▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Galahad ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Following Ghosts █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 1998 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-01-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Avalon Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ For years I have been a big GALAHAD fan fiinding █ █ these guys to be one of the most originals of the █ █ neo-prog movement. "Following Ghosts" is a real █ █ charmer and will please all prog heads I am sure. █ █ Every song here is well crafted and offers very █ █ solid musicanship. GALAHAD never get to "synthy" █ █ sounding and this time around build in 2 epic █ █ tracks (over 12 mins long). Lead singer Stuart █ █ Nicholson sounds his best yet and I still think he █ █ would have also have been a nice addition to █ █ MARILLION (not that Hogarth isnt!). This is the █ █ best neo-prog I have heard in a while and I would █ █ strongly recommend this CD to fans of Progressive █ █ Rock. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ GALAHAD are a progressive rock band from Dorset in █ █ the UK and 'Following Ghosts' is their 8th █ █ release. The first track 'Myopia', a good opener █ █ that rocks. There is a nice melody and good vocals █ █ from Stuart, who at times sounds a little similar █ █ to FISH and Peter GABRIEL. There's a good strong █ █ catchy chorus, nice keyboards and a good change in █ █ direction where the band are playing an Irish Jig █ █ type theme. █ █ The next track is 'Imago' and is quite an █ █ emotional track, starting with some nice mellow █ █ keyboards and acoustic guitar. There are some nice █ █ vocals from Stuart and Sarah. There's some very █ █ nice bass lines from Neil and again this track has █ █ a nice melody. █ █ The third track is 'A Short Reflection On Two Past █ █ lives - part one', this track starts with the █ █ sounds of birds singing and running water. Nice █ █ acoustic guitar work. Vocals sound more Peter █ █ GABRIEL influenced on this track and there's some █ █ nice flute. █ █ The next track 'Karma For One' is Indian █ █ influenced with nice mellow keyboards, nice vocals █ █ and uses a drum machine, with Spencer taking over █ █ after a short period. this is a track that █ █ gradually builds up. There are some spacey type █ █ keyboard effects and some nice flute. █ █ 'Perfection Personified', has a strong MARILLION █ █ influence with a good strong melody and a catchy █ █ tune. █ █ The sixth track is 'Bug Eye' and is the first of █ █ two tracks on the album at around 14 mins in █ █ length. Nice mellow keyboards and nice vocals from █ █ Stuart and Sarah. There are some computer sound █ █ effects similar to the one song "Radio Kaos" - █ █ Roger WATERS. There's a nice rhythm and some █ █ superb guitar over the top from Roy with a heavier █ █ guitar sound coming in over the top. There are █ █ many changes in direction, mood and tempo within █ █ this track. Later there are some techno type drum █ █ sounds with some heavy guitar and nice keyboards █ █ with the keyboards changing to give some spacey █ █ type sounds. █ █ The next track is 'A Short Reflection On Two Past █ █ Lives - part two' has a nice keyboard intro with █ █ the drums coming in quite sharply. An acoustic █ █ guitar come in and Sarah plays some quite fitting █ █ clarinet. Good vocals once again and some very █ █ nice guitar work from Roy. █ █ 'Ocean Blue' starts with some nice keyboards, █ █ followed by a fade in heavier keyboard sound. █ █ There's a disco type drumbeat with some nice soft █ █ vocals and this track is in a similar vein to the █ █ Pet Shop Boys. █ █ Track nine is 'Rejuvenation', short track starting █ █ with some nice spacey type keyboards and acoustic █ █ guitar. vocals follow the melody but are very █ █ subdued and there's a little percussion. The track █ █ then fades out. The next track is 'Easier Said █ █ Than Done' This track shows a heavily influenced █ █ classical piece. Nice combination of keyboards, █ █ flute and clarinet. Vocals are fairly soft █ █ throughout the track. █ █ The final track 'Shine' is also the longest one at █ █ just over 14 mins and starts off fairly quietly, █ █ but soon erupts with some great keyboards from █ █ Dean. there's a good solid drum sound from Spencer █ █ with again nice vocals. Many changes in direction, █ █ mood and tempo. Later there are some more nice █ █ keyboards, percussion and guitar. The midsection █ █ is quite atmospheric, starting very quietly and █ █ gradually building up and showing a slight PINK █ █ FLOYD and YES influence. The last section is more █ █ keyboard dominated with some nice guitar work and █ █ overall for me the best track on the album, █ █ showing GALAHAD to be a very creative and █ █ versatile progressive rock band. █ █ In my opinion, a superb release from GALAHAD and █ █ one I would recommend to all progressive rock █ █ fans. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ While it is fully possible (though not quite █ █ appropriate, in my opinion) to dismiss Galahad's █ █ earlier albums as typical, derivate Neo-Prog that █ █ doesn't take things any further beyond Marillion █ █ (and similar recurrent accusations), any such █ █ dismissal can hardly be extended to Following █ █ Ghosts. The band probably felt that they had taken █ █ their brand of Neo-Prog as far as they could with █ █ the superb previous album, Sleepers, and here they █ █ opt instead for something altogether different. █ █ Stuart Nicholson might still sound a bit like █ █ Fish, but overall this album is nothing like █ █ traditional Neo-Prog. █ █ Never content to stay in one place, the band █ █ incorporates lots of new and surprising influences █ █ into the present album. Whatever you might think █ █ of the end result, you must give them that they █ █ have a bona fide progressive attitude; the band's █ █ sound "progresses" with each new release. █ █ Following Ghosts might not be Prog as we know it, █ █ but it is surely both experimental and eclectic. █ █ The new influences include Metal, Folk, █ █ World-Music, Electronica, Pop and even Dance █ █ music! Now you are probably thinking that this █ █ will sound like an incoherent mess, and sadly that █ █ is occasionally true! But there are some very █ █ successful moments as well. █ █ The album opens with an extremely silly spoken █ █ word passage thanking the listener for buying the █ █ album and encourages us to turn the volume up to █ █ 11! After such a ridiculous start, the first song █ █ kicks in with a vengeance with a riff that is █ █ heavier than anything the band had done up to that █ █ point. The tempo slows down considerably before █ █ the first verse on which Stuart Nicholson delivers █ █ a strong vocal over acoustic guitars. The chorus █ █ is pretty strong too and the heavy riff returns to █ █ form the backing for a fast paced violin solo just █ █ before the end of the song! █ █ The following two songs tones things down █ █ significantly. Imago starts with tasteful Spanish █ █ guitars and Nicholson provides a strong vocal once █ █ again, this time supported by female backing █ █ vocals. The lyrics are some of his best too, this █ █ particular number being about how we all are █ █ shaped and moulded by our genes (I think?). Bird █ █ noises over the sound of a flowing stream █ █ introduces the next song which is another █ █ soothing, acoustically based number again with █ █ strong vocals. Here we are also treated to some █ █ lovely flutes and (what sounds like an) accordion! █ █ This one is part one of a two-part song, the █ █ second part comes later on. Karma For One █ █ introduces the newfound electronic influences, but █ █ we also get some Folk and World-Music influences █ █ here with some nice flutes and Indian percussions. █ █ The Indian influence continues discretely on the █ █ next song which features some elegant Sitars. The █ █ song itself is, however, a rather straightforward █ █ Pop song in structure. █ █ Next up is the album's centrepiece, the 14 minute █ █ Bug Eye. This brilliant composition belongs to █ █ Galahad's best ever and it is, in a word, unique. █ █ Here the many disparate influences of Following █ █ Ghosts peacefully coexist in one epic, █ █ well-structured piece. The electronic sounds and █ █ Dance beats might scare some Prog fans away (like █ █ they initially did me), but the sublime vocals and █ █ guitars are bound to bring them back (as again █ █ they did me). When hearing this I am often █ █ reminded of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells III █ █ which similarly combined Dance beats and █ █ electronic sounds with soaring electric guitars █ █ and delightful melodies. The sampled spoken voices █ █ are very Pink Floydian. It cannot be enough █ █ emphasised how different this track is compared █ █ anything the band has done before or since, but it █ █ is a Galahad classic and it has established itself █ █ in the band's live set till the present day. █ █ Part two of A Short Reflection Of Two Past Lives █ █ follows with Mellotron, saxophone and electric █ █ guitars. Obviously, this sounds very different █ █ from Bug Eye and you might even wonder if it is █ █ the same band! Following Ghosts is indeed a █ █ sprawling collection of songs and the band seems █ █ to be unsure of which direction they should go in, █ █ so they opt for every direction! (Which is another █ █ feature that reminds me of Mike Oldfield!). █ █ Ocean Blue is an upbeat, poppy song, again with a █ █ Dance beat, but very much lighter and "friendlier" █ █ than on Bug Eye. This one almost sound a bit like █ █ a Pet Shop Boys number! At this point you start to █ █ wonder why on earth the album is 73 minutes long! █ █ The album as a whole would unquestionably benefit █ █ from dropping a few songs out, and Ocean Blue, █ █ Rejuvenation and Easier Said Than Done would be █ █ good candidates for being cut as they add nothing █ █ of interest. The second epic song of the album █ █ still holds some promise though, but sadly it does █ █ not quite hold up for 14 minutes despite a strong █ █ opening. There are simply too many "grey" areas in █ █ this otherwise good song. █ █ To sum up. This album is a bit of a roller-coaster █ █ ride that takes the listener in a multitude of █ █ directions. Indeed, too many for its own good! As █ █ such it is an interesting album but also a bit █ █ disjointed. While undoubtedly a big step forward █ █ for the band in terms of experimental and eclectic █ █ spirit, some of the compositions are not quite █ █ good enough. There are some excellent bits here, █ █ but with a running time of well over an hour you █ █ might rightly wonder what was going on in the █ █ quality department! I guess this is one of those █ █ love-it-or-hate-it releases, and as usual when it █ █ comes to such releases I fall down somewhere in █ █ the middle! █ █ Interesting for sure, but with the exception of █ █ Bug Eye, certainly not an essential release. In my █ █ view, the band peaked with Sleepers. But their █ █ subsequent releases, including the present one, █ █ are not bad. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ In 1996 Galahad cover Camel's ''Lady fantasy'' for █ █ the tribute album ''Harbour of joy'', followed by █ █ the first official live CD of the group ''Classic █ █ Rock Live''.However keyboardist Karl Garrett █ █ decided to leave the band at the end of the █ █ year.In 1997 the reduced Galahad release the █ █ compilation ''Decade'' with songs from the first █ █ three albums on German label Bluestone and finally █ █ find a replacement for Garrett on Dean Baker.With █ █ the new keyboardist the group released its fourth █ █ studio album ''Following ghosts'' in June 1998. █ █ Seems that the group eventually made clear that █ █ reproducing an already saturated style would lead █ █ to nowhere.With ''Following Ghosts'' Galahad tried █ █ something different, adding a bit of personality █ █ in their sound, which is still not fully █ █ conveincing but definitely heads into a different █ █ yet attractive direction.The familiar atmospheric █ █ Neo Prog style of the group is now enriched by a █ █ variety of flexible instrumental tools, like █ █ sampled string sections, loops (much in the vein █ █ of MILLENIUM) or electronics to come up with a █ █ partly original approach, blending modern Prog █ █ with Neo Prog and Pop/Rock.The melodies and █ █ choruses sound more memorable despite the █ █ stylistically wide array of the group, most of the █ █ arrangements are well-crafted and the deep █ █ atmosphere is the basic element of the release.The █ █ contrast between the Mellotron waves and loops is █ █ certainly a different view in music, credited to █ █ these Englishmen.On the other hand there is still █ █ room for improvement.Some tracks remain very █ █ accesible compared to others, while the album's █ █ balance needed also a bit of work, especially on █ █ the heavy use of sampled instrumentation. █ █ Overall ''Following Ghosts'' was a great █ █ achievement by Galahad and a step forward compared █ █ to the previous studio releases.This could best █ █ described as contemporary Art Rock with strong █ █ Prog inspirations as a whole and marks a nice █ █ starting point for anyone willing to meet the █ █ band's more recent styles.Recommended. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Myopia 5:00 ░ ░ 2. Imago 5:53 ░ ░ 3. A Short Reflection on Two Past Lives 3:53 ░ ░ (Part One) ░ ░ 4. Karma For One 6:23 ░ ░ 5. Perfection Personified 4:51 ░ ░ 6. Bug Eye 13:58 ░ ░ 7. A Short Reflection on Two Past Lives 5:52 ░ ░ (Part Two) ░ ░ 8. Ocean Blue 7:13 ░ ░ 9. Rejuvenation 1:59 ░ ░ 10. Easier Said Than Done 4:31 ░ ░ 11. Shine 14:02 ░ ░ 73:35 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░