Glass Hammer CD Review

ALL IN GOOD TIME Part 1
1. Empty Space/ Revealer
2. An Eldritch Wind
3. Revelation/ Chronometry
4. Chronotheme
5. A Perfect Carousel
6. Chronos Deliver

ALL IN GOOD TIME Part 2
7. Shapes Of The Morning
8. Chronoverture
9. The Waiting/ Watching The Sky

From Glass Hammers home page: Moogs and Hammonds and 'Trons -- Oh My!!! Glass Hammer's new album Chronometree is vintage prog at its best. A concept album about a concept album! Pretentious? Exactly!

http://www.glasshammer.com/

I'd been looking forward to hearing this album for a while having heard the advance publicity that this was old school prog executed exceedingly well and, very purposely, "tongue in cheek". As Frank Zappa asked "Does humour belong in music?" -Too right it does!….I mean a concept album about concept albums what a great umm concept?

Here we have the story of Tom who had listened to one to many concept albums while imbibing the old "Mary Jane". Tom had found that those good old "hidden messages" between the groves were really part of an Alien plan. Friend Tom had started to take them all a little too seriously and as instructed was getting ready for first contact - Come on we've all been there … haven't we?

Quote from the CD insert: - -- "It soon became obvious to us that Tom was no longer "Close to the Edge" -- he had gone over. But in spite of our concerns, Tom kept listening. Slowly but surely the Alien Plan was made known to him -- a plan that Tom called Chronometree".

As I'm unfamiliar with any of Glass Hammers previous work I don't know if this album is a new direction for the band, although I am told it is. For those looking for a new "progression" you wont find it here but what you will find is a bands lovingly crafted homage to those classic early-mid 70s days of prog. When Keith stabbed his Hammond, Jon was off in Cloud Cookoo land and we all sat there having intense arguments about what it was all supposed to mean…Man…..

Being an American album the deliberate influences are drawn almost exclusively from Yes and ELP but I can also hear a little of Gentle Giant and even, surprisingly, Gryphon. Some of it, perhaps not so surprisingly, reminds me of Spocks Beard and especially the new TransAtlantic album, which is itself, a homage to those early classic prog days.

The star of the band has to be keyboardist Fred Schendel and his perfect Emerson and Wakeman impersonations. His Hammond playing is especially dextrous. I can't say I'm a big fan of Brad Marler's voice but its growing on me. Anyway, as are all great Classic prog albums, 'Chronometree' is mainly instrumental.

To all prog lovers out there, with a sense of humour, this is a thoroughly recommended album of retro delights by talented musicians. Musicians that really cared about what they were making and were honest with it - They couldn't have pulled it off so well otherwise.

Ian Oakley May 2000