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Mystery - Theatre Of The Mind

Artist:	Mystery
Title:	Theatre Of The Mind
Label:	Unicorn Records UNCR 2002
Length(s):	47 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1995
Month of review:	02/1997 and 06/1998

Line up

Michel St-Pere - guitars, synthesizers
Gary Savoie - vocals
Stephane Perreault - drums
Patrick Bourque - bass
Michel Painchaud - classical and acoustic guitars
Richard Addison - fretted and fretless bass
Additional musicians play violin, saxophone, cello, flutes and then some.

Tracks

The Reality

1)	Theatre Of The Mind	6.04
2)	Lonely Heart	4.30
3)	Peace Of Mind	4.49
The Dream
4)	Virtual Mentality	1.18
5)	The Inner Journey (part I)	3.39
6)	Black Roses	8.02
7)	Rythmizomena	1.51
8)	In My Dreams	5.08
9)	Believe In Your Dreams	6.41
10)	The Inner Journey (part II)	4.34

Summary

An old album already, having been released in 1995. They are however progressing with their new album and I hope to brief you on that one as well.

The music

Not very progressive this album, but more on the borderline, this band makes music similar to Journey and Styx. The vocals are also a little like those of Steve Perry (although more "usual"), and the music is more melodic and warmer than Journey's. Musically Styx comes rather close, also because of the often used harmonies.

This is rather typical AOR, not very rocky, but vey melodic. The first track is more or less an introduction to the album. The music is melodic, with a bubbling bass and the guitar can be kind of rough, but still the overall atmosphere of the song is friendly.

Lonely Heart is a ballad. After the sax introduction, the music continues with vocals and piano and one by one the instruments are added until the music attains crescendo. The melodies balance on that thin line between being beautiful and being melodramatic.

The melody of the first part returns in a different form in the third part of The Reality played by flute and acoustic guitar. A very good melody. In this song I notice that the sound might have been even a little louder, more bombastic, because even though the melody is good, after while it just tends to plod on.

The second part of the CD is The Dream. The first, short, track is an introduction on keys with various effects. The Inner Journey (part I) is a sad acoustic ballad with again a good melody with a little accompaniment on keys.

Black Roses starts out with classical acoustic guitar and soft wind sounds in the back. The first part of the song is all rather quiet, except for the eruption when they shout "Black Roses". The second part of the track is more rocking although it has some mellow flute parts as well. A bit disjointed.

Rythmizomena is an instrumental, but certainly as busy or rhythmic as I would have expected and functions as a short intermezzo. In My Dreams is a sad ballad with again a memorable melody.

Believe in Your Dreams has a nice up-tempo piano riff. Then every other verse, there's either a heavy guitar on the fore or a more delicate acoustic guitar takes over. This is well done, also, because it's not very obvious that this is done. I have to admit that some of the vocal melodies are not so good here. In this song there's at the end also plenty of variation, but not in a meaningful way. Especially in the way they can't seem to end the track.

The last track is again a beaut (based on part 1), with a beautiful melody. The sax is very moody here, as is the entire track. Great emotion.

The artwork shows a woman vacuum cleaning the desert. Hmm.

Conclusion

Pleasant music, not overly involved, with nice melodies and a good presentation. It moves between AOR and progressive (although more of the first) and is meant for lovers of Journey, Styx or the softer side of Kansas, although I have to admit there is some variation here, especially when the rougher and the more mellow parts are interleaved as in Believe in Your Dreams. Still, although the melodies are good, the whole of the CD is a little too polished and although it's hard to put my finger on it, I think it is a little too tame or sweet, notwithstanding the heavy guitars sometimes used. The CD could do with a little more inventive drumwork, because that might be the problem. The drumming is rather standard and gives no drive to the music.

Jur