First impressions are early Kansas but that Livgren fiery blues-rock guitar work is not evident. Enjoy strong violin work by Karen Bentley and solid keys by Don Tillman and Julius Smith. Vocals by Tillman are tolerable but seem "small" or "lost", being a tad weak in the mix-leaning more towards... [+] Expand

First impressions are early Kansas but that Livgren fiery blues-rock guitar work is not evident. Enjoy strong violin work by Karen Bentley and solid keys by Don Tillman and Julius Smith. Vocals by Tillman are tolerable but seem "small" or "lost", being a tad weak in the mix-leaning more towards narrative talk-sing rather than full-voiced crooning. Instrumental sections are an enjoyable listen coming across very '70s and analogish. What guitar that is used, seems more as embellishment and an added touch rather than upfront prog rockin'. Bentley's violin is the lead voice predominantly and she does a great job. I kept hearing that Flying Island, Hands, or Curved Air in places. Some may hear PFM or even Italy's Arts and Crafts as well. The Kansas meets Flying Island aura glows brightest overall. A proggy version of a Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor makes a delightful 3:45 splash after the 11:10 "Cast of Thousands" track. Best track was Smith's 4:10 "Rice" which was ELP meets Kansas meets Sugarloaf. The 8:55 "Vantage Point Instrumental" was the next best cut again offering more guitar-edge and lots of twist and turns to keep things interesting. ~ John Patterson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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