Don’t Look Down album

[Frumious B]

My theory is that Billy is such a huge fan of Tormato that he aspires for his albums to sound as muddled as that album. And I enjoy a lot of his work, but the mixing and mastering is just… off. I think the music and lyrics are a mixed bag, but they aren’t well served by how the album sounds.

Tormato practically sounds like an Eno/Lanois job in comparison.

[Mr. Holland]

After all these I still enjoy listening to Tormato. I think every sound on that album is in its right place. Sure, there’s a lot to unpack, but that’s a challenge, not a problem.

Also the sound becomes less of a problem if the song writing and execution is really good.

[Ceasar’s Palace]

My theory is that Billy is such a huge fan of Tormato that he aspires for his albums to sound as muddled as that album. And I enjoy a lot of his work, but the mixing and mastering is just… off. I think the music and lyrics are a mixed bag, but they aren’t well served by how the album sounds.

After all these I still enjoy listening to Tormato. I think every sound on that album is in its right place. Sure, there’s a lot to unpack, but that’s a challenge, not a problem.

[JMKUSA]

My theory is that Billy is such a huge fan of Tormato that he aspires for his albums to sound as muddled as that album. And I enjoy a lot of his work, but the mixing and mastering is just… off. I think the music and lyrics are a mixed bag, but they aren’t well served by how the album sounds.

[bondegezou]

Yeah, it's another middling Sherwood album. If you loved CIRCA:/Prog Collective/Sherwood solo, you will love this. dbar will love it.

If you were unimpressed by the last half dozen Sherwood albums, you will be unimpressed.

The more I listen to it, the less I like it. The lyrics are terrible. The arrangements don't go anywhere. The drum sound is poor. Everyone in this band has done better elsewhere.

[bondegezou]

It seems like there are spots where I hear a third vocalist as well, which was not really the case on the first album (I wouldn't swear that there wasn't a third vocalist on the first album, there may have been, but nothing jumped out at me, whereas here the occasional line jumps out as either a third singer or one of the main two showing off a different aspect of their vocals than I usually notice). Perhaps someone can ask Dave Kerzner and/or Jimmy Haun if he/they contributed any vocals or not on this one, or a poster can simply chime in if they think they recognize one or the other.

Haun and Kerzner are credited with vocals too, although Kerzner has said they didn't record any vocals from him but plan to do so for the next album. I think I can also hear a third vocalist in places, and I think it's Haun.

[bondegezou]

Lol I think Steve is probably relieved that he gets the better ideas from Sherwood and Jon D for Yes. The Western Edge, Minus the Man, and Future Memories are all more enjoyable listens. Some of that is the production, certainly. But it feels like Billy knows what Steve would want and gives him that, and saves his standard style stuff for AOL.

I guess we’ll just have to wait for the new Yes album to see what any Sherwood/Davison songs sound like, and if they are better than what’s on AOL.

Or Billy gives Steve two dozen ideas and Steve picks out the good ones... the rest ending up on Arc of Life albums.

[Mr. Holland]

Yeah, it's another middling Sherwood album. If you loved CIRCA:/Prog Collective/Sherwood solo, you will love this. dbar will love it.

If you were unimpressed by the last half dozen Sherwood albums, you will be unimpressed.

I had a hunch listening to the first two songs that were released.

[Sharp On Attack]

I'll pass...

[downbyariver]

im awaiting the CD arriving now, I hope its better than you are suggesting

Go into it ready to enjoy it, and you'll like it. I get where some people's criticisms are coming from, but if you liked the first album, or Billy Sherwood's other projects, and also like Jon Davison, and go into this looking for more stuff along those lines with the two of them teaming up, I think you'll find what you're looking for and enjoy it.

I know the cover is a guy walking above the clouds, but I think more grounded expectations are good. This is exactly what I thought it'd be, and I bought it because that's what I like. I'm happy that these artists are creating so much new music for us to enjoy.

The Prog Collective's surprise album drop a week or two ago was also quite enjoyable. There's a lot of good new music to add to playlists and collections in general and shuffle when you combine them both.

[downbyariver]

For what it's worth, I like it.

For those trying to figure out what Arc of Life's unique calling card as a band is relative to Sherwood's other projects, I would suggest that the wonderful vocal interplay between Jon Davison and Billy Sherwood is a good place to start. They actually are not really featured in quite the same way on Yes' The Quest, where Steve Howe gets used for most of the harmony vocals (Though there is a song or two where we can hear a bit of the Arc of Life magic), and generally when Juano is used on a Prog Collective album, where he is a special guest for a track or two, his vocals are really the clear focus, as one would expect for a guest star featured on only a track or two, as opposed to a band like Arc where they can go back and forth.

I felt like Davison was used more in a more strongly featured role on this second album than the first album, though it's obviously a two lead singer band with Sherwood at least getting equal time and perhaps more. The two of them together are more than the sum of their parts vocally speaking IMO, like a lot of the great vocal pairings from the days of yore.

Some of the dualism on the cover might be a way of playing with that identity in addition to the much more obvious meaning conveyed in the lyrics of the songs themselves.

It seems like there are spots where I hear a third vocalist as well, which was not really the case on the first album (I wouldn't swear that there wasn't a third vocalist on the first album, there may have been, but nothing jumped out at me, whereas here the occasional line jumps out as either a third singer or one of the main two showing off a different aspect of their vocals than I usually notice). Perhaps someone can ask Dave Kerzner and/or Jimmy Haun if he/they contributed any vocals or not on this one, or a poster can simply chime in if they think they recognize one or the other.

[Soundwaveseeker]

Ordered it this morning - then learned later that there will be a Japan import with a bonus track. Awl, man. Oh well, it's an acoustic version of one of the tracks. Probably about as essential as the acoustic version of To Ascend from the import Heaven & Earth. But still, the collector in me...

Anyway, glad to have it coming.

[JMKUSA]

I enjoyed some of the instrumental passages and some of the guitar solos on this record. The vocals all sound like they are coming out of one of those voice- changing gadgets. It really sounds to me like an outtake from OYE - which is how I thought the first AOL record sounded.

It would be interesting to hear the same music recorded by a different engineer - the production on this is very much out- of- control.

I wonder if Steve Howe has any awareness of this record, or if it comes up in conversation between the members of Yes, and Steve Howe. Steve Howe seemed very bothered by having his guitar parts replaced by Jimmy Haun on the Union record (I can not blame him). I wonder if Steve ever says something to Billy Sherwood such as "how's that record coming with that fellow who replaced my guitar parts?"
And Billy might say - "oh ...very nice...he's a lovely guy, Steve"

Lol I think Steve is probably relieved that he gets the better ideas from Sherwood and Jon D for Yes. The Western Edge, Minus the Man, and Future Memories are all more enjoyable listens. Some of that is the production, certainly. But it feels like Billy knows what Steve would want and gives him that, and saves his standard style stuff for AOL.

I guess we’ll just have to wait for the new Yes album to see what any Sherwood/Davison songs sound like, and if they are better than what’s on AOL.

[True]

I enjoyed some of the instrumental passages and some of the guitar solos on this record. The vocals all sound like they are coming out of one of those voice- changing gadgets. It really sounds to me like an outtake from OYE - which is how I thought the first AOL record sounded.

It would be interesting to hear the same music recorded by a different engineer - the production on this is very much out- of- control.

I wonder if Steve Howe has any awareness of this record, or if it comes up in conversation between the members of Yes, and Steve Howe. Steve Howe seemed very bothered by having his guitar parts replaced by Jimmy Haun on the Union record (I can not blame him). I wonder if Steve ever says something to Billy Sherwood such as "how's that record coming with that fellow who replaced my guitar parts?"
And Billy might say - "oh ...very nice...he's a lovely guy, Steve"

[JMKUSA]

Colors Come Alive is my highlight so far. I kind of like the vocals on this one and Jimmy’s guitar solo is very nice.