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Star People: 20 Years-Black Tie & Tales
 Do you ever feel like you’re not in on the joke? After listening, that’s exactly how this band made me feel. Is this a joke? Let’s start with the good, these guys can play and write some interesting music. But, something else is going on which I can’t ignore.
Starting with Disc 2 which contained new music, the vocals are beyond explanation, there is no way anyone could think this singing is good? Is this a parody? Honestly, I almost shut this off it was so bad. There were a few salvageable moments, the music for “Twisted” and “Regal” kept this from being a total loss, but it was unlistenable. Disc 1 contained songs from 2001 that have been remastered. Right out of the gate, once you get to the instrumental passage of “I, Starman” the band seems to grove and gets spacey on us with a majestic ending. “Twister” has a great bass groove, and then the music kicks in, and although short at just 2:07, they really rock here, and give me that violin all day long. “Space & Time” is voices and acoustic guitar, and they do pull it off, not bad at all! “Marriage In Space” opens with narration, and I expect the cheese factor to jump in. A short acoustic section shows promise until the female vocal comes in…ugh, vocals. This one goes sideways quickly with more goofy narration making it unlistenable.
Ok, so maybe I don’t get the joke. The unfortunate aspect is that there is some really cool music contained, but the vocals make this hard to imagine listening to again. Give me an instrumental Star People album, and then we’ll talk.
Track Listing
Disc 1 (45:03)
1. Starman (9:04)
2. Twister (2:07)
3. Space & Time (2:07)
4. Marriage in Space (10:34)
5. Queen of Space (3:26)
6. The White & Black (2:47)
7. Where Did My Life Go? (0:55)
8. A Trillion Miles to Hollywood (3:39)
9. Move Nearer the Sun (4:36)
10. A Day in the Life (5:48)
Disc 2 (46:03)
1. Hot Blue Star (6:08)
2. Twisted (4:44)
3. Regal (2:11)
4. Quantum (4:18)
5. Wild Granny (4:26)
6. No More Stars (3:48)
7. The Pact (5:52)
8. The Morning Star (6:55)
9. Exit, Stage Left (7:41)
Total Time 91:06
Added: April 10th 2023
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:  
Related Link: More Information
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Language: english
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Star People: 20 Years-Black Tie & Tales
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2023-04-10 17:05:52
My Score:
Star People is an American progressive rock band that has been around since the ‘90s, but have gone unnoticed by many music fans, including this reviewer. Their first album Are Coming was released sometime in the ‘90s, followed by Genius (2001), and now their surprising return with their new album Black Tie & Tales (2021). Now, it is a little more complicated than that. They recorded Black Tie & Tales in 2001 but it somehow got lost in the vaults and was never released. Twenty years later this new release features the original album plus a second disc of all new material.
The band’s lineup has remained relatively unchanged and features:
William ‘The Teacher’ Olland (vocals)
Paul ‘Golden Boy’ Gifford (vocals, percussion)
Lorenza ‘Star Girl’ Ponce (vocals, violin)
Robert ‘The Captain’ Dean (guitar)
Scott ‘The Doctor’ Treibitz (keyboards)
Randy ‘The Ambassador’ Pratt (bass and effects pedals, harmonica)
T.C. Tolliver (drums)*
Rob Schwimmer (continuum)*
Jesse Berlin (extra ‘shred’ guitar)*
The first disc, recorded in 2001, features ten tracks of melodic, yet challenging progressive rock, touching on a variety of genres like space, fusion, hard rock, and more. The violin is featured prominently, and Ponce is a fine player. You can also hear narration on some tracks, giving a certain campy ‘60s serial sci-fi feel. The first track “Starman”, nothing to do with the Bowie classic, begins with spacey sci-fi synths before it settles into a nice groove and excellent keyboard backings. The lead vocals are excellent, although the second vocalist took some time getting used to as his vocals are much lower, but the contrast in styles is very effective. Interesting riff structures leads into a faster tempo and off kilter bass riffs. Discordant guitar and violin ensure the band’s prog rock cred. The much shorter “Twister” features ripping violin and has a fusion feel, while “Space & Time” is mostly acoustic guitar with a lovely vocal arrangement. The ‘60s inspired “Marriage In Space” features vocals from Ponce, combining elements of pop, hard rock, and prog. The disc ends with the band’s take on The Beatles’ classic “A Day In The Life”, and I have to say they do an admirable job adding a bit more trippiness to the middle section and the climactic build at song’s end.
The second CD is all recent material starting with “Hot Blue Star”, beginning with thunderous bass, moody guitar leads, and trippy synths. There is a grandiose feel, very Ayreon-esque, the sound being quite dramatic at times. The three vocalists are used effectively throughout the piece. A couple instrumentals follow, the heavy dark prog rock of “Twisted” and the spacey “Regal”, where violin and synths give off a cosmic vibe. With “Quantum”, a chugging guitar riff and fine violin work gives way to a funky groove and in “Wild Granny”, a vocal narrative and a deep, near doom heaviness, morphs into wild guitar shred and propulsive drumming. This band has such a cool sound.
I will admit the vocals took time getting used to but after a couple spins they started to sink in.
Star People offer an unexpected surprise with Black Tie & Tales, an album that just might delight progressive music fans across the board. Recommended.
A Hyperspace Records release.
*Did not play on 2001 recording.
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Star People: 20 Years-Black Tie & Tales
Posted by Neha Chopra on 2024-03-11 07:29:04
My Score:
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Star People: 20 Years-Black Tie & Tales
Posted by Neha Chopra on 2024-03-11 07:27:40
My Score:
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