Giona

Dearest ProgKnight, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't understand. Are comments 20 and 21 directed at me? My last response was meant to address you personally only regarding the tracklist; the rest was about the general discussion, not your review. I hope I haven't entered a whirlwind of misunderstandings...

ProgKnight, I don't want to tax audit the matter, also because my patchy memory wouldn’t even allow me to. My intention was to remember how few and brief are the songs that actually feature a real text in Elvish compared to their total; I neglected “Verses to Elbereth Gilthoniel” as it is just a “reprise” of track 5, and “Silver Bowl” will contain at most a few lines because I remember it sung in English. As for the rest, I have absolutely nothing to object to the counterproductive nature of mass fanaticism; I just say that it wouldn’t hurt to exercise some caution in equating a historical and highly productive professional singer like Anderson, who, albeit undeniably eccentric, has reached absolute peaks of artistic excellence, with a grotesque “fanboy” or a poor unfortunate dressed as Chewbacca. I believe he deserves at least the benefit of the doubt in cases like this.

Bartle, I couldn't agree more. Not long ago, I found myself in circles like that, and escape was the only possible scenario for me. The aberrations arising from the loss of a sense of proportion are the norm, not the exception, it's true, but by lumping everything together, one risks losing sight of and casting into oblivion many valid productions that are guilty only of being part of a category that has fallen out of favor. If fans pile up on one extreme of uncritical adulation, which often leads to sheer idiocy, I'm not sure that amassing on the opposite side of the issue, with a good dose of mockery, is the most fruitful answer for the healthy enjoyment of a, let's say, convoluted style. Serious artists still exist and have always existed, because when we consider the simple quantities, we realize that they have never really changed. Geniuses have always been few, just as good music has always been only a tiny fraction of the entire musical world, which wallows and literally thrives on worn-out clichés. The truly valid and innovative fantasy books are a handful, but other genres certainly don't live in an oasis of everlasting inspiration either. The difference seems to lie in the fact that the former, due to the shift in sensibility over the last few decades in the common imagination, constantly find themselves under the relentless spotlight, while the others do not, or at least much, much less.

This is a topic, in a certain sense, quite delicate, and I hope that my words do not offend anyone's sensitivity. Nes, is what I said really that ridiculous? Tolkien sought to create a complex Western mythology that had no obvious roots or references to the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean basin, drawing upon the events and socio-political characteristics of modern history and his contemporary era. His books have had a colossal influence and are a perpetual source of inspiration, as well as yet another proof of the immense artistic power and, above all, pedagogical nature of imagination when used as a portal through poetry, theater, literature, and anything else that constructively contributes to human development. If someone wanted to pay tribute to the creator of such a work through a thematic reinterpretation, citing the language he created (in this case, it seems to me that it involves four tracks out of sixteen, three of which are around two minutes long), I believe they should be able to do so without the risk of being considered mentally impaired. Let’s be clear: if a gas station attendant or a postal worker spoke to me in Elvish or tried to make themselves understood gesticulating like a Jedi, I would strongly advise them to spend a weekend or two at a mental health facility, but if, for example, I wanted to compose a concept album in honor of Zeuhl, while forgoing the use of its peculiar language (the very term "zeuhl" is part of that vocabulary), my research and artistic representation surrounding that object would be entirely insufficient or, at best, mediocre and fragmentary. I realize that today's hyper-rationalism implies a detachment from the realm of the fantastic (especially when it is too detailed), and I certainly do not want, nor could I, stem the tide of events, but I do not see any necessity for the relentless discrediting or, in extreme cases, disgust and aversion towards the fruits of human creativity in the poetic interpretation of reality.

(7/10) It may not be progressive, but listening to this album, seated in front of the sunset over a lush landscape, perhaps sipping on a hot tea, is truly a balm (at least for me). Among all the styles considered relevant for describing the album, I would only use "Folk" and, perhaps, "Celtic." @My dear Bartle, I hope you will forgive me if I respond too seriously to your obviously ironic comment. I believe that the elvish singing is an absolutely essential reference in a work that aims to revisit, in a folk key, this particular aspect of the Tolkienian world. After all, we are talking about a constructed language that has now become established in the history of recent mytho-folkloric literature, despite the ridicule that has recently become fashionable. If we were to enter the tiresome carousel of blame and disdain towards the fantasy genre or the fantastic in general, how could we ever define Christian Vander and the entire Kobaïan epic he created and meticulously structured and defined over more than forty years of career? A visionary genius, inventor of an entire genre, or, as the Scaruffian school teaches, an embarrassing and pathetic "nerd" (whatever that means)? Not to mention Julian Jay Savarin and his Lemmus trilogy...

Thank you very much, Decline. I have to admit that the sight of those shady figures maneuvering in reverse around the Circles End car makes me think that I've, at the very least, parked incorrectly.

@Siciliano: Indeed, the funk style adopted by the bass is undoubtedly one of the strengths of the album. Strangely, Gøran left the band shortly after the release of this debut, despite the positive critical response and numerous favorable reviews published in industry magazines. Perhaps the subtle shift towards a British-influenced jazz-rock is largely due to the arrival of his replacement, Patrick Wilder. @ProgKnight: If you want to get a quick idea of the band's sound, you can take a look at their MySpace. There are three tracks to listen to, but they all belong to the second album and they are certainly not among the most interesting (except for "Echoes"). Welcome to the new Myspace!

Thank you, Macaco. After reading your review of "See" by The Work, I got the live "The 4th World," released last year, and I must say that the listening experience is quite challenging. But every sweat of this kind is welcome if it helps to broaden the musical horizons and artistic perception of a curious progressive seeker like me and, surely, like you.

Thank you very much for the kind comments. @Siciliano: I notice a high appreciation for the album on your part. I, having listened to it a lot, tend to prefer the following, thanks to fresh and energetic tracks like “Echoes,” “Charlie,” and the delicious final bossa nova of “The Dogfather Has Entered the Lift.” @ProgRock: I really have no idea what the chains are meant to suggest. The back shows a photo of some pipes, while inside there is a sort of drawing of the lunar surface, which seems to be the only thing related to the title. @Jargon: I agree. My ideal rating would have been 7, but it’s now clear that without half points, the judgments will always be vague and interpretable. @ProgKnight: I would say it's progressive rock with evident jazz and funk influences. The second album is relatively closer to Canterbury sounds, but the underlying style is the same. Nothing groundbreaking, though both releases are very enjoyable, while perhaps being a bit too gentle for the trained ear. @Bartle: My dear, I fully understand that the display of such a close-up photograph is a heartfelt tribute to the guardian deity of our local rock and to his latest "work," as well as a sincere invitation to the many intellectuals who will feel the need to analyze its characteristics and propose the results of their meticulous observations on these pages. Even though I too, like the entire debaserian community, have always fought to have such an artist recognized as a cultural heritage and to obtain, at the very least, UNESCO protection (which is still shockingly denied), I must confess, with my utmost shame, that I am a long-time fan of your historic personal page and consequently I will secretly hope for its eventual return or for the emergence, sooner or later, of a worthy variant. With all due respect for the beloved (…) Mayor of Italy.

It may not be the genre I currently devote myself to the most, but slipping into the sonic chasms carved by the guitars and then listening to the howls of the saxophone emerge from the abyss of "Galactic Derelict" is truly a pleasure.