Prog drummer for the stars (Kevin Gilbert, Spock's Beard, Kaviar, Neal Morse, Genesis), Nick D'Virgilio has taken on a very lofty of recording a tribute to the pinnacle work of Gabriel-era Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. With the help of Mark Hornsby in the production seat and other studio musicians, D'Virgilio applies his own "variations" to the piece with mixed results. When I first heard of this project, I was very excited at the prospect of something new of something old and with D'Virgilio as the creative force, it had to be crème-fresh right? Unfortunately….no.
Although interesting to listen to, it is confused in it's approach. Given the fact that tribute albums can be risky to begin with, they either seek to recreate note for note the original source or they "make it their own" with a new a sometime juxtaposed rendition. This CD tries to do both and suffers in the end for it.
The opening and title track introduces a new instrument pallet with horns. Okay, I'll bite, but the underlying music is note for note the original. Why not allow the horns to influence the piece? Strings are later introduced in "In the Cage", taking away from the drive and urgency from the original.
What was appealing about Peter Gabriel's swan song to Genesis, it was written around the dirty and rough-hewn storyline. Raw and visceral, dark and disturbing with jagged rhythms and sharp edged chords. The original had a great deal going for it. The original "Back in NYC" was teetering on heavy metal and D'Virgilio's version is anemic in comparison as the horns and Manhattan Transfer vocals detract from the power and energy. Admittedly in the press release, he finds blues and soul in the original, yet really does little to reflect that. The other thematic factor the original did well was to contrast the storyline with funny and humorous instrument voicing. "Counting Out Time" here does that well in that a New Orleans ragtime application is done to the nines. The second piece that reaches it's intent is "Carpet Crawlers" with the strings working to a haunting effect. Beautiful vocals and harmonies carry the tune well. My favorite track is "Supernatural Anesthetist" with fantastic guitar play in the apex of the tune. The most disappointing is "Riding the Scree" with a clarinet trying to replace the essential Mini-Moog from the original with a backdrop of horns that pale the fury.
D'Virgilio is no doubt a gifted drummer and vocalist, but the application here is out of place. A committed choice to mirroring or changing the original is this project's downfall. An "A" for effort.
Track List:
CD 1 :
01 - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
02 - Fly on a Windshield
03 - Broadway Melody of 1974
04 - Cuckoo Cocoon
05 - In the Cage
06 - The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging
07 - Back in NYC
08 - Hairless Heart
09 - Counting Out Time
10 - The Carpet Crawlers
11 - The Chamber of 32 Doors
CD 2 :
01 - Lilywhite Lilith
02 - The Waiting Room
03 - Anyway
04 - The Supernatural Anaesthetist
05 - The Lamia
06 - Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats
07 - The Colony of Slippermen
08 - Ravine
09 - The Light Dies Down on Broadway
10 - Riding the Scree
11 - In The Rapids
12 – It
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