**** Spontaneous Combustion by the Liquid Trio Experiment – Mixes Well With Modern Jazz Fusion

I can totally see someone getting this album and being completely disappointed with it.  Unlike the Liquid Tension Experiment album, on these songs the musicians are just jamming away.  Seriously, this stuff is like hit the record button and run to your instrument as fast as possible and join the jam.  I have to wonder if this one sounds at all like John Myung’s Jelly Jam, because this jam is quite gelatinous.   

That this project was seemingly going nowhere is the reason why Mike Portnoy called up John Petrucci to join the jam (I think as legend has it), and at that point the Liquid Trio Experiment became the very famous Liquid Tension Experiment.

I know that the album is called Spontaneous Combustion, and looking back on it, that was probably a warning that this experiment wasn’t going to work out like Transatlantic, or Office of Strategic Influence, as far as having song hooks goes.  Spontaneous Combustion lacks the hook that would catch a fish.  However, this is darned good music, and that is how I came to look at this one in retrospective.  That is as the jazz content of my cd player increased, suddenly, the Liquid Trio Experiment’s Spontaneous Combustion album was mixing well with Wes Montgomery, Niacin, King Crimson, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and so many others.

Don’t mix this one in with a mix of heavy or light song structures that are very rigged.  This one won’t mix in that well, and it is a 4 star album rather than a 5 star album because this one can’t take the spotlight on its own, unless it is all by itself.

Bottom line, this really is a great album.  It is not for everybody by a long shot.  However, if you are a fan of progressive rock jazz fusion moderately aggressive jamming, then this one should fit the bill well!

***** Emergent by Gordian Knot – Obscure But Awesome

It should be no surprise that this album is tremendous.  Look at the names of the players.  They are the names most progressive rockers should know.  For example, Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, OSI) plays on this one.  If you want a really good album by him, pick up either this one (Emergent) or Office of Strategic Influence by OSI.  Fates Warning also has some darned good albums.  Also, I recognize the name Bill Bruford, a guru on his instrument, (King Crimson) who plays on Emergent.

Apparently this incarnation of Gordian Knot has all the original members of Cynic.  I remember listening to Cynic at college and not finding the music to be that great.  However, my tastes have changed radically since college, so that doesn’t mean anything.  Cynic was at one time considered one of the best progressive heavy metal bands, along with bands like Fates Warning.  However, over time so far as I know Cynic has fallen into obscurity.  I never hear anyone talking about the new Cynic album, or if Cynic is going on tour.
Really, it is a shame that Gordian Knot’s Emergent didn’t take off.  To date the band has 2 albums, the first of which had John Myung on it.  Apparently, John Myung’s name was not enough to carry this band to a level where they might play small clubs.  Gordian Knot is essentially unknown.  The world is upside down.  Most musicians in popular bands deserve to bow before these musicians.

Review of You Go Now by Chroma Key *****

Moody and Relaxing

This album is slow and moody, but it doesn’t put me to sleep.  I have to wonder how many people remembered Kevin Moore when he played in Dream Theater when they bought this album?  Kevin Moore was Dream Theater’s keyboardist for their classic album that catapulted them into the world known progressive rock acts.  At the time though, Dream Theater was still probably unknown to most people.  However, without Images and Words, the success of When Dream and Day Unite would not have been great enough to make Dream Theater a force to be reckoned with.  So, what do I think about Kevin Moore’s contribution to that album?  Generally, I think most of his keyboard work is a little hokey on Images and Words.  At the time, I don’t think keyboard technology had come along enough for it to be any better.  However, Kevin Moore is a credited song writer on the best songs on Images and Words.  What’s more, he was Dream Theater’s lyricist.  I don’t believe Dream Theater ever produced songs with lyrics where as good as they where since Kevin Moore played in the band.  That said, you might wonder if his keyboard sounds hokey on the album You Go Now.  It doesn’t.  Kevin Moore’s keyboard word on You Go Now is genius.  With Kevin Moore in the lead of his band, the band comes together much better than he was able to do when he played in DT.  He has his own ideas about music, and most people don’t share them.  However, I think he is amazing.  He is definitely not out to wow you.  His musicianship is all about song craft, and sometimes Dream Theater can be criticized for lacking song craft, and just being a bunch of show offs.

If you like Office of Strategic Influence, then you will almost certainly like You Go Now.  Office of Strategic influence was started as a super group side project back when Mike Portnoy played in Dream Theater.  Office of Strategic Influence is heavier than Chroma Key.  Chroma Key is definitely not about being heavy.  While I would say that Chroma Key evokes the same moods in me as Office of Strategic influence, and that is partly because the vocals of O.S.I. are so relaxed.