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- The Review - ______________________________________________________________________

2001 (CD, 61:40) Naosha Records NACD 002
Style: Progressive
Sound: ****Composition: **** Musicianship: ****
Performance: *** Total Rating 15

Michelle Young is back with a new album that is a giant step in the right direction. Here, she has enlisted the aid of many prog and neo-prog greats to flesh out the concept. The title track kicks off the album in grand style. This beautiful song is shocked into the rock idiom by a great guitar lead played by one of the “name” guitarists featured throughout the album. “Spider’s Thread” is particularly memorable, wrapped in a melody that’s nearly unforgettable. The middle break includes some operatic vocal gymnastics thrown in for good measure. “Hope Realization” is a good symphonic progressive instrumental. The longest cut is “Walk in the Light” at over eight minutes and it’s damn good, filled with an assortment of complex passages all to accompany Young’s voice. The album concludes with a short tune “Toujours Ensemble”, partly sung in French. The list of contributors is as long as it is impressive. Young, wisely, sought the aid of some very talented individuals including Doane Perry, drums (Jethro Tull), Bobby Kimball, vocals (Toto), Clive Nolan, co-producer and keyboards (Arena, Pendragon, Strangers on a Train, etc.), Peter Gee, bass (Pendragon), Stan Whitaker, guitar (Happy the Man, Ten Jinn), Karl Groom, guitar and engineer (Quasar), Peter Banks, guitar (Yes, Flash). The whole package is winner by any standard. Young has made a statement that she’s a serious player in the music business. -Allen Gunnison