| Track by Track Review
|
 |
CD One:
|
|
Romance 76
|
|
Bicentennial Presentation
Starting with an almost Kraftwerk kind of sound, I like the melodies on this. It has some energy to the rhythm section with some cool processed keyboard sounds over the top. |
|
Romance
Some playful, almost jazzy keyboards open this. As it works forward it becomes something that’s a bit like Larry Fast, Vangelis and Kraftwerk all rolled into one. I really dig the piano things at the end. |
|
Phase By Phase
Slower and a bit moodier, this is more like Kraftwerk for sure. Yet there is a really dark element to this thing. The chiming bells are intriguing. There is some really jazzy jamming later in the piece. It turns a bit trippy and spacey beyond that section. |
|
Meadow of Infinity (Pt. 1)
There is a really creepy element here, brought on to a large degree by the operatic non-lyrical vocals. There is a real classical side to the music, that is often sparse. This is definitely strange, but cool, stuff. That movement holds it until around the half-way mark. Then it powers out to some rather jazz rocking type music. It gets more of those voices and some symphonic craziness infused near the end. |
|
The Glass Bridge
Jazz and classical music merge on this building piece. The percussion is out front and intense. There are some more of those voices later, but more as icing than driving factor. That’s over the top of a percussion movement. Then, the piece moves into some cool territory from there that makes me think of Mike Oldfield a bit. |
|
Meadow of Infinity (Pt. 2)
This is suitably spacey electronic music. I love the slow moving backdrop and keys that dance over the top. Around the one-minute mark there is a false ending. The cut builds out from there with a dramatic, slowly surging, symphonic styled movement that gradually builds. Those vocals are heard here, too. This works to some electronic based classically inspired sounds from there that have a lot of drama built within. The vocals are gone by the time it gets to this section. It gets a bit mellower for the closing movement. |
|
CD Two:
|
|
Trans Harmonic Nights
|
|
This Day
While the keyboard sounds on this are dated, they are also quite classy. Some of the elements of this make me think of Pink Floyd just a bit. Things like Kraftwerk and Vangelis certainly deserve to be mentioned, too. This instrumental is classy stuff. |
|
White Bench And Black Beach
There is almost a folk rock turned electronic vibe to this cut. It’s definitely a change in a lot of ways despite the same general instrumentation. |
|
Chasing The Dream
There is a great electronic music vibe and energy to this. It’s another that feels a bit like a cross between Kraftwerk and Vangelis. It’s a cool tune that has an almost science fiction feeling to it. There is a real space music thing in some ways, particularly the more rhythmic section. |
|
Biking up the Strand
There is a real playful, summertime freedom to this piece. Sure, it’s still set in the same electronic territory as the rest, but it’s just more fun-loving somehow. |
|
Phaseday
Now, this one really sounds a lot like Kraftwerk in a lot of ways to me. It has a real space-music section mid-track. From there it moves to more mellow electronica before working back out to the song proper. |
|
Meridian Moorland
I love the cool keyboard sounds on this thing. It has a great classic groove to it in so many ways. Sure, it’s still related to the rest, but somehow this just gels in different ways. It’s probably my favorite cut here. There is a percussion section later that brings a different angle. It drops to extremely mellow stuff after that, but then works out to the same kind of stuff that preceded it. |
|
The Third Site
This is faster paced and more energized. It’s a cool tune with a lot of percussive elements at the start. Some of the melodies hint at world music, too. |
|
Dance At Dawn
Percussion elements start this. Then it works to a jazz kind of thing. As it works forward it really gets into military type stuff alternated with electronic sections. |
|
CD Three:
|
|
Repeat Repeat
|
|
Repeat Repeat
Bouncy electronic textures are on the menu here. This is an intriguing tune that feels very much like 80s electronic music. Then again, that's exactly what it is. |
|
Home Sweet Home
A little slower, this almost makes me think of what you might get if you mashed-up Arlo Guthrie and Gary Numan. It's classy electronic music. |
|
Deccadance
The keyboard textures on this get paraticularly classically tinged at times. This also has a lot of space music in the mix. This does still have a lot of the elements from the previous tracks, but they just get intensified here, making this stand taller. |
|
Real Times
Now, here we get more of a rocking jam complete with plenty of guitar. This is bouncy and fun. It's artsy, but also down to Earth and accessible. |
|
M.A.N. Series Two
Imagine merging DEVO with a Discipline-era King Crimson sound and you might come close to this track. It's unusual, artistic and so cool. The arsty, electronic and percussive interlude is more along the lines of Kraftwerk. |
|
Brain Damage
Energized and intriguing, this has a lot of electronic space rock vibes at play. This gets pretty freaky at times, and there are some heavier and particularly dramatic moments before it's over. |
|
Kinky Dinky
More of a mainstream rocking sound is on the menu here. Yet it still has the artsy elements we've heard throughout. There are definitely hints of 1950s pop rock styled stuff.
|
|
Daytime Logic
The energy and groove on this is great. It's still got plenty of that artsy electronic thing, but it also lands in the neighborhood of dance music. |
|
Playland Pleasure
This is quirky and fun. It's a little like Kraftwerk, but there is also plenty of new wave in the mix. It gets quite proggy, too. |
|
What Is Your Use
This electronic tune has a lot of energy and style. It's not a big change, but it works well. |
|
