The Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist Rick Miller has been active in the prog scene for a long time and has been doing so for just as many years in a very recognizable style and One Of The Many is a new offshoot of the same stem. Is it a bad thing that someone just stays true to his own musical taste and needs? Certainly not, the question that remains is, is there any qualitative improvement compared to previous albums or maybe even, something new? As far as I'm concerned, this question should be answered in the negative, but that doesn't mean that Miller didn't make an enjoyable album. The level of the previous albums was already quite good and that level is simply reached again. So far my favourite album has been Heart Of Darkness (2014) but only because it has a somewhat darker feel to it. On One Of The Many we hear the same musicians as on the last albums, so no surprise there too. Miller has a kind of patent on fairly laid-back and atmospheric prog with melodic guitar work and nice supporting keys. There are often several long songs on his albums and, it gets monotonous, there are now. I've listened to previous releases many times and always came to the same conclusion; Nice music but I miss some excitement, surprise and maybe most of all, bite. Still, I wouldn't do Rick justice when I say that it's all just rippling along because he regularly comes up with something that is meant to be unexpected. Spoken texts, sound fragments, but also musical twists with changing instruments, it's all there. And last but not least, he plays a lot of wonderful guitar solos in the vein of Andy Latimer or David Gilmour. As is so often the case, here we go again, it's the vocals that don't particularly appeal to me, Miller sings with a hoarse, somewhat sluggish, muffled voice and he probably does that to avoid spinning off the track. On the other hand, he knows what his vocal limits are, so he made a wise choice. His voice often reminds me of Colin Bass (Camel) who also sings with a somewhat flat voice. One Of The Many is another concept album as we have come to expect from Miller and the title already indicates that each of us is only a minuscule particle of a greater power, or if you prefer, community. As individuals, we are constantly put to the test and the trick is to safeguard our own identity in all kinds of situations and this struggle is the central theme. Love, loss of memory, uncertainty all pass by. There are a number of beautiful melodies on the album and the serene atmosphere, that Miller is a master of, is evident in the longest track, the more than thirteen minutes long Perchance To Dream in which flutes and smooth guitar work turn into a calm keyboard solo. For a moment it seems to burst open when a few snappy chords sound, but that is only a feint because soon it continues as it started. Still, it is a pleasure to hear his great guitar playing. Atrophy, the opening song follows a similar pattern and the tempo is quite low again. Soon the guitar takes centre stage and we hear another typical Miller song with acoustic guitars and calm vocals. The lost Years opens with some firm guitar chords, a woman's voice meanders over a background of keys and a calm spoken voice serves as an introduction to an eastern sounding fragment before a very nice guitar solo takes the lead. With over eight minutes it is one of the longer tracks of the album and contains all the trademarks of Miller's musical spectrum. Floating keys and acoustic guitars open Wonderlust and soon we are back on the usual track, cellos and violins provide the variation here but the tempo is as usual. Yet it is one of the more beautiful songs with a melody that is just a bit less bittersweet than a lot of the others. Another Time is a perfect example of a very sweet song with the acoustic guitar and cello as accompaniment but with a very cheesy melody. To put it bluntly, it doesn't affect me at all. This also applies to Time Goes On, a somewhat shorter song with very little expressiveness. She Of The Darkness is an instrumental, shorter song with again a flute playing on a bed of strings and piano as an intro followed by a lingering piece of guitar and then returning to the feel of the beginning. Very peaceful and atmospheric so sit back and relax. As always with Rick's albums, the cover looks very nice and suits the theme of the album very well and remember we all are just one of the many. Normally I'm a big proponent of consistent albums in terms of style and I find it difficult when artists supposedly add variation by having a blues song followed by hard rock followed by a funky song. Well done but not my thing. Maybe Rick would be wise to vary a little more in terms of dynamics and tempo, that surely is possible without losing his own identity. Despite the fact that he has made another good quality album, I catch myself not really digging it mainly because it's too monotonous and doesn't surprise me enough. I miss the rock as in prog rock. Still, many listeners will appreciate this album, but I doubt whether there will be many new fans, it's too much on the safe side I'm afraid. For existing fans, however, it is a great addition to Miller's oeuvre. ***- Erik Fraanje (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
