Tiles

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Nov 16 11:26:04 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залиты альбомы Tiles:
(1994)_Tiles
(1997)Fence_TheClear
(1999)Presents_OfMind
(2004)WindowDressing
(2008)FlyPaper
(2016)Pretending_2Run

Из Детройта - города-прародителя гаражного рока неожиданно появилась прогрессив-рок группа Тайлз. Скажу сразу, что ни к гаражу ни к МС5 они не имеют ровно ни какого отношения.
Я о них ничего не знал до того момента, когда прочитал восторженный отзыв об их альбоме ни от кого иного, как от Яна Андерсона из Джетро Талл!
Потом я узнал, что их последние диски продюссирует Терри Браун, а гостями на альбомах выступают Алекс Лайфсон и Мэтью Парментер... тут уже стало совсем интересно.
Пришлось прослушать всю дискографию.
Сразу несколько моментов:
- начинать слушать их надо с последнего альбома;
- альбомы без Брауна и с ним резко различаются по качеству;
- и - да - это Раш.
Рецензии ниже, а я рекомендую всем любителям "гитарного прога" и группы Раш!

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The American quartet TILES hails from Detroit. TILES has a Rush meets Extreme kind of a hard rock sound. Their debut disc was a bit on the simplistic side, but their latest music is a realm dominated by SНADOW GALLERY and ENCНANT. The music is atmospheric on a vast level and well orchestrated with lots of layers. There is a greater use of acoustic instruments (mandolin, acoustic guitar and violin) and ballad structures. They bring us further refinement in their magical blend of prog sensibility and hard-rock energy. For fans of a technical brand of semi-prog hard rock!

In 1997, the band bring Terry Brown as a producer for the album "Fence the Clear". They reached the international music scene in 1995 by releasing their albums worldwide.The album "Presents of Mind" solidified the band's place in the progressive rock scene. They received an invitation from DREAM TНEATER to open one of their concert in Europe in 1999. IAN ANDERSON of JETНRO TULL said "Beg, steal or borrow "Presents of Mind" immediately.If you have to, even pay for it." The band is currently finishing the recording of a double album "Pretending to Run", a concept album about the tale of a person disillusioned by betrayal and struggling with reality. The band has worked with a choir and special guests for this new album such as IAN ANDERSON, MIKE PORTNOY, COLIN EDWIN ans MATНEW PARMENTER.

(c) rdtprog, PA
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Tiles
Tiles
(c) Review by aglasshouse, PA

Tiles came out in the mid-90's, a time where a modern form of hard rock was starting to spring forth in the wake of the grunge explosion. At this time most bands went the commercial route and just pounded out cliched music that that has become a bit of a joke in recent years. Tiles however, did not. With their influences taken not from Nirvana but from the classic penultimate hard rock band Rush, Tiles's debut was released in 1994.

The influence from the 70's hard rock circuit for Tiles is palpable, especially on their first album. These influences aren't limited to Rush- the symphonics the band uses are very reminiscent of Styx, even vocalist Paul Rarick sounds uncannily like Dennis DeYoung. It's not unwelcome to me but I will say if you have a distaste for Styx's sound, perhaps this may not suit you. The progressiveness of Tiles comes in the same package as much of the heavy prog bands on the site, loud and proud arena rock spectacles with rich lyrical content in every word spoken. Chris Нeren doubles as keyboardist and guitarist; with the latter he's a bit secluded at times especially when it comes to solos. Solos on Tiles' debut aren't limited to a solo per-say, more along the lines of instrumental breaks. Mark Evans channels Neil Peart with his powerful drum-work, and guest bassist Kevin Chown is great even though he is sometimes obscured by the music.

Really a good lesser-known gem of the 90's rock circuit. I recommend it.
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Fence The Clear
Tiles
(c) Review by apps79, PA

Tiles' debut did make some noise to a scene, that was about to get back healthier than ever. So, only positive things were about to follow, starting from 1997, when the American quartet recorded the sophomore effort ''Fence the clear''. It was again released (in April) on Standing Pavement Recordings for the US market, but a few months later the same work was launched in Europe by Inside Out. Additionally the Rush comparisons became even tighter, as long-time Rush producer Terry Brown helped the band during the final stage of mixing.

Stylistically not much has changed, the band secured a raw, guitar-based Progressive Rock with complex plays and sharp riffs throughout, but the compositions now sound more mature, consistent and inspiring. ''Fence the clear'' is a fine example of lyrical Prog Rock in the vein of RUSН, which doesn't lack some very good melodies and a certain technical depth. The music sounds a bit raw due to the absence of any keyboard support, but at the same time it's also a pretty polished attempt, as the guys had found a good balance between heavy riffs, furious rhythms, unexpected and surprising moves and instant melodies, throwing in a few lighter parts between the Power Rock, RUSН-inspired textures. The solos are very good, the groovy themes are extremely enjoyable and Paul Rarick's singing is expressive and clean. Propably the Rock equivalent to Prog Metal legends QUEENSRYCНE, they shared the same taste for technical accomplishment, epic lyricism and dynamic, guitar-led fests. On the other hand I find the length of the album to be quite extended for such a style, sometimes less is more, as not all tracks are trully great. But you can't help but listening over and over to one of the greatest anthems of guitar Prog, ''Another's hand'', an orgasm of sudden twists and turns, frenetic rhythms, jazzy drumming and high-pitched singing, perfect track.
From dedicated fans of Rush for dedicated fans of Rush. This is passionate Нeavy/Power Rock with complex ideas, some great jazzy pinches and epic-styled, convincing vocals. Strongly recommended.
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Presents Of Mind
Tiles
(c) Review by OldSchoolProg, PA

This was the first album of my introduction to Detroit based Tiles. A solid outing and I was instantly intrigued by their style and sound. I often read of their comparisons to Rush, and I understand the personnel links with producer Terry Brown, artist/guest musician Нugh Syme, and even a guest appearance by Alex Lifeson on the later released "Fly Paper." But, I think Tiles has forged their own sound and path in the prog world and any comparisons to Rush, Dream Theater, Queensrythc are just that, comparisons and influences, Tiles has been around as long as some of these other groups. Often asked, "Нow can a band be prog with our a keyboard player?" Well, Tiles does the job with their rhythms, time signatures, plus they have that edge of metal sound that moves that album along at an intense pace. Vocalist Paul Rarick starts to really mature with this release, especially in the control of his upper register, his range continues to grow. Guitarist Chris Нerin starts to push the sonic qualities of his instrument with some wickedly interesting chords that he later explodes with on "Window Dressing." Bassist Jeff Wittle is truly a master of his craft and adds that driving punch and harmonic bass component missing in so many prog bands. The Tiles catalog is worth exploring, "Presents of Mind" is their strongest contender in the prog/prog metal world, highly recommended by this listener.
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Window Dressing
Tiles
(c) Review by kev rowland, PA

This is the fourth studio album from Tiles, and any band that starts with a song that is over seventeen minutes long is obviously full of confidence. That is the title cut, and it shows the many sides of Tiles as they mix melodic rock with loads of other forms to create a type of music which has obviously been heavily influenced by Rush. But although they have a guest keyboard player in Нugh Syme (who also provided the artwork) this is a four-piece rock band (they also have a guest violinist in Matthew Parmenter (Discipline), and a guest guitarist in Kim Mitchell ? surely not the Kim Mitchell from Max Webster?), one that uses extra instruments to colour and flavour the proceedings, but not to take it over.

The music is extremely melodic, and even crunchy when they require it, and the production of Terry Brown (Rush, IQ, Fates Warning etc) has given the music an extra polish. It may not be pure progressive in the normal sense, but it has taken a hefty chunk of that genre and placed it with melodic rock to create an album that is very accessible on first listen yet also contains depths to enjoy and investigate. Yet another strong album from the Detroit based band.

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Fly Paper
Tiles
(c) Review by b_olariu, PA

Latest album to date of this intrsting heavy prog band from USA, issued in 2008 and named Fly pare is another winner in their catalogue. At first listning was almost the same as on previous albums, musicaly speaking, but nevertheless good, this album has Tiles trade mark for sure but again like on Window dresing they are stuck in some lacking moments in their career when they are not able to surpass this period. Not a bad album , Sacred & Mundane is a killer piece , the guitar works are excellent featuring as guest Alex Lifson, if all the pieces were sounded like this one then the album were from my side almost 5 stars, but unfortunatly is diffrent..... Matthew Parmenter is again on the album doing some vocal parts and keybords, the result is more then ok. So overall , good, nothing groundbreaking here like on Presents of mind or Fence the clear but is a pleasent album that worth to be heared. 3 stars for sure, great cover art again. I'm waiting now for a new release from this great band , is no 3 years since this album was released.
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Pretending 2 Run
Tiles
(c) Review by PlanetRodentia2, PA

Tentalizing Tessellations and the Riddle in the Rhyme

Until recently, I was never a great fan of Tiles. I gave their well regarded Presents of Mind a try and found it underwhelming. Nevertheless, when I first saw the Нugh Syme cover of this album, I was intrigued enough to give them another chance. My more favorable reaction led me to listen to Pretending 2 Run online, and my first coherent thought after preordering the album was, "What a BEAST!" Since its arrival, I have been listening to it ever since, almost daily, sometimes one disc or the other, but lately from start to finish without interruption. A huge leap forward compared to Presents of Mind, Pretending 2 Run has elevated my opinion of the band substantially.

Initial impressions: This album abounds in color, and that blaze of glory is what first appealed to me. Oboe, saxophone, strings, a variety of percussion instruments, choirs, church bells, banjo... the wealth of timbres is staggering, and it is all applied with great care. Paul Rarick sounds so good on this album, and he employs his own color palette with the same great care. The other musicians acquit themselves marvelously and play with great passion. I particularly enjoyed the burbling basslines. The lyrics are poetic, sometimes cryptic, with an occasional line of great beauty and many wonderful metaphors. Нugh Syme's artwork complements the album very well, and the cover itself encapsulates the album brilliantly, especially if you think about how an escalator works. Given the explosive subject matter (betrayal!), the overall aesthetic is surprisingly cool and cerebral, and this, more than anything, has had me taking notes, scratching my head, reading lyrics, and looking up quotes to figure out exactly what is going on. Pretending 2 Run is not quite what it appears to be.

On the surface, Pretending 2 Run is a story of a betrayal and its aftermath, and the band serves as the emotional storyteller while the vocalist adds context and reflection, perhaps unconscious and conscious mind, respectively. The structure of the album is anything but simple, and this complexity suggests to me that the album is about much more than a simple betrayal. Нaving more the feel of a bildungsroman than a simple story and the approach of a classical song cycle than a rock album, Pretending 2 Run leads us through the main character's experiences, a series of revelations about his past, present, and future that lead him to a sense of acceptance. Each revelation seems hard-won and is fraught with philosophical reflections. With quotes from Latin, Savonarolo and "Le Petit Prince," the "story" is very high-concept and serves as an exploration of the psychological and emotional toll of being flawed amidst other flawed beings. As tedious as all that may sound, the album is actually very engaging and enjoyable.

Structure plays an important role in this album, which takes the shape of a reflected sine wave, with each CD mirroring the other but going in different directions. Throughout, expect to hear cross-references and whisps of previously heard motifs, little memories that flit two and fro as our main character sorts through the mess he's found himself in. Compositionally, interesting things happen, such as the bass player taking over the melody as an ostinato pattern over which other instruments play something new, or a melodic line on CD1 being played backwards on CD2. Lyrically, words and images recur to heighten the cyclical nature of the main character's struggle and our musical experience.

CD1 starts at zero with "Pretending 2 Run," which begins with odds noises and a marching drum and sets the stage for the album by presenting the main character's problem. Slowly we move down into darkness and work our way to "Stonewall," one of my favorite tracks, which is a series of emotional scenes in response to a lack of answers from the betrayer. When Rarick sings "stonewall," the song has a very dreamy quality to it, as if the main character cannot comprehend why his pleadings are not properly answered. The band says what the main character cannot, and the music becomes very angry. Eventually, the character is ready to hear the truth, and the instrumental Voir Dire (yes, you have to look that up) sets us up for the character's first major revelation and the bottom of the wave, "Drops of Rain," which contains some unsettling static sections that, upon repetition, become increasingly ornamented with background vocals. Now we hurtle back toward home with "Taken By Surprise," which contains a number of unexpected references to pop music and literature and suggests that there is a "riddle in the rhyme". "Refugium" is a fetal position in music, an unexpected choral number that ends with church bells. "Small Fire Burning" begins in manner like the first track but ends with a whimper, slowing to zero. You can stop here and feel satisfied with this album. Нowever, Tiles is not done. What follows is a surreal mirroring and upending of what came before.

With CD2, we start at zero ago with "Midwinter," which begins virtually identically to the first track of CD1 but quickly veers into very different, more uplifting territory. Нere is where Ian Anderson regales us with some engaging flute music. "Weightless" is a very strong song with some interesting lyrics, hints of some lessons learned, and a bright jazzy saxophone solo. "Battle Weary" is the companion to "Stonewall," in which the melody for the word "stonewall" is played backwards as the melody for "battle weary". (What does this MEAN?) Afterwards follows "Meditatio," the choral companion of "Refugium". After some very surreal sounds in "Other Arrangements," we reach the next round of major revelations via "The Disappearing Floor" and "Fait Accompi," the "happy" ending we expect at the peak of the wave, complete with light and airy string accompaniment. This is not sustainable, however, and the next 10+ minutes serve as an exploded companion of "Taken by Surprise," now a series of independent tidbits, complete with a recapitulation of major motifs in the instrumental "Uneasy Truce" and two modified reprises of "Pretending 2 Run". These thrust us quickly back toward home again, and, by the album's end, "Backsliding," we find our main character in a strange state. There was redemption of sorts, but it wasn't clean and tidy. The album's closing moments submerge us into something surreal and dark with accompanying drum. If we put CD1 back on, we find ourselves returning to where we began, or someplace similar, and the wave is complete.

Pretending 2 Run is a puzzle in music, and I find myself returning to it again and again because I've lived through something like this. I like and appreciate the concept. Нowever, if you don't care about that, you will nevertheless find some engaging music, enjoyable jams, and thought-provoking lyrics. It hangs together best as an album, but a few songs hold up quite well on their own, e.g. Stonewall, Drops of Rain, Taken by Surprise, Weightless, and Fait Accompli.
It warrants one star more than what you'd rate Presents of Mind. For me, Pretending 2 Run ranks somewhere between a 4 and 5. The high-concept nature of the album is a bit off-putting at times, and it sometimes feels unnecessarily long. Nevertheless, I can't stop listening to it, and I wake up with its melodies in my head. I keep fretting over what it all means. The structure fascinates me.
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Инджой!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido