Young, John - Significance


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Heritage Records
Catalog Number: HR004
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:50:00

In the midst of all the guitar violence and spaced out keyboards, there still is room for a spiritual, almost sober release that yet touches your soul. Significance by John Young is a very personal album that deals with various aspects of life, with beautiful melodies and equally beautifully sung by John Young, who also plays all instruments on the album. This very talented artist has worked with Asia, Paul Rodgers, John Wetton, Fish and Bonnie Tyler (remember "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"?). Although Significance has traces of music by Sting, Phil Collins and even Chicago/Peter Cetera, it rises above the level of "just a love song album," because of the excellent compositions.

The first song and title track, "Significance," was inspired by John's aunt, who spent her life working for the Save The Children organisation and deals with the options and choices we have in our life. It is a peaceful song and very beautifully sung, with a keyboard solo. Most of the songs are played with keyboard or piano and there is some (sampled) guitar used on the album, but not much. I have the feeling that the drum sound comes out of a drum computer, but, although real drums would have added more soul to the album, it does not make the album less pleasurable to listen to. "Open Skies" sounds more like a progressive rock song, with spacey keys and a more upfront drum sound. Also "Just One Day" has this rock feeling, despite the fact that there is no guitar used in this song. The spiritual journey ends with the only conclusion you can make: "Insignificance," a song inspired by the dinosaurs and the fact that we, although much smaller and weaker, consider ourselves master of this place.

Phew, this goes deep, very deep and to fully understand the album, it is important to read the lyrics as only then you know what John Young is singing about and the album will gain more meaning. This album will appeal to those who like John Wetton, solo work by Damian Wilson as well as the softer progressive rock. I have played it several times and enjoyed it very much, because it simply is a beautiful album and although it may at first sound like the very commercial solo albums of Peter Cetera (ex-Chicago) and Phil Collins (listen to the album Both Sides), if you give it time and let it grow on you, you will find it rises above that level and has many elements of progressive rock in it. Just give it time and enjoy it.

Similar artists: John Wetton, Damian Wilson.

[This review originally appeared April 2003 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Significance (4:21) / All Gone (3:15) / Closer (4:27) / When I Was Young (4:16) / Papa (3:36) / Open Skies (3:56) / Underside (6:45) / Stranger Than Fiction (3:35) / Listening (3:34) / Used (3:36) /. Under Angels Wings (3:18) / Just One Day (4:35) / Insignificance (4:35)

Musicians:
John Young - vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians:

Matt Prior - guitar
Ed Poole - bass

Discography:
John Wetton - Battle Lines (1994)
Max Bacon - The Higher You Climb (1995)
Life - Cocoon (1997)
John Wetton - Arkangel (1997)
John Wetton - Live In Tokyo (1997)
Life Underground (1999)
Scientific Breakthrough (1999)
Youngwolf (cass only) (1999)
Qango - Live In The Hood (1999) Political Agenda (1999)
No Commercial Value (2000)
Instrumental Music (cassette only)
Greenslade - Large Afternoon (2000)
Cobra - Hungry For Vengeance (2000)
Urban Sprawl - Beyond The Bridges (2000)
John Wetton - Sinister (aka Welcome To Heaven (2000)) (2001)
Ethereal Energy (2001)
Chris Richardson - Dot.Com Explosion (CR is aka John Young) (2001)
Fish - Fellini Days (and FD bonus disk) (2001)
Greenslade - Live 2001 - The Full Edition (2002)
Fish - Fellini Nights (2002)
Ken Hensley & John Wetton - More Than Conquerors (2002)
John Wetton & Ken Hensley - One Way Or Another (2002)
Just One Day (promo EP) (2002)
Significance (2002)
John Wetton - John Wetton Fan Convention - An Evening With John Wetton (2002)
John Wetton - John Wetton Fan Convention - An Evening With John Wetton Unedited (2002)
Live! Allentown, PA July 20, 2002 (2002)
Bonnie Tyler With The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra - Heart & Soul (2002)
The Shape Of Things To Come (2003)
John Wetton - Rock of Faith (2003)
Mammoth - Larger and Live (2003)
Live At The Classic Rock Society 2003 (2003)

Live At The Whitchurch Festival 6 Aug 2000 (VID) (2000)
Ken Hensley & John Wetton - More than Conquerors (DVD) (2002)
The John Wetton Fan Convention - The Official Convention Video (DVD) (2002)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: November 26th 2004
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.reverbnation.com/johnyoungband
Hits: 2182
Language: english

  

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