Gazpacho- not a soup a fantastic progressive rock band from Norway. (Night - Gazpacho)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Night - Gazpacho
Date:	17/11/08 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The most emotional piece of music you may ever hear.

Disadvantages: None

As the wife of a serious prog rock music fan I have to say I could be as lonely as the golf widow- but fortunately our musical tastes meet somewhere between the extremes in this music genre and so we compromise and stay together. 30 years so far and blissfully happy!
One of the areas where our music loves meet is in the band Marillion who some of you may remember were famous in the 80s for hits like Kayleigh and Lavender when their front man was called Fish. Now less prog rock in style they are fronted and have been since the early nineties by Steve Hogarth. The band have a cult following of many dedicated fans who have twice stumped up the cash to release albums bypassing record companies.

In 2002 the band held their first ever "Fan Club Convention" and it was here that we first came to know Gazpacho. Not a cold soup made with tomatoes from Andalusia in Spain but a fantastic unique spirited band from Norway. The lead singer called- Jan Henrik entered a slot in the convention where fans would substitute band members and it was here that we were first introduced to his superb vocals.
The next year saw the popularity of the convention heralding the staging of another and this time Jan brought his band to the stage. Since then they have been taken truly under the Marillion wing, supporting Marillion on tour, and then the release of this album "Night" under Marillion's Racket Records.
Night is their 4th album.
I am going to be bold here and truthful and tell you that if I had to take one cd to a desert island and one only then "Gazpacho Night" would be it.

Compared to their other albums this one is a flowing piece of music which you can't stop listening to. It tells a story in your mind and the first sight of the art work sets the scene for what is in my opinion a work of pure magic.
The images are mystical, midnight and macabre all merged into one. The images show lights in the dark which illuminate rooms in tall buildings and you wonder who lives there and what are they doing? It is all conjuring up images in your mind of medieval castles and weird ghostly goings on but there is the other side to it which for me portrays the way day merges into dark and the dreams we all have and the fantasies we imagine.
This more than any of their albums has Celtic influences in the sound, and I can promise you that you are in for a treat if you buy this album because it is a journey. The time is midnight, the place a fantasy world of nocturnal goings on somewhere on the edge between reality and fantasy. Listen to it in the dark with headphones and I can promise you it will be magical.

1. Dream of Stone (17:00)

The first track "Dream of Stone" is split into two parts, the break is linked by the sound of a hauntingly Transylvanian violin which transports you to a castle somewhere on the banks of a dark river in Eastern Europe. The first part is a beautiful example of the superb lyrics of Jan and the second shows the intricate guitar genius work of Jon-Arne Vilbo. It is setting the scene for a night time journey to somewhere in your mind. It could be a beach moonlit walk in the dunes with the sound of the waves in the distance. You can only hear them but you can't see them. Or you could be staying in a remote castle in the banks of the Rhine with doors creaking and windows tapping, and the strange visions of white images beyond the casement windows. You can feel the marram grass beneath your feet as you wander towards the moonlit shoreline, or you may see the sudden sighting of a ghostly figure emerging from the dark candle lit staircase -this is the imagination working overtime. It could also be the desperate loneliness of living in a big city where the only source of comfort is the sight of a few lonely windows which illuminate and indicate a soul exists behind the closed curtains. This chequered light buildings.....

2. Chequered Light Buildings (6:34)


The second track which is my favourite is gentle but is full of excitement and there are heavy organ sounds. The track has an evocative name and it transports you to the city where some sleep, for mysterious reasons some have their lights on and you wonder...... What is going on behind these lonely lit skyscraper windows-do the souls inside feel pain are they longing to walk on moonlit beaches, are they haunted by memories of their past trapped inside the shells of torment in these man made cocoons? Those characters who in the day walk the streets and live their normal lives feel so much behind the closed door of the night.
Who are these souls and where do they go after dark in their minds?

3. Upside Down (9:41)


The next track Upside Down starts with vocals and piano and again the guitar work is outstanding. Kristian Olav's bass work comes through here and the Celtic influence comes through in the last part of the track.
This track is the journey made either in your mind or in reality to somewhere in the dark hours which may be an escape from your daily life and it may also be taking you to the depths of the supernatural where there is more to life than the 9 to 5. It's about your dreams your fears and a journey to somewhere beyond what you see. For me this ends with what I imagine to be a midnight view of The Northern Lights somewhere in Arctic Norway. The crunch of the compacted snow, the calm still woods and the distant sight of paths meandering into the deep of the forest.

4. Valerie's Friend (6:29)


Valerie's Friend is again a track which has some fantastic guitar work and has a calm and ambient ending.

5. Massive Illusion (13:37)


The last track "Massive Illusion" starts with a simple and quiet guitar piece and builds slowly into a masterpiece which is probably some of the best music you will ever hear and brings together all the sounds which have been building throughout this album.
You are left wondering if you are in Northern Norway on a snow covered hillside, a moonlit beach, or if you have just awoken to the sound of marching trolls in a castle deep in the mysterious world of midnight. You may be finally switching off the lamp in the "chequered light building" for the last time as you snuggle down in the duvet to relive the dream once again.


Studio Album, released in 2007

Track Listings
1. Dream of Stone (17:00)
2. Chequered Light Buildings (6:34)
3. Upside Down (9:41)
4. Valerie's Friend (6:29)
5. Massive Illusion (13:37)

Total Time: 53:21
Line-up/Musicians
- Jan Henrik Ohme / vocals, backing vocals
- Thomas Andersen / piano, keyboards, programming
- Jon-Arne Vilbo / acoustics, guitars
- Mikael Krømer / violins, programming
- Kristian Olav Torp / bass
- Robert Risberget Johansen / drums, percussion




www.gazpachoworld.com


In April 2009 Gazpacho are going on their first ever European tour- I can promise you it will be out of this world. It is going to coincide with the release of their new album which is called Tick Tock

If you visit their website you can hear lots more of their music and hear about the tour.

In my opinion "Night" is the most emotional piece of music you will ever hear.

Summary: The CD I would take to a desert island if I could only choose one.