Tate, Geoff - Geoff Tate


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Sanctuary
Catalog Number: 84555
Format: CD
Total Time: 49:51:00

Begin history lesson. Geoff Tate - vocalist from Queensrÿche. End history lesson.

With Goeff Tate's solo album - don't expect Queensrÿche. As simple as that statement is, it is imperative, if you do wish to enjoy this album, that you let go of Queensrÿche and instead concentrate on the talents of said vocalist and let his solo album do the talking. This is Geoff Tate, solo artist, not Geoff Tate, singer from Queensrÿche (although, yes, there will be references to Queensrÿche)

I think it's fair to surmise you'll either enjoy or despise this release and this hinges on your reading of Geoff Tate. This dichotomy of feelings is due to, quite possibly, far too many complex and varied reasons. For starters, this solo album is less guitar heavy than QR and with infinitely more commercial appeal. Secondly, for fans of Geoff Tate's vocals, I think there is plenty to keep you interested on this album. His vocals are very expressive and his lyrics articulate - something that I felt was lost on the most recent QR album. As you may have guessed, this is not a metal album, so the focus of Geoff's singing is more on passion and illustration rather than high notes and power and his vocal precision on this album is one of the many highlights. That said, it has more than a passing resemblance to the most recent QR albums of Promised Land, Hear In The Now Frontier, and Q2K than to early QR material, but this is far less aggressive and instead will appeal to fans of atmospheric musical landscapes. Let's face it, this is pop/rock.

This splendor sees a range of musical diversity with acoustic and Spanish guitars, electronic drum beats (at times), and this album has been computerised to the point of sterility. Which is both a help and a hindrance. What I mean is that it sounds good, but it's a little too overdone at times. It sounds nice but sometimes nice is boring and this album has some boring moments. Sometimes I listen with wonder ("Flood," "Helpless," "Passenger"); at other times I'm wondering what I'm listening to ("Off The TV," "Grain Of Faith," "Over Me") and these mixed feelings either show a depth to the album that I've yet to discover or a fault of the album. The strength of song-writing can be seen as one of the faults on this album, as some songs appear to go almost nowhere, but they manage to also create some amazing tracks that are truly mind-blowing in a non-Queensrÿche type way. This up-and-down nature of the album creates a loss of rhythm and consistency and towards the end of the album it transcends from the sombre to the heavier, which is also quite disconcerting. By the end I felt like I was listening to Q2K with "Off The TV" - a song that should have been scrapped from the beginning but a song that is the most Queensrÿche as such.

There are 5 musicians who follow Geoff along his solo path and they are: C. Fox (b), Howard Chilcott (k), Evan Schiller (d), and two guitarists - Jeff Carrell and Scott Moughton. All of these members are fairly much removed from the metal scene and have diverse backgrounds from blues to rock to country. They've tried everything and it shows on this album.

Geoff Tate, the album, is much better than the most recent Queensrÿche album Q2K. It is also a grower because with my first listen I was horrified, but knew that it would grow on me over time - and it has. Let's face it - Geoff Tate is a wonderful singer. With more listens I know the songs more now and can sing along to the good ones - but not every song is good but there is a depth here that won't be apparent on the first listen. Nor on the second listen.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Flood (5:24) / Forever (4:14 ) / Helpless (4:50) / Touch (4:07) / Every Move We Make (4:24) / This Moment (4:50) / In Other Words (4:52) / A Passenger (4:49) / Off The TV (4:00) / Grain Of Faith (3:35) / Over Me (4:41)

Musicians:
Geoff Tate - vocals, backing vocals
Eyvind Kang - viola
Evan Schiller - guitar, drums, backing vocals, loops, digital editing
Chris Fox - bass, fretless bass, upright bass
Scott Moughton - electric guitar
Jeff Carrell - electric guitar, backing vocals
Howard Chilcott - synths, Steinway piano, backing vocals

Discography:
Queensrÿche - Queensr?che (1983)
Queensrÿche - The Warning (1984)
Queensrÿche - Rage For Order (1986)
Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Queensrÿche - Empire (1991)
Queensrÿche - Promised Land (1994)
Queensrÿche - Hear In The Now Frontier (1997)
Queensrÿche - Q2K (1999)
Queensrÿche - Greatest Hits (2000)
Queensrÿche - Live Evolution (2001)
Queensrÿche - Classic Masters (2002)
Geoff Tate (2002)
Queensrÿche - Revolution Calling (2003)
Queensrÿche - Tribe (2003)
Queensrÿche - Art Of Live (2004)
Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Queensrÿche - Essential (2006)
Queensrÿche - Face To Face (2006)
Queensrÿche - Mindcrime At The Moore (2007)
Queensrÿche - Extended Versions (2007)
Queensrÿche - Sign Of The Times: The Best Of Queensrÿche (2007)
Queensrÿche - Take Cover (2007)
Queensrÿche - The Best Of Queensrÿche (2007)
Queensrÿche - The Collection (2008)
Queensrÿche - American Soldier (2009)

Queensrÿche - Live In Tokyo (VID) (1985)
Queensrÿche - Mindcime (VID) (1989)
Queensrÿche - Building Empires (VID) (1992)
Queensrÿche - Live Evolution (DVD) (2001)
Queensrÿche - Operation LIVEcrime (DVD) (2001)
Queensrÿche - The Art Of Live (DVD) (2004)
Queensrÿche - Live (DVD) (2007)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: March 27th 2005
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.geofftate.com
Hits: 1951
Language: english

  

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