The Contemporary Guitar Sampler Transatlantic Records
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A leading Figure of the Acoustic Music Scene of the 1970s....a period known affectionately as 'The Transatlantic Years' after the record label of the same name. His contemporaries within the label included Pentangle, Gerry Rafferty, Ralph McTell, Gordon Giltrap, Paul Brady and Steve Tilston. He recorded several albums for Transatlantic in the early 70s including a groundbreaking album of duets with fellow guitarist Pete Berryman called Sky in My Pie. He also became the first guitarist in the UK to arrange and record the music of Scott Joplin. In the mid 1970s he was signed up by Kicking Mule records and in 1976 released an album of original fingerpicking guitar solos and duets called Descriptive Guitar Instrumentals. This also featured fellow guitarists John Renbourn and Duck Baker. According to Stefan Grossman, James's compositions were written out in musical form without the aid of the guitar - this enabled him to develop original ideas without being limited by his existing guitar technique.
The music "formula" that underlies the album is straightforward: full-blown prog rock extravaganza. This is music that harks back to the golden days of progressive rock and the work of bands like Yes and Genesis, albeit revisited in contemporary fashion and bringing in the metallic bite of prog metal. It can be described as a cross between Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings, with a slightly more metallic undertone relative to these two bands. The Marillion and Dream Theater influences are instead much less pronounced. The emphasis is on long-form compositions with multiple sections, extended instrumental run-throughs and recurring themes that tie together the different parts of the song and give the listener a reference point to hold on to as they navigate the sprawling compositions. The playing is highly-technical and virtuosic ? it could not be otherwise given the calibre of the four musicians involved in the project -, but it never loses sight of melody and accessibility. Whether you are into extended guitar solos, flamboyant keyboard parts, spectacular bass grooves or six-armed drum extravaganza, Bridge Across Forever has it all and it's guaranteed that you can spend hours dissecting the monstrous performances of the Morse, Portnoy, Stolt and Trewavas. The vocal department is also strong. A difference between this album and its predecessor, Transatlantic's debut record SMPTe, is that on this one Morse, Portnoy, Stolt and Trewavas share duties behind the mic. This was a more or less conscious attempt at making Transatlantic sound like a Neal Morse's solo project, after the debut album, where Morse had a leading role in the vocal parts, had been criticized for its excessive similarity with Morse's and Spock's Beard's output. The alternation between four voices is interesting and freshens things up, although Morse does remain the most accomplished vocalist of the four, followed with some distance by Stolt.The album is comprised of four songs for a total duration exceeding 70 minutes. Two tracks, the opener "Duel with the Devil" and closer "Stranger in Your Soul" are approximately 26 minutes each, "Suite Charlotte Pike" clocks at 14+ minutes, and the title-track is only a mere 5:33 minute long. "Duel with the Devil" and "Stranger in Your Soul" are the two "prog epics" of the album, where Transatlantic pour all of their creativity and skills and then some more. The two pieces share some common musical themes (the strings section that opens both tracks) and a similarly complex structure, with multiple parts that feed into one another, alternating between furious musical workouts and more atmospheric and mellower sections. Although both songs are great fun to listen to, "Duel with the Devil" is the one where Transatlantic truly reach near-perfection, thanks to a beautiful melodic theme (the chorus "Motherless Children?") that recurs throughout the song in multiple arrangements (including a sublime choral arrangements near the end), and a balanced structure that does not abuse with too many digressions but is firmly grounded around its central melodic idea. "Stranger in Your Soul" is instead slightly less satisfactory and shows some of the pitfalls of long-form songwriting. It opens strongly with some of the most exhilarating musical passages of the album ("Pt I: Sleeping Wide Awake" and the heavily metallic "Part II: Hanging in the Balance"), but it loses steam afterwards (the dull section "Pt III: Lost and Found pt 2") and then gets tangled into a messy conclusion, with a faux finale (the orchestral crescendo at the end of "Pt IV: Awakening the Stranger") and a repetition of quiet/loud sections that goes on for too long. The other two tracks of the album are less spectacular, but nevertheless enjoyable. The title-track, a simple piece for piano and vocals beautifully sung by Neal Morse, is especially endearing. "Suite Charlotte Pike" is a sort of "glorified blues jam", where Transatlantic showcase their love for The Beatles and 1960/70s pop rock. It's fun to listen to, but it lacks the depth and musical nuance of the two epics, which makes its 14+ minutes perhaps a tad unwarranted. Overall, Bridge Across Forever is a strong album that will surely not disappoint prog rock/metal aficionados. It has everything that the genre is known for: tight musicianship, sprawling compositions, clever songwriting and sophisticated arrangements. Most importantly, it packs four songs that strike a great balance between melodic accessibility and musical complexity, making this a record that is both instantly enjoyable and with great replay value. social review comments | Review PermalinkPosted Sunday, June 6, 2021 | Review this album | Report (Review #2569192) 2b1af7f3a8