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A 1997 Symphonic Concept classic by a British multi-instrumental craftsman returns once more to delight fans of melodic instrumental Progressive Rock!
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First, a bit about this artist…
Stephen Caudel and CD Services go back a long way… before this company even existed in fact!
Stephen is a brilliant British multi-instrumentalist that first came to my notice back in the early 80's.
It was just about the time that the CD format started to break in the UK and I remember hearing his ‘Wine Dark Sea’ album playing in a shop (remember when they used to do that?) and being blown away by it. Needless to say I purchased a copy, and it turned out to be one of my first ever CD's!
‘Wine Dark Sea’ was recorded in collaboration with ‘Tubular Bells’ producer Tom Newman and released in the mid 80's on Coda's ‘Art Of Landscape’ imprint.
The work was premiered in London with a full orchestra conducted by Louis Clark.
Easily the best of all of the Coda label group releases in the 80's, music from ‘Wine Dark Sea’ was regularly featured (almost on a daily basis!) on televisions' ‘Art Of Landscape’ programmes.
Stephen toured all over the world performing for audiences that were already familiar with his music through that TV series and his superb debut album.
He also supported superstars such as Art Garfunkel at high profile concert venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Caudel’s early music could only be described at the time as "one man rock symphonies" that started in the realms of Progressive Rock and crossed right over the music spectrum to touch on Classical music, with its rich, at times grandiose displays of craftsmanship intricate guitar work and superb sweeping keyboard orchestrations.
Had Mike Oldfield not emerged from the depths of Virgin's Manor studios with his ‘Tubular Bells’ epic under his arm, then Stephen Caudel may have made it big with his own brand of melodic multi-instrumental sound painting, but I dare say Richard Branson may not have been too happy about that!
During the 80’s, DJ Alan Freeman gave ‘Wine Dark Sea’ his full support on his then Virgin Radio ‘Rock Show’ –and knowing “Fluff's” musical tastes as we did back then it was hardly surprising he was championing Caudel's music.
In 1988 Stephen released his follow-up to: ‘Wine Dark Sea’ with ‘Bow Of Burning Gold’, then during the 1990’s a couple of acoustic guitar based albums were issued, followed in 1997 by his self-released Symphonic Rock epic entitled: ‘Earth In Turquoise’, a concept album of sorts based on episodes in the life of King Arthur that was a majestic symphonic work similarly structured to his debut album.
After that Stephen pulled out of the music business altogether to concentrate on family and a new business venture.
In 2016 – 30 years will have passed since the release of ‘Wine Dark Sea’. The last decade and more has been spent building a successful Web Design & Marketing company, but Stephen Caudel is about to re-emerge onto the Progressive Symphonic Instrumental music scene once more with a planned new album.
So for now, let's take a look back at his last project, which is available once more… ‘Earth In Turquoise’!
‘Earth In Turquoise’ is a concept album of sorts based on episodes in the life of King Arthur.
It is a superb example of "real" instrumental symphonic rock music that falls mainly into two categories as far as a CDS Towers audience is concerned… The GANDALF guitar / keyboard style of melodic, electronic sound-painting, and the more symphonic areas of Progressive Rock where the likes of Steve Hackett, Mike Oldfield and CAMEL reigned supreme in the 90’s.
Like ‘Wine Dark Sea’, ‘Earth’ demonstrates that Caudel was indeed a worthy challenger for the Symphonic Rock crown in the late 90’s - An epic work full of glorious and moving music that sits quite comfortably in Progressive Rock territory and crosses right over the musical spectrum to touch on classical music with its rich, at times grandiose displays of intricate guitar craftsmanship and superb sweeping keyboard orchestrations.
The music is both ethereal and dramatic within any individual track, ranging from passages of ethereal atmospheric synthesizer music to sections where dramatic electric guitar solos and percussion take centre stage. In the main the album features the sounds of acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizer strings, choirs, real flute, brass synth effects and mighty layers of solid percussion, all forming a rather grandiose, one man symphony. There are huge and splendid majestic keyboard orchestrated symphonic finales packed full of sweeping strings, choral effects and masses of other orchestral sounds.
So, let’s take a look at ‘Earth In Turquoise’ track by track…
The title track starts the album off with a kind of prelude that introduces motifs of characters and events from the album as a whole. It opens with soft flute sounds and synth strings that create a very relaxed setting before synthesized trumpets and massed choir effects break on to the scene with bursts of powerful dramatics to herald the arrival of acoustic and electric guitars. These then share taking the main melody lines over a sea of swirling synth oboes and strings. This track has a wonderful "days of old" feel about it!
'Call Of Destiny' is a dramatic, nine-minute piece that looks into the mists of time as it depicts an army legion on the march. Stylistically, it is very similar to Steve Hackett material with keyboard flutes, brasses and strings revolving around a 'Bolero' like central theme, before breaking of into some stunning electric / acoustic guitar interplay. This series of majestically sweeping themes take the music from its darker beginnings into a brighter, more Progressive sound that CAMEL (specifically Andy Latimer) fans will really appreciate.
Track 3 is: 'Coronation', a grandiose four-minute work with the electronic flutes and strings creating a vision of some kind of royal pageantry display, where synthesizer choirs, brass and percussion build the piece up into a splendid collage of majestic keyboard orchestrations.
Then it's straight into rock territory with six minutes of Prog heaven on: 'Gargantuan', where soaring electric guitars sing over layers of strings and brass samples, taking the music on a wonderfully melodic path that will haunt the ears of symphonic rock fans for years to come - Brilliant music that's a Prog fans dream!
'Forbidden Love' follows, and it's a beautiful romantically inclined work with a stunning melody performed on acoustic guitar set upon a background of flowing strings - a lovely piece that Hackett or Anthony Phillips fans will adore for sure!
It's back to a more ethereal, dramatic style for: ‘Dark Of Night' - an evocative six minutes of symphonic wonder that is initially dominated by keyboards, but as the track develops the percussion and choral effects re-emerge, with guitar of the "soaring into the heavens" variety making a welcome return among interludes of flute and acoustic guitar, giving the track a more segmented feel towards the closing moments.
The five-minute epic 'Eve Of The Battle’/’Dawn' is introduced with a sea of soft string and mystical flute sounds floating behind a beautifully honed acoustic guitar melody. Suddenly a crazed electric guitar solo makes a surprising entrance and proceeds to tear its way through the scene in a ferocious manner.
Wild, crashing percussion then builds the scene up to fever pitch before the calming sounds of more strings and flutes take over once more to lead the track towards a grandiose symphonic finale full of sweeping strings, Mellotron and masses of other orchestral textures.
The nine-minute closing piece comes in the shape of: 'A Legend Is Born', where a pulsing rhythm creates the base for an oncoming display of soaring electric guitars and thematic keyboard chords. Some fine, but brief, acoustic guitar parts create breathing space before the powerful electric onslaught continues in grand Hackett-esque fashion. At the halfway mark the track steps down a few gears and moves back into symphonic territory with the acoustic guitar crying over a sombre Mellotron-like string backdrop - an extremely vivid emotional ending to a beautifully crafted album that still stands the test of time.
‘Earth In Turquoise’ is beautifully presented in a jewel case with full colour artwork perfectly fitting the music style.
Also available by STEPHEN CAUDEL …
REFLECTIONS IN BLUE (2017 guitar and orchestrations album) CD – Stock # 2002093
RETURN TO WINE DARK SEA (2021 re-work of 80’s masterpiece / Card Sleeve) CCCD – Stock # 2205511
STEPHEN CAUDEL: EARTH IN TURQUOISE Track List:
01. Earth In Turquoise (6.50)
02. Call Of Destiny (9.07)
03. Coronation (3.54)
04. Gargantuan (6.29)
05. Forbidden Love (5.38)
06. Dark Of Night (5.58)
07. Eve Of Battle/Dawn (5.11)
08. A Legend Is Born (9.21)
TPT – 52:31