Eloy - Discografie

Taking their name from the "Eloi", the futuristic race of people in H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, ELOY was initially formed in 1969 in Germany. Inspired by THE SHADOWS and THE BEATLES, they became one of the major bands in the progressive rock scene highly influenced by the space rock of PINK FLOYD. They started off in Germany as a hard rock band with a political bent, but soon drifted into a spacier progressive rock sound. They have had a number of turnovers, with a major split in the 1980s that resulted in a move into more of a mainstream direction. Based mainly on founder Frank BORNEMANN's guitar solos, their music evolved to include more synthesizers and choirs.

They produced many albums between 1971 and 1998 with different line-ups. Their best period is the mid to late-70's with the trippier space-rock of "Inside" and "Floating" (with Manfred WIECZORKE later of JANE). "Dawn" is actually one of the better of the symphonic-era ELOY albums, perhaps even the best. "Ocean" is a concept album about Atlantis, and one of the pillar albums of the German symphonic scene, and certainly worth checking out. They followed up with "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes", the year later to even greater success. During 1993-1994, ELOY released three best of collections and it wasn't until 1994 with the release of "The Tides Return Forever", that they recorded and toured again is released and the band reappeared live on stage for several successful shows in Germany. Their last album "Ocean 2", released in 1998, was a surprising come back of a progressive rock band, which stopped recently their stage-appearances.

Albums

1971 Eloy 2.88 (23 ratings)	1973 Inside 4.02 (54 ratings)	1974 Floating 3.75 (32 ratings)	1975 Power And The Passion 3.80 (43 ratings)	1976 Dawn 4.03 (50 ratings)
1977 Ocean 4.25 (94 ratings)	1979 Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes 4.03 (50 ratings)	1980 Colours 3.58 (35 ratings)	1981 Planets 4.06 (39 ratings)	1982 Time To Turn 3.93 (27 ratings)
1983 Performance 2.89 (15 ratings)	1984 Metromania 2.92 (20 ratings)	1985 Codename Wildgeese 2.53 (6 ratings)	1988 Ra 2.60 (21 ratings)	1992 Destination 2.26

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=95

Eloy

Eloy s-a infiintat in Germania, in 1969. Numele formatiei a fost luat din cartea lui H.G. Wells, “Masina timpului”. Initial, influentele muzicale erau Shadows si Beatles, ulterior Eloy devenind una dintre cele mai importante trupe ale scenei progressive, dupa ce experimentase si sunetul hard rock. Numeroase surse critice invoca influente Pink Floyd, idee care se regaseste in opinia semnatarului, cu mentiunea ca este vorba mai degraba despre preluari la nivel formal, dealtfel fara utilitate in conceptia compozitionala.

Aparut in 1977, Ocean – al saselea album realizat de Eloy, este ancorat in ideile inceputului de deceniu. In tandem cu delay-ul mentionat, engleza “problematica” a vocalului ar putea alcatui o baza suficient de solida pentru rezervele publicului ascultator. Totusi update-ul space music si virtuozitatea instrumentala transforma posibilele minusuri in avantaje de tip farmec si recontextualizare. Componenta este urmatoarea: Frank Bornemann - chitara, voce; Klaus-Peter Matziol - bas, voce; Jurgen Rosenthal - percutie, flaut si Detlev Schmidtchen - orga, mellotron, xilofon, voce.

Piesa de mari proportii “Poseidon's Creation” (1) debuteaza printr-un lung intro cu sintetizator de coarde si chitara, a la Dark Side of the Moon, urmat indeaproape de un solo de chitara impregnat in atmosfera de pe Meddle. Pasajul vocal care intervine dupa 4’40”este urmat de o serie de solo-uri ale moog-ului si chitarii

”Incarnation Of The Logos” (2) este o asa zisa creatie “spatiala”, dominata de atmosfera alienanta. Componenta ambientala este convertita pe parcursul piesei intr-o improviztie colectiva, facuta pe o structura armonica bine definita.

”Decay Of The Logos” (3) apare ca o suita de monologuri instrumentale flancate strict de formule ritmice percutante. Influentele hard rock se fac simtite, in ciuda liniei armonice complexe sustinute de sintesizator. Este de asemenea vorba despre o piesa finalizata intr-o maniera diferita de modul in care incepuse.

”Atlantis' Agony At June 5th - 8498, 13 p.m. Gregorian Earthtime” (4) este, alaturi de “Poseidon’s …” o piesa monumentala, prin dimensiuni si intentii. Solo-urile instrumentale alterneaza cu momentele vocale – narate sau cantate. Reflexe kraut isi fac simtita prezenta. Bas-ul imi aminteste puternic de Cantafabule, album aparut in acelasi an.

Libretul este inspirat din legendele Greciei antice. Textele au insa destul de putine in comun cu muzica. Solutia cu pasajele narate trimite cu gandul la albumul Journay to the Centre of the Earth al lui Rick Wakeman. Ca si in cazul acestui ultim exemplu, exista o categorie de public pentru care Ocean reprezinta capodopera progressive prin excelenta. In mod cert avem de-a face cu un moment de varf al genului, dar latura ambiental – spatiala prevaleaza, invitand la imaginatia prin asociatii libere si la evadarea din real, factori care nu tin strict de arta sunetului, deci nici de perfectiunea formei si fondului.

Un articol despre efectele negative ale drogurilor puncta faptul ca in Germania anului 1977, LSD-ul si alte substante cu proprietati asemanatoare faceau puternic parte – se pare – din preocuparile post hippie ale iubitorilor de muzica (genurile dure mergeau mai mult pe varianta “energizantelor”). Asa se explica – spune articolul - faptul ca albumele Eloy se vindeau in interiorul tarii la fel de bine ca Genesis, Queen sau Pink Floyd.

Articol de Mihai Plamadeala - muzician NOMEN EST OMEN http://www.muzicisifaze.com/trupa.php?id=58&cat=4