New Arc Of Life - Don't Look Down - Nov 18

[bondegezou]

I agree with many of the above comments. I think this sounds better than the first album. It still sounds pretty Sherwood-y. It will be interesting to see whether Kerzner, Haun and Schellen get writing credits on other tracks.

Meh, Kerzner says COVID got in the way of a full band collaboration (still planned for album 3), so this album remains largely written and produced by Sherwood.

[pjt]

The Arc Of Life song: Not bad, not good.

So far I like it. More than I like the previous album.

[True]

All Things Considered sounds, to me, like all of the other Billy Sherwood-produced records. To me it does not sound very different from the last Arc of Life material.

[Soundwaveseeker]

I generally like Billy Sherwood stuff. I'll get this for sure and enjoy it to some extent. I may even really like it. I'm glad it exists and I'm glad Billy still pumps out albums, good, bad or in the middle. What we need also is a Jon Davison solo album with a couple Yes alumni on it and a Dean cover. Or one on Frontiers records with a Dream Theater-y looking cover, doesn't matter.

[Frumious B]

It sounds about the same as the first one to me…just kinda sterile and dead with no air and smothered with that generic Sherwood sound. The track manages to be vaguely proggy while not actually doing anything especially memorable or interesting.

[YesWill]

I kinda like it, but agree that there is too much Sherwood. Everything Sherwood touches sounds like OYE to me (although, happily The Quest managed to escape this disease)

I have to say, I like the Haun bits of that song. When he is playing in his own style (and not copying Howe) he is not bad

[YesWill]

What we need also is a Jon Davison solo album with a couple Yes alumni on it and a Dean cover.

I totally second this.

Davison has a unique singing style, and I like that he is increasingly embracing it rather than trying to be an Anderson clone. I think his singing style is an important part of the current Yes sound.

[bondegezou]

Everything Sherwood touches sounds like OYE to me (although, happily The Quest managed to escape this disease)

I think that's down to the producer!

[Ash Armstrong]

Instant 'Prog'. Just add water.

[soundchaser09]

Instant 'Prog'. Just add water.

lol okay thats quite funny, but I do admire Billy's hard work ethic

[Ash Armstrong]

lol okay thats quite funny, but I do admire Billy's hard work ethic

I wouldn't presume to fault his endeavours or his sincerity, but I hear nothing in what comes out of all that effort that I find at all interesting: there's next to nothing in present-day 'prog' (oh, how I loathe that term) that does. It's wholly derivative, in the worst sense, and not at all 'progressive', nor is it to my tastes. I suppose, given the effort he's lauded for putting in, the best I can say is that it is 'workmanlike'.

[pjt]

I wouldn't presume to fault his endeavours or his sincerity, but I hear nothing in what comes out of all that effort that I find at all interesting: there's next to nothing in present-day 'prog' (oh, how I loathe that term) that does. It's wholly derivative, in the worst sense, and not at all 'progressive', nor is it to my tastes. I suppose, given the effort he's lauded for putting in, the best I can say is that it is 'workmanlike'.

But then I wouldn't blame Billy or present-day 'prog' (oh, how You loathe that term) for this. While I accept your view on this genre, I don't take it as a measurement of quality.

[Ash Armstrong]

But then I wouldn't blame Billy or present-day 'prog' (oh, how You loathe that term) for this. While I accept your view on this genre, I don't take it as a measurement of quality.

I have no idea what you're trying to say. You youngsters, it's like a different world to me.

[JMKUSA]

On listening to it again, I think my problem with it is all the sounds are muddled and generic. Just in Sight from the first album was great because of the guitar tone and style (similar to Steve on Awaken). There’s some interesting stuff on Valley of the Windmill, the first Citizen record (largely thanks to the guest players), and on the Conspiracy albums. Those are probably my favorite Sherwood productions. Hopefully the rest of the album is more like those and less like this first song, which feels very similar to the first AOL release.

Does anyone think Billy’s albums sound similar to Tormato, in terms of the sound being a bit muddled? Billy loves Tormato and I’ve wondered it that’s why his productions sound a bit like it (not in terms of the playing but in how the sounds are mixed together and muddled).

[Ash Armstrong]

On listening to it again, I think my problem with it is all the sounds are muddled and generic. Just in Sight from the first album was great because of the guitar tone and style (similar to Steve on Awaken). There’s some interesting stuff on Valley of the Windmill, the first Citizen record (largely thanks to the guest players), and on the Conspiracy albums. Those are probably my favorite Sherwood productions. Hopefully the rest of the album is more like those and less like this first song, which feels very similar to the first AOL release.

Does anyone think Billy’s albums sound similar to Tormato, in terms of the sound being a bit muddled? Billy loves Tormato and I’ve wondered it that’s why his productions sound a bit like it (not in terms of the playing but in how the sounds are mixed together and muddled).

Reliance on a narrow sonic/tonal palette would also account for a flat and muddy soundscape. Depth and breadth of the sound is as much to do with composition and arrangement as it is to do with relative sound levels of the instruments and voices.