Search - Iluvatar :: A Story Two Days Wide

A Story of Potential Unrealized

03/19/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"On first listen, this sounds like little more than some badly produced Genesis album from years past. On repeated listenings, a more distinct sound begins to emerge; this group doesn't really sound like Genesis although the influence is certainly evident. Iluvatar certainly has potential. However, this album suffers from 3 major weaknesses. There are too many lyrics cluttering up the songs so that the music is not allowed to breathe through. Secondly, the production quality is horrible; the poorly mixed instruments are all mushed together into a flat midrange muddle and you can rarely hear any instrument distinctly. I can only imagine how much better this would sound if the production was crisp and clear. Finally, the solos, whether on guitar or keyboard, although quite good, are disappointingly short. I prefer longer soloing and extended instrumental passages rather than a few short solos interspersed with many lyrics. In any event, two songs really stand out as top-notch: "Sleeping With the Lights On" and "Indian Rain". "Sleeping With the Lights On" features spacey, ominous keyboards and the longest guitar solo on the album - a beautiful, fast-paced, melodic solo that doesn't sound like the solo of any other guitar player I can think of, and it actually goes on for more than 5 seconds! "Indian Rain" is an intricately woven, sad, elegant epic befitting of the legacy of the best that Genesis has to offer. If Iluvatar could create an entire album of the quality of these two songs and if it could correct the aforementioned shortcomings, it would have to be taken very seriously on the Progressive Rock scene."

More dynamic, less Derivatar

Pirate Fan | Santa Clarita, CA USA | 05/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I started with self-titled first album, which has terrible mixing and a lot of bad cliches strung together; "Children" showed some progress (though the music was less "Progressive" than velvet-Elvis-oil-painting-antique-art-rock); and so I was pleasantly surprised with the GREAT IMPROVEMENT in mixing, complexity and musicianship in "A Story Two Days Wide". Iluvatar has progressed from being a so-so band doing a dull copy of the progressive scene in '73 to a pretty good band working with a strong blend of energy from the late 70's through "Grace Under Pressure" 80's. At this rate, the next album should be fantastic. It is fun to see a band grow and improve. I appreciate how difficult it must be to try to walk in the footsteps of giants -- and these guys are finally getting up to stride. Buy this one - but skip the previous efforts."

They know what they like - and they're doing it quite well

Rodrigo Farias | Santiago, Chile | 06/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Looking at the title, and at the lyrics in the last three or four songs, this seems to be a "concept" album (whatever this really means). Not a story-telling album, anyway. Here is no Rael wandering in some sort of distorted underworld. This "story two days wide" seems to me a spiritual odissey rather than a "real" one, maybe about losing faith ("Better Days"), regaining peace ("Even angels fall") and finally finding faith again ("Indian Rain"). Having said that, it's clear that Iluvatar are establishing a defined style, which was not absolutely clear back in 1993, when they released their debut. These guys are neither redefining progressive rock, nor expanding the musical boundaries in a radical way. But, on the other hand, their traditional ability to come up with attractive compositions built around (what appears to be) a song-format basis is still working, and better than ever. Also, the usual amount of beautiful keyboards and guitar solos is present, and a very effective use of some prog-formulas adds to the whole thing (your-typical-bombastic-intro in the opening composition, your-7/8-passage thrown here and there). About the lyrics... poetry is for me the art of saying (or meaning) a lot with the essential words. Messieurs McLaughlin & Kraus seemed to have to much to say (which is OK) that sometimes little room for music is left. But this IS the best thing Iluvatar has done, and if you know what to expect from them, this is definitely enyojable."