Member:
Sean
(Profile)
(All DVD Reviews by Sean)
Date:
9/30/2004
Format:
DVD
Live concert DVDs have really taken off in the last few years. Some bands have fully embraced the medium and, dare I say, in a few cases even overused it. For every five "new" dvds from classic bands like Yes or Crimson we are lucky to get one from a newer act in the same genre. This new DVD from Echolyn is pretty refreshing for that reason and more.
Stars and Gardens is a very nicely put together 2 DVD package, totally pro in quality. DVD 1 is all live and taken from a show in Sellersville, PA on May 25th, 2003. I have seen them live before and this show ranks with some of their best, easily. It reminds me of their set from NEARfest a few years ago, though I prefer the setlist on the DVD here a bit more. Much like the NF set you get a full rendition of the groups recent, album long epic "Mei". It is surely a daunting piece of perform and this is the best rendition I have seen yet. I would suggest this DVD for "Mei" alone.
But that isn't all. The first half of the set is devoted to earlier pieces from the bands catalog. Classics like "The Cheese Stands Alone", "As The World", "A Little Nonsense Now and Then" sound as fresh and energetic as they ever have. All other inclusions fare nicely as well.
DVD 2 is a career retrospective. It is done in a style that sort of reminds me of Yes' YesYears docmuentary. Film footage from all parts of the band's career is included along with recent interviews with all the band members. This DVD sheds a lot of light on the creation of many great tunes. I think even an old fan would learn something new here. I enjoyed the section about the recording of As The World in particular, with it's recent commentary from the guys.
If you have been following Echolyn all along I suspect you have already got a copy of Stars and Gardens or have it on your to get lists. For those of you that have yet to really get into them, this DVD could very well hook you on them real quick. This is a great entry point into their catalog and you will learn much you did not know about their music from it. They offer a fresh, energetic slant on what we call 'prog'. Highly suggested.
Member:
Boceephus
(Profile)
(All DVD Reviews by Boceephus)
Date:
10/29/2008
Format:
DVD
A masterpiece of modern prog. A band that simply melds so much of what is great about progressive rock, the torchbearers, the rock-solid musicians, and the refusal to succumb to the mainstream, Echolyn. Keep your Flower Kings, your Beards and your Ayreons. This is the real deal. In a sense, that is exactly what the bands name means to me. Steadfast and professional.
Studio craft is one thing, but live is where the rubber meets the road. Echolyn rip up the musical freeway on this venture. Blistering! I found myself nearly cheering for them, unable to remain seated throughout this video. I was front and center. I toasted them with my own glass as Ray called out, "I don't hear any beer bottles out there." Yeah! The audience interaction is an enhancement. It adds to the "I was there" experience. Tom Hyatt is back with the band, alternating between bass and percussions. Weston and Kull have lost nothing on the vocal aspects of the band (“A Little Nonsense” is sooooo tight) and Chris Buzby's keyboards never sounded so fresh and powerful. Paul Ramsey is clockwork perfect behind the kit. Brett Kull, switching between a Gibson SG, Fender strat and lap steel, just puts forth a guitarists clinic of live performance. They appear to be having the time of their lives. Maybe they are? Mei poured new life into a band torn apart by the business end of the music. Stars and Gardens is a kind of "Welcome back, My Friends..." concert to re-establish their presence and commitment to the genre. (A new disc is in the works!)
The bands rollicks through a veritable "Best Of" collection of compositions. Tunes are pulled from Mei and all the way back to 1992, “Shades”, the epic track from their debut. The obvious climax is the complete "Mei" with Hyatt adding his own skill to a tune he didn't play on originally. Weston can play bass, but Hyatt is in a different league. Check out the solo in "A Little Nonsense," the man burns up the strings.
The video alternates between live performances, artistic visuals that flesh out the stories behind the music. “1729 Broadway”, a wonderful letter from a father to his children and wife is interspersed with candlelight, a letter and images of the writer. “Never the Same” features a tepia stained video of the band conveying the message.. .to family, to fans? Defintely one of their most heartfelt recordings, very touching and well done. The Kull brothers pulled out the stops on production. Chris Buzby's intro to “Brittney”, a tribute to an uncle who died on those shores, cuts deep into my emotional center, both timely and timeless and begins one of my favorite tracks off Cowboys Poems Free. The track soars, powerful and oh-so-melodic. Echolyn at it's best. “My Dear Wormwood” splices the live footage with archive early nineties bits. “As the World” combines studio takes and today’s prog warriors, a now and then contrast that is both entertaining and in a surreal way, rather heart rending.
Mei. It all comes down to Mei, doesn't it? This track, the single album, the rebirth of the Echolyn family, is really a modern symphony. Multi-segmented, peaks and valleys, shadows and light. “Mei”, at nearly 50 minutes, is an epic which rivals the greats of the past in vision and performance. The beauty of Brett Kull’s angelic voice, in the "cathedral glass" section, soothes and lulls your mind. We are all part of the play. Ray Weston's more aggressive delivery provokes violent images and the complex frustration of being a small man in a big world. The struggle for control of self against the mass power of government, the hate of war and the acceptance of what is, is felt through the lyrics and passion of the vocals. Is it really "too late for everything?" The orchestral accompaniment is a great touch. The string add some much class and timelessness to the production.
Disc two: The extras, is a great background companion disc for any Echolyn fan. You get a history of the band, a behind the scenes look into the studio with the As the World CD is created, the crushing loss and disbanding after Sony pulled the plug. The Cowboy Poems Free second breath. The Mei rebirth and Stars and Gardens post-production interviews.
I recommend this disc to any and all prog fans. Experience Echolyn.
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