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Various Artists - The Reading Room

Artist:	Various Artists
Title:	The Reading Room
Label:	LaBraD'or Records LBD 040007
Length(s):	74 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2000
Month of review:	[01\2000]

Line up

Too many to write down.
Except Jacob's Ladder and Final Conflict all are present on the website.

Tracks

1)	Brassé - The Reading Room	10.11
2)	Galleon - The Private Space	8.09
3)	The Night Watch - Silent Land	6.48 MP3 or RealAudio
4)	Aragon - The Last Supper	8.10
5)	Like Wendy - The Empress	6.32
6)	Final Conflict - The Janus	7.48
7)	Maryson - Aiden	10.19
8)	Galahad - The Pleasure House	9.46
9)	Jacob's Ladder - Searching	4.12
10)	Cliffhanger - Getting The Picture	2.30

Summary

Many interesting prog bands recorded a new track for this concept album, directed by Marc Brassé who also runs the label and participates on the album twice. The concept revolves around a number of paintings in a room, yes the reading room, about which each of the bands wrote a song.

The music

The opening is by Brassé himself. After some keyboards (in the style of Aragon), we get a short spoken introduction to the story. The spoken words will reappear between the tracks. Comments have been made about the vocals of Brasse in the spoken parts, and I have to agree that he does have an accent when talking. I would have preferred to also be able to hear the songs by themselves. But this might introduce other problems.

The track itself is a long one, opening with somewhat somber vocals. The style reminds me a bit of some of the doomy wave bands of the eighthies. The chorus is quite melodic and bombastic with rather heavy guitarwork by Maarten Huiskamp. The final solo is actually two, one for each ear. A good combination of energy and sinisterness. Galleon from Sweden is up next. Again a nice track. Some willowy piano in the middle, some slide guitars and the bombastic keyboards/guitars towards the end. The Night Watch made a favourable impression in the Netherlands with their debut, but since then little new was heard. This is their first appearance on record since that debut. A moody opening with the Gabriel styled vocals of Simone Rossetti, this is a somewhat claustrophobic sounding Genesis influenced track with plenty of mellotron and reversed percussion to add an air of mystery. The tense Crimsonesque guitars at the end come quite unexpectantly, and they introduce a new sense of menace in the music. The keyboards now tend more to ELP.

Sinisterness is something in which the follow-up Aragon is also quite at home. The opening of Last Supper however has aspects of a christmas song like Silent Night. Moody keyboards and quiet vocals. A softly humming bass, fast tinkling sounds and percussion still give the song an easy going aspect, but some pace has entered the music. The music becomes ever darker and more menacing with powerful guitar chords and the inescapable ticking of a clock. It is followed by a somewhat Middle Eastern sounding clear guitar solo which sounds out the song.

Like Wendy found time for another song (and also time to help master the album) in between his three solo album. The Empress is a romantic piece opening with interesting sounding double vocals and nicely fitting lyrics. Well done. The short chorus is not that interesting though. Easy percussion, piping keyboards, synth strings take us through this sleepy first part. In the second part Separated the mood stays relaxed, but the bombastic Kelly influences are there. The third part is vocal again and the vocal melody is magnificent this time. A heartbraking conclusion to this track.

Final Conflict was never reviewed on these pages (Jacob's Ladder was not either, but they have not released an album as far as I know). This English band makes a very good impression with The Janus, which in fact has two sides to it. This is one of the places where the music fits really well with the spoken vocals of Brassé. The manic vocals of the chorus contrast strongly with the easy-going verses. At the end we get a synergy, an introspection, with (church) organ and bouncy percussion. A rather optimistic ending, yet the laughing maniac of the chorus returns to leave us with an open ending.

Maryson is responsible for the following track, the longest on the track. Like their second album, I am not that fond of this track. It is too simple, too sweet, especially in the vocal parts. The song harbours some nice parts, which come past halfway where the music gets a sense of urgency. Fast keyboard runs make this perfect music for a chase. The melodramatic vocals return later on.

Galahad made a good impression with their last album, Following Ghosts, released some time ago. The music on this track is more typical of their earlier work, not so modern. The driving rhythm guitar is alternated with a waltzy chorus. The music simply follows the story of this track on the tail. The spoken words part has a likeness to the poem between Kayleigh and Lavender on Misplaced Childhood. The keyboards that follow nicely build up some tension with sizzling electronics.

Almost at the end of the concept album we close it with Searching by Jacob's Ladder. This features Maarten Huiskamp also of Vertigo. A very melodious and melodramatic track and one that does a good job of it.

The punningly titled Get The Picture does not fit on this album. Maybe that is why it is at the end. It is simply a short jazzy/groovy instrumental excursion that sounds more like live improvisation and actually leads me nowhere. Maybe meant as a kind of antidote to the foregoing.

Conclusion

If you like any of the first nine bands on this album, because you know one of their albums and liked it, I think you will like most of what is here. In my opinion the weakest songs (by far) are by Maryson and Cliffhanger. Okay, the spoken words could have been better (Brasse is no Richard Burton, but I guess he knows that), but I do think that this is a good album with surprisingly good songs. Recommended especially to people who are into what people generally call neo-progressive.