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Tomas Bodin - An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life

Artist:	Tomas Bodin
Title:	An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life
Label:	Foxtrot CD 017
Length(s):	66 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1996
Month of review:	04/1997

Line up

Tomas Bodin - keyboards, piano, voices
Hasse Bruniusson - percussion, voice
Roine Stolt - guitars, bass on 3, 7
Owe Eriksson - bass on 5, 6, 8, 10
Michael Stolt - bass on 2
Jaime Salazar - drums

Tracks

1)	Entering The Spacebike	1.28
2)	Into The Dreamscape	9.41
3)	The Ballerina From Far Beyond	7.37
4)	Daddy In The Clouds	3.57
5)	Speed Wizard	5.35
6)	An Ordinary Nightmare In Poor Mr. Hope's Ordinary Life	5.55
7)	In The Land Of The Pumpkins	9.06
8)	The Magic Rollercoaster	3.07
9)	The Gathering	3.03
10)	Three Stories	16.41
	(Samuel - The Knight)
	(Adam - The Prophet)
	(Miranda - The Queen)

Summary

Being a keyboard player in the shadow of Roine Stolt's guitar playing with the Flower Kings is a hard life. That's why Tomas thought it was time to take the reign this time and fill his own cd, with the help of Flower Kings of course.

The music

I will tell you outright: I am in two minds about this album (none of them are having it out by the bar, in case you wondered), because on the one hand it contains a lot of freewheeling music and a bunch of styles that generally do not fit on the same album, but on the other there is such good music on this album, I'm also very fond of it. Indeed, various styles never bothered me much, but for instance Speed Wizard is the kind of jazzrock I'm really not fond of and, although I'm not saying I don't like it, some of the music here could have come straight from any children's animated storybook. Entering the Space Bike and Into the Dreamscape are examples of this. It starts all very simple and the tunes and the way it is played it really sounds like Tomas wants us to enter his dreamworld by playing this very friendly melody, but on the other hand there's a very nice clear, bluesy guitarsolo, followed by another nice melody after the which the friendly sounding melody returns. In a way, it seems like he's just toying around, but it still gets to you. On the other hand, Into The Dreamscape also contains some rather wild jazzy excursions with a long keyboardsolo and nice bubbling basswork in the rear. The next part reminds me a little of the Swedish Fruitcake in one of their more up-tempo tracks.

The Ballerina makes her entrance in classical style, with low strings probably played on the keyboards (if the credits are complete). Then a high whistling keyboard takes over and the rhythm section makes its entrance. Following shortly after is Stolt's first of a number of small melodic guitar solo's in this track and I have to admit it's very good. Bodin accompanies on either synth or organ or what have you. Stolt also plays a more bluesy solo that I like a little less. The drummer won't sit still either and thus it becomes a very varied track.

The melody for the next track played on church organ in its most bombastic form is rather accessible, but appealing nonetheless. The song ends quietly. Speed Wizard is that jazz rock track that I did not particularly care about, although the beginning is rather free form, atmospheric stuff and I don't mind that. The track with the long title is a conglomeration of various samples, sounds and percussion. Maybe not something to listen to when the appointment with your dentist is up and coming.

In the Land of the Pumpkins is a nice one. Starting out with peaceful piano playing evoking a moody late nite bar atmosphere, with no one around except the barman cleaning up. After an outburst on the organ, the song gets a jazzy feel with Bodin or Hasse humming along a bit. The guitar accompanies the humming. The middle section of the song is rather hectic and chaotic with all kinds of drumming, organ and guitar.

The magic rollercoaster features a lot of percussion and some off beat keyboard playing. Very free form. The Gathering is a filmic piece and again totally different from its predecessor.

The closer Three Stories is in my opinion by far the best track on the album and the one that comes closest to the "definition" of progressive rock. The track has everything: good even passionate playing, very good melodies and a good build-up. The melody is somewhat Arabic, the song at times majestic and sometimes over the top, but hey let the man play.

Oh yes, I'd like to mention the professional artwork too. I mean Tomas's right: if you do it, do it right.

Conclusion

A varied album if anything. Jazzrock, accessible melodies approaching children songs, filmic parts and yes, indeed, good progressive rock. Although the track differ widely, there's a link connecting them and that is the musicians. Still I think a would have favoured a more coherent approach, but this way has its merits as well: a person can get put a lot of things in one album this way. In fact the only track I do not like much is the fifth while I favour The Ballerina from Beyond and even more Three Stories. By the way: have you noticed I did not compare it to the Flower Kings or n fact any other band? Is that a compliment?