Search - Tracy Hitchings :: From Ignorance to Ecstacy

Fine solo work from progressive rock's resident Diva!!!

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 09/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Tracy Hitchings is a magnificent powerhouse of a vocalist, no doubt about it! Many will already know Tracy from her excellent work with Landmarq, Strangers On A Train, Nolan & Wakeman, Quasar and Gandalf, a pretty impressive list of accomplishments! Heck, Tracy's unique talent helped re-invent Landmarq into one of the most powerful bands in current prog scene. This 1991 release represents Tracy's only output as solo artist thus far, and it is always a treat to listen to. All of the songs for this album were written and produced by prog maestro Clive Nolan, known for his prolific work with Pendragon, Arena, Shadowland, and of course his other projects with Ms. Hitchings (Strangers On A Train and Nolan & Wakeman). Tracy's "all star" band for these sessions consisted of Clive on keyboards, bassist Ian Salmon (Shadowland, Arena), guitarist Karl Groom (Shadowland, Strangers On A Train), and drummer Dave Wagstaffe (Landmarq, Quasar, Janison Edge), as you would expect, these guys function extremely well as a solid musical unit. The album covers a good variety of material in slightly over 50 minutes. It features the piano-based ballad "Horizons In Your Eyes", the intensely intriguing prog epic "Caamora", the majestic "Behind the Scenes" (with some nice keyboard "orchestration" from Nolan), as well as a handful of tightly executed rockers, such as "Escape", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Hide and Seek". Of course the real highlight of this album is Tracy's outstanding vocal performances, and she gives her all on every track. In particular, the title song ("From Ignorance to Ecstasy") shows off the full range of Tracy's distinctive pipes, as she fluctuates between the sweet and innocent, and the powerfully dramatic! If you are a fan of Ms. Hitchings recent work with Landmarq, or her earlier work with Strangers On A Train, then this album will show another side of this truly one-of-kind artist!"