TRACK LIST:

1.  Tell a Vision 19:58
2.  The Cell 6:52
3.  Art of Bells 0:52
4.  Begins-Before-Becomes 5:21
5.  Ballad of Joan Allen 6:29

All tracks: by Miner & Stolz. Produced by Miner.
Additional musical material: by Art Rock Circus.

LINEUP:

John Miner - guitars; vocals 
Nolan Stolz - drums; keyboards
Kelton Manning - basses 
David Hornbeck - vocals 
Milo - keyboards; electric sitar
With:
Erika Syrlord - violin
Tony Branco - keyboards
Jim Martino - bass
Miche' - vocals
Karen Wallo - vocals
Timothy Burris - narration 

Analysis. Four years separate "Tell a Vision" from the previous Art Rock Circus album, but it was worth the wait, to say the least. The superficial listen to this new material may lead you to the idea that the music is typically Art Rock Circus's. In reality, only the overall sound remained identical with the band's earlier releases, while compositionally, "Tell a Vision" is a gigantic step forward. Imagine you are listening to the first full-fledged Art Rock and Rock Opera albums, such as "Tommy" by The Who, Genesis's "Trespass", Yes's "Time & a Word", "H to He Who Am the Only One" by Van Der Graaf Generator, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar", and you are close to the idea of what you can expect from this album - a genuine author's honesty and inspiration, raised to the power of musical magic, which was as if just in the air at the boundary of '60s and '70s and is so rare today. That being said, this is a very English music, and I would have hardly believed it was created this year and, moreover, in the world's casino capital, Las Vegas, if I did not know it for a fact. It seems to me it's been ages since I've experienced as great a pleasure when listening to Art Rock as original and inspired as this, so I was even not certain before writing the review whether I have to describe "Tell a Vision" track by track or to content myself with expressing my overall impression of the material. The point is also that all of the songs here are equally impressive, regardless of their longevity. (Well, I count a blitz-concerto for metal percussion, Art of Bells, as an intro to its follow-up, Begins-Before-Becomes.) The 20-minute title number and its track list counterpart, Ballad of Joan Allen, have rather much in common with each other, the storyline being vintage Art-Rock with elements of Rock Opera, notable for some predomination of guitar-laden textures over symphonic ones and dramatic, somewhat storytelling vocals. The band never appeals to the traditional synthesizer registers, and I won't be able to tell you how unique the keyboard palette is, because among several of its colors I make out only those by piano and harpsichord, though even those I often recognize with difficulty. As for the guitar department, John Miner wittingly (and wisely) avoids using modern sound processors, managing mainly with Compressor, Delay, Chorus etc pedals, which, in total, makes this music completely unique, lying beyond any possible comparisons. The Cell is free of keyboard patterns, but develops typically in the band's Art-Rock manner, with the more eclectic arrangements in the instrumental sections. Begins-Before-Become was performed without drums and bass and finds one of the female singers behind the microphone. With the passages of pipe organ and violin being at the fore throughout, it is closer to Chamber music with elements of Opera, but is still filled with the genuine spirit of late sixties' Art-Rock.

Disc 2 (44 min)
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TRACK LIST:

1.  Oregon Trail Song 2:44
2.  Cult on Hammer Hill 5:13
3.  Poet from the Sea 3:35
4.  String Theory 1:35
5.  Rainbow Sun 7:42
6.  Desert Song 4:59
7.  Song for a 5th Season 2:25
8.  The Ripper 6:40
9.  Synopsis in A Minor 9:15

Credits/Lineup: same

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Related Links:

Tributary Music

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