Product Format: CD
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2005 album of top quality melodic Prog Rock with exceptionally high standard of playing and stunning vocals … it doesn’t come much better than this!
MOON SAFARI is a Swedish Symphonic Progressive Rock band that first came to our attention back in 2003, when they became very popular with CDS customers.
As we have always taken pride in offering only the very best the Prog genre can offer, we felt that MOON SAFARI ticked all the boxes and were always going to go down well with our customers, so we have promoted every release with great enthusiasm.
Here is our original review from 2005…
MOON SAFARI is a new young band from Sweden (all in their early 20’s we believe) and they seemingly already have enough material for another couple of albums, and if this debut release is anything to go by – We can’t wait!!!
With a warm yet distinctive production by FLOWER KINGS keyboards player Thomas Bodin (also listed as a guest musician), this band have all the trademarks that go to make a great Prog-rock outfit. It’s 70’s styled rock-rock for sure, with 5 long tracks, but this one is no carbon copy clone – this has ideas, invention and arrangements that make it sound so fresh. They have that same fresh appeal that The FLOWER KINGS had at the beginning of their career, where many believe the band were making the best music of their career. The arrangements on ‘Doorway’ are all fresh and exiting, and there are some sweeping, epic symphonic workouts treatments. There are loads of melodic Mini Moog runs, Mellotron choirs & strings, and excellent, mid-range lead vocals and four part harmonies that recall the likes of early YES, GENESIS & STARCASTLE, but with an extra quality that is almost up there with the legendary CRISBY, STILLS & NASH in terms of the vocal eloquence. Keyboards are featured strongly and very Wakeman like at times, with organ and other synthesizers furthering the early YES / STARCASTLE sound and feel. So in detail…
You can say several things about this band – they love seventies prog with a passion; they are incurable optimists; someone there thinks ‘Close To The Edge’ is their favourite album; they’re all fans of The BEATLES; someone there won’t admit it, but they’ve got a soft spot for 10CC; you know the term “Prog-rock”? Well, this lot couldn’t rock if they were on fire – but they sure know how to “prog”!!
There’s a twenty-four minute epic on here called ‘We Spin The World’ with tons and tons of instrumental passages on a song that’s overflowing with soaring lead vocals and incredibly lush harmonies. But, instead of it sounding like YES or GENESIS or CAMEL or Hackett – it sounds like all of them – throw in 10CC, STARCASTLE, PFM, ARGENT, ELP, BARCLAY JAMES HAEVEST & ELO and you’re even closer!!!
I mean, it’s incredible – this thing passes by and you’re going “oh, that’s so & so” every few minutes, sometimes every few seconds in the first half, as the oceans of Mellotrons, guitars, keyboards, synths, bass, drums, lead and harmony vocals all pass by and wave to you as they go. The first time I heard it, I didn’t believe it, but it sure made me smile – the second time I played it, it still made sense, proving to be cohesive, consistent and so superbly arranged, it takes your breath away. For the final few minutes, you could actually sing the end song bit of ‘Close To The Edge’ above their instrumentation and it’d sound scarily in place. But it’s tasty – as I said, there’s no real firepower in there, but as a slice of seventies-influenced and sounding prog, it is quite one of the most astounding tracks you’ll hear anywhere – and this is less than half of the album! Yes, there’s more.
The Mini-Moog and Mellotron style work on the catchy and vibrant: ‘Dancing’ is also a bit reminiscent of ‘Celebration’ style PFM guitar-wise, what is so good here is the way they feature the acoustic variety alongside the electric guitars, sometimes just the acoustic in passages that are positively heart-stopping in their gorgeous chording. Then, when the vocals cease and an extended instrumental break comes along, the band really deliver the goods, with assorted combinations of synth choirs, guitars and organ above driving rhythms and lavish wordless vocal harmonies, creating rich tapestries of sound with a real solid centre.
The final track: ‘Beyond The Door’, starts with solo piano before turning into this awesome slice of multi-part harmony vocalising over trademark seventies prog rhythms. Classic slices of high-register, slowly sliding Steve Howe guitar join wailing synth leads that’s are pure PFM, Mellotron choirs that are pure BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, an organ line straight out of ‘Close To The Edge’ – but blink and it’s gone!
Then all of these combine with huge-sounding and heart-warming harmony vocals to provide an end that practically leaves you jaw-dropped at the sheer skill with which they’ve put all this together – the ultimate prog tribute that isn’t a tribute, yet is the most familiar sounding original work you’ve ever heard!
Elsewhere we have 3 tracks between seven and eleven minutes that don’t let you down, bearing in mind what I’ve told you already. The nine-minute ‘Dance Across The Ocean’ has all the properties that make up the other tracks I’ve reviewed thus far, but to these add a touch of CROSBY STILLS & NAS harmonies, STARCASTLE dynamics, RENAISSANCE piano and still with all the other seventies prog influences worn proudly on their sleeves.
Without going into detail, the other two are equally fine works and complete the picture.
Take it from me – you’ll never have heard a prog album quite like this in decades, if at all – it’s real, it’s prog, it’s immaculately well written and arranged, sung and played to perfection. It sounds vital, flowing and heart-warming with a maximum feel-good factor, and whether you’re a fan of short tracks or long tracks, songs or instrumentals, keyboards or guitars, or any combination and more, as long as you like melodic, intelligent, instant, consistent, familiar, enjoyable, insistent, long-lasting prog played and sung with great passion, purity and potency, this is the dream album for you.
‘Doorway To Summer’ was released in October 2005.
Also available by MOON SAFARI …
BLOMLJUD (Double album of superb keyboard driven Prog from 2008) 2CD – Stock # 1030110
HIMLABACKAN-VOL.1 (2013 album by melodic Proggers) CD – Stock # 1631468
HIMLABACKAN-VOL.2 (2023 comeback album) CD – Stock # 2206535
LIVE IN MEXICO (2014 live double album) 2CD – Stock # 1722307
LOVER’S END (2010 melodic harmonic Prog) CD – Stock # 1376339
LOVER’S END-PT.3: SKELLEFTEA SERENADE (1012 24 minute CD EP) CDM – Stock # 1562761
MOON SAFARI: DOORWAY TO SUMMER Track List:
01. Doorway (11:34)
02. Dance Across The Ocean (7:26)
03. A Sun Of Your Own (9:19)
04. We Spin The World (24:52)
05. Beyond The Door (6:40)
TPT - 59:51