Detailed Review by Dave Shoesmith of CD Services, Scotland
Stephen Caudel
is a brilliant multi instrumentalist that first came to my notice
in the early 80's. It was just about the time that the CD format started
to really break in the UK. I remember hearing his 'Wine Dark Sea'
playing in a shop and purchasing it as one of my first ever CDs. 'Wine'
was easily the best of all the CODA label releases in the 80's and
the music from it was regularly featured on television's 'Art of Landscape'
programmes. Caudel's music can only be described as "one-man rock
symphonies" - it starts in the realms of rock and crosses right over
the musical spectrum to touch on classical music, with its rich, at
times grandiose displays of intricate guitar work and superb keyboard
craftsmanship. I have often said that had M. Oldfield not emerged
from the depth of Virgin's Manor studios with his 'Tubular Bells'
epic under his arm, then Stephen Caudel my have made it big with his
own brand of multi-instrumental sound painting, but I dare say Richard
Branson may not have been too happy about it!!! Fans of Austria's
multi-instrumental genius: Gandalf will also derive much pleasure
from listening to the music of this wonderful composer, as will lovers
of Steve Hackett's magical merging of electric/acoustic guitars, keyboards
and percussion. Mike Oldfield is also a good reference point, but
Caudel's music is much more majestic, considerably less quirky and
more solidly structured than earlier Oldfield material. Alan Freeman
has been giving the CD his full support on his new Virgin Radio "Rock
Show" - knowing Fluff's musical tastes as we do, it is hardly surprising
he is championing Caudel's music.
Track
by track
So, let's take
you through the CD track by track …… Track 1 is the title cut
and it's a kind of prelude that introduces motifs of characters and
events from the album as a whole. It opens with soft flute sounds
& synth strings that create a very relaxed setting before synth trumpets
& massed choir effects break on to the scene with bursts of powerful
dramatics to herald the arrival of an acoustic guitar that carries
the main melody over a sea of swirling synth oboes & strings. This
track has a wonderful "days of old" feel about it! 'Call of Destiny',
is a dramatic nine minute piece that looks into the mists of time
as it depicts an army legion on the march. Stylistically, it is very
similar to Steve Hackett material with keyboard flutes, brasses &
strings revolving around a 'Bolero' like central theme, before it
breaks off into some stunning electric/acoustic guitar interplay.
This series of majestically sweeping themes takes the music from its
darker beginning into a brighter progressive sound that Camel (specifically
Andy Latimer) fans will really go for. Track 3 is 'Coronation',
a grandiose four minute work with the electronic flutes & strings
creating a vision of some kind of royal pageantry display where synth
choirs, brass & percussion build the piece up into a splendid collage
of majestic keyboard orchestrations. Then it's straight into rock
territory with six minutes of Prog heaven on 'Gargantuan',
where soaring electric guitars sing over layers of strings & brass
samples, taking the music on a wonderfully melodic path that will
haunt the ears of symphonic rock fans for years to come - Classic
stuff that I defy any bands from the prog genre to beat … brilliant
music that's a prog fan's dream! 'Forbidden Love' follows and
it's a beautifully romantically inclined work with a stunning melody
performed on acoustic guitar and set on a background of flowing strings
- a lovely piece that Hackett or Anthony Phillips fans will adore.
It's back to a more ethereal, dramatic style for 'Dark of Night'
- an evocative six minutes of symphonic wonder that is initially dominated
by keyboards, but as the track builds up the percussion & choirs effects
rejoin the show, with guitar of the "soaring into the heavens" variety
making a welcome return with interludes of flute & acoustic guitar
giving the track a more segmented feel towards the closing moments.
The five minute epic 'Eve of the Battle/Dawn' is introduced
with a sea of soft string & mystical flute sounds floating behind
a beautifully honed acoustic guitar melody. Suddenly a crazed electric
guitar solo makes a surprising entrance and proceeds to tear its way
through the scene in ferocious manner. Wild, crashing percussion then
builds the scene up to fever pitch and then the calming sounds of
more strings & flutes take over again to lead the track towards a
grandiose symphonic finale full of sweeping strings & masses of other
orchestral sounds. The nine minute closer comes in the shape of 'A
Legend Is Born', where a pulsing rhythm creates the base for the
oncoming display of soaring electric guitars & thematic synth chords
with some fine, but brief acoustic guitar parts creating breathing
space before the powerful electric onslaught continues in grand Hackett-esque
fashion. At the half-way mark the track steps down a few gears and
moves back into symphonic territory with the acoustic guitar crying
over a sombre Mellotron like string backdrop - an extremely vivid
emotional ending.
Conclusion
Overall,
'Earth in Turquoise' is a superb example of "real" instrumental symphonic
rock music and it falls mainly into two categories as far as a CD
services audience is concerned. 1) The Gandalf style of melodic, electronic
sound-painting - & 2) The more symphonic areas of progressive rock
where the likes of Steve Hackett & Camel reign as rulers of that kingdom
- but in this CD, the two have found a worthy adversary and strong
challenger for the symphonic rock crown - An album full of glorious
guitar/keyboard based themes that will thrill and move any fan of
either of the two genres - A winner for sure!
