Thrash metal? Not here.
This Exodus happened to be one of Poland's most popular progressive-rock outfits, enjoying a career that spanned the mid-Seventies and into the Eighties. A Ray of Sunshine presents a hodge-podge of vintage live performances, video clips and audio tracks that both longtime fans and new listeners will find illuminating. The band's symphonic sound, rooted in a wall of keyboards and falsetto Polish-language vocals, is performed by a bunch of long-haired men who look like mad wizards and sometimes wear silk capes and plant giant trees in the middle of their stage.
Tighter and more compact than Yes or Genesis, Exodus nevertheless takes major inspiration from those groups, particularly in the five songs performed at a Jazz Jamboree festival in 1980. The video quality wavers, but that's understandable considering this gig was filmed a quarter-century ago. The rare (and rarely seen) video clips are a hit-and-miss mix of live and staged footage during which nothing much happens. One clip features MadMax, the band founded by four members of Exodus after the original group was dismantled. As with other recent DVD releases from Poland's Metal Mind Productions (issued in North America by Music Video Distributors), A Ray of Sunshine includes six audio-only bonus tracks, including two from the recent Exodus box set, The Most Beautiful Day. It's a smart marketing move that makes this DVD not only a valuable set for collectors of vintage prog, but also may interest other viewers in seeking out more music from a band whose legacy seems have diminished considerably over time.
Live at Jazz Jamboree 1980:
1) Ten najpiękniejszy dzień
2) Stary Noe
3) Złoty promień słońca
4) Widok z góry najwyższej
5) Spróbuj wnieść się wyżej
Videos:
1) Niedokończony sen
2) Jestem automatem (Opole '81)
3) Wielki wyścig (5-10-15)
4) Praktyczny kolor (Telewizyjna Lista Przebojów)
5) Dwa małe obrazki (Telewizyjna Lista Przebojów)
6) Zawsze przyjdzie co ma przyjść (Telewizyjna Lista Przebojów)
7) Kosmiczny ojcze (Telewizyjna Lista Przebojów)
8) MadMax: Atak Serca
Bonus Audio:
1) Uspokojenie wieczorne
2) Złoty promień słońca
3) Widok z góry najwyższej
4) Jeszcze czekam
5) Znów słyszę wołanie
6) Ponury pejzaż