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EPIGENE - A Wall Street Odyssey; EPIGENE - A Wall Street Odyssey
Topic Started: Aug 15 2011, 10:24 AM (414 Views)
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EPIGENE
A Wall Street Odyssey

Epigene 2011

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This is certainly an ambitious offering. The third album from NY state band, Epigene, is a rock opera entitled “A Wall Street Odyssey; The City, The Country And Back Again.” You read that right, a rock opera. The main protagonist is called Yossarian, and is inspired by the main character in Joseph Keller’s book "Catch 22". Starting off as an investment banker, Yossarian suffers from a breakdown in his work and life, turns to drugs, becomes homeless, but is later reborn in an eco-village where he bonds with nature, before returning to the city to preach a return to nature. That will certainly have got all the hippies moist.

The whole shebang comes as a 2CD, 95 page hardback book with a graphic novel, lyrics, photos and plot essay. It doesn't seem to say so anywhere, but I hope that it's all come from sustainable sources, otherwise that's another forest that's died in vain. Depending on how many copies are sold. So possibly a small copse. Musically, it's a right old mixter maxter, as it veers between psychedelic folk, new wave and even some bleeping krautrock. The good bits, even throw in some seventies pomp rock for good measure.

And there are good bits, mainly in the first half of the album where Yossarian is getting his rocks off, and the music reflects that admirably on tunes like 'Money Master' and 'Take My Head Off'. The latter half doesn't work so well, as things go all right-on and twee, especially on "The Country" segment of the concept. Oh, I should have said, it's a three part concept - "The City", "The Country" and "...and Back Again". The final part also has some moments of merit, especially when Yossarian realises that we're all a bit shit, and that his attempts to save us just aren't going to work. And as I'm writing this a week after the English city riots, that seems very prescient.

It's certainly ambitious, but the music leaps about so much, it's hard to see that anyone would sit down and listen to it as a complete work. Which is surely the point of a concept album? But with seventies rock competing with electro-pop and new wave, I'm not sure who it's aimed at, especially with all the hippies looking for a happy ending, something that's missing here. And if you ignore the half baked politics, as I tried to do, then the concept itself fails.

However, when all is said and done, I do admire the ambition, even if the execution left me a little cold.

http://www.epigenemusic.com/
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