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Remastered HDCD 2002 reissue of the King Crimson founder's 1971 collaboration. Includes a guest appearance from Steve Winwood

thanks to runo, thanks to my friend

Review by Steven McDonald
Following the meltdown of the original King Crimson lineup, Ian McDonald and Michael Giles brought brother Peter Giles back, which helps to account, in some ways, for the resemblance of this album to the 1968 Giles, Giles & Fripp recordings -- though the songs here tend to go on at some length, combining prog rock's traits of length and multiple sections with some of the lighter feel of the GG&F days. The 20 minute "Birdman" tends towards self-indulgence, while "People of Tomorrow (The Children of Today)" loses focus halfway and spends the next four minutes being a blithering -- if pretty -- musical idiot. The main attraction is really the performances turned in by McDonald and the Giles brothers -- they all sound fabulous, even when waffling musically, while Michael Giles has a unique drum tone that never has been duplicated (Giles himself abandoned the sound for his later career in Jackson Heights and as a session drummer). Peter Giles returned to the accounting trade, alas, while Ian McDonald eventually wound up as part of Foreigner, which is another tale entirely.



An evergreen joy!, December 2, 2004
Reviewer: William Timothy Lukeman
The only solo project by Macdonald & Giles after leaving King Crimson, this album sounds as fresh & richly melodic & transporting as it did when I first heard it on vinyl. This is progressive rock at its finest: weaving different musical styles together to create something that's truly moving & enchanting, while never mistaking empty bombast for depth. It successfully combines both Beatlesque & jazzy influences with a symphonic approach, succeeding wonderfully. A serious work, it's all the better for its infectious sense of humor & wit.
"Suite in C" begins the musical journey by expressing the innocent exuberance of falling in love with that magical Someone. The sense that nothing in the world can stop this fated pairing just grows & grows, and can't help leaving anyone who's ever experienced the same thing with a warm, wide grin of recognition & delight.
"Flight of the Ibis" is almost ethereal, reminiscent of "I Talk to the Wind" & "Moonchild," a gentle glimpse of hope & promise. If there was a hippie creed, this song expresses it at its best. Naive & sincere as a short poem by William Blake.
"Is She Waiting?" is a gem in its purity & simplicity, a perfect song of longing for a love temporarily far away. Its loneliness is tempered by anticipation for a romantic reunion, making it both melancholy & reassuring. Haven't we all felt this way at some point in our lives?
"Tomorrow's People--The Children of Today" is probably the best single song about the positive aspects of the 1960s to come out of that era, brimming with optimism, looking towards a better future. Marvelous percussion! A pity far more of Michael Giles' work as a composer hasn't been recorded (as with his excellent "Progress" CD), as this is a standout track.
And finally we have "Birdman," a gorgeous, inventive, contemplative masterpiece that never overstays its welcome. The theme of flight, especially on self-made wings, was not unusual in those days (see Duncan Browne's "The Death of Neil," for example); it was the prevailing metaphor of personal & cultural growth, encompassing both escape from the confines of the present world & entry into a higher, more spiritually meaningful world. The English Romantics surely would have approved!
All in all, a superb evocation of its time, while also being timeless in its beauty. Most highly recommended!