite unique.
The bonus tracks in this remastered edition are very good and are not live versions of songs from the album. Both, Child Migration and Let the Sun Rise in Your Brain deserved to be released as official tracks in any other album. The latter would have found its right place in Colours, for instance.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspired, Inspiring , October 24, 2005
Well, at least you can appreciate their inspiration. I doubt, however, that Pink Floyd or Hawkwind would ever feel the need to appropriate Neal Peart to drum for them. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery these guys were indeed on the edge of time, as they point out in 'Master Of Sensation'. Not that they could ever cut it - - both WISH YOU WERE HERE and WARRIOR ON THE EDGE OF TIME came out in 1975, and this sort of lumbered along (echoing as it came, you see) in their wake three years later. Best track: 'Force Majeure' for two reasons - - 1) It's a familiar-sounding instrumental; and 2) It flattered Tangerine Dream so much that they were inspired to name their next album in its honor the following year.
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