Champagne, it never gets boring, you know what you’re getting but you’re rarely surprised.
I often think about this when I uncork a new bottle of Legacy Pilots, this time labelled Thru The Lens. Sixteen tracks (actually eight songs), with a little under an hour’s running time of well-produced, not particularly exciting music that never goes overboard but which doesn’t leave an indelible impression. I have a somewhat ambivalent attitude when it comes to Legacy Pilots: (too) much of the same but at the same time well-crafted and pleasant to listen to and I always look forward to a new album release. You can easily play it without losing interest, recognizable as always with top-notch musicians. Frank Us, who keeps the whole thing together figuratively speaking, as I don’t think the group has ever been in the studio together as a whole, but hey, that’s how it goes these days in most cases. Even East and West America do it that way (see: Jon Anderson & the Band Geeks). The same also applies here. But not at the expense of quality but at most some spontaneity is somewhat lost – thus promoting unity but not adventurousness.
I hear swinging fusion in the instrumental opener Where The Pilots Meet and John Mitchell’s characteristic husky voice and guitar solo in Nemesis and recognizable prog pop in The Matter.
The languorous vocals of Frank Us, whether or not in duet with Liza Livgren, supported by the imperturbable drum rhythms of Todd Sucherman (Styx) and/or Marco Minnemann (Aristocrats) resounds in Don’t Chase the Rainbows and the fusion style track The Inner Fire. The latter song is sharply interrupted by the characteristic soaring guitar sound of Steve Morse (Kansas, Deep Purple) which disrupts the smooth jazz that threatens to ruin the number.
Compliments to good-old Steve! I love the voice of Jake Livgren, nephew of, especially in the thirteen-minute Cosmic Sea. He combines the sound of Steve Walsh (Kansas), Steve Perry (Journey) and Joe Williams (Toto) with that typical American vibe and ditto vibrato. Which in turn fits perfectly with the West Coast prog composed and produced by Us, coupled with a sound referencing Vangelis/Keith Emerson.
Certainly doesn’t sound bad. In the up-tempo prog-pop song Fooled Again, aforementioned Livgren gets to work again, this time with Steve Rothery (Marillion) as an unrecognizable companion on strings. And finally the most progressive song, The Professor & Me, with strong ELP influences. Nothing to complain about, but still.
May I compare it to the way champagne is made: usually the same three grape varieties with a mixture of existing wines. All with one goal: to guarantee the recognisability and long-term quality of the end product. Are you still with me? So yes, good bubbles but never as good (or as bad) as it might have been, something like that. Another way of saying: it’s all starting to look/taste very similar. Replace the grapes with the ingredients rock, fusion and prog, add the familiar, solid production, replace the experienced winemakers with the permanent crew of hired specialists and the comparison is complete.
If it’s also partly instrumental, it becomes very difficult to distinguish between the songs (or albums). In the meantime, I listen to extremely enjoyable music that doesn’t bore me and I always stay interested when new work is announced. Think I’ll pour another glass of sparkling wine later. Always enjoyable, but you keep hoping for a stronger bubble and aftertaste.
Cheers!
TRACK LISTING
01. Where the Pilots Meet (6:42)
02. Nemesis (4:19)
03. Don’t Chase the Rainbows (8:49)
04. The Matter (4:31)
05. The Inner Fire (5:23)
– Cosmic Sea (12:52)
06. i) Prologue (3:17)
07. ii) A Poisoned Wasteland (2:21)
08. iii) Approaching Another World (3:44)
09. iv) A Toxic Result, Coordinates & Epilogue (3:30)
10. Fooled Again (5:09)
– The Professor & Me (10:16)
11. i) An Interesting Project (2:28)
12. ii) In the Laboratory (1:27)
13. iii) A Question of Chemistry (1:13)
14. iv) Where East Meets West (1:09)
15. v) We’re Cooking Something Up (1:16)
16. vi) Great Finale (2:43)
Total Time – 58:01
MUSICIANS
Frank Us – Keyboards, Guitars, Vocals, Bass
~ With:
Todd Sucherman – Drums
Marco Minnemann – Drums
Lars Slowak – Bass
John Mitchell – Vocals, Guitars
Finally George – Vocals
Jake Livgren – Vocals
Liza Livgren – Vocals
Steven Rothery – Guitars
Steve Morse – Guitars
Ricky Garcia – Guitars
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Germany
Date of Release: 3rd May 2024
LINKS
Legacy Pilots – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram