![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/unitopia_covered_mirror.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Like any musical genre or subgenre, progressive rock has many varieties within its confines. There’s aggressive, sometimes atonal math-based stuff; there’s brutal prog-metal, there’s retro-prog that tries to recreate the sound and\/or vibe of the classic stuff from the 70s. And there’s a melodic, accessible flavor, the kind that makes the charts, albeit rarely.<\/p>\n
It’s these last two that are the territory staked out by an Australian outfit called Unitopia<\/strong>. Formed in the new century’s first decade, they’ve released three studio albums of original material, plus a live album. But their most recent project is a tribute to their influences. Covered Mirror Vol. 1: Smooth as Silk<\/em> is subtitled \u201cA selection of songs that inspire Unitopia,\u201d and for the most part the songs will be familiar to lovers of rock’s more progressive side during the 1970s.<\/p>\n Some of the pieces are near note-for-note recreations: the group\u2019s rendition of Klaatu<\/strong>‘s \u201cCalling Occupants (of Interplanetary Craft)\u201d follows the original closely, but does substitute some instrumentation flourishes that up the excitement factor. Marillion<\/strong>‘s \u201cEaster\u201d is one of the album’s lesser-known tracks (possibly since the original dates from 1990, long after prog had ceased to be much of a commercial force in the USA). Mark Trueack<\/strong>‘s vocals strongly recall Peter Gabriel<\/strong> throughout the album, and rarely more so than on this track.<\/p>\n Few would consider Icehouse<\/strong> a progressive rock group \u2013 Americans know them if at all as a group that enjoyed a bit of early MTV rotation \u2013 and the inclusion of that group’s \u201cMan of Colours\u201d makes the point that Unitopia is unashamed to admit influences from the more mainstream end of the rock spectrum. But then there’s a lengthy Genesis<\/strong><\/a> medley. Here the band stretches out to survey more than the usual-suspect tracks from the venerable British group. Yes, the prog classics appear in the medley: \u201cSupper’s Ready,\u201d \u201cDancing with the Moonlit Knight,\u201d The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway\u201d and a particularity effective reading of \u201cCarpet Crawlers\u201d \u2013 but it’s the inclusion of a tune from Genesis’ debut (\u201cThe Silent Sun\u201d) that’s the real surprise. In Unitopia’s hands, it feels more like a Phil Collins<\/strong>-era Genesis track, only better.<\/p>\n Things get a bit strange from this point onward. Led Zeppelin<\/strong>‘s \u201cRain Song\u201d is recast in a more AOR sort of arrangement; it works, but pales with the original. A bit of electric sitar does help, though. Supertramp<\/strong>‘s \u201cEven in the Quietest Moments\u201d is effective enough, but the energy seems to be lacking halfway through the album.<\/p>\n A drastic rearrangement of Todd Rundgren<\/strong><\/a>‘s classic \u201cCan We Still Be Friends\u201d is the album’s nadir. It feels overly dramatic and turgid all at once. It’s a serious misstep. After an instrumental interlude, things move in a more classic-prog direction (a positive step) with a cover of The Korgis<\/strong>‘ \u201cEverybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime.\u201d This gentle tune proves that Unitopia can deliver quiet subtlety; it’s just that the tracks preceding this didn’t quite hit the mark.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/icon_twitter_small.jpg\"){kind=icon}
Twitter<\/a> and get notified