DAVID MYERS - DAVID MYERS PLAYS GENESIS

DAVID MYERS - DAVID MYERS PLAYS GENESIS

Disk 1
01) Firth Of Fifth (Selling England By The Pound)
02) Seven Stones (Nursery Cryme)
03) Horizons (Foxtrot)
04) Can-Utility And The Coastliners (Foxtrot)
05) Blood on the Rooftops (Wind & Wuthering)
06) One For The Vine (Wind & Wuthering)
07) For Absent Friends (Nursery Cryme)
08) Time Table (Foxtrot)
09) The Cinema Show (Selling England By The Pound)

info on David's album at:
http://www.disquesexperience.com/Myers/

Line-up: - David Myers: Piano
Engineering/Mastering: - Robert Lafond
release date: December 2005

David Myers Plays Genesis is a series of classic Genesis songs from all eras, played on a single piano. No drums, no guitars, no synths, no vocals... but no one could interpret these tracks like David Myers does. David as we all know is the keyboard player of the reknown Genesis tribute group The Musical Box, so his knowledge of the music of Genesis makes him quite an expert in his field. Here is what David says about this recording; "I am very grateful for the opportunity to make this recording: it has been an opportunity to commemorate the fantastic relationship I've had with the music of Genesis all these years." And David does an admirable job at arranging the music for this album. Recorded in December 2004 at the Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur in Montreal and mastered by Robert Lafond, it is an album that any Genesis fan must discover.

The album begins with the instantly recognizable intro of Firth Of Fifth, the whole song is brilliantly adapted by David, a truly mesmerizing version, intricately detailed and enthusastic. Seven Stones is a bit trickier to adapt to a single grand piano, and the song might not be as captivating as the rest of the album, but still played with much passion. Horizons is of course a piece made famous by Steve Hackett on acoustic guitar and it is an admirable adaptation for the piano, it might sound like an easy task, but it David injects in it subtle nuances making it sound terrific. Can-Utility And The Coastliners is a song that as David puts it "a favorite of the old Genesis hardcore fans", and this elaborate version came out as a majectic, solemn track, with much passion and intensity in it also. Another song originally guitar based, Blood On The Rooftops flows with such perfection and grace, one of the highlights of the CD. One For The Vine is definitely one of the greatest moments of the album, impeccably adapted, down to the quirkiest bits, a stunning version that showcases David's great talent and his uncanny ability to capture Tony Banks' essence and amazing dexterity. For Absent Friends is a quiet vocal-based track that has been well adapted for the piano, a masterful version. Time Table is one of those great Genesis tracks that has been often overlooked, never played live, David gives it a new life, with much emotion. The favorite of many, The Cinema Show is the longest track of the album at 10:46 and is given a particularly elaborate treatment. Such a complex track needed extensive work to be adapted on a single grand piano and David did it in a spectacular manner, adapting time signatures and tempos with string and drum parts conversion to the piano, resulting in an outstanding, simply captivating version, the solo part is simply breathtaking.

David Myers Plays Genesis is a perfect album with such an atmosphere, such presence. A necessary album for any Genesis fan, it is a vibrant tribute to Tony Banks, to Genesis, and to the roots of progressive music at its finest. David has earned the admiration of the musicians he pays tribute to, to the point that this CD is avalable on Steve Hackett's record label, Camino Records, but fear not, this brilliant CD is available at any good record store in town. A fine album, bringing together the sounds of classical music for piano with progressive rock in a flawless manner, It is even better than a simple transcription, because it is played with passion and experience, by a Genesis music specialist like no other.

My rating for David Myers Plays Genesis : 8.7/10(album reviewed by Robert Dansereau 01/01/2006)