JORDAN RUDESS - THE ROAD HOME - 2007

Jordan Rudess has found his Road Home through music. The versatile keyboard player that was once a classical pianist entered the world of progressive rock with Dream Theater many years ago and has never looked back, except on this album where he stops to reflect upon the music that got him where he is today.

Rudess is prog-metal royalty now and it is obvious to me after listening to The Road Home that his love for this music has not waned at all over the years; on the contrary, it feels strong and poignant. The keyboard wizard makes every track his own by improvising and adding his special touch to give each one the respect it deserves while making sure his stamp is left everywhere in between. There are six tracks on this CD with the classic ELP track "Tarkus" running for nearly 24 minutes alone; it's packed with long stretches of keyboard virtuosity. This is what you want to hear if you happen to love the original tracks and appreciate the talent and genius of Mr. Rudess.

It is only fitting that Rudess surrounds himself with others from the same category to pay tribute to the music he loves. Jordan gets some first rate assistance from the prog world's best such as singer Neal Morse, who does a terrific job with "Dance on a Volcano," then Kip Winger and Nick D Virgillio (Spock's Bear) trade off on vocals with "Sound Chaser" and Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) contributes his fine vocalizations on "Stones of Years". On the instrumental side of the equation, the excellent drummer Rod Morgenstein (The Dixie Dregs, Winger) contributes heavily while Ricky Garcia and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns n' Roses) peel off some scorching guitar solos.

On "I Talk To The Wind" Jordan turns in a surprisingly good vocal treatment. It comes as a surprise of course as he normally performs instrumental pieces and does not contribute vocals on the Dream Theater albums. So overall there are plenty of instances that alert your senses while taking The Road Home with Jordan Rudess. The album cover art is typically progressive and filled with fantasy, depicting Rudess following his path to the futuristic metropolis that sits in front of him with all its glorious architecture and power - much like the music he makes and the imagery it creates throughout this entire package. I could not have asked for a better solo project, and best of all it comes right from his very soul transported directly to your ears. © MuzikReviews.com-www.muzikreviews.com
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