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Thread: Solaris : Martian Chronicles 2

  1. #51
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    I gave this a spin after I posted last night. I did notice what Zeprogmeister said, that everything is in roughly the same tempo, and the music unfolds very similarly from track to track. They use very similar chord progressions and melodies, so the whole thing has a sort of "samey" vibe about it. There is one piece that is more acoustic oriented and has a sort of gospel feel, which stood out because it was a bit different.

    Again on this listen I found it decent, but nothing that particularly got my heart rate up. I'm glad it wasn't much longer than 40 minutes, because if it was I think I'd get bored with it. But it ends before it quite gets to that for me.

    Quote Originally Posted by nearfest View Post
    yes I have to treat the last silly/fun cut as a bonus track, and stop it at that point. It's fun with the goofy panning and car alarm sounds but it does not at all hang with the rest of the album. It's fun to hear once or twice but the novelty wears off. A very odd choice for a closer.
    Yeah, I really have no idea what was in their minds on that track, particularly as the closer. It just sort of leaves you scratching your head.

    Quote Originally Posted by nearfest View Post
    I would say it's better than 1990 and Nostradamus
    I agree. 1990 didn't wear well for me and I ditched it ages ago. Never owned Nostradamus, but heard samples and it didn't thrill me. To me, these guys never really properly followed up Martian Chronicles. I was hopeful for this album would do it, and it's definitely a step in the right direction, but I doubt many who love that album will feel the same about MC2.

    Bill

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  3. #53
    Member Burley Wright's Avatar
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    I would suggest that those who don't already have Live in Los Angeles might want to spring for that instead, it's a really good live double CD from Progfest '94.

  4. #54
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    To me, the gospel vocals were the only really cringeworthy moment on the album. Didn't work anywhere like the choral vocals on the first part or even Nostradamus, or the wailing vocals on Cziglán's ”April”. The songs lack any really uptempo tracks, but I don't think the album sounds anymore ”samey” than the first part. That album too had a unified feel with most of the melodies sounding like variations of the two main themes. What this lacks is memorable melodic material and the energy of the original. Solaris have always worked on a rather narrow palette of chords and compositional tricks, it just that they got amazing development and result out of them on Marsbéli krónikák and have been getting less and less out of them with each successive album. Which doesn't mean that those albums are without value. This one just continues the trend. A disappointing release, but not hopeless. Totally agree with the comments on the 40-minute running time.

    Heh, I actually like ”Alien Song”. A bit of irrevence at the end does good, and it is less goofy than ”Solaris 1990” or ”For Beginners...” on Alhambra kapui.

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