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Ywis - Ywis

Artist:	Ywis
Title:	Ywis
Label:	SI Music Simply 34
Length(s):	42 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1983/1993
Month of review:	??/1993

Line up

Geert van de Burg - vocals and keyboards
Herman Ruijters - drums and backing
Eric Stap - bass
Rinus Hollenberg - guitars and backing
Julian Driessen - keyboards
Sylvia van Heck - lyrics

Tracks

1)	Homo Sapiens	5.18
2)	Thirst	5.48
3)	The Flasher	5.32
4)	Ywis (instrumental)	4.25
5)	Common Sense Vs. Bombs	5.08
6)	After The Mushrooms	3.11
7)	Playing The Game	4.36
8)	Fighting Fear	8.11

Summary

Started in 1982, they released their first untitled album after only eight months. They sold quite well and toured throughout Holland, but also a lot abroad (especially Eastern Europe). After musical differences the band split, having stayed together for 3 years. The members stayed in contact and played together in various bands like The Last Detail and Timelock. The songs that were never released, might be recorded and released in the future.

The music

Neo-prog (from 1983) in its purest form: mainly short songs, lots of guitars and up-tempo. Most pronounced members of the band are the keyboardist, Driessen, and the guitarist, who has a very clear sound and does not mind playing some heavy parts. The band sounds quite a lot like Saga in their good years, especially during the keyboardsolo's and the intro's and also a new band like Wings of Steel. A good example is the first track, the very up-tempo Homo Sapiens with a bombastic keyboard- sound and Saga-like backing vocals and as anoterh example the intro to the Flasher. The production is good yielding a very clear sound, the vocalist does an acceptable job, but the lyrics do seem a bit forced to me, bordering the pathetic at times, though the subjects were good in that age (Common Sense vs. Bombs and After the Mushrooms about the Cold War and a possible nuclear holocaust) and some still are (Fear of Fighting). Personal favourites are Fighting Fear and mostly the instrumental Ywis, where Hollenberg really let's it rip. The other songs are okay, but I guess it's the spirit and the totality of the CD that makes it worthwhi- le. Most songs have their good and lesser parts. Those lesser parts are usually the singing and the lyrics or where the band takes accessibility a bit too far.

Conclusion

Disappointed by the last few CDs of Saga and your looking for some enthusiastic, well-played, mostly up-tempo, neo-prog? I guess you should really have a listen, knowing that this was recorded in 1982 with little equipment and outside help and admire the fact that this album still stands out.