RPWL: The Gentle Art Of Music

The Gentle Art of Music celebrates the tenth anniversary of German prog rock outfit RPWL with a 2CD retrospective of their first decade together. The first disc is a straight forward collection of eleven of their best songs and is evenly distributed across the band's five studio albums (the 2007 album 9 was half compilation, half solo work from each group member), while disc two sees a further nine songs from RPWL's back catalogue reworked in an acoustic setting and also adds two new songs especially recorded for this album.

Whilst The Gentle Art of Music is a celebration of the RPWL's first decade together, the band's story actually starts three years earlier when Phil Paul Rissettio, Chris Postl, Karlheinz Wallner, and Yogi Lang (the initials of their surnames spell out RPWL) formed as a Pink Floyd tribute act and a very successful one at that. As happens with many tribute bands the urge to showcase their own music became too strong for the foursome and with 2000's unsurprisingly Floyd influenced God Has Failed, RPWL were born. That moniker isn't strictly accurate anymore, as after a few comings, goings and returnings the line up now comprises of Lang on vocals and keys, Wallner on guitars and Postl on bass, along with Markus Jehle on keys and drummer Marc Turiaux.

The Floyd tag is one that has until recently been tied to the music of RPWL on a regular basis and while it is impossible to deny that especially the later era of Gilmour's outfit can be heard through the eleven songs on show here, it is far from telling the whole story. In fact considering that it is possible to stumble across reference points as varied as The Beatles, Genesis (especially the Ray Wilson era) Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Coldplay, or any number of neo-prog bands, the overriding impression given is that RPWL combine all these elements into a sound that none of the above bands could actually be mistaken for. It is also interesting that while the music covered on disc one spans 10 years, all the songs come together to make a listening experience that sounds less like a compilation and more like a cohesive album. Whether it's the beautiful restrained strumming that builds itself into a glorious crescendo of "Crazy Lane" from their debut, or the balance of angular guitars and sublime melody of "Silenced" from 2009's The RPWL Experience, there is only one band that this can be. Wallner is an under rated guitarist who delivers stunning solos and considered rhythmical weight to the keyboard themes and in Yogi Lang RPWL have as fine a vocalist as you could hope to find. His voice is powerful, yet poised and his expressive delivery makes the music all the more appealing. The later day Genesis link is confirmed with the inclusion of "Roses" from arguably the band's best album The World Through My Eyes, where Ray Wilson makes an appearance on vocals. The song was a minor hit for the band and has lost none of the catchy bounce that gains the interest from the very first listen. So if the purpose of disc one is to represent all the colours and shades RPWL posses, then it's job done as it displays the talents that committed fans already appreciate and has all the attributes needed to persuade a newcomer to this music that they should delve deeper.

For those that do already own the songs collected here, it is the second disc that will be more exciting and interesting as the songs are reworked acoustically and also in places include steel drums, strings and brass. Starting off with those restrained strings and plucking keyboards, "Bound To Reach The End", from World Through My Eyes, has a surprisingly modern day Marillionesque feel to it both in terms of sound and structure. It is a beautiful way to begin and following that up with the glorious acoustic guitar and piano led "Breathe In, Breathe Out" just confirms how well RPWL's music transfers to this setting. Cello adds even more atmosphere to what is one of the best songs the band have recorded and this new version really is something special. The first of the two new songs, "Cake", is next and after the poised, considered approach that has gone before, the upbeat poppy vibe comes as quite a shock. However what it does do is display how easily and effectively this band can ease from style to style and the saxophone and female chanted vocals that come later in the song, add yet another unexpected swing. "Farewell" and "Fool" have stripped bare arrangements that really allow Yogi's voice to drip with emotion and he takes the opportunity gratefully.

Originally a hidden track on the Stock album, "Moonflower" comes over as easy listening jazz and in truth is the only missed step across the two discs. It just never convinces and falls just on the wrong side of cheesy. The Indian flavour and a cappella section of "Sleep" have us firmly back on track with wonderful backing vocals, sitars and a tremendous display on the drums from Marc Turiaux. Strings dominate on "Start The Fire", before the almost acoustic "Kashmir" like "Trying To Kiss The Sun" heads us Eastwards again with its swooping swirling arrangement. The second new recording, "Watching The World" is another more straight ahead offering that moves along on a slow beat before Wallner peels off a wonderfully emotive solo and as with "Cake", both make for interesting counterpoints to the more considered approach elsewhere on this disc. "World Through My Eyes" closes the album with what sounds like muted steel drums that with the addition of some other metallic percussion gives the feel of a music box. The song ebbs and flows with a mesmerising metronomic rhythm and is a fitting end to a truly excellent set of songs.

In celebrating their first decade, RPWL have put together a fantastic collection of their work that is the perfect introduction to newcomers to the band. However with the excellent reworkings and new songs this set is also a must have for existing fans. In truth the second disc would be a more than worthy release on its own and is as the title suggests, The Gentle Art of Music.

Roll on the next ten years!

Track Listing
Disc 1:
1) Choose What You Want to Look at
2) Crazy Lane
3) The Gentle Art of Swimming'
4) Hole in the Sky
5) Home Again
6) I Don't Know
7) Roses
8) Silenced
9) Sun in the Sky
10) Wasted Land
11) 3 Lights

Disc 2:
1) Bound to Reach the End
2) Breathe In, Breathe Out
3) Cake
4) Farewell
5) Fool
6) Moonflower
7) Sleep
8) Start the Fire
9) Trying to Kiss the Sun
10) Watching the World
11) World Through My Eyes

Added: August 30th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band's Web Site
Hits: 3856
Language: english

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