Track Listing

1. Out Of The Green Sky
2. Broken Glass
3. Ghost In Dreamland
4. Heart Life
5. The End Of The World
6. Black Rain
7. Coming To...
8. Candle To The Sky
9. Carpe Diem
10. Storms Over Still Water
11. Tomorrow

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31150 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Mostly Autumn, Entirely Excellent
Now that it seems to be OK to admit to liking prog rock again, maybe this hugely talented, and shamefully overlooked, British band will finally achieve the attention (and sales) they deserve.

I first discovered Mostly Autumn last year via a US internet radio station called Radio Paradise. There isn't much chance of hearing them on the UK airwaves. That's a great pity, as their music blows away much of what you'll hear on radio in this country, even on specialist rock stations.

Storms Over Still Water is a varied album. I wouldn't say there are any weak tracks, but (as with all the Mostly Autumn albums I've heard) there is a wide range of musical styles, and most people will prefer certain tracks to others.

Another reviewer mentions as favourites Out of the Green Sky and Ghost in Dreamland. These are relatively short, fizzy numbers, the closest Mostly Autumn come to mainstream pop. Personally I prefer the longer, more lyrical tracks such as Candle in the Sky, Carpe Diem, and the title track. I'd love to see any of these performed live.

Mostly Autumn have been compared with Pink Floyd, but that doesn't really do them justice. Their music has similar melodic qualities to Floyd, but there is also a strong Celtic influence. Another difference is that whereas Pink Floyd numbers tend to focus inwards, on alienation and paranoia, Mostly Autumn have a more outward-looking stance. Several of the songs on this CD (Black Rain is the best example) concern nature and the environment.

If you haven't heard Mostly Autumn yet, but you like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Yes, and so on, I'd say you owe it to yourself to give them a try. I'd also particularly recommend their two-CD album 'Catch the Spirit', which is a great value introduction to their music. Also available from Amazon!

Mostly Autumn... Nearly Wonderful... But not quite
I'm predisposed to like this sort of music, suckled as I was at the teat of prog rock in my student days and waxing into manhood among the byways of English and Celtic folk music. You read a few reviews and see MA compared to Pink Floyd... Jethro Tull... Renaissance... what's not to love?

Well, this album has been such a struggle for me. So much here that I ought to be loving and raving about, but so much that infuriates as well. I've ended up coming to the conclusion that I like this record simply _because_ of its contradictions and inadequacies, but more of that anon.

Mostly Autumn (MA) are clearly in the English prog tradition, branching out from Songs from the Wood era Tull or A Song for All Seasons era Renaissance: here are the crunching riffs, the sprinkling of soaring female vocals, sudden changes in time signature and offbeat lyrics that meander through leafy Albion, when they're not speculating about sci-fi prophecies or supernatural love affairs. There's an athletic multi-instrumentalism, a tincture of flute and mandolin and ne'er a concession to dance rhythms or drum machines. Most laudable.

And yet... and yet... In terms of songwriting, MA aren't Tull and boast no Ian Anderson among their ranks; the vocal stylings are energetic, but there's no Annie Haslam knocking your socks off with multi-octave trills. It's all pretty good, but it doesn't really rise above the "pretty good".

The cute thing about Mostly Autumn is that nobody's told them they're not out of the top drawer, as composers or performers. Consequently, they just keep pushing the envelope: going for that just-out-of-reach note, manfully struggling to weld not-quite-cohering rhythmic structures together, melding not-quite-harmonising instruments. If these guys and girls settled down to produce by-the-numbers folky pop (step aside Corrs) they'd have it nailed. But no. They're determined to be the next Mike Oldfield. Catch is, they aren't _quite_ good enough. I mean, these are the people who saluted Jackson's Tolkien movie with a Lord Of The Rings concept album. Gives you an idea of the ambition and/or hubris on offer here.

So I ought to be binning "Storms" with a contemptuous sniff, or filing under "N" for "Novelty". Yet, strangely, this disk keeps returning to my turntable. Why's that then? It's not a "grower" in the sense of slowly unveiling its hidden delights: on the contrary, its shortcomings grow more apparent with each play. But they also become more endearing. Like hearing a Sixth Form band essaying the entirety of Sergeant Pepper, there's something about MA's earnestness that gets under the skin. And there _are_ many standout moments scattered throughout this collection (many of them guitar solos or fadeouts), although no one song that sustains standout quality throughout its duration. I'll admit also that the material gets better in the second half of the album, with 'Carpe Diem' and the title track working particularly well. Still not quite "5 stars" well though.

I suspect, with MA you're hearing the sound, not of genius, but of moderate talent pushing itself heroically beyond its actual limits. There's an ambition here that's quite selfless. And that does in fact make for music that is compelling not in spite of, but because of, its sortcomings.

WOW!
Rarely have I been so excited on hearing a CD! It just blew me away! It is brilliant!! The problem is, you see, that when I played this album it was the first time that I had heard Mostly Autumn.

So, from not knowing what to expect, I was transfixed from the opening song and swept along mesmerized until the very last notes had faded. What power! What pace, almost unrelenting! What wonderful music, superbly arranged. And songs with a "conscience" to boot! This is a progressive rock band that rocks! Where is my superlatives dictionary?

I have seen some unflattering reviews comparing Mostly Autumn with Renaissance and Jethro Tull (because they use a flute!). Jethro Tull are a fine band but, to me, Mostly Autumn owe nothing to them. Renaissance are perhaps a closer approximation but Mostly Autumn have taken the "rock" in "progressive rock" much further than Renaissance ever did. I would say that, certainly on "Storms Over Still Water", the music is rock guitar driven, whereas it never was in Renaissance. Mostly Autumn pack far more punch. This is not to say that the keyboards and other instruments are forgotten or underplayed; no, each plays a strong part in fusing together powerful songs.

Unlike many other "prog rock" bands that I've heard, Mostly Autumn often generate real pace and power which they alternate effectively with slower passages to create a range of moods and emotions through the music. A good example is in "The End of the World", an ironic bitter-sweet song which takes you through simple loving, homely scenes whilst chronicling the destruction of the world! This song is followed by "Black Rain", an environmentally conscious song that delivers real pace and power to great effect.

Mellower songs are likewise effective: "Carpe Diem" is a beautiful piece inspired by the tsunami of 2004, evocatively sung and vocalised by Heather Findlay, where a range of instruments provide the background for some superb Bryan Josh lead-guitar phrasing. "Storms Over Still Water", the title track, follows and builds up the tempo from a slow start, Bryan taking over the vocals from Heather for the song's second part before launching into another great guitar solo, then taking us out gently into the closing instrumental number, entitled "Tomorrow", which is full of musical hope and joy. This album is nothing short of phenomenal.