Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
La Passione [Soundtrack] [Import]
Schutz: Musikalische Exequien / Christophers, The Sixteen
Music: Enter the Diamond Needle Dynasty (Millen [Import]
Smooth Chill: The Radio Singles
Prototype/Ghettomusik [Import]
Nature's Symphonies: Midnight Storm
Romantic Warrior [Original recording remastered] [Import]
Amazon.com
The music on American Don unfurls slowly, revealing intricate designs on its petals of sound. It's a bit of a change from the Pittsburgh-based band's earlier albums, which worked in the same vein but with less delicacy. Now Don Caballero's sound boasts a dynamic similar to King Crimson's work from the late '70s and early '80s; guitarist Ian William's four- to eight-note patterns are a direct ode to guru Robert Fripp. The similarities to the famous prog-rock band end there. Don Caballero's quirkiness shows through in the band's tongue-in-cheek song titles ("The Peter Criss Jazz," "You Drink a Lot of Coffee for a Teenager") and drummer Damon Che's aerobic, acrobatic skin pounding. The final product is a lush set of swirl that ebbs, flows, and spins in place à la Philip Glass. The slightly jazzy but mostly trance-like collection overcomes its limitations and is highly recommended. --Jason Josephes