Mr. Sirius - Barren Dream (1987)
Track Listing
1. All The Fallen People (11:57)
2. Sweet Revenge (1:44)
3. Step Into Easter (7:47)
4. Intermezzo (5:18)
5. Eternal Jealousy (8:14)
6. Lagrima (4:11)
7. Barren Dream (13:28)
Although many people are not aware of it, Japan's progressive rock scene, especially in the 80's and 90's, is quite vibrant and interesting to explore. This one such gem is from the era's peak, a debut work and the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake, who plays everything from accordion to bass guitar while a very talented bilingual young lady named Hiroka Nagai takes care of vocals.
To be frank, this is among the most drop-dead gorgeous symphonic progressive rock albums ever put together, even when compared to all the greats from the progressive heyday over in the U.K., and hence I have a lot of praise for what's here. So many moods are brought to life to a near effortless degree, from the acoustics to the riverside Italian-feel accordion (Step Into Easter), to godlike flutework (Lagrima), along with some brilliant piano that ferments to an insanely catchy bombast (Eternal Jealousy). To put it one way,
Barren Dream is amazing, if for nothing else, because if captures that mind-transporting fantastical mood at a level that only the best albums of progressive rock can realize. It reaches me where so many fail and burn, and no matter how much I play it the love does not lessen. It's one of a kind, and the only thing that prevented it from being acknowledged as the masterpiece it was back in 1987 was because it's from Japan! Grrrrrrrr!!
If there are any complaints that come to mind, its that the guitar playing has a slight late 80's feel to it, but such doesn't really detract in the slightest from arrangements that are so damn wonderful that I don't even have the words to express the words for how I feel as I listen to them.
Despite the fact that Japanese progressive rock is something most of you are unfamiliar with, I recommend Mr. Sirius's
Barren Dream as the first and foremost stepping stone to get you started. It's damn near impeccable as a representative of what makes the scene good, being more memorable and beautiful in seven tracks than entire neo-prog bands can be in two or three decades of work.
I don't say this very often, but I'll say it here: Get This!
Album Verdict: 7/7