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Thread: FEATURED CD - Coda What A Symphony

  1. #1
    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD - Coda What A Symphony



    Per Progressor:
    This is the second album, the first released in 1986, from Dutch keyboardist Eric De Vroomen, who is a free politician and journeyman rather than composer and musician. The most part of compositions represented here are not very complex classical music performed mostly with modern instruments. This very serious project was well composed and played. However, rare vocal parts with lyrics performed, on the whole, by a nice guest operatic female singer, insufficiently reflect the conceived anti-fascist conception. Also frequent jazzy guitar solos sometimes slightly destroy the overall classical scheme. Nevertheless, this album is one of the best acts from Lukassen's "Transmission" label
    http://www.progressor.net/review/c.html#coda_1996







    Regards,

    Duncan

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    It's the one by them/him that I don't have.

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    This album is like going on a class field trip to a prog album. It's wacky. But I like it.

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    What's his other big album called? I forget.

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    What's his other big album called? I forget.
    Sounds Of Passion, which was rereleased in 2007 as a double-album including interesting demos.

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    Member rickawakeman's Avatar
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    I only have the original single-disc Sounds of Passion, which I have not revisited in many years but recall really enjoying, so I'll check this one out as well.

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    What A Symphony was originally supposed to be released by SI Music as a double-album. As SI Music went bankrupt Transmission released it both as 1 CD and as 1 CD + "Love Poem" as second disk.
    I was lucky to receive the original album on a cassette for review, which has a different running order as the final CD.

    It's a very classically influenced concept album, although it has wonderful progressive jazz-rock and heavy symphonic pieces as well.

  8. #8
    Sounds of Passion is a more traditional prog album; What a Symphony is very challenging due to the mixture of styles and serious lyrical content. I like both quite a bit, but for different reasons. --Peter

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickawakeman View Post
    I only have the original single-disc Sounds of Passion, which I have not revisited in many years but recall really enjoying, so I'll check this one out as well.
    Ditto on all counts!

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    This was the original track-list for the double-CD SI Music was planning to release:

    CD1
    Overture
    Nostalgia
    Lament For Planet Earth
    Spirit Of Waves
    Chico Rio

    CD2
    Rise And Eclipse Of The Sun : A Symphonic Poem In Three Movements
    Déjà Vu
    Love Poem
    What A Symphony
    Last View From The Universe On Humanity

  11. #11
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickawakeman View Post
    I only have the original single-disc Sounds of Passion, which I have not revisited in many years but recall really enjoying, so I'll check this one out as well.
    The second disc contains demo's performed by Sequoia (including Karel De Greef and Maarten Holz- both also in Thomas Flinter - was part of that group), which later would turn into Coda.

  12. #12
    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    The ProgRockPlus-site has a nice page on Coda's history:

    The history of the Dutch group Coda dates back to the beginning of 1980, when Erik de Vroomen and Ton Strik, who both lived in the small Dutch town of Wijchen, first came into contact with each other. This was the start of a partnership, which would last for 16 years and would produce two legendary rock albums for the lovers of symphonic- and progressive rock music.

    The most spectacular achievement of this period was, without doubt, the LP `Sounds Of Passion,' released by Boni Records in 1986 and still a much sought after album amongst sympho fans in the Netherlands and abroad. Before the LP first saw the light of day the group had, in 1983, made a demo-cassette with a different line-up than on the LP. The band went by the name- Sequoia, but shortly afterwards they changed it Coda. You’ll find this interesting demo-performance of Sounds Of Passion in Chapter 2 of this deluxe 21st Anniversary Edition, so you can hear the growth and development, which the music has undergone. Even though the 31 minute epic on the demo-cassette gave a good impression of Erik de Vroomen’s artistic qualities they decided, to re-record the tape in a professional 24 track studio. After just seven rehearsals in a classroom at the music school in Wijchen – where Erik worked as a piano teacher – the group, consisting of Jacky van Tongeren (bass guitar), Mark Eshuis (drums and percussion), Jack Witjes (guitar and vocals) and Erik, went onto the MMP studio to record the LP Sounds Of Passion plus a number of extra tracks. You can find these extra tracks in Chapter 2 as well.

    In June 1985 Ton Strik had the opportunity to play the studio recordings on Wim van Putten’s LP and CD show on the national pop music station, Radio 3. Ton is a great admirer of symphonic- and progressive rock music and had offered to finance the expensive studio recordings. Van Putten’s radio program, with music and interview, produced scores of positive and favorable reactions, which didn’t go unnoticed by two Dutch record companies: Dureco and Boni Records. In September 1986 Boni Records released the LP Sounds Of Passion, and the first pressing sold out within one week. The second pressing sold out within two weeks. Meanwhile the group made preparations for live performances, rehearsed with a second keyboard player (Frank Bieker), and gave the requisite radio interviews to promote the LP and the single, Sounds Of Passion (4th Movement - Final), taken from the LP. They even had plans to work live with projection screens, film, slides and ballet, directed by choreographer Chiquita Zonneveld. This didn’t, alas, get further than the planning stage, because this kind of show is too expensive without the financial backing and support of a major record company.

    After about five year’s silence Ton Strik was approached by SI Music Records to release Sounds Of Passion on CD. The release, in 1991, was followed a year later by the CD-single Crazy Fool And Dreamer. Shortly after that, they inked a licensing deal in South Korea and in 1993 the Korean company Si-Wan Records released a CD and LP version (with gatefold sleeve) of `Sounds Of Passion' on the Asian market. Many copies of S.O.P. were sold in Japan and South Korea and for quite a while Coda. was one of the best selling European symphonic bands. The worldwide demand for new Coda. material was satisfied in 1996 with the release of a follow-up album for S.O.P. with the title What A Symphony, a release on the well-known Dutch high-quality label Transmission. This impressive second album effectively concluded Coda’s career. Although Erik de Vroomen made one fruitless attempt to record new material, it is highly unlikely that we will ever hear any new music by Coda. So enjoy this atmospheric deluxe 2-CD document with previously unreleased bonus material and the original master recording of `Sounds Of Passion.'




    Coda biography courtesy of: Hans van Vuuren of CENTERTAINMENT

  13. #13
    I thought this was quite good.

    It did not get the attention it deserved.

    Still holds up quite well.
    And if there were a god, I think it very unlikely that he would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence - Russell

  14. #14
    I believe it was Ton Strik I briefly corresponded with in the late '90s about possibly bringing Coda to ProgDay. It was obviously a long shot, but I'm still amazed at how many long shots I did get to work out (Consorzioacquapotabile, Discus, Hoyry Kone, etc etc). --Peter

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