Rocket Scientists - Revolution Road

Year of Release: 2006
Label: Think Tank Media
Catalog Number: TTMD-1050
Format: CD
Total Time: 101:21:00

Yeh, so, this release has been out a while now; of course, it's been deep in my queue for most of that time. Some months ago, I moved it up because they were scheduled for Bay Area Prog Fest, Power Of Prog Festival, or 3RP, all were all on their itinerary. And it's been in the playing rotation since then? and there's a good reason for that besides my being pulled away from the task at hand (this site), and that's because I really enjoy listening to the CD. I'm not sure what didn't grab me about Brutal Architecture, my first brush with the band, but it didn't. This one does and did right from the get go. The CD is, of course, the Rocket Scientists' Revolution Road from 2006.

There're a lot of things that strike me about this album. You will find that there is quite a bit of diversity -- from electronic music (a la Tangerine Dream) with "Ptolemy," a ballad ("Forever Nights"), not to mention a power ballad ("Better Days"), jazz fusion ("Outside The Painted Walls", "Hold That Thought" - which is more jazz-funk than fusion - funk-fusion?) as well as some power prog ("Sky Is Falling," "Dream In Red," "Revolution Road", a rendition of "UFO S.H.A.D.O. Theme"), and the dreamy, expansive "Enjoy The Weather," which is one time where I thought of Spock's Beard - the Neal Morse era -- who you know had this habit of writing songs that, even if the lyrics themselves didn't suggest exaltation, there was a sense of one singing with eyes skyward, arms outstretched; when McCrite's vocals are in full soar, that's what we get here, too. [Of course, given where Morse went musically after he left SB, that whole visual image makes perfect sense now]. The other occasion where I thought of SB was on "Savor Every Moment," though in this case, more recent fare. It's a mellow, acoustic-based balladic piece, with hints of piano and the swell of strings in the background. And like many a SB song, it's got an uplifting message, as implied by the title and the lyric "?learn how to live for today?" (this could be seen as a companion piece of a sort to "Better View," which appears earlier on the album).

Something else that strikes me is how? immediate it is. What I mean is, you listen to the music and you feel like? not that you've heard it before so much as it reminds you of other things you've heard before (not including the covers) spread throughout much of rock - prog and otherwise . It's sort of channeling and mixing together all these vibes. The Emersonian keyboard solos are very definitely nods to 70s ELP. Yet, you aren't going to say "oh, there's a bit from 'Tarkus', or there's a bit from?' whatever. But ? I'm getting ahead of myself. Suffice it to say at this point, this album does seem like a trip through the music of the last 40 years.

Admittedly, I have played the CD a lot over the past several months, so my "distance" from it is erased and naturally the songs sound "familiar" ? but beyond that, you will not find this a hard or difficult album to listen to. It's not "experimental" or "arty" in that sense. I mean, the rock fan who doesn't identify himself (and let's be honest, very few would be "herself") as a progressive rock fan can find entré into their world. The lyrics are memorable, sing-a-long-able and are more rock, so to speak, than prog. And yet, also very much prog as there are quite a few layers to each track, something going on of interest from each instrument (the title track is a very good example of this).

Of course, the songs themselves strike me, so let's talk about them. And I will grant that there is much more to be discovered in the tracks then my general take. Reading Norlander's liner notes will allow you to glean more about the creation of this album and the songs therein.

The album begins with the boomy "Sky Is Falling,"* where the throb of Greg Bissonette's drums and Don Schiff's bass (NS/Stick actually) are square in the center; they only give leave to anything else during brief dreamy passages (with lyrics about dreaming, 'natch) and a short guitar solo. Even as Erik Norlander launches into a particularly parpy keyboard solo, the pulse persists.

It's followed by the strutting, chugging "Dream In Red," a track that is dark in feel, especially as vocalist David McBee leads things off in a seductive manner. Sure, again we get the pulse of drums and bass here, though this time they sit back behind the guitars (layers, as only Marc McCrite is credited with guitar, but maybe that's yet another aspect of Schiff on the NS/Stick). A word about McBee, he's got a "prog metal" voice akin to Russell Allen, James LaBrie, etc., but also I kept thinking of Ian Gillan...

And it doesn't make for the only time that Deep Purple comes to mind. If "Dream..." reminds me of the Perfect Strangers period (vocally, not musically), then Machine Head is the reference for the galloping title track "Revolution Road," and more specifically, "Highway Star," though with a "sweeter" vocal delivery, more harmony vocals and some jazzy keyboard solo excursions to contrast with the muted-parpy keyboards calisthenics**. And yes, although when I first started this review, the correlation between "highway" and "road" didn't strike me, it does now. Am I on to something, or is it just a coincidence? We could stretch and say that planets revolve and they may appear as stars from a distance? but let's not push it, right? The reference is mine not the band's after all. "Pay Your Dues" should be mentioned here, too. Though I hear more a Rainbow feel; certainly a classic hard rock (or proto-metal) vibe here -- if you want some audio hints to what associations are in my head, think the iconic "Man On The Silver Mountain" and Dio's "Last In Line." "Pay Your Dues" is a thick, boomy, even-paced yet strident at times, rocker; 'course it's another with McBee on vocals.

However, in the midst of this heaviness there is also the smooth-jazzy/jazz-fusiony "Outside These Painted Walls" (composed by Schiff) -- yes, it's both and handles both well, those fusiony parts going nearly completely nuts more than once - including a Moog solo from Norlander a quarter of the way through, and then another fusion-fest at just about the halfway point. Everyone's involved in this one, driving the piece forward, including some drum bombast from Bissonette.

And there's the pop-jazz crooner "Forever Nights," with McCrite on vocals; you can almost see a warm evening view of the city - Los Angeles - erm, perhaps as seen from the Hollywood Hills? (the band is based in LA). And? it seems so 80s. I don't mean that in a negative way except that it made me think of the 80s -- at least the 80s as portrayed in film (Less Than Zero, comes to mind as a "look," or Into The Night***). The throaty electronic instrumental "Ptolemy" serves as a keyboard spotlight piece for Norlander (who has solos all throughout the album, of course); it reminds of the 80s era of Tangerine Dream and Steve Roach - a sometimes cold synth sound, but cold as in metallic, artificial rather than necessarily the music itself is distant or the performance is unfeeling. It actually has more to do with the tone colors used. The intro to "House Of Cards" has the same feel - sharp, reedy synths (Moog) rise and fall. This is, like "Forever Nights," a song that seems rooted in an 80s feel, the whole arrangement, though this is a mid-tempo rocker. Guitars and Moogs share solo bits, the Moogs with their usual shrillness.

"Better Days," starts out as a mellow ballad, but it grows to become a full-on power ballad -- after a "Laserium quality" electronic-music keyboard solo/sweet sounding guitar solo; not really a duet but they complement each other. (And if you don't know what I mean by Laserium, here's a link). Just out of my mind's grasp is another ballad that kept coming to mind ? and that gets us back to what I said before, the hints at something familiar without it being overt. Also on the track, the late Shaun Guerin guests on drums via a recording of his playing with the band at live performance back in October of 2002. Norlander's liner notes detail the story but their hopes in 2002 would be that Guerin would join the group as drummer? as we know, Guerin passed away in 2003. But a recording of the show was kept and Guerin's performance used here. (The drums on the intro and outro are Simon Phillips).

If "Gypsy (Of A Strange And Distant Time)" sounds as if it could be the Moody Blues, there's a reason for that - it's a cover the Moody's track from To Our Children's Children's Children and I must say McCrite has a voice as warm as Justin Heyward's. And while I'll admit this is an MB album I'm not familiar with -- that is, I have it but haven't played it much/enough -- and therefore do not know exactly what the song is about****, I can feel a sense of sadness in the lyrics and in McCrite's delivery. It is a very affecting song -- and yes, that means I shall likely be pulling out my copy of TOCCC to listen/compare.

What else is there? The darkly churning "Castles Fall" - it's Schiff grinding away on a particularly growly NS/Stick, over which we get warm and smooth vocals from McCrite and slinky keyboards from Norlander (though I think that's only with one hand, the other matching Schiff's grind). Like "Enjoy The Weather," the vocal delivery on "Castles Fall" is epic, open. This piece is a cool contrast between the sweet (vocals) and demonic (NS/Stick, keys). Its "companion" is the smoldering "Eden Burns," which wears many influences, one of which is Kansas. Again we get grinding bass and an overall dark tone - although in the midst we get a light, airy organ solo from Norlander. The guitar solo that follows is suitably fiery.

"After The Revolution" gives us another look at the band - it starts out hauntingly atmospheric, stark and empty? like a windswept post-apocalyptic landscape. Norlander then comes in with piano, to which soon drums and NS/Stick are added. It's a slow building piece, complete with a piercing synth solo. Sadness just rolls off this track - the angelic keyboard washes that sing in the background, the depressed-shuffle pace, even the space in between the notes all serve to render a very, very... it's like okay, what now? We've laid waste to everything and nothing's left? what were we fighting for? In the liner notes, Norlander describes this as a "space ballad" and yes, it very much is. It's definitely spacey.

The more I play this album, the more I like it. And the more I like it, the more I play it. Yes, methinks I'll have to go back and give Brutal Architecture another chance (have I said that before? [Perhaps in a CalProg review back in '05? -ed.]). This is one of those albums for people who love music, especially love music that is rich and deep and that -- while I said it was immediate, that's just the tease, because it makes you dig down.

*Where, um, part of the chorus makes me think of ... um ... Roxette's hit "She's Got The Look" (or some such) -- purely coincidental I assure you.
**Oh dear, here I thought of early Marillion; it's that tone that? well, think "Garden Party"... sorry, I can't help it. That's why it's here in the footnote. :-)
*** should I admit I've seen these films? I guess I have anyway, yeh?
**** I did do a web search and gleaned some perhaps accurate info from um? [whispers] Wikipedia [/whispers] so I get the gist now... lost traveller longing for home...
Tracklisting:
Disc One: Look Up (0:45) / Sky Is Falling (5:26) / Dream In Red (6:29) / Better View (5:59) / Outside These Painted Walls (5:03) / Revolution Road (7:41) / Forever Nights (5:40) / Ptolemy (5:49) / Gypsy (Of A Strange And Distant Time) (4:02) / Savor Every Moment (4:33)

Disc Two: Castles Fall (5:27) / UFO S.H.A.D.O. Theme (3:34) / Enjoy The Weather (8:50) / Pay Your Dues (5:12) / Eden Burns (4:08) / Hold That Thought (3:25) / House Of Cards (5:43) / After The Revolution (13:02)

Musicians:
Erik Norlander - keyboards
Mark McCrite - guitars, vocals; bass (2:3)
Don Schiff - NS/Stick; Chapman Stick (2:6)
David McBee - vocals (1:2, 3, 6; 2:4, 5, 7)
Gregg Bissonette - drums (ex. 1:4)
Greg Phelps - accordion (3)
Simon Philips - drums (intro/outro 1:4)
Shaun Guerin - drums (1:4)

Discography:
Earthbound (1993)
Brutal Architecture (1995)
Earth Below And Sky Above - Live In Europe And America (1997)
Oblivion Days (1999)
Revolution Road (2006)
Looking Backward (box set) (2007)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: January 4th 2009
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.thetank.com/rocketscientists.htm
Hits: 3194
Language: english