GANDALF 
277152
CD
FOUNTAIN OF SECRETS (NEW MUSIC IN HIS BEST STYLE)

SYMPHONIC INSTRUMENTAL (PROG)

Late in 2002 our favourite Austrian multi-instrumentalist returned to the label where it all began for him just over twenty years ago, delivering another fine album of symphonic fantasy music that bridges the divide between the Synth and Prog music markets and beyond better than any other we know. It’s a work of huge breadth and quality, the sort of thing that if it had been a soundtrack to something like the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ films (and much of this CD in particular would indeed be PERFECT in that context), it would elevate both musician and music to well-deserved recognition and worldwide success. We at CDS still consider Gandalf to be the Austrian equivalent of Mike Oldfield. His multi-tracked melodic music comes via a combination of keyboards such as lead and string-synths, organ and Mellotron, plus layers of choral voices, acoustic and electric guitars, basses, drums and percussion (also acoustic and electric) with voices and other effects adding integral textures to that panoramic sound that can only be Gandalf music. ‘Fountain Of Secrets’ recaptures the ‘fantasy world’ feel of the early masterpieces: ‘Journey To An Immaginary Land’, ‘Magic Theatre’, ‘Tale From A Long Forgotten Kingdom’, ‘To Another Horizon’ and ‘Visions’, and the same can be said of the early CBS album, and arguably his biggest seller: ‘From Source To Sea’. Like all the other Gandalf albums before it, ‘Fountains’ is surely destined to become another top seller at CDS (his ‘Source To Sea’ album is still one of CD Services top selling imports, having long since passed four-figure sales status). It is a stunning flowing, mix of melodic variety and sound layering where the music travels but never loses sight of its functions. The music holds you completely transfixed from start to finish. As the journey unfolds and the horizons change, the views become more beautiful. It’s that sort of album – It frees the imagination to take you to wherever your own personal nirvana happens to be. Each track is tuneful, but never twee, merging the right side of accessible, with the long-term side of enjoyment, and it is easily mature enough to class as timeless, just as all the others have always been before it!  So, just settle down, dim the lights and let this one fly – the experience will surely amaze you…

The man himself says of this new work: “Life appears to be a long and winding path, sometimes easy to walk, sometimes steep and stony, sometimes you see a guiding star on the horizon, sometimes you step through the dark. Turning round and looking back you may find certain patterns in the footprints you left behind, moments of joy and moments of sorrow, chances you took and chances you missed, things you learnt and things you refused to learn. In some way the music I have written reflects my personal development, experiences, impressions and emotions. Every album I have recorded appears to me like a MILESTONE along my way. My life went through many changes and so did my music. During the earlier period of my career Warner Music released six of these STONES, which never lost their magical power throughout the years. After having finished the work on ‘The Fountain Of Secrets’ I realize that somehow it captures the magic of the earlier works. It seems l have found the SEVENTH STONE that I had always been searching for…”

This how we heard it… Imagine flying – not in an airplane, or anything so mundane – I mean REALLY flying, like a bird – you swoop ands soar effortlessly over oceans, vast landscapes, down into canyons, high into the sun, across deserts and rolling seas; probably one of the most spiritual and uplifting yet exhilarating and beautiful experiences it would be possible to have… Well, welcome to this album – the sound of a musician in flight! If ‘Visions 2001’ was the sound of the musician finding his wings and unleashing the results, this is the follow-on as the experience becomes more celebratory. The power is in the dynamics, the beauty in the construction and the success in the subtlety. It is a work of great maturity, one that extends some of his fine work on the previous album, and combines it with the feel of the early WEA classics, to take Gandalf music up onto an altogether higher plain. These 12 new interlinked pieces take us into his fantasy world for sixty-four magical minutes, and what better a way to begin this aerial journey, but with one of those memorable haunting melody lines that he is so well known for. The scene is set with a melange of slow shuffling Enigma-like rhythms and whispered female voices, a Bruce Hornsby-esque piano melody line, then Constance Demby oriented spiritual synth choral voices and Gregorian chants, plus Mike Oldfield-influenced guitar horizons injecting just the barest of rock flavours into the track – A fantastic combination of styles that works absolutely brilliantly. ‘An Adventurous Journey Begins’ builds more strength into all of these elements and, like the finest works of both Gandalf and Oldfield, the quality is in the construction. With so many instrumental layers, textures, melodies, rhythms and backdrops at work; it would take more than the rest of this page to give a blow-by-blow dissection of just this track alone. Suffice to say, the music fulfils everything you would expect of it – drums, flutes, electric guitars, synths, synth choirs, acoustic guitar and more all sounding so accessible and high-flying together. ‘Many Roads-Many Choices’ both beefs up this scenario with another strong theme, adding even more of a gorgeous reflective nature to music that takes you back to his early albums. Remaining rhythmically strong and with a decided Pacific flavour, the track allows you to imagine that this part of the journey is flying over some deserted desert island or coral reef as the guitars glide gracefully over a warm sea of textural beauty. ‘Lost In The Night’ and ‘Across Mountains And Deserts’ provide even more colourful landscapes to take in and exhilarate the mind, and Gandalf’s fantastic picturesque guitar and keyboards playing together with his superb production skills, seems to make the whole journey that bit more real. ‘Voice Of Your Heart’ is an astounding and hauntingly beautiful track that sends shivers up and down your spine – It’s an infectious anthemic theme with a female vocal from Greek songstress Loukia Agapiou – A voice that complements Gandalf’s music brilliantly. Her voice is smooth, with a sort of lower register Sarah Brightman feel, and she handles the memorable theme brilliantly on what really is a lovely piece of music. ‘Valley Of Memories’ has a Celtic symphonic flavour and ‘Crossing Borders’ is more dramatic and rocky, with the Gandalf’s sitar sound coming out for another airing, plus more flutes and superbly smooth male choral keyboards sounds, plus a raging guitar that flies to the heavens. ‘Reflections In The Mountain’ takes us back into mystical lands where tiny waterfalls trickle into calm, mist covered waters, with a beautiful acoustic guitar carrying the melody over a backdrop of velvet strings and heavenly angelic voices. ‘Wandering Amongst Green Hills’ is an emotive track where flutes and percussion slowly guide the album towards it’s conclusion with waves of misty synth textures, piano melodies and electric guitar soloing, concluding in a dreamy world of rippling synth textures and languid waters. Those familiar with ‘Source To Sea’ will know that the album starts with ten of the finest minutes in symphonic rock you’ll hear – Well, this album revisits that same feeling of musical euphoria, but at the end of the album with ‘Ascending To The Final Pass’ and then ‘View Of The Ocean’. ‘Ascending’ is the penultimate track and it showcases how early Genesis fantasy instrumental passages from tracks like ‘Firth Of Fifth’ inspired Gandalf’s own symphonic creations - These keyboard swells and melodious, sweeping Hackett-esque electric guitar solos raise the spirit well beyond the realms of normal listening pleasure. ‘View’ forms the beautiful closing sequence, where superbly structured symphonic synths play a reflective theme to close the album on a truly harmonious note.

Weight: 150.00 g