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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Salem Hill- Mini's Magic Moment

Reviewed by: Jerry Lucky
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 62:39
Release Date: October 11, 2005
Label:
Prog Rock Records
Band Members: Kevin Thomas / vocals, drums, acoustic & electric mallets Patrick Henry / vocals, 4 & 8 string basses
  Carl Groves / vocals, guitars, piano & keyboards Michael Dearing / vocals, guitars, here & there keyboards
  David Ragsdale / violin (1 & 3) Neal Morse / vocals (1)
  Alyssa Hendrix / vocals (1 & 4) Jeff Eacho / flute (2)
  Fred Schendel / piano solo (4) Randy George / guitar
     
Track Listing: 1.)- The Joy Gem (15:03) 2.)-All Fall Down (7:14)
  3.)-Stolen By Ghosts (21:29) 4.)-The Future Me (18:53)
     
The Review

You know what it’s like when you take something for granted so much you end up ignoring it. You’ve done that right. Read or heard about a band thinking well I’ll have to check’em out sometime, but then ‘sometime’ never seems to come. Then one day you end up with a copy of a band’s CD, you put it on and it just blows you away. And you ask yourself, how come I didn’t pay attention to this band? Well that’s my experience with Salem Hill. I recently received a copy of Mimi’s Magic Moment, thinking I knew what to expect. Boy was I wrong. It was nothing like I expected. Within seconds of putting the CD on and listening to the first track “The Joy Gem” it suddenly became Jerry’s Magic Moment. WOW! ***

As I said, I’d heard about Salem Hill, read about them in the magazines and such but simply didn’t have a good idea of what they sounded like. By way of background, the band was formed in 1991 by Carl Groves (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Pat Henry (bass, vocals) and Kevin Thomas (vocals, drums). They were soon joined by Michael Dearing (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and the magic began. Their goal, like so many others in the world of progressive rock was to create music that was creative and didn’t necessarily stick to the traditional boundaries. Their first release, a self titled CD appeared the following year in 1992. Seven releases later and we have their eighth and latest recording entitled Mimi’s Magic Moment. ***

Here in just over an hour are four epic compositions clocking in at 15, 7, 21 and 19 minutes. Each piece chock full of symphonic flourish showcasing a wide variety of musical styles, instrumentation, and guest musicians. All that said this is a sound that I’ve not heard before, Salem Hill have crafted a sound that is very much their own. Some have said there are hints of Kansas but that may be more due to the fact that David Ragsdale shows up on violin on two tracks. Rich vocal harmonies and memorable hooks are scattered throughout these sprawling compositions. Each piece has lots of room for time and tempo shifts which are matched by plenty of space for solo efforts and dramatic mood changes to create a very uplifting feel that pervades the entire disc. The 20 minute “All Fall Down” is classic in it’s use of lush orchestral arrangements one moment only to turn-on-a-dime to displays lots of space…room for one or two instruments to work a musical motif that bridges one part of the song to another. There is so much to listen for and appreciate here. ***

Having recorded at least three concept albums already, Salem Hill chose to go in another direction with Mimi’s Magic Moment, choosing instead to take 4 ideas and create what might be considered mini-concept-epics. So just as musically there is much to listen for, lyrically there is much to sink your teeth into as well. I mentioned guest musicians and these include not only David Ragsdale, but Neal Morse, Alyssa Hendrix, Jeff Eacho and Fred Schendel. ***

I don’t know why I’ve never looked into Salem Hill before, but after listening to Mimi’s Magic Moment I’m sure about to correct my oversight. How could I have been so blind? This is a word to the wise out there; don’t be like me, get hold of a copy of Salem Hill’s new CD as soon as you can. If you’re a fan of bands like Spock’s Beard or Glass Hammer you’ll love Mimi’s Magic Moment. When it comes to symphonic prog, Salem Hill ranks right up there with the best of them. Highly Recommended. ***

 

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