JORDAN RUDESS "Feeding The Wheel" /CD/

Japanese edition ohe fifth full-length albums by cult American Neo-Prog/Progressive Rock keyboardist Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Dixie Dregs fame.
Many other musicians perform on tracks on this album including Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons), Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple), and Dream Theater bandmate John Petrucci, who also worked with Rudess on Liquid Tension Experiment.
On "Feeding The Wheel", Jordan Rudess has modernized the keyboard sounds pioneers like E. Power Biggs, Rick Wakeman, Gary Wright, Alan Hovhaness, and Keith Emerson broke ground with. The latter-day third ivory player in Dream Theater takes Gary Wright's Dream Weaver a step or two into the twilight zone. "Headspace" is a nice moody piece, kind of like Edgar Froese outside of Kraftwerk with more activity in the mix. "Quantum Soup" features Steve Morse of the Dregs on guitar solo with Terry Bozzio of Missing Persons playing percussion, the first of eight numbers the ex-Zappa drummer provides the bottom for. Track two has its own evolution, from Jazz/Progressive Rock to a bassy Funk eight minutes into the tune, with the 11 minutes of "Quantum Soup" melting nicely into the six minutes of "Shifting Sands".
The spaced notations in the CD booklet are vaguely familiar, that aforementioned Dream Weaver concept a simplified version of this. "We all feed wheels that carry our hopes and dreams to another day" is the sentiment written by Rudess, and those thoughts are unleashed in music which will appeal to fans of Dream Theater and Emerson, Lake & Palmer and those who feel Steely Dan is too mainstream. "Revolving Door" could be the theme to Hawaii Five-O turned upside down; strange vocals invade for a few moments on this otherwise instrumental enterprise. The title track can be a bit much except for the staunchest fans of Progressive Rock, over seven minutes of the piano runs Jordan Rudess learned at Juilliard embellished with high-end production and superb drums. For those who thought Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "The Nutrocker" wasn't energetic enough, explore this disc. "Dreaming in Titanium" is like some prelude to music by Prince, while "Center of the Sphere" is part of the artist's quest, the "search for the ultimate sound" that Rudess speaks of.
For an effortlessly enjoyable and mentally replenishing keyboard music experience, look no further than "Feeding The Wheel", a record that soars, swims and does musical marathons that seem superhuman to those back on safe ground watching. And for a demonstration of Rudess' confident skills within more of a band framework, check out Dream Theater in a very active 2002, as well as his important role on the next David Bowie album.
CD comes with OBI and additional Japanese booklet.
Magna Carta Records/Avalon/Marquee Inc., Japan, 2001 (MICP-10266). Made in Japan. First press. Used: like new.


Tracklist:
1. The Voice (Intro) 0:19 
2. Quantum Soup 11:02 
3. Shifting Sands 6:00 
4. Dreaming In Titanium 4:09 
5. Ucan Icon 5:41 
6. Center Of The Sphere 1:38 
7. Crack The Meter 6:13 
8. Headspace 3:58 
9. Revolving Door 8:33 
10. Interstices 4:04 
11. Feed The Wheel 10:12
Total playing time: 61:49