Pluto and the Planets is a neo-prog rock group from Oslo, Norway. Clearly influenced by bands like Genesis, Vangelis, and Pink Floyd, their sound also falls on more on the "pop" side of those influences. For the most part the music is well executed, and each member of the band is capable of playing their parts and hitting all the nuances. The addition of female co-lead vocals is a nice touch. But, I've heard it all before. There isn't much that really hooks me in to the more upbeat poppy tracks, they seem to just plod along. The band does hit a better stride on dreamy slower tracks like "Gloomy Sunday" and "Into A Totally Different Race". I'm also impressed with the (almost) all-instrumental tracks, especially "Vacuum". The band stretches its compositions much more on these tracks. I watched some of their live performances on youtube, the songs came across with much more life than on the cd. Pluto and the Planets has been around in some form or other since the mid 1980s, but this is their first full studio album. As I've found with many first albums, it clearly shows where they are coming from. I hope that future releases capture more of their live spirit, and show us where they are going.
Track Listing
1. Take Me Home (I. Part One) – (3:33)
2. This Is Magic – (3:10)
3. Gloomy Sunday – (3:15)
4. Wake Up – (5:22)
5. Starship – (3:53)
6. Ascension – (6:47)
7. The Humming Song – (2:57)
8. Tears – (2:58)
9. Encounter – (4:27)
10. The Man On The Television – (3:33)
11. So Magic – (4:04)
12. Into A Totally Different Race – (3:23)
13. Vacuum – (4:16)
14. Take Me Home (II. Part Two) – (3:21)
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