Originally published at
http://www.neoprog.eu/critique/ben_craven/great___terrible_potions
(Translated from French by Google!)
Product: CD Released in 2011
Label: Desert Comb Music
Australian prog, anyone? ‘Great & Terrible Potions’ is an album by Ben Craven, his third of its kind. Ben says that if Pink Floyd had composed the music for Star Wars, it could have sounded something like his album. Well this is only him. But we cannot deny him a strong Floydian heritage. This album is twelve tracks very well the road, with a musical identity of its own despite strong influences. In some notes Ben is setting up a world of interesting, pretty close to Transatlantic in many ways, sometimes quite rock but always progressive. The centerpiece of the album is called ‘No Specific Harn’ with eleven minutes, a small air Eastern music, a song that comes on later, beautiful instrumental tracks, a real atmosphere, really great! The title track of the album is also a large, more than nine minutes. Start singing and piano, and a few instrumental touches Floydiennes perhaps a bit light, but good. The album ends with three edit versions, for those who are in a hurry, limited interest, but why not, it fills the cake. ‘Great & Terrible Potions is to discover, if only to get an idea of the Australian prog. A fine album overall, consistent with a real atmosphere.