Rachel's Birthday - An Invitiation To Rachel's Birthday


Year of Release: 1996
Label: Music Is Intelligence
Catalog Number: WMMS 110
Format: CD
Total Time: 69:13:00

Whilst at times I was having doubts as to what the German label WMMS was all about, I must say I'm chuffed with this release. I thought label boss Peter Wustman was too much interested in heavy metal exploits rather than the prog material he was releasing in the beginning, but luckily I can withdraw my doubts!

Where approach, daring, and originality are concerned, you can put this band on the same level as Vulgar Unicorn, yet another band that ignores all the current rules from the golden book of prog. Of the eight tracks on this album, two of them are magnum opuses that are subdivided into various elements. The rest of the tracks are shorter, more direct and often include very strong pop elements. In "Birthday Invitation," I hear things I could equally find in Jellyfish or the Dylans. In edited form this could well be a sequel to 1995's hit "Orange Tree."!

The first of the long tracks is called "Waves" in which you can indeed taste from an aray of different atmospheres. I even hear Alan Parsons or the drama of "War Of The Worlds." In the part called "Sliding-gliding-riding" I seem to detect the intensity of the already dead-and-gone [at the time] Echolyn. With it's 25-minute length, "Waves" isn't the kind of song you could fit into 3 minutes, but it's as powerful as a piece of modern opera with loads of dramatic accents.

Another single candidate comes waltzing in with "Everything's Alright" which gives us the opportunity to fully congratulate producer Davide Piai for his outstanding job. With the inclusion of operatic voices "A Supersonic Pest Controller' can be described as progressive ... ska! Also the lengthy "Nightingale And Snake" is a prime example of pure craftsmanship with lots of elements and atmospheres being included.

The result of all this is that everyone can get into this band's music because there's such a high level of "real" good music on this album. That's why An Invitation To Rachel's Birthday is one of the best birthday gifts you can imagine. Now blow out those candles!


Tracklisting:
Birthday Invitation / Philosophy / Waves / Cream Tears / Wedding On A Raspberry Day / Everything's Alright / A Supersonic Pest Controller / Nightingale And Snake

Musicians:
Alfred Müller - keyboards
Michael Six - bass
Jürgen Hägele - drums
Bernd Müller - guitars
Ralf Glasbrenner - vocals

Discography:
An Invitation To Rachel's Birthday (1996)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin DE

Added: July 18th 2001
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website:
Hits: 2611
Language: english

  

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