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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic groundbreaking debut, 28 Feb 2005
Kino is the new band from "The Urbane"'s frontman John Mitchell. Although sharing some common ground with the two albums by "The Urbane" this is something very different. For those unfamilar with them, "The Urbane" are a modern style rock band in the early "Foo Fighters" and "Radiohead" theme, although Kino are a rock band as well their music seems to be more "rounded". There are so many different styles of music on this album that it is hard to describe them all. For instance, the classic opener "Loser's day parade" (I think it's about the emptiness of life on the rat race) starts with catchy agressive guitar riffs, before going into acapello style funky singing. This then returns to the original riff but this time with a guitar and then a keyboard solo over the original sound. After another bout of solo singing the song ends in a rousing repeated lyric followed by a soaring guitar solo. Most of the songs are generally "Rock" in style although each differs greatly in its style, this album is likely to draw great longevity from this. The final song is something special, a touching piano ballad which would make a good single. In conclusion this is an excellent thinking man's rock band, it's complicated yet still catchy, aggressive, and reflective in equal measure. One thing to remember, "Kino" has been touted as a "super group" due to the inclusion of the bassist from "Marillion", the keyboardist from "It-Bites" and the ex-drummer from "Porcupine tree", and the guitarist from "Arena" and "The Urbane". Fans of these bands may well buy this album for the names alone, however if you do not consider yourself a fan of these bands DO NOT WORRY, this music is strong enough to stand alone. The CD ships with an excellent DVD of a live performance in Cologne. An excellent inclusion in an already excellent package!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good effort from this prog supergroup, 9 Mar 2005
I was initially in two minds about this album. On the one hand this collaboration of John Mitchell (Arena), Pete Trewavas (Marillion), John Becks (It Bites) and Chris Maitland (ex Porcupine Tree) looked good on paper. But initial reports were of this being very neo-prog, moving into areas of near AOR and even pop! So I was a bit cautious when I first put this on. But I was very pleasantly surprised to say the least. This is extremely melodic and very pleasant to listen to. I don't mean that in a derogatory sense, but there is a very positive vibe to the songs. The majority of the lead vocals are by John Mitchell and he has a surprisingly assured vocal presence. The musicianship is excellent as to be expected, though Chris Maitland's drums are not as intricate and ingenious compared to his past work with Porcupine Tree. But I assume that is due to the material here requiring a simpler and more straightforward approach. There is quite a contemporary, almost poppy feel to the songs. There is nothing retro-progressive here. If anything, comparisons to 80's bands such as The Police would not go far wrong. Though everything is given a slight progressive edge which keeps things interesting and distinctive. Melodically this is a very strong album, with each song having strong hooks which remain in the mind well after each listen. The opener, "Losers Day Parade" is at 9 minutes the lengthiest and most prog orientated track, with excellent bass work by Pete Trewavas and an almost Beatles feel in some parts. "Letting Go" has an almost folksy quality to it. John Beck takes the lead vocal for the excellent "Swimming in Women" which is tense and quirky. But the quality of the songwriting and performances are fresh and sustained throughout. I think the members of Kino have used this platform to try something away from the prog rock mainstream, flexing their songwriting skills in a more rarefied manner to come up with something melodically very strong. In that, they have succeeded very well, with elements of their individual prog roots coming through now and then. This album is not what I expected and I am more than pleased with the results. This seems to be a long term project rather than just a one off, so hopefully we can expect more in the future. With Arena's latest album and this under his belt, this has been a pretty good year so far for John Mitchell and it's only March!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this album now!!!!, 4 Mar 2005
It was at about the time when Losers Day Parade reached its epic climax that a thought crossed my mind. How can Kino possibly be this good? Considering this is only the first track on the album, such a revelation wasn't half bad. I'd been waiting for this album for a long time, being a big fan of singer and guitarist John Mitchell's other band, The Urbane, but I was never expecting them to be as good as this. As a band made up of members of prog bands (It Bites, Marillion, Arena), there are certainly prog influences in the album, particularly evident in parts of Losers Day Parade, but the music is quintessentially rock and as such could appeal to just about anybody. All the members of the band touted as a "supergroup" have most certainly proved themselves worthy of being described in such glowing terms, particularly Mitchell, whose guitar playing is once again immaculate and whose powerful vocals are full of emotion and expression. Highlights of the album (which are extremely hard to select as the overall quality of the album is extraordinarily high) include Losers Day Parade, a constantly changing song with powerful lyrics and a joy to listen to the whole way through, the beautiful, very much rock songs Letting Go and Telling Me To Tell You, both of which have great melodies and gorgeous singing from Mitchell, the quiet and quite prog ballad-esque All You See and the emotional Picture, a gentle and mournful conclusion to fifty five minutes of just about the best music you'll ever hear. I would strongly recommend this album to any fan of rock or prog music of any sort and urge you not to miss out on a true masterpiece. As for Kino's future, on the basis of this album, the sky is the limit.
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