The Tangent's latest album, Not As Good As The Book, proves to be a spectacular series of musical journeys from start to finish, at times thrilling, intriguing, mesmerizing, flamboyant, joyful, sad, revealing, honest and intimate. Reading those descriptions you might thing that it could be a mish mash of ideas or even a progressive rock train wreck but, believe me when I say it covers all of those bases and much more. As a review this has been one of the most daunting I have had to do in a while as I began to worry that I might not have the vocabulary to do the album justice and when an artist puts so much of themselves into an album, as Andy Tillison has done with this one, the last thing I would want to do is give an inadequate or ignorant series of comments.

Not As Good As The Book was created over a two year period, a time span in which  and Tillison had much to cope with including the end of a long term relationship. These changes certainly seem to have fired up his creative juices and inspired him whilst, at the same time, caused him to reassess the progress of his life and to be honest there is so much on here to relate to that one could say the new album from The Tangent will touch many people. Joining Tillison on the new album is his regular back line of bassist Jonas Reingold, drummer Jaime Salzaar, saxophonist Theo Travis and long time musical friend Guy Manning. Electric guitar duties this time around come from the highly respected Jakko Jakszyk who follows the footsteps of Roine Stolt and Krister Jonsson. There is no Sam Baines this time but we do have female vocal lines supplied by the charming voice of Julie King.

The first disc features seven songs that cover many moods and styles The opener “Crises In Midlife” has a title which aptly describes the content and is very much a reactionary song to the situation that Andy has been going through. It’s a song with all the Tangent trademarks but with the added pyrotechnics of the confident guitar playing of Jakko who “rips it up” in a manner unheard of from previous players.” Lost In London Twenty Five Years Later” is kind of a part two of “Lost In London sharing the wonderfully organic sounding instrumentation of flutes in full flight that were draped over the first installment. It’s a charming song with a whimsical innocence running throughout the notes. “The Ethernet” tells the tale of a love affair conducted over the web, intriguing and thought provoking it makes you wonder how many people out there are doing just this rather than interacting with other and enjoying each others “real” company.” Celebrity Puree” is an instrumental that struts and walks the musical walk in real style. Each musician gets a chance to shine and the rhythmic interplay is a joy to listen to as everyone gets their chance to take the music to far-flung progressive places.

“A Sale Of Two Souls” is both heart-warming and sad all at the same time whilst the final track on the fist CD, “Bat Out Of Basildon”, is a great piece of song writing and a song sure to raise many eyebrows and crack smiles across many faces. This song has to be experienced loud as it sticks its two fingers up at the conformists and those that follow the leader like sheep. There is serious musicianship on display and the sound of a band that know how to have fun all mixed together at the same time. When Theo takes his saxophone solo there is a gentle Jim Steinman like quality to the arrangement. It’s fleeting but it’s there.

The second disc features only two songs but they are proverbial epics, musically the “dogs bollocks”. ”Four Egos One War” will, in time, become a Tangent classic. Lyrically it’s succinct, absorbing and very poignant. “The Full Gamut” on the other hand is very much Tillison wearing his heart on his sleeve. The melodies are nothing short of magnificent and the imagery that the lyrics convey are touching in the extreme. Like “Four Egos One War” this track has to be heard to be believed.

With “Not As Good As The Book” the Tangent have delivered another wonderful progressive rock opus. The band have managed to retain their penchant for classic rock instrumentation that has its feet in the seventies and yet have also created a thoroughly modern sound that is both youthful and mature all at the same time. The recent events in Tillison’s life can be felt throughout but that musical optimism that has been a part of the bands albums thus far is alive and well and bodes well for the future. For the time being however this two-disc release will reward the listener time and time again and is a worthy addition to the bands ever growing catalogue.

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Track Listing

A Crises In Mid-Life
Lost In London 25 Years Later
The Ethernet
Celebrity Purée
Not As Good As The Book
A Sale Of Two Souls
Bat Out Of Basildon
Four Egos, One War
The Full Gamut