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Reviewed by: Tom Karr Progressiveworld.net April 2005
Switzerland’s best symphonic prog band of any consequence, Flame Dream released its third album, Out In The Dark, in 1981. Recorded at Patrick Moraz’s legendary "Aquarius" studio in Geneva and surpassing 1979’s excellent Elements, it is a classic of European progressive rock. Amazingly, in continental Europe, brilliant, classic progressive rock music was still being produced with little regard for the prevailing winds of disco, new wave and punk. Flame Dream had hit it big in Europe with release of Elements, and were mounting huge, headlining tours of the continent every year for months at a time, hitting the road in five semi trucks and a crew of eighteen. The band had even commandeered the Eden Hotel in Weggis, just across the Statter See from Lucerne, and set up for rehearsals in the historic building. Before hitting the road to promote Elements, the band decided to add a guitarist to their line up, and, on the advice of Brand X keyboardist Robin Lumley, Flame Dream picked up young Los Angeles guitarist Dale Hauskins. After finishing high school in California, Dale decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and set off for London and its burgeoning prog/fusion scene. He haunted jam sessions at Rod Argent’s keyboard shop for two years and had struck up friendships with Lumley, Peter Gabriel and Allan Holdsworth, among others. He had obviously paid attention to Holdsworth, as Hauskins also displays the same fluid, legato style as his mentor, with phrasing that owes a strong debt to Coltrane.
The music on Out In The Dark continues in the same vein as on their preceding albums, with rich, keyboard heavy compositions by vocalist/wind instrument player Peter Wolf (son of the noted Swiss classical pianist and brother of classical/avant-garde composer and pianist John Wolf-Brennan) and keyboardist Roland Rockstuhl. The album is divided into the first, the "Sun Side," and the second, the "Dark Side," and, although lyrically the "Sun Side" does deal with warmer, more upbeat sentiments, the music that accompanies the lighter side of the album is, with the exception of the opening tune, "Full Moon," overall the darker of the two sides. Side two, the "Dark Side" overflows with up tempo meter and bright themes.
The music begins with "Full Moon," a cross between UK and Supertramp, and the most poppy sounding track the band will give us this time. It is followed by one of my favorite cuts, "Nocturnal Flight," five and a half minutes of absolute symphonic joy. The tune favors the late 70's style of Genesis, with keyboard work reminiscent of Tony Banks, and features a wonderful guitar solo by Hauskins. Side one ends with the brilliant title track, "Out In The Dark." Beginning with a melancholy theme, we segue into a lovely melody on Peter Wolf’s flute that sounds much like the intro to Hackett’s guitar solo in "Firth Of Fifth." This turns onto some of the most nimble piano lines ever recorded and the piece develops an almost Italian flair before returning to it’s opening motif.
Side two begins with "Wintertime Nights," which boasts some more great Tony Banks-like keyboard work. "Strange Meeting (Part One)" is another Genesis influenced tune, moving moodily across its stark landscape and exploding into brisk lines from Ruckstuhl’s synthesizer. It is chased by "Caleidoscope," a herky-jerky instrumental that bursts with syncopated keyboard and sax lines, and at times comes across as Gentle Giant-lite. The album's final track, "Strange Meeting (Part Two)," is not a separate track at all, but a continuation of "Caleidoscope" with the imposition of the two main themes from "Strange Meeting (Part One)."
This is a great album, with high caliber musicianship constantly grabbing your attention, very well conceived and developed themes and wonderful production by John Acock, who handled most of Steve Hackett’s solo albums. The similarities to Genesis are, with the exception of a couple of synth solos, entirely compositional, and no one is trying to emulate the "sound" of Genesis, as many other bands have certainly done. Coming late to the game as they did, Flame Dream were, perhaps, not the most innovative band that ever was, but they carried on with true symphonic progressive rock long after many of the genres innovators had turned to pure pop sounds.
More about Out In The Dark:
Track Listing: Full Moon / Nocturnal Flight / Out In The Dark / Wintertime Nights / Strange Meeting (Part One) / Caleidoscope / Strange Meeting (Part Two)
Musicians:
Peter Furrer - Drums, Percussion, Tapes
Urs Hochuli - Bass, Bass Pedals, Voice
Dale Hauskins - Guitars
Roland Ruckstuhl - Keyboards, Sequencer, Vocoder
Peter Wolf - Voice, Wind Instruments
Discography
* Calatea (1978)
* Elements (1979/2003)
* Out In The Dark (1981)
* Supervision (1982)
* Travaganza (1983)
* 8 On 6 (1986)
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WORKS,TOURS & DISCOGRAPHY CREDITS:
Heinz Affolter
Andre Afram Asmar("Harmonic Emergency" CD/Mush 2005)
Bamiki Bandula(Massive McGregor)
PATO BANTON (Tour/2001)
Bargain Music("The Magic Is Over"Beatville CD/2003)
John Wolf Brennan (Irish-Swiss pianist,composer)
Big Cat("California"with Scientist CD/2004)
Dean Butterworth(Ben Harper/Good Charlotte)
Calypso Rose
Martin Campbell(CD/Tour 2001-2002)
PHIL CHEN(Joan Armatrading/Rod Stewart/Jeff Beck/Jackson Brown/Donovan/Eurythmics/Roxy Music/"Tommy" sound track/Author of James Jamerson/Photographer/Etc!)
CINGULAR jingles(2004)
Gerald Couchman
Clinton'JR'Crawford
Daddy Roots
Dakeye
Carlton "SANTA" Davis
EINSTEIN BROWN(Steel Drums-SAPADILLA,Black Eyed Peas "Hop On The Good Foot"1998 CD/Tours 1987-2006);DJ Doze & E-MAN(CD/2004 "I'm Alot Like You"
Mikey Dread
Errol Dunkley
Anna Fisher("Ying Yang" Molin Music CD/2004)
FLAME DREAM "Out in the Dark"(Swiss Progressive Rock group(6 Albums Vertigo/Phonogram)Produced by John Acock(Genesis's Steve Hackett/Deep Purple/Adrian Legg/Rick Wakeman/Ian Mosley.)
FULLY FULLWOOD(Bob Marley/Soul Syndicate/Peter Tosh's Word Sound & Power)
Wadi Gad
General Jah Mikey
LOS ANGELES GRAMMY AWARDS 1995
Robert Greenidge(Jimmy Buffett's Coral Refer band)
Guitar Instructor(La Habra/Corona Music Center)
Drew Hester(Lisa Marie Presley/Common Sense/Joe Walsh/Foo Fighters)
JOE HIGGS( father of Reggae)
Humble Soul("Jah Love Supreme"CD Tour 2001 with Scientist,Fully Fullwood,Santa Davis,Tony Chin,Jawge Hughes;Steve Reid.)
Jah Mex ("Mind Food" CD 2007,"Firm Soundation" CD 2009 )
Jah Soldiers Band(Tours 2001-2004)
JAMAICAN TOURIST BOARD
Jawge Hughes and The U.K.B."Come on Back"(CD/Tours 2002)
Jawge Hughes JR.
Winston Hussey
Mike Hyde(Big Mountain/Ziggy Marley)
Jesus Wore Dickies("Friends Of Jesus" SKUNK Records CD/2004)
JR P
Remi Kabaka
KONTIKI("Stand Tall" CD (2004) (REGGAE ALBUM OF THE YEAR Hawaiian Music Award Winner 2004)
Kyng Arthur(CDs/Tours 1989-2005 "Mister Master"2000,"Prisoner of the Flesh""2004 Produced/Mix & bass by Fully Fullwood)
Ventura's The Legalizers
MAJEK FASHEK("Little Patience" CD 2005 Tours 1998-2005)
David "Hodge "Lodge
Nick Magnus(Steve Hackett/"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"Enid/Samantha Fox)
Carl McGregor
MYKA NYNE(FreeStyle Fellowship)("Citrus Sessions VOL.1"CD 2006)
Timothy Moynahan(The Untouchables/Unity Horns)
Musical Sniper(aka Rappa Robert Think Twice/R.U.B. Tours 2000-2002)
OBRE 4 "CONSCIOUSness"(CD 2007 Mixed by Fully Fullwood)
Johnny Osbourne(Tours 2001-2005);Twiston Palma(Tours 2001-2002)
Beth Preston("Inside Fire" CD 2007)
Princess Cruises;ProgWest(2002)
Rankin'Joe
Coco Roussel(Happy The Man)
Sapadilla("Hop On De Good Foot" CD 1992)
Sammy Dread
SCIENTIST("DUB 911"CD 2006 Nature Sounds)
Seal Beach Comedy Cable Show(1986-87 Music Director & House Band)
Sister Nancy(2002)
The Specs(CD/Tour 1993)
Freddy Studer(OM);
Surf Channel Jingles(Malibu,Ca.)
TIPPA IRIE ("Think Twice","I Miss" Tours 1998-2004)
UCLA Reggae/Jazz festivals
Unity Horns(Timothy & Danny Mohnahan)
Upstream
Dave Wakeling
Zebi(Detour Posse/Barrington Levy)
and more...
"Pride will ruin people,but those who are humble will be honored" Proverbs 29:23
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