Musea Rec.
Isopoda : Isopoda (B,1978)****
I thought at first, on hearing the release, that this was a new band imitating Genesis. They seemed to be successful but then I discovered that this was a recording of 1978. On first listen I thought it had some more melodic touch. After a second listen I realised that they were more than just successful with melody, and had their own original ideas. The recording quality of the music is perfect. The music is moody and highly successful in its conception. Seeing that the band stability was short-lived as far as band members goes (which happens too often in Belgium, because bands like this can hardly survive) we're lucky to have this document professionally recorded.
The band came from the area of Aalst (where Irish Coffee had close contact with them, and many closer connections with Isopoda). Highly recommended to fans of the "real" Genesis. I even noticed something that is reminiscent of Renaissance, particularly the bass combined with piano on the fourth track.
Also the bonus track (which came from a compilation album) fits perfectly.
Arnold De Schepper info :
PS. A similar Genesis inspiration, pretty acoustic you can find with the very good album by (the Cathedral guitarist) Rudy Perrone : Oceans of Art (US,1979-1981)****°
Hopefully this album will get a reissue one day too.
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AN INTRODUCTION FOR GENESIS ASSOCIATIONS :
PS. For those who are still unfamiliar with Genesis I have to say Genesis is one of the most important bands in progressive music history. They changed the sound of pop and rock music by adding a semi-classical subtleness which hadn't been heard before. Their compositions formed the new style of "symphonic rock". Almost all their works until but not including, "and then there were three" are highly recommended and have all their own qualities.
Also a few solo-works by the members are still important (Steve Hackett's "Voyage of the Acolyte", Anthony Philips' "the geese and the ghost", and some selections from "private parts and pieces"). A few groups succeeded with a very similar style to Genesis. Some of them succeeded very much in having the same power and inventiveness. Most of them were Italian groups (like PFM's "Per un Amico", Apoteosi, Le Orme's "Uomi di Pezza" & "Felona and Serona", Errata Corridge's "Siegfried,.".), Italy being where Genesis received the most appreciation and support, in their early years. In fact Genesis wouldn't have survived without the Italian interest. It was actually in Italy where it was developed significantly and parallel, also combining an interest in the more disciplined improvisational compositions.
About related groups, Marillion's first album still sounded somewhat similar in style, but then they evolved to a much more melodic approach, later inspiring other groups to the neo-symphonic movement which was too much related to melody rather than sound colourfulness, invention, rhythmic time signatures, and balancing creativity. Yes created their own sound, with only "Drama" as being close to the Genesis sound. They even opened up the possibilities in creativity with their way of composing. Gentle Giant also had their own particular symphonic music sound, with more searching new ideas than in developing a fantasy rich musical world, like Genesis did. At the same time, after The Nice, combined classical music with pop instruments with an experimenting approach, it was the pianist Keith Emerson's next group, Emerson Lake and Palmer, who showed a fourth variation of what symphonic rock could be. It was through King Crimson that also contemporary ideas came into using the long composition techniques, leading to the even more contemporary style of the Rock In Opposition groups like Univers Zero and Magma.
For me symphonic music was most successful in Italy during the seventies. The Italian groups succeeded in having the most advanced ideas and releases within this genre. There are only a few exceptions that come from other countries, like for instance M.I.A from Argentine, who for me added even more elements to the style, which in England and Italy were not so commonly used then. Most new symphonic groups I have heard recently are too melodious, and not very inventive vis-a-vis disciplined composition, rhythmical invention, from which springs true melodic invention, with a ear-for-sound meanings and balance, with an emotionally involved interaction, and with an inspired notion for musical improvisation. Even meaningful aligning of space and allowing time for themes to develop their own course, and the space itself which significance given to feelings and a tension in using space or pulsing silence as well I hardly notice with these bands. Let's face it. Most of them write another form of song based pop, which of course has little to do with progressive music. So It's harder to find descent symphonic groups nowadays. Some good releases I have heard came also from Venezuela.
