Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective

Erik Norlander - The Galactic Collective
2010, Chian Productions
You may know Erik Norlander as the keyboardist/spouse of Lana Lane or from his work with Rocket Scientist or even Asia With John Payne. The list of artists Norlander has recorded with or produced/engineered is too long to list here. With influences ranging from Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson to Jeff Lynne and Alan Parsons, Norlander draws from a rich musical history to create compositions with a classic feel and fresh energy. Norlander recently released The Galactic Collective, his 8th solo album and 33rd overall, Norlander builds on an impressive body of work.

The Galactic Collective opens with “Arrival”, a brief musical prologue that’s more atmosphere dark, plaintive atmosphere than anything else. “Nurosaur” dances on the edges of gothic and baroque progressive rock; a big, heavy sound with a chorus at the opening becomes a rambunctious Prog gem. “Fanfare For Absent Friends” is an over-the-top announcement with a martial feel. Driving guitar and heavy rhythms grow into a more space-age rock sound. The most intriguing composition on the album is “Astrology Prelude”, a musically violent and complex world of musical ideas and action beneath the surface that occasionally resolves into a relatively peaceful and melodic passage before falling back into its own driven nature.

Norlander gets a bit repetitive with “Trantor Station”; The highly rhythmic nature of this synth-driven song becoming as much of a liability as a benefit. “After The Revolution” is laden with arpeggios, alternating with passages marrying synth fills and rhythmic guitar ambience. The song seems to depict struggle amidst a tide of change, and begs for a vocal line. At twelve minutes, “After The Revolution” simply runs too long, becoming nothing more than a Prog rock jam that recycles itself to fill out the space. “Garden Of The Moon” starts out with an intriguing theme, but ends up sounding like incidental score music. Norlander gets to show off his raw piano skill on "Dreamcurrents", a master class in speed and precision on a solid, classical-style composition. Norlander closes with “The Dark Water”, a twenty minute collection of variations that’s probably 10-12 minutes too long.

Progressive rock is a double-edged sword. Some of the most talented and musically complex artists gravitate there because of the stylistic mix of jazz form, classical composition and rock energy and glamour; but like jam-based music, progressive rock lends itself to the conceit of doing too much and going too far. Norlander crosses this line a few times on The Galactic Collective. That being said, it is an ambitious and expansive album. Where Norlander loses himself it’s not for being mundane, but simply trying to push the envelope too far. It’s much preferable to hear an artist push too far than become mundane through not pushing enough. There’s enough really great material here to make The Galactic Collective worthwhile, and even where Norlander over-steps there is much you’ll care to hear.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Erik Norlander at http://www.eriknorlander.com/ or www.myspace.com/eriknorlanderandlanalane. The Galactic Collective is available on CD from Norlander's web store. Digital versions are available from Amazon and iTunes.

Review: Spinal Tap - Back From The Dead

Spinal Tap - Back From The Dead
2009, A2M

Spinal Tap is back (again?). David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) have re-recorded many of the classic songs from the soundtrack of This Is Spinal Tap and five new ones as well for Back From The Dead, released June 16, 2009. Spinal Tap resurrects itself every few years for brief periods, having started out as a TV skit in 1978 on ABC’s The TV Show. The actors have also appeared as The Folksmen in the movie A Mighty Wind. Guests on Back From The Dead include Phil Collen, Keith Emerson, John Mayer and Steve Vai. The two-disc set includes a DVD with commentary on each of the songs on the album, and is highly entertaining it its own right.

The album opens with Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight, which is either a typical bit of Glam braggadocio or the sort of song that will get your computer searched by various law enforcement agencies ("You're sweet but you're just four feet and you've still got your baby teeth / You're too young and I'm too well hung but tonight I'm gonna rock ya"). It's great Rock N Roll, and I don't think the intent of the song is bad, but if Sarah Palin hears it... Back From The Dead opens funereally with the rather obvious admonition "Give me reincarnation or give me death." The song is amusing, particularly for the faux Vincent Price voiceover in the breakdown section of the song. Junky Sex Farm brings the Funk high and hard. The horn arrangements are excellent, and the innuendo here is about as subtle as Darth Vader at an Edgar Cayce convention.

Spinal Tap breaks over into rampant novelty music with songs like Gimmie Some Money and (Listen to The) Flower People (Reggae Style), and continues right into Big Bottom. This last song sounds like Larry The Cable Guy tried to come up with a follow up to Queen's Fat Bottom Girls. Jazz Odyssey III sounds a lot like Pink Floyd (think Umma Gumma), and Stonehenge is a rather interesting paean to the Druids and the structure they left behind.

Spinal Tap has always been something of a joke, but it's a joke that has kept them laughing all the way to the bank over the years. The shtick on Back From The Dead is a bit tired, but the music is solid and Spinal Tap still knows how to entertain. These guys aren't as funny to me as they were when I was about 15, but that's okay. I hear they're still making 15-year olds in large quantities.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spinal Tap from http://www.spinaltap.com/. If you found this post by accident, you can learn more about spinal taps from eMedcine. You can purchase a copy of Back From The Dead at Amazon.com, or download the album from iTunes.