When you're sent a disc by a band that has been described as : " Zappa meets Yes at Willie Nelson's BBQ" (Soundcheck) and " King Crimson at a hoe down " (Showcase); you're really not sure what to expect. Musica En Flagrante is Dreadnaught 's 4th release and can be described most accurately as being indescribable. It's a 55-minute, 19 track odyssey into the weird, the wacky,and the wonderful. It's an eclectic collection of mostly bass-driven tracks, which incorporate some programming, old school progressive ( great analog keys sounds), 60's surf music,and psyche; with moments which could very well be used as scores to epic feature films.
Contrasting styles are the norm as the music jumps from the surf sounding One Trick Pony, to the dark, ambient, classical-tinged Kazak,The Hound Of Space ,to the funky sounding Tiny Machines all in the space of less than 9 minutes. All in the name of keeping the listener off balance.
This kind of approach does have it's drawbacks though. Tracks like Northern Pike is not the discs highlight, as it comes across as merely a 6:37 journey from nowhere to nowhere. Fortunately, it's one of the very few low points on the disc and is rapidly followed by punchy little numbers like Gulf Of Tonkin which help the disc return to a faster pace.
All in all, this is an interesting disc to say the least. The musicianship is top-notch throughout and the mish-mashed musical ideas keep things stimulating . A different take on the tried and true which manages to breathe some fresh air in an ofttimes stagnant musical genre.
Track Listing
- R.Daneel Olivaw (3:07)
- One Trick Pony (1:52)
- Kazak,The Hound Of Space (2:15)
- Tiny Machines (4:24)
- Northern Pike (6:37)
- Gulf Of Tonkin (1:06)
- Are Your Pants Down ?(pants down)(1:15)
- Pull Your Pants Down (pants down)(2:23)
- Big Cats (3:43)
- Threnody For The Victims Of Brother Theodore (4:03)
- Fanfare For A Losing Team (2:20)
- The Boston Crab (2:22)
- Winston Niles Rumfoord (1:14)
- Elba (never come back, I want you gone)(4:39)
- The Sirens Of Titan (7:17)
- Chrono-synclastic Infundibulum ( 0:58)
- Back Through Newport, Rhode Island (2:37)
- Unk And Boaz In The Caves Of Mercury (1:01)
- Salo ( 2:41)
- Royal Jelly (5:27)
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