David Minasian - Random Acts Of Beauty

David Minasian is known as producer of some of CAMEL's DVD and when listening to the album you can't avoid to state that the guy has lot in common with Andy Latimer. Especially the two first tracks of the album (Masquerade & Chambermaid) reminds me Camel's work of the 1990s (Dust & Dreams, Harbours of Tears, Rajaz) which is certainly not a negative critic in my view. If Camel would have released a record in 2010 it might have sounded like this.

You can't of course reduce David Minasian's work to some clone of Camel as he brings his own elements in it. The disc gives a proheminent place to piano, which is no surprise given Minasian's background. There is also an intelligent use of cello, violin, flute,... At this point, you may think the result is a smooth and warm album, this is true (some passages reminds me David Lanz and Yanni). But, there is also a more rock side in it. Best example being "Storming the caste" track which include some great electric guitar riff. But along the whole album, Minasian finds the right balance between acoustic and electric, between soft and energetic.

Production is brilliant (no surprise again given Minasian's background) but this allows to fully enjoy the album. To conclude, the album's title is fully right: this is an "act of beauty". Just run to get this album, this is a must have. (Sursa)

Symphonic Prog

Symphonic Prog definition Symphonic is without doubt the sub-genre that includes the most bands in Progressive Rock because for many people it's almost synonymous classic Prog, something easy to understand being that most of the classic and/or pioneer bands released music that could be included in this sub-genre, except JETHRO TULL and PINK FLOYD (who still blended some symphonic elements), even KING CRIMSON who very soon expanded their horizons to more experimental music, made their debut with a Symphonic album, "In the Court of the Crimson King" which is a cornerstone in the development of the genre. The main characteristics of Symphonic are the ones that defined all Progressive Rock: * Mixture of elements from different genres. * Complex time signatures. * Lush keyboards. * Explorative and intelligent lyrics, in some cases close to fantasy literature, Sci Fi and even political issues. * Non commercial approach * Longer format of songs In this specific case the main characteristic is the influence of Classical music (understood as Orchestral works created from the late Gothic to Modern Classical) using normally more complex structure than other related sub-genres like Neo Progressive (That's why sometimes the borderline that divides Symphonic from Neo is so unclear being that is based mostly in a degree of complexity rather than in an evident structural difference)..It is easy to find long keyboard solos reminiscent of Johan Sebastian Bach or melodic works that could have been written by Handel. As in any other genre, different Symphonic bands had different approaches to Classic Music, for example YES and GENESIS are mainly influenced by the Baroque and Classical periods, while EMERSON LAKE & PALMER has a predilection for post Romantic and modern authors like Mussorgsky, Rimsky Korsakov, Bartok or Ginastera, being that their sound is less melodic and more aggressive. The peak of the genre starts in 1969 and lasts until the mid/late 70's (more precisely until the release of A Trick of the Tale), when the genre begins to blend more mainstream influences that took to the birth of Neo Progressive (a new approach for a new decade). It is important to remember that even though the creative peak of Symphonic Progressive ended before the 80's, we can find a second birth in the 90's coming from the Scandinavian countries (specially Sweden with ANGLAGARD or PAR LINDH PROJECT) and even bands that still in the 21st Century recreate music from this period like SPOCK'S BEARD or ECHOLYN. Before ending this short description I feel necessary to say (In order to be strictly accurate) that the term Symphonic is not 100% exact, because these bands very rarely played symphonies and was probably used because the music that influenced the genre was performed by Symphony Orchestras, but it is so widely accepted by the Progressive Rock community that would be absurd and futile for anybody to attempt a change after so much time.

Symphonic Prog 20 key studio albums

4.63 GENESIS Selling England By The Pound (1973)	4.62 GENESIS Foxtrot (1972)	4.60 YES Close to the Edge (1972)	4.60 HARMONIUM Si On Avait Besoin D'Une Cinquième Saison (1975)
4.60 FOCUS Hamburger Concerto (1974)	4.52 BACAMARTE Depois Do Fim (1983)	4.45 ANGLAGARD Hybris (1992)	4.39 GENESIS Nursery Cryme (1971)
4.40 CAMEL Moonmadness (1976)	4.36 YES Fragile (1971)	4.42 RENAISSANCE Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975)	4.33 YES Relayer (1974)
4.31 CAMEL The Snow Goose (1975)	4.30 GENESIS The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)	4.32 HACKETT, STEVE Voyage Of The Acolyte (1975)	4.28 GENESIS A Trick Of The Tail (1976)
4.27 CAMEL Mirage (1974)	4.69 PENTACLE La Clef Des Songes (1975)	4.32 HACKETT, STEVE Spectral Mornings (1979)	4.22 YES The Yes Album (1971)

http://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=4