Solo album form the keyboardist with Spock's Beard. Includes bonus enhanced media of the making of Coming Through. Inside Out Records. Slipcase. 2002.
CD Reviews
Ryo Okumoto Comes Through!!!
Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 11/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Japanese keyboardist Ryo Okumoto is best known for his recent work in the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He is also on the list of 'whos-who' as far as the many top session musicians are concerned. With his recent solo album "Coming Through", Ryo definitely comes into his own as a composer, arranger, leader and keyboardist.
This album features the talents of many well known session musicians including Steve Lukather, Bobby Kimball and Simon Phillips (all members of Toto) as well as his fellow Spock's Beard bandmates Neal and Alan Morse, Dave Meros and Nick D'Virgilio.
"Coming Through" employs a number of different musical genres including the Weather Report-tinged opener "Godzilla Vs. King Ghidarah", the pounding-funk of "Slipping Down", the driving "The Farther He Goes" sung by Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio and the hard-rock of "Highway Roller" which features former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes on lead vocals. The 19-minute "Close Enough" is in the same epic scope as Spock's Beard except that it includes Bobby Kimball on vocals instead of Neal Morse and the complex rhythmic "Free Fall" is in actuality a Spock's Beard track (ie: the only musicians on this track are from SB). Elsewhere on the album are some tender and beautiful moments such as the Neal Morse-sung title ballad (which is erroniously credited to Bobby Kimbal in the CD booklet) and the closing instrumental piece "The Imperial" which has some striking similarities to Rick Wakeman from Yes.
This is definitely a great album which shows off Ryo Okumoto's diverse talents and is a must for fans of Spock's Beard as well as keyboard-based progressive rock (ie: Yes and ELP). From it's solid performances to it's great song selection, "Coming Through" comes through loudly and clearly. Great CD."
Outstanding Work
Implacable | Sydney, Australia | 01/01/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I agree with ilovea2 - this is an outstanding album. Being a Spock's Beard fan, I was keen to hear what Ryo would do on his own, and I'm absolutely rapt.I was prepared for the usual disappointment that you get from solo albums. But this one is very different. The music is high class all the way through. It is not a rehash of Spock's Beard, even though Neal Morse did provide most of the lyrics. Yes there is the odd occasion where you hear the classic chaotic Ryo of SB coming through and it sounds fantastic as always, but there is also lots of space on this album dedicated to showing other facets of Ryo's talent, and talent there is aplenty. The general feel is slightly more jazzy, but there is plenty of solid rock as well - this album has real punch.I love this album. It deserves to be heard very widely even though like most solo albums it is probably destined to be a hidden classic. This is a must for any prog rocker. I highly recommend it."
The sounds of things to come.......
G Harmsworth | mt nebo, qld Australia | 11/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is fantastic.Is this a surprise, well perhaps. I've steared clear of solo albums by Keyboard players, as generaly they've been a little cold and focused on melody and not on feeling and grove. This is different. Filled with jazz and heavey funk. Checkout Highway Roller with Deep Purple Mark 3's Glen Hughes on lead vocals his vocal gymnastics would convince you it's still 1976.Or maybe thats where he still lives. With all of the current members of Spocks beard playing with only a few exceptions on all tracks this gives the most rabid Spocks fan a window into their new sound. Ryo has given us everything we expect to hear in an album. It must be said that our dear Freind Neal Morse Penned most of the album, making this listner greive even more for his stagering loss.(Please come back you make so many so very happy)At any rate this has got to be a must have if you are a fan of ELP, Spocks Beard and Deep Purple(Mark 3) do not wait any longer buy buy buy."
One Amazing Recording!
Benjamin W. Waterhouse | Portland, OR | 06/05/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I stumbled upon Ryo Okumoto's solo album while surfing for info on Spock's Beard. I had just purchased Day for Night, and wanted to know everything I could about this incredible prog-rock group. I ordered Coming Through out of curiosity, and I was well-rewarded--this is, in my opinion, far better than any of Spock's Beard's studio albums. An incredible effort featuring 16 incredible musicians (including all of the members of Spock's Beard mark I) and more solos than the human brain can handle. This is very different in some ways from Okumoto's work with Spock's Beard--it is jazzier, and more musically adventerous than the Beard. Not an album for easy listening, the music can be quite challenging at times; but it's more than worth it.The album grips from the very first track: "Godzilla Vs. King Ghidarah," a rolling jazz/fusion jam featuring drummer Simon Phillips and bassist Dave Carpenter. The keyboard work is incredible. Trust me--it's cool. Really cool.The second song is a Beard-influenced tour de force featuring Steve Lukather of Toto and the illustrious Nick D'Virgilio of Spock's Beard. Like all of the songs on the album, the lyrics were written by Neal Morse, and it shows. Slipping Down, my favorite track on the album, includes too many musicians to count. The harmonies are fantastic, and the lyrics are quite good. Okumoto is, as always, incredible here, and plays off his collaborators excellently.Another highlight of the album, Close Enough is a nineteen-minute epic with vocals by Bobby Kimball and guitar by Michael Landau and Alan Morse. It is adventerous, musically varied, and fun. What more could you want from a prog masterwork?The album closes with a haunting piano solo by Okumoto, leaving the listener with goosebumps. All in all, this is one incredible album from an incredible musician. Let's hope Ryo continues to compose and record his own material. I will be waiting.p.s. Buy the new Spocks Beard album!"
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1