Detailed Review [Evan Symons & Uneven Steps - Special Overall View]

Note-1: Evan Symons is the leader and the main mastermind of both these projects.
Note-2: These CDs are both the audio CDs&CD-ROMs with lyrics, photos & a couple videos on each

After I received and listened to the four CDs that Evan Symons sent me I decided to e-mail him. I wrote that only Uneven Steps' "Celebration of Regret" has few Prog-episodes. The same little number of (not Prog, but still) Prog-tinged moments I've found on the three remaining CDs taken together. I've promised Evan to try to describe these albums, as I just appreciate such a 'blind' sending the parcels (as Evan did twice regarding me - he sent me two packages with two CDs and some pictures in each). Evan has answered me the same day and explained the situation about his music with the next words (I hope Evan can forgive me for such a direct quoting of him, but there's nothing special in it, and I am sure that anyone can understand his feelings and his honesty as well.)

Evan Symons: "It's pretty hard for me to find any genre to fit into and a lot of people who don't know anything about progressive rock tend to put my material in that category because they can't find another place for it. Since I'm a long time progressive rock fan, I know that it doesn't fit, but often progressive rock fans appreciate my material more than most others. I'm very delighted that you consider "Celebration of Regret" to have progressive moments as I thought it was the least prog of the bunch!"

Yes, it's more than possible that people who don't know a thing about Progressive tend to put Evan's work in the category of 'our' genre. It is because these people (and there are myriad of them in the world) listen to such simplistic music that they really cannot get even those traditional Hard Rock songs (they're quite tasty, though) that Even composes and performs. But I've 'warned' Evan already 'in advance' that he had sent his CDs to a real (true, though) Prog-site that is oriented in real (true, once again) Progressive Rock and Progressive Music in general. Yeah, there is other "progressive music" in the current musical mainstream supported by Major labels and made (not composed, but really made) just to make money out of the mass culture, but true Progressive, as well as all 'the people at it' are not from that mass camp.

I am so sorry, but it is really impossible to consider Evan's music progressive. It's just plain good Hard Rock based on old'n'gold blend of rock'n'roll and rhythm'n'blues with, as I said, some Prog-tinged episodes in the arrangement. When I was a teenager I loved that kind of music very much and I still appreciate it, frankly. Most often (and, btw, exactly in case with Evan's albums), this music is full of positive energy and I always preferred, back then, good Hard Rock to some sugar-coated, obtrusive pop-music. It happened for the first time in my life that I feel I can do nothing but refuse a sender in writing reviews on the CDs he sent specially for my review. But I don't really know where I can find words to describe this good yet too usual to these ears, obviously likable yet too accessible music as traditional Hard Rock. I am also ready to re-send these CDs to anyone of 'my brothers and sisters in Prog-pen' so that they could express their own opinion on that music and, this way, to correct me if my opinion is wrong.

Dear Evan, unlike lots of just 'hams' in music, unlike those who just make music (first of all the most primitive forms of pop-music), your creation deserves to be known more widely. I am sure, there are a lot of webzines and magazines devoted to music like yours in the world and, doubtless, they would be happy to listen and review your music. Try it once again in the right direction - one should never think it's too late. As your music plays, my teenaged son liked it, and that's for sure. At least, your music is sincere and it also brings to listener a lot of positive energy. Thank you very much for it and I wish you carry on making people (and there are plenty of them in the world) happy with your music. This is a kind of Mission, I think.

Visit the Evan Symons official website: http://www.stepandahalf.com/

VM. July 20, 2001