Suite In C/Flight Of The Ibis/Is She Waiting/Tomorrow's People-The Children of Today/Birdman
McDonald & Giles were both early members of the progressive band King Crimson. After their departure this self titled collaboration continued in a similar style but with limited commercial success.
“Ian McDonald and Michael Giles were both original members of King Crimson and this album was released after they left the group. This just can't reach the level of King Crimson's music. Although it comes pretty close at times but most of the time this is just pretty decent and quite OK prog and nothing more. Birdman which fills the whole B-side is the clear standout. It's a very diverse song with lots of different parts. The A-side isn't as convincing.”
“This one album of ex-King Crimson members is like a cross between early King Crimson and Caravan. Very nice and very British soft prog, it's really nothing new, but I really like this kind of moody atmosphere in music.”
“McDonald & Giles presents three long-to-epic pieces of peace-loving, often groove laden, psych-tinged progressive rock, along with two short songs.”
“The very funky jazz style of Michael Giles, along with a soft progressive, almost Canterbury scene approach to the arrangements, makes this quite a unique prog record that refuses to be pigeon holed.”
“Much of this collaborative album sounds very similar to the first two Crimson albums - just without the Mellotrons and Greg Lake's strong vocal performance. Lyrically it's rather trite, but instrumentally they and the rest of the guest musicians make this work, particularly Giles's inventive drumming. The one song where it comes together both lyrically and musically is the all-to-brief Is She Waiting, which sounds more like a single that never was. Unfortunately, the band really decides to stretch out on the second side with Birdman, 22 minutes of failing to take a song anywhere.”
“The only solo project by Macdonald & Giles after leaving King Crimson, this album sounds as fresh, richly melodic and transporting as it did when I first heard it on vinyl. This is progressive rock at its finest: weaving different musical styles together to create something that's truly moving and enchanting, while never mistaking empty bombast for depth. A serious work, it's all the better for its infectious sense of humour and wit.”
No comments:
Post a Comment