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Jim Gilmour is better known as
the keyboard player for long running Canadian progressive
pomp band Saga. With 'Great Escape', Jim Gilmour manages to
take a detour from Saga and delivers a keyboard drenched masterwork
which was inspired by Gilmour's love of the great Canadian
wilderness. ***
One thing that will hit you when
listening to GREAT ESCAPE is the realization that perhaps
with Saga, Jim may have been a little held back. Sure, Saga's
sound is largely keyboard based with emphasis on the guitar
and synth interplay. But, to be honest, guitarist extraoridinair
Ian Crichton gets the lion's share of the solos. Here, Jim
absolutely explodes with solos that will melt wallpaper and
scare small mammals. This is some of the most expressive playing
you'll hear in the 'prog' genre, the audience I think Jim
was aiming for. Patrick Moraz and Eddie Jobson come to mind
as referrence points, but Jim has his own style. Jim stands
among the Jobsons and Emersons and always had, we just didn't
know it. He's obviously no second tier prog keyboard player.
There is certainly some Saga residue to be heard, So any Saga
fan should be happy with this disc. Half of the tracks feature
vocals, and as Jim has always sang the odd album track with
Saga, and some of them classics(No Regrets, Scratching the
Surface), his softer-textured vocals should appeal to any
Saga fan. Add that to the fact that ex-Saga drummer Christian
Simpson appears on a number of tracks, and there's even more
for the Saga fan to enjoy. That said, proggo fans into bombastic
million-miles-per-hour keyboard overkill and complicated arrangements
will like this too, so it's not just limited to Saga fans.
In fact, anyone into tastefull executed music will find something
to enjoy.***
There is enough guitar on the album
to give it bite, but keyboards definately dominate. Perhaps
this could be seen as Jim's revenge for the more guitar-oriented
direction of Saga of late. The format is 5 vocal songs and
5 instrumentals, all covering many styles and textures.***
The tracks are:
NO SIGN:
The piano starts off in a classical
vein, though when the song kicks in, Jim grabs the listener
and thrusts them forward through a grand wilderness of crunching
guitar, synth and organ bombast and his Saga-esque vocals.
There's a lot going on in this track alone which fills the
requirement of bombastic rock. The gravely, distorted vocals
in the middle part remind me of Steve Hackett in similar guise.
ALGONQUIN:
This one borders on slight prog-metal
ala Dream Theatre or some of those bands on the Insideout
label. Synths squiggle away in over thrashing drums and crunchy
guitar, but it slows down enough to offer a more serene and
expansive section in the middle before rocking out again.
Listen to this one quite loud while driving quite fast.
LOST ALONG THE WAY:
This one is one of the most memorable
bits on the album which leaves a lasting mark and makes you
want to hear it again. This reminds me of another Canadian
band who were contemporaries of Saga: FM. Think of FM circa
'CITY OF FEAR' or 'SURVEILANCE' with the drums and synth/piano.
Jim's voice cry Saga as well, but enter a new atmosphere when
backed with female vocals. Another good driving track.***
KILLARNEY SUNRISE:
A more jazz-fusion track to shame
a lot of the greats. Delicious piano, and a touch of Allan
Holdsworth in there too. The drums are modern and thick. Synths
add texture, but it's Jim's nimble piano that stands out.
THE NORTHWIND:
A slower one recalling some of Saga's
more atmospheric mid-tempo vocal tracks from MARATHON(2993),
maybe- you almost expect Michael Sadler to come in. Expressive
vocals, nice reflective piano.
RADIANT LAKE:
Another jazzy piece similar to KILLARNEY
SUNRISE, just one-upped a little. A slight techno/trip-hop
beat loop with some piano work similar to perhaps Patrick
Moraz from his 'FLAGS' album. And some intense synth soloing
which writhes like a musical maggot. This one drips with class.
CARDEN ISLE:
This one is a piano improvisation
which shows a lot of scope and imagination. If you liked any
of the short piano interludes that he managed to get onto
a couple Saga albums, this is even better.
WASTELAND:
A relflective track, which is the
'ballad' of the album. Here, Jim's voice fits the best, as
a sort of singer-songwriter style. Just voice, string synths
and vocals.***
CANOE DO IT?:
The slow and heartfelt mood of
the previous track segues into another instrumental bash,
where the drums shine. This is a progressive rock instrumental,
nothing more or less. Here Jim moves effortlessly from one
keyboard to another. Plenty of synth, piano and organ solos
and driving bassline to keep the head banging.***
LAST PORTAGE:
The last vocal track keeps the
rock pace going as Jim throws in the kitchen sink. Similar
in power to the previous track, but vocals make it an instant
progressive rock tour-de-force. My only real misgiving about
this song and this album is that this track has a track listing
of 13:28, but it's really only around six or so minutes followed
by a couple minutes of silence before a 'hidden' track comes
in: another piano solo. Fortunately, this piano solo beats
the pants off of the first one and is a little longer.***
Frankly I didn't know that Jim
had it in him. I've always known him to be a really tasteful
player along the lines of Geoff Downes(ASIA) or Billy Currie(ULTRAVOX),
but I didn't figure him to be a mad prog-rockin' monster.
He's covered a lot of ground on this disc. Hopefully there's
more to come from Gilmour. And looking at the recent years
of activity with new Saga albums, DVDs and solo projects,
it looks like this is a definate possibility.
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