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Various Artists - Www.progrock.co.uk

Artist:	Various Artists
Title:	Www.progrock.co.uk
Label:	www.progrock.co.uk
Length(s):	minutes
Year(s) of release:	2001
Month of review:	[11/2001]

Line up

Various ones

Tracks

	Magenta - The White Witch	20.23
1)	Overture	0.45
2)	The White Witch	6.19
3)	The Plague	4.25
4)	Reflection	4.53
5)	The Spell	4.32
6)	The Fyreworks - Master Humphries Clock	9.47
7)	Cyan - Guardians	12.05
8)	The Othello Syndrome - Father Of Leeches	6.52
9)	Cyan - The River	7.20
10)	Abel Ganz - Little By Little	7.48
11)	Lee Saunders - The World Prepares	3.18
12)	Swing Gang - Guess You Had To Be There	4.25

Summary

This sampler is made available by a combined effort of www.progrock.co.uk, where music of these bands can be obtained, and the label F2 Music Ltd. Instead of calling it Progressive Rock Sampler I named it after the website. I singlehandledly improved the Swing Gang title which read Guese You Had To Be There to what I hope it should be. I am not exactly sure that this sampler is or sale.

The music

After a symphonic beginning, it becomes obvious that Magenta might really be the revelation that the label and a lot of people I know found it to be. The female vocalist is really a good one with a wonderful vibrato. At times she reminds me of Annie Haslam, although she does not sing as high as Haslam does (and uses her voice in a more varied way). This epic has warm keyboards, a strong Cyan feel (not so strange in view of who wrote the music), but it simply comes together better than it does with Cyan. It can't just be the vocalist I think. As it is the music is driven, with keys a la Genesis, vocals like Renaissance, but also some sharp guitar playing, a good combination of nostalgia from the seventies and modern recording qualities. The flute part is Hackett style. A great epic piece.

Tull flute, Genesis and classical influences can be found on The Fyreworks' Master Humphries Clocks. At first the song is mellow symphonic rock, but later on the music gets to be a bit more powerful with some tension building included. Quite good.

A lot of keyboards as well on the next track, Cyan's Guardians. It is however more poppy than the previous one. The vocals are not that strong, the guitar is very much in Oldfield style. Sounds nice, but maybe a bit too frolic. One is tempted to think of Shadowland here.

The Othello Syndrome's disc has been reviewed as a whole. Their music is quite original. This one has rather weird vocals (Genesis at their most odd), a bit on the neurotic side with a sax very much in the VDGG style, including quite a bit of swing.

Cyan has another track on this disc, a newer track called The River. Nice tension on this one and as always the music of Robert Reed comes from the influence of Genesis, but in a good way. The music of Cyan continues to be a rather commercial, but likable nonetheless. The song also involves some "horns". The riff in later on is very much like Led Zeppelins Stairway To Heaven.

Abel Ganz brings us a dated piece of music. Little originality or growth here. Genesis is very much present, but the song is below par. Lee Saunders gives those tired of waiting for the next Roger Waters studio album what they want. Musically the track is a bit on the slow side. The last track is a groovy blues track and has nothing to do with prog.

Conclusion

Although the level of this disc goes down towards the end, there is some very enjoyable music on this one. Magenta stands out as a promise and Cyan and Fyreworks follow quite closely. The Othello Syndrome, they are an odd pair and Lee Saunders is simply Waters in disguise.