Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Eloy
Label: G.U.N. Records
Released: 1998
Rating: 4.5/5
Can you imagine Pink Floyd releasing “Dark Side Of The Moon 2”, Genesis “Selling England By The Pound 2” or Emerson, Lake & Palmer “Brain Salad Surgery 2”? Most music connoisseurs would probably lose their heads and leap high in the air at the news that their heroes had decided to follow up some of their best creations from the golden age of progressive rock. But sobriety would soon kick in, and we’d come back down to earth with the unavoidable realization that those bands (especially now, in their old age) could never recapture the original magic of those classics, and that any sequel would be more self-parody than another masterpiece. At best, it would be a big letdown. Unlike in metal, where in recent years we’ve been drowning in more or less botched sequels to classic albums by some of the genre’s favorite acts, this kind of thing has never been popular in progressive rock. Most bands steered clear of it by nature, since any excessive looking back at past glories, or continuing some already used idea, was often in direct conflict with the very notion of progressiveness. For most musical works of art, it’s far better to be left without needless sequels and belong forever to the good old days than to try to revive the magic of a time when the musicians who made them were 20, 30 or 40 years younger and operating on a completely different level.
One of the very rare exceptions in progressive rock came from the legendary German space rockers Eloy, who created “Ocean 2: The Answer” as a sequel to their greatest masterpiece, “Ocean” (1977). That was an incredibly bold move, considering that album is “sacred” to their fans and deservedly ranks among the classics of progressive rock. Eloy had already re-established themselves as a serious progressive rock force in the third decade of their existence with the excellent previous album “The Tides Return Forever” (1994), which revived their classic sound and, with grandiose symphonic arrangements, put things back in “their rightful place”. But following up a legendary album that, on release, had even bigger success in their native Germany than it did for their internationally much more established peers was something else entirely. The skepticism was perfectly understandable.
When “Ocean” came out, Eloy were still a relatively young band, flying on the wings of innovation and pushing some of the musical boundaries of the 70s. 21 years later, the only members left from that classic lineup were their boss, the indestructible guitarist/vocalist Frank Bornemann, one of the most colorful characters in the history of German rock music, and bassist Klaus Peter-Matziol, who had come back to the band, after several years away in the second half of the 80s, on the previous album, returning to the group where he’d had the greatest success of his career. Before starting this more-than-ambitious project, Bornemann and Matziol managed to put together a stable lineup around themselves: longtime keyboard virtuoso Michael Gerlach (a member since the album “Ra” (1988)) and new drummer Bodo Schopf, who proved to be an excellent addition. Frank, Matze and Michael wrote all the music on the album, while Frank, this time without any help at all, contributed surprisingly good lyrics that, as usual, show more than just a few shared philosophical touchpoints with Jon Anderson (Yes).
Before the album came out, of course, the big question was: can Eloy keep pushing musical boundaries in the 90s too and successfully continue their cult concept about Atlantis? Believe it or not, Frank and his musical companions pulled off the impossible; with “Ocean 2: The Answer” they made a more than worthy sequel to their greatest masterpiece, and their first album since the early 80s to earn masterpiece status again. “Ocean 2” continues the sci-fi concept about the rise and fall of the legendary continent of Atlantis from where the “first part” left off. While the latter described the rise and fall of a mythological civilization/continent, brought down by human arrogance and the desire to compete with the “gods” for control of the world using highly advanced technology, “Ocean 2” deals with the aftermath of the catastrophe that swallowed the continent and its inhabitants forever. The individual lyrics touch on various eras and events, from the emergence of Atlantis’s “successors”, i.e. the first ancient civilizations that arose after the great flood, to the continuing influences and “achievements” that reach into our own times; above all, the various “gains” of civilization that, through humanity’s harmful behavior, threaten to bring about a catastrophe similar to the one our legendary ancestors went through. Still, the album ends on an optimistic note, with the simplest possible answer to all obstacles.
“Ocean 2” is an excellent blend of old and new Eloy. On it, the band finally returns fully to its space rock roots. Once again, the grandiose symphonic arrangements and backing female vocal harmonies are indispensable, and they often underpin the individual technical feats of all four members. Frank in particular, with his “spacey”, sometimes “weeping” guitar solos, gives the individual compositions that esoteric Eloy energy which adorned their best work in the past. The heavy rock elements are pushed into the background this time, while the grandiose symphonic arrangements take center stage, above all the esoteric curtains of keyboards creating that “floating” atmosphere, one of the main hallmarks of quality space rock.
“Between Future And Past” is a short, atmospheric intro to the album that opens with a ticking clock and gradually builds its mood on mighty synthesizer pads. Its esoteric vibe sounds very Floyd-like and leans a bit toward the intro to the Floyd classic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. While Gerlach’s mighty synth pads and synthetic samples of melancholy female voices drift in the background, a few simple guitar passages drop in. Then the ticking clock returns and flows straight into the epic “Ro Setau”, which deals with the mysteries of ancient Egyptian civilization and its supposed links with the “gods”. It’s one of the best pieces on the album and even one of the most majestic things Eloy have ever created. The intro is marked by a marching rhythm line and Frank’s mysterious vocal. The mood blossoms with the arrival of a mighty symphonic motif built on a determined guitar riff, solid vocals, massive layers of synths and a punchy rhythm line. The swelling melancholy female harmonies in the background, which kick in during the middle section, give it a special hymn-like touch that fits the “spacey” undulation of the keyboards perfectly. All the instrumentalists just amplify that esoteric atmosphere with grand waves of Gerlach’s synths and superb guitar and keyboard solos. Matziol once again proves he’s one of the best German bassists, with some outstanding bass work in the closing section.
The excellent “Paralysed Civilization” is also easily in the running for Eloy classic status, warning us to wake up and change the way our crazy “civilization” is organized as soon as possible, before it’s too late. It’s almost a classic Eloy composition (some motifs even recall the classic “Poseidon’s Creation” a little) that could sit on any of their best albums. It opens with mighty guitar passages and protective, highly atmospheric synth lines . Besides Frank’s singing, there are also backing female vocal harmonies, which add even more to the intensely esoteric mood. Gerlach again impresses with sweeping keyboard expanses, while Schopf is simply incredible here with his massive multi-part drum fills, which more than obviously recall Neil Peart (Rush). And Frank can’t help weaving in another outstanding, distinctive guitar solo in which the influence of David Gilmour is admittedly (as usual) noticeable, but which is played in his own utterly recognizable way. A crystal-delicate keyboard melody provides the majestic ending. Next comes the mellow “Serenity”, which opens with a melancholy line of bass guitar and bongos. A special motif on guitar, pushed through an effect, joins them along with calm vocals. Once again, the soft sounds of numerous tasteful analog keyboard passages take the foreground, and they’re essential in creating a serene yet mysterious mood.
“Awakening Of Consciousness” is a very interesting piece too, an extremely contrasting track, since on one hand it has a calm tempo, but on the other, energetic passages on guitar, keyboards and rhythm section in between. They’re accompanied by melodic vocals that carry Frank’s philosophical lyrics, packed with all sorts of existentialist symbolism. Once more you can admire some displays of the instrumentalists’ exceptional technical skills, with excellent solos on keyboards and guitar. The nearly 13-minute epic “Reflections From The Spheres Beyond” is without doubt the centerpiece of the album. A melancholy intro with extensive and varied keyboard passages and gentle guitar chords, joined by a rattling bass line and an almost whispered vocal, brings to mind some kind of Celtic lament. That’s over once a punchy guitar riff and booming synth passages crash in, and the composition changes its nature completely. Suddenly dramatic female vocal harmonies break in, and woven together with the central synth motif and guitar riff, they create indescribable magic and easily give you goosebumps all over. The excellent chorus leans a little toward the one from the classic “Time To Turn”. Frank’s “weeping” guitar solo carries it off to “another galaxy” in the middle section. There’s also a section with lots of synth effects producing futuristic, “robotic” voices. Eloy have created yet another epic classic that can stand shoulder to shoulder with their past masterpieces.
The esoteric fairy tale “Waves Of Intuition” is one of the most beautiful things in the band’s history and a real treat for all fans of Frank’s guitar mastery. The extremely fragile, melancholy melody is built mainly on Frank’s gorgeous slide guitar solos and mighty keyboard pads. Dramatic vocal harmonies add to the intensity of the composition too. The ticking clock leads the album into the closing, optimistically tinged epic “The Answer”, whose lyrics offer that (self-evident) answer to the meaning of human existence (love), something people, sadly, still far too often run from or try to deny. This excellent composition, mostly in a mid-tempo, is marked by a mighty, marching rhythm, punchy guitar riffing (which sounds the heaviest of anything on the whole album), a mysterious vocal and a flood of varied keyboard motifs. The band again didn’t forget to use the backing female vocal harmonies, their trademark whenever a first-class epic atmosphere needs to be pushed to the limit. In the second half, Frank weaves in yet another orgasmic guitar solo (sadly, quite likely his last one ever). The build-up of choral harmonies and the marching rhythm carry the hymn-like mood to its peak and to the majestic finish of this superb album.
With “Ocean 2”, Eloy created another masterpiece after a long time, and it’s also a majestic return of this legendary band to the top of the prog rock elite, after many prog fans had written them off more than once as a creative force worth noticing. The circle was closed in the best possible way. After an extensive tour, it seemed Eloy would be one of the important prog rock players in the new century too, but Frank sadly switched entirely to producing and cut off all visible activity linked to the band’s name. Finally, in 2003 he announced that the band had stopped working as a live act for good, while nothing has been said so far about the future of studio activity. So the modest hope among their followers that Eloy will someday return to the scene hasn’t died out yet. Still, if “Ocean 2: The Answer” really is the last chapter of the Eloy saga, there’s no great reason to mourn, because the band said goodbye in an almost ideal way – with a masterpiece that captured the essence of everything people loved them for. Few bands choose to wrap up while they’re at their peak or (in Eloy’s case) when they’ve recaptured the magic of their best days. What Frank wrote in the intro of this album’s booklet will undoubtedly always hold true for their music: “Man is a prisoner of time, but time lives in eternity”.
Lineup
Frank Bornemann – vocals, guitar
Klaus-Peter Matziol – bass guitar
Michael Gerlach – keyboards, backing vocals
Bodo Schopf – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Steve Mann – slide guitar on “The Answer”
Susanne Schätzle – backing vocals
Tina Lux – backing vocals
Hannes Folberth – mini moog on “Ro Setau”
Volker Kuinke – recorder (flute) on “Paralysed Civilization”, “Waves of Intuition”, and “The Answer”
Peter Beckett and Tom Jackson – choir on “The Answer”
Daniela Wöhler, Frederike Stübner and Susanne Moldenhauer – soprano vocals on “The Answer”
Prague Philharmonic Choir on “The Answer”
Production
Frank Bornemann
Track List
1. Between Future And Past (2:43)
2. Ro Setau (7:09)
3. Paralysed Civilization (9:28)
4. Serenity (3:09)
5. Awakening Of Consciousness (6:03)
6. Reflections From The Spheres Beyond (12:59)
7. Waves Of Intuition 4:56
8. The Answer 11:19
Running time: 57:46
