Songs Of Experience – DAVID AXELROD***

The Poison Tree/A Little Girl Lost/London/The Sick Rose/The School Boy/The Human Abstract/The Fly/A Divine Image

Songs Of Experience was the second album from American producer and composer David Axelrod. It explores a darker side of humanity than its predecessor.

“Songs Of Experience was highly experimental for it's time. Axelrod based this album on a set of poems by William Blake, adding a lush, orchestrated sound mixed with hints of pop, jazz and folk. Add to that Axelrod's penchant for pushing the boundaries with studio effects and you've got yourself a seriously innovative album.”

“Songs Of Experience represents the second half of David Axelrod's musical vision of William Blake's famous songs. Whereas the first album on this project, Songs Of Innocence, was hopeful, daring and overall ambitious, these Songs Of Experience are experimental. This is a darker album, a different but still quite lyrical and fearless Axelrod bringing to a masterful close the cycle initiated on his '68 debut. The compositions, arrangements and band performance are superb.”

“Make no mistake, the music isn't bad at all. Axelrod continues to weave sophisticated arrangements and ends up producing a musical fusion that sounds very much AOR/MOR, but somehow is smarter than that. There are numerous details hidden under an ostensibly slick surface, making this no less engaging than its predecessor. The Blake allusions and the enigmatic artsy cover may be puzzling.” ,p> “Astonishing perfection of a sound: super groovy, open, deep funky drum and bass, electric guitar with languid, swirling, ingenious orchestrations. There is something about 60s orchestral/baroque pop that I just adore.” ,p> “This is impeccably orchestrated, jazzy, soaring, subtly funky and tasteful. It pulls off a fusion that doesn't come off as merely mashing together incongruous musical elements. It is also highly atmospheric and evocative. It is certainly an accomplished album. And The Human Abstract is a remarkable highlight of the album."

“At the best of times it's pretty and moving, but mostly it failed to make much of an impression. Without a doubt its very epic sounding, a hybrid of classical, jazz, prog and a bit of pop.”