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Eela Craig

A Spaceman Came Travelling

Review by Gary Hill

I previously reviewed the largely forgotten debut album from this Austrian band. this three-CD set includes the rest of their catalog, with the exception of the final album. Now, I haven't heard that final album, but I think that the last disc here is not as strong as the debut set. That said, based on their first four albums (there are three albums here, one each on the first and third disc and two on the second) I can't understand why this act didn't have a much greater level of success. They produced some amazing prog rock that was on the same kind of level quality wise as some of the biggest bands in the genre. I'm glad these albums have been assembled in this set to get them out there for a (hopefully) wider audience. I will say that the set on the final disc falls a little short for me, but the others are so strong that it doesn't matter. Besides, that one still has its moments.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
CD1: One Niter
                     
Circles

Powerful keyboards bring this in with an epic, symphonic vibe. The track grows out with the classical elements and keyboard textures in control as it works through some variants. At nearly 14 minutes of music, this is epic in scale, and they put that time to good use. It drops to a spacey kind of arrangement with flute in the mix along with keyboards. That holds it for a time and then pretty melodies emerge to move it forward from there. We're nearly five minutes in before it powers up into more rocking territory. We're taken on quite a twisting, turning, prog rocking adventure as this drives onward. There are definitely some jazzy things at play at times. I am reminded of ELP at points here. Then it hits an explosion sounding element and more melodic music based around piano and flute takes over from there. The first vocals join near the nine minute mark. That section has a very melodic and accessible sound. It gradually builds upward from there. This resolves out later with some killer guitar as part of a more rocking arrangement. It reminds me a little of Nektar in that section. They continue to build on that as it drives forward until it eventually ends.

Loner's Rhyme

Mellower folk prog that reminds me of early King Crimson gets us underway here. As the vocals join they bring hints of early Pink Floyd with them. This works out to some killer prog jamming from there. It incorporates things like Nektar and Pink Floyd to my ears. Both the bass guitar and keyboards in particular shine. There are some fusion-like angles to it in some ways, too. That works through, and then they drop to a mellower, more experimental sounding thing. As it builds back out there is some amazing bass, and it has a funk vein for a time. Then it works to something a bit like a proggier Santana. That jam evolves, and then deposits us into a more melodic movement that has hints of both King Crimson and Pink Floyd. After the vocals in that movement a tasty guitar solo takes over.

One Niter Medley

This has some intriguing intricacies. It's a nice combination of mellower prog and space music as it gets going. This works through some changes and eventually turns into some smoking hot prog meets fusion jamming. That eventually gives way to a less intense jam with a focus on keyboards. That builds outward as this continues to evolve. This instrumental is quite the ride.

Venezuela

Mellower, balladic, folk prog creates the concept behind this piece. Busy percussion and flute dominate a jam after the first vocals end. The vocals return later, and the song works through as a pretty cohesive folk prog song.

Way Down

Trippy building jamming is on the menu as this gets underway. It eventually works out to more of a fusion based groove from there. They really put in some smoking hot instrumental interplay. After this extended introduction that takes up about five minutes of the song we get a shift to a melodic jam that is classy. I'm again reminded of Nektar to some degree. The closing movement turns a little jazzy.

CD2: Hats of Glass / Virgin Oiland
                        
Hats of Glass
                  
A Spaceman Came Travelling

This was apparently a hit, and I can see why. It has some great space rock and more pure prog. The song has a decent range, while still remaining cohesive. It has some catchy vocal hooks, and a lot of style and charm. It's just such a great piece of music.

Hats of Glass

Spacey, trippy, mellow prog is on the menu here. This is another classy piece of music. It has some great moments. It's fairly slow moving, but features some great powered up guitar work. It eventually intensifies and works to some cool space rock later. Then it goes into a full space keyboard based section that feels like it would fit in a science fiction film. That ends abruptly and then a melodic prog jam emerges from there. This continues to evolve before it's over.

Chances Are
A classic processional type thing gets us underway here. It works to more trippy, driving prog stuff as it continues. Again, I'm reminded quite a bit of Nektar. The various sections get revisited during the course of the track.
Heaven Sales

There is an extended instrumental section built into this track. It works through some different sections, again making me think of Nektar to a good degree. Eventually it works out to a melodic groove for the entrance of the vocals. This is a classy cut.

Holstenwall Fair

This is a killer prog jam that has a lot of varying movements and textures built into it. There are some things that make me think of ELP at times. There are also more folk prog vibes like something Renaissance might do. It's all structured within a killer mostly instrumental jam. We get vocals near the end.

Caught on the Air

More of a melodic prog number, this has some great hooks. It's a more cohesive track that lands near balladic territory. It's a great song.

Remove Another Hat of Glass and You Could Easily Find Assorted Kinds of Cheese

This instrumental has plenty of cool progressive rock jamming built into it. It lands on the melodic side, but not balladic. This rocks and has some powerful instrumental work at its heart.

Virgin Oiland
                         
The First Minute

This is a short piece that has some sound effects at the start leading to a mellow, folk styled instrumental jam that never fully develops.

Beecher's Brook

This energized jam has more of a mainstream rock sound, but it's still proggy. There are some things about this that make me think of Queen to some degree. There some intriguing twists and turns here that get this into more dramatic progressive rock zones. In fact, it gets quite adventurous at times. It eventually works to the more mainstream stuff to end.

How It Started

Weird sliding effects start this. Keyboards rise up as it continues. A cool keyboard and vocal arrangement get this track going from there. It works out with an accessible yet decidedly proggy jam that has some jazz in the mix. I love the bass work on this thing. There is a cool interlude with synthetic voices right at the end.

Carry On

Piano starts this track. The track is a melodic prog number that's cohesive and accessible. It's all class, but not really a standout number.

Birds of a Feather

This is so cool. There are jazzy moments. There are sections that make me think of Nektar. There is even a cool weird freak-out later. It's just such a fun tune.

Still...

Mellow and evocative keyboard textures are on the menu here as this gets underway. Track builds as a rather melodic, melodic prog piece.

Pig City

I dig the bouncy, rather AOR prog sound of this cut. It's all class.

Lion's Covering the Beaches

Keyboards and vocals make up this track. It has a jazzy kind of vibe at play.

Love to Hate You, Baby

Keyboard dominated, this has some synthetic voices that I believe are delivered via the Vocoder. It has some hints of Kraftwerk, but there are also some disco leanings. I have to wonder if this song inspired "I Love to Hate You" from Erasure because they are both poking fun of the same type of music in a similar way.

The Seven Minutes

There is a mellow spaciness at the heart of this piece of music. It's another classy track. It's definitely on the sedate side, but it has plenty of magic built into it.

CD3: Missa Universalis
                   
Kyrie

Dramatic keyboards are the defining element here. There is a classical element as it works forward. Then it drops to something more atmospheric, along the lines of Pink Floyd. Vocals come over the top as this continues. This works through remaining keyboard and chorale vocal related, but it gets really spacey at times. This drives out to more rocking stuff for later parts of the track. This opening number of the album is about 12 minutes long.

Gloria

More of a melodic prog jam, this has some intriguing twists and turns. It's not at the same level as the other albums, but it has its charms.

Credo

Another that's heavily keyboard based, the religious themes on this get a little over the top for my tastes, but the music has some magical moments.

Sanctus

This is less prog rock and more classical music based. Yet there are some rock things at play. Again, I'm not as enthused about most of this as I am some of the other music on this set. It's largely keyboard based. That said, the driving prog jam later is purely on fire.

Agnus Dei

Now, this track is pretty amazing. It's definitely got some great prog rock at its heart. This is certainly the best song on this final disc of the set. It's the one that comes closest to the kind of powerhouse magic we heard on the previous CDs.

Amen
Dramatic keyboard dominated music is the main thing here. This has a lot of classical angle to it. It's bombastic and potent. It's not really as strong as the more mainstream prog on the previous disc, though.
 
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