Wired mp3

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

Well, okay, I don't like it.

Much as I love that Pete is experimenting with orchestration, this is too 
disjointed for my taste.  Too many styles and no direction.  The parts of it 
are really well done, but (again), there's no theme to hold it together.  
What makes the instrumental music from TOMMY and QUAD so great is that grand 
theme that runs through all of it.  The band plays dissonance all around, 
but always comes back to that solid core.  I went back and listened to the 
"My Generation" jam from Manchester, and it's got a lot of the same elements 
as this piece, but it's also got a theme that drives the dynamics and 
provides for the variations.

Like the orchestration of "Teenage Wasteland," this would have it's 
place--it ends up sounding like background music on the soundtrack of some 
movie--but it's not good listening music because of the lack of theme.

Okay, now for details:

Love the way it starts.  Cool piano (Is this scatterfall arpeggios?).  Don't 
like the flute--too pastoral.  That might be okay if contrast was the main 
purpose of the whole piece, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I don't like the dynamics.  There's no reason for the sudden changes in 
volume--it tends to be a surprise--which really shouldn't be the case.  
Plus, it goes from too soft to too loud.  I'm pushing the volume button all 
the time, trying to hear the soft parts and then frantically turning down 
for the dramatic crashes (ouch), and then turning back up again.

So finally I think I hear what's going to be a theme, the horns repeating 
what Pete sings, but it never takes hold.  We're back to the crashing (okay, 
more possible theme here?) and the flute again (unsuitable).  Strings okay.  
Love that.  Piano okay, but this gets a little boring.  Love the Oriental 
shifts (has Pete been listening to "Bolero?").  Terrific ending.

Go with the horns, Pete, and ditch the flute.  ;)


keets
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com