This album is a revelation. Initially a studio project by Richard Schaeffer and Dennis Rux with a core of three additional musicians, the album expanded into a collaboration across Berlin and Hamburg with 40 plus contributors.
The duo describe the album as Beatlesque Prog Rock, but this is far more than that. Very much set in the late 60s and first half of the 70s, Wired Ways covers much of that time including Pop Rock and Psych, often in the same song.
Bookended by two magnificent, yet very different, examples of Psych Pop, the material in between covers much more. But these two songs match anything that current Psych Pop offers with the Toytown of Ticket Tally Man and the much deeper Planet 9.
Hanoi Tramway is as the title suggests mandarin themed, but the chorus goes all Pop Rock. Lazy Daisy goes even more Pop with overtures of the Alan Parsons Project, even a little 10CC and what a chorus! Perpetuum Mobile even has I Feel Free vibe and just wait until you hear Another Sad Man.
When The Doors Are Closed is the type of Modern Prog that Big Big Train excel at and just as good. yet Mosquitoes is much more Medieval Folk. Peacock On The Highway goes full on 70s Prog, wonderfully so. The joy of the album is that despite all these diversions, the chorus is never lost sight of.
If someone like Billy Sherwood had been involved with an album like this, it would be lauded (and over produced). It is a wonderful example of how Prog can be tuneful and nearer Pop than people imagine. I also have to admit to going a little giddy when I saw instruments like Timpani, Tubular Bells, Glockenspiel and Celesta mentioned. Magnificent!
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is also available on CD and Vinyl which are both more than reasonably priced.
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