 |
 |
|
| Pär Lindh & Björn Johansson - Dreamsongs From Middle Earth |
 Released: 2004 Label: Crimsonic Cat. No.: CLSCD 108 Total Time: 63:34 | |
Reviewed by: Duncan N Glenday, April 2004 Frodo and the elves have sailed away from Mithlond, the Grey Havens in the long firth of Lune. Sam and friends are in tears, and the credits roll on the final installment of Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy and the saga has finally ended. Almost. What Jackson didn't know, but Pär Lindh and Björn Johansson do know, is that Frodo then has a series of ten dreams that take him through the story of the Rings - not step by step, but in a vague way, reliving the memories and the emotions and the spirit of those times. This extension of the trilogy was developed jointly by Pär Lindh and Björn Johansson, and the ten tracks of Dreamsongs From Middle Earth are entitled "Dream One," "Dream Two," and so on. In 1996 Lindh and Johansson released Bilbo, which described events before the trilogy. And just as LoTR was a more serious work of literature than The Hobbit was, so is Dreamsongs a deeper, more complex piece of music than Bilbo. This album is purely instrumental - aside from the ethereal, wordless vocals of Magdalena Hagberg - and you'll need to follow the liner notes to know what portions of the story are depicted by each cut. Pär Lindh developed a Tolkien obsession as a teenager, and wrote songs to support the story line. Prior to releasing the Bilbo album he endured difficult negotiations with the Tolkien estate, who finally granted permission as long as the lyrics contained no text lifted directly from the book. With this album there are no lyrics, so Lindh was able to extend his musical interpretations unhindered, and after all these years, some of those pieces he developed as a youngster have found their way into publication. The album is a joint collaboration between Pär Lindh and Björn Johansson, who were joined by a variety of musicians playing instruments as diverse as a harp, French horn and trombone. Pär is on keys (Mellotron, Hammond, piano and synthesizers), while Björn plays strings and wind (guitars, bouzoka, wind synthesizer, bassoon, and a tin whistle - among others). Roine Stolt plays bass, and add a choir ensemble and you're in for some deeply textured, complex, but laid back progressive music. Both artists contributed compositions: The first few tracks were written by Lindh, and were the genesis of the album. The middle batch were Johansson compositions, and the final section was a collaborative effort. This music is laid back and elegant, and production was done by the artists, and is a 64-channel success. Tolkien inspirations have occurred in progressive music many hundreds of times. Make no mistake - Dreamsongs is a wonderful example of sophisticated modern symphonic music and deserves a place in your collection. But Pär, it's time for progressive music to leave the Shire! Rating 4.25 / 5
More about Dreamsongs From Middle Earth: Track Listing: Dream One / Dream Two / Dream Three / Dream Four / Dream Five / Dream Six / Dream Seven / Dream Eight / Dream Nine / Dream Ten Musicians: Contact: Website: www.parlindh.com Discography
| |