still trying to formulate thoughts on the Jimi Jamison album, but here's the Ten review. Kevin TEN – HERESY AND CREED REVIEW It’s amazing how the sequencing of an album can affect first impressions. First time I heard this, my thoughts were that it’s about time for Ten to call it a day. The reason was the mid-album lull in quality and poor sequencing that simply took me out of the album. Second time around, I tried Andrew’s tracklisting and thought to myself “hold on here….let’s not judge this too fast”. Sequencing made all the difference in the world. With the tracks set correctly, the mood changes from song to song without throwing the listener off. Ten has an interesting history releasing a very good debut with an absolute classic on it (The Loneliest Place in the World). The double cd live release from The Robe tour wasn’t a bad place to get reacquainted, and then here’s also the excellent Bob Catley The Tower release that Ten mainman Gary Hughes wrote. The best place to describe the Ten sound would be the heavier rocking moments of Magnum (think Pray for the Day from the epic Wings of Heaven release as a very close point for the Ten sound), so it’s no surprise that the chance to write for Magnum singer Bob Catley was a perfect mix. That also solved the main issue I’ve always had with Ten—Gary Hughes’ voice. Put a great singer like Catley on the material, and the songs just shined. I still count that album as Hughes’ finest moment, and it stands as one of Catley’s finest also. Spellbound fixed the vocal problem with Ten somewhat, as you could hear emotion in Hughes’ voice for the first time, and you really started to hear Gary find his way vocally. After the Far Beyond the World cd, I thought the songwriting slackened a bit and the band started sounding like it was repeating itself in dire need of a producer (or some self-restraint—ie The Twilight Chronicles), and then came the extended absence and some questionable choices that did not endear the band to the fanbase. The return with Stormwarning had its moments, but there are still some tracks that I haven’t warmed to. One year later, Gary Hughes and company are back with album #10, so here we go. TRACK BY TRACK The Gates of Jerusalem is the intro that kicks off into suitably dramatic fashion before the Middle Eastern guitar strains of Arabian Nights signal the return of Ten. Pretty much your classic Ten epic rocker with a big chorus. The rocking continues with Gunrunning, which is not a song about illegal arms but a play on words. This one has a pretty strong pop edge underneath the rocking, which is down just a hair from the previous song. Big chorus here. The Lights Go Down turns the tempo back about one notch, and a little bit of a breather. Still, it’s fairly rocking with the big epic chorus you’d expect. So far, so good—and well sequenced up to this point. Raven’s Eye is the first ballad, but in that moody style that Gary Hughes has done with both Ten and especially Bob Catley. Similar in style to Fear of the Dark from Catley’s The Tower album. Works well with Hughes singing, but I’d love to hear Bob have a go at this one. Pretty cool, but I think it needed some separation from the opening rocking blitz. Right Now starts off with sounding like Ten has transformed into Mannheim Steamroller. Soon enough, the Ten sound starts with a slower verse that transforms into this mid-tempo rocker with some heavy guitar riffing in the background. Almost hearing a bit of the Tearing My Heart Out style, but the chorus underwhelms. Too bad as the rest of the song is appealing. Here’s where the track sequencing really starts to veer off in the wrong direction. Game of Hearts is a track I originally struggled with. Heavy guitars and this fast drum beat makes one think this is a big rocker, but then the guitars disappear, and the song turns into this high-tech very poppy rocker. This would have fit well on Hughes’ solo album Veritas--probably better, actually. I like the verse better than the chorus, but it’s a grower. The Last Time is ballad #2. Not sure it works well at this point as it sounds more like a song you’d find towards the end of an album, but moody, moody, moody. With The Priestess, the album hits the low point. Rocking, but sounds like the song you’d hear at a strip club. Skip. Insatiable is another rocker with some questionable lyrics. Not sure I would have kept this one, even though there are some redeeming qualities. By this point, most first time listeners will have lost interest in the album, and that’s sad because one of the best songs of the album is coming up next. Another Rainy Day is a textbook AOR song with a nice verse leading into an incredibly catchy chorus that is immediate and familiar….and that’s the problem—it’s too familiar. The melody for the first part of that chorus is a duplicate of Lady Antebellum’s I Need You Now. Not sure how this happened with no one paying attention, but I suspect the other band’s lawyers could have a field day over demanding writer’s credit. You can easily sing the other song’s lyrics over top without changing the melody—it’s that close. Controversy aside, the rest of the chorus and song goes in a different direction, and there is a beautiful piano and guitar solo. It really is one of the best songs on offer—just too bad about that chorus, which as good as it is, has already been released. Back to the rocking with Unbelievable. Solid, if not spectacular. The Riddle ends the album on your typical Hughes/Ten piano-led sentimental power ballad with some nice vocals. Very nice. The Japanese bonus track, I Found Love is another sentimental piano ballad that Gary Hughes seems to turn out without effort, and a nice addition to the album. Unlike most, this one stays soft throughout. THOUGHTS & RUMINATIONS Despite the initial thoughts upon first playback, this is a pretty solid album. The major problem is the middle album track sequencing that tends to group the least appealing songs together, then throws a few good songs in but totally out of sequence. Some of the best songs are buried deep in the album, and with the sequencing, it’s very likely that some people will not stay with the album long enough for those songs to reveal their charms. If you take Andrew’s revised tracklisting however, everything seems to fit in place much better. By ejecting a few songs (The Priestess, Right Now), and adding the Japan bonus track to end everything, most of the flaws of the album are fixed. I doubt this album is going to change anyone’s opinion of Ten. If you liked the band before, you’ll probably like them now. If you were never a fan, it’s unlikely that anything here will sway you to the fray. My main issue (other than some songs included and the sequencing) is that Ten is often over-produced to the point that everything sounds nice and smooth and leaving none of the rough edges remaining. Spellbound was maybe the only album that kept the rough, and there is a life in that album that few of the other albums have managed. Sometimes, less is more. It’s not changing though, so I might as well get used to it. In the end, I’d rate the regular version about even with Stormwarning, and the revised edition up with the better half of the Ten albums. Album Rating: 73 Andrew’s Best Of Version: 79 To interpret scoring numbers: Below 70…..needs work 70…..average. Good and bad points. 80. Solid, if not spectacular. 90+ future classic. Very rare to see stuff in this category. (for scores more in line with Andrew’s current system, add 10 points to the score given)http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,919950#msg-919950Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:52:14 +1000 Phorum 5.2.16 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920181#msg-920181 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920181#msg-920181
Agree about See How They Fall, monster track. Tony Clarkin is one of few who writes lyrics that just make me awestruck.


Men talked with passion, although time was brief
And something would happen to shake their belief
Gentle persuasion, a soft serenade
it filled the occasion and everyone prayed
Get back in the shadows, say farewell to friends
On through the meadows, too late to pretend

It starts, Mother Nature cries
She falls into her final dance
People were just walking by
Passing without half a glance
So into the shadows burning
Wide-eyed and so young they came
And all but their very soul
Swept into that savage game

Through fire and water, they try to be strong
And not to be touched by that poisonous tongue
The men on white horses, observing their plan
Were deep in discussion, send man after man
Over and over and over again
Over and over, it's over, Amen]]> Tom G NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 10:02:15 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920176#msg-920176 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920176#msg-920176
I didn't grow up with Magnum (worked my way back to them in my 30's based on Andrew's love of them) but they just don't click with me.]]> the ORIGINAL brent NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 09:30:11 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920170#msg-920170 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920170#msg-920170-------------------------------------------------------

> having heard 'Heresy and Creed' on Spotify twice
> and read comments I;m just not sure that I want to
> part with another tenner for more of the same
> average to good stuff that doesn't really excite
> me.

Trust me when I say that the revised track order that Andrew did makes all the difference. Once you do that and cut some of the worst songs, it really does sound good. Not great, but I'm a LOT more enthused compared to after hearing Stormwarning, or anything post Far Beyond the World.
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 08:14:41 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920168#msg-920168 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920168#msg-920168-------------------------------------------------------
> Agree on all points. Immortal SOUNDED great but
> the lyrics were awful.
>
> Forced rhymes, nonsensical rubbish, bad flow... it
> ruined what could've been a great CD because the
> melodies and production are top notch.

Exactly. All this buildup to what should have been a great cd, and it turned out so underwhelming. Put the Immortal production on Spirit of Man, and that one would have been received much better. Help us all if you put the Spirit of Man production on the Immortal tracks. Unreleaseable would be a good word.



>
> Spirit Of Man had good songs but sounded awful,
> sadly. I am a big Legends fan myself but Middle
> Earth is also a strong contender for the top spot
> along with The Tower and When Empires Burn.

Don't get me wrong. I like most of Legends, but instead of writing the "lost Magnum album" again, he just wrote song he would like to hear Bob Catley sing....or songs that could have been used for Ten. It sound pretty good, but you are losing the identity of a "Bob Catley" album.


>
> Agree about The Tower, lyrically it was a very
> nice throwback to the more fantasy-esque side that
> Tony Clarkin straight up abandoned after Eleventh
> Hour. The title track of On A Storyteller's Night
> is probably the final example, along with Dragons
> Are Real from Princess Alice.

Dragons are Real always seemed a bit heavy-handed lyrically, like Clarkin was trying too hard. See How They Fall, on the new album, is VERY much All England's Eyes style.
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 08:10:12 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920165#msg-920165 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920165#msg-920165
I enjoyed 'Stormwarning' as a good comeback (7 out of 10 again for me,w with great production and some super tracks, but nothing stunning) and having heard 'Heresy and Creed' on Spotify twice and read comments I;m just not sure that I want to part with another tenner for more of the same average to good stuff that doesn't really excite me. It's a shame really as at their best Ten have been and could be a fantastic band but they seem to have sunk into being ok to good and with so many classy releases out there I just don't want to buy any more ok albums.

I'll spend my cash on the new 3 Doors Down Greatest Hits, Lifehouse release in December and am enjoying the Anberlin and Jimi Jamison releases a lot.]]> Cressy NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 07:53:34 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920163#msg-920163 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920163#msg-920163
We are haunted
We are wanted
Evil eyes are watching us everywhere
We are dying
We are flying

I mean, come on?

Or

I can't remember why
We all must die

Forced rhymes, nonsensical rubbish, bad flow... it ruined what could've been a great CD because the melodies and production are top notch.

Spirit Of Man had good songs but sounded awful, sadly. I am a big Legends fan myself but Middle Earth is also a strong contender for the top spot along with The Tower and When Empires Burn.

Agree about The Tower, lyrically it was a very nice throwback to the more fantasy-esque side that Tony Clarkin straight up abandoned after Eleventh Hour. The title track of On A Storyteller's Night is probably the final example, along with Dragons Are Real from Princess Alice.]]> Tom G NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 07:44:37 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920162#msg-920162 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920162#msg-920162-------------------------------------------------------
> Agree about The Loneliest Place In The World,
> absolutely superb track.
>
> I looove The Tower too, it's a dead heat between
> it and When Empires Burn for my favourite BC solo
> album.


I like When Empires Burn a lot, but it could stand losing a couple of songs. It definitely comes in as #2 though. Middle Earth probably would fit #3. Spirit COULD have been good if you re-recorded it. Then you get Legends (really Ten with Bob Catley on vox), and the lyrical abyss that was Immortal. Catley, as good as he is, can only work with what he is given, and there was nothing lyrically to work with. Nice melodies, but soulless empty songs.



But neither quite reaches the height of
> those magical Magnum albums. I think it's mostly
> in the lyrics, Clarkin is a genius. Never on the
> wrong side of cheesy unlike Gary (mind you he is
> one of my favourite lyrics writers ever) who is
> responsible for some incredibly sappy ballads and
> dodgy lyrics.

I can agree sometimes on the lyrics, but early Gary Hughes is better than the more recent output. One thing Hughes managed to get on The Tower is that mystical Storyteller's Night (and to a lesser extent Eleventh Hour) feel.



>
> And the ridicilous sex songs of late has to go.
> It's not a wrong subject per se but he can do much
> better than that.

agreed 100%.




>
> I do think Bob's solo albums brought out the best
> in Gary. They are all brilliant. It also helps Bob
> is a masterclass singer, he really becomes one
> with those songs.

Fear of the Dark is right down Catley's alley as the type of material he excels on. With Gary being a huge Magnum fan, it probably made him step up his game a bit--especially on that 1st album.
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 07:35:25 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920160#msg-920160 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920160#msg-920160
I looove The Tower too, it's a dead heat between it and When Empires Burn for my favourite BC solo album. But neither quite reaches the height of those magical Magnum albums. I think it's mostly in the lyrics, Clarkin is a genius. Never on the wrong side of cheesy unlike Gary (mind you he is one of my favourite lyrics writers ever) who is responsible for some incredibly sappy ballads and dodgy lyrics.

And the ridicilous sex songs of late has to go. It's not a wrong subject per se but he can do much better than that.

I do think Bob's solo albums brought out the best in Gary. They are all brilliant. It also helps Bob is a masterclass singer, he really becomes one with those songs.]]> Tom G NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 06:48:03 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920156#msg-920156 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920156#msg-920156-------------------------------------------------------
> And I love The Tower but to call it far above any
> Magnum album is just crazy talk. I can name at
> least ten Magnum albums I prefer over it.

For me, I'd rank it below the best trio (Storyteller's Night, Vigilante, Wings of Heaven), but above the best of the rest. For whatever reason, I just love that album. The original intent was to provide the Magnum album between Storyteller's and Wings of Heaven if Gary was writing with Vinny Burns on guitar. I'd say he succeeded magnificently, with a bunch of absolutely stellar songs.

Go through a few more Magnum albums (Chase the Dragon, Sleepwalking, 13th Day, Visitation), then you get When Empires Burn, and the rest of the solo albums fall some amount below that.

just my thoughts...
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 05:32:46 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920155#msg-920155 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920155#msg-920155-------------------------------------------------------
Gary's lyrics are
> almost unrecognisable compared to classics like
> The Lonelist Place.....

IMO, the best track Gary Hughes has written. Just a magnificent song.
Kevin]]> Kevin NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 05:24:27 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920133#msg-920133 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920133#msg-920133
And I love The Tower but to call it far above any Magnum album is just crazy talk. I can name at least ten Magnum albums I prefer over it.]]> Tom G NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 01:34:27 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920130#msg-920130 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920130#msg-920130
I like both stormwarning and the new one but would love to see Vinny back in the fold.]]> Rockhead1 NoticeboardWed, 21 Nov 2012 00:42:51 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920073#msg-920073 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920073#msg-920073
A couple of very good tracks on each of the last two albums but still waiting for something to match earlier albums.

Please...............remix and re-release The Robe!!]]> the ORIGINAL brent NoticeboardTue, 20 Nov 2012 13:14:46 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920072#msg-920072 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920072#msg-920072
For me the Ten albums go something like this

1) Name of The Rose
2) debut
3) The Robe/Far Beyond The World (The Robe could be equal #1 if it was remixed)
4) Spellbound


and then daylight to the rest. The Tower with Catley can sit in the same company as those top few albums too and far above anything by Magnum IMHO.]]> the ORIGINAL brent NoticeboardTue, 20 Nov 2012 13:10:50 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920015#msg-920015 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,920015#msg-920015
But Babylon remains TEN's absolute best CD.]]> Tom G NoticeboardTue, 20 Nov 2012 02:05:22 +1100 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,919950#msg-919950 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,919950,919950#msg-919950Kevin

TEN – HERESY AND CREED REVIEW

It’s amazing how the sequencing of an album can affect first impressions. First time I heard this, my thoughts were that it’s about time for Ten to call it a day. The reason was the mid-album lull in quality and poor sequencing that simply took me out of the album. Second time around, I tried Andrew’s tracklisting and thought to myself “hold on here….let’s not judge this too fast”. Sequencing made all the difference in the world. With the tracks set correctly, the mood changes from song to song without throwing the listener off.

Ten has an interesting history releasing a very good debut with an absolute classic on it (The Loneliest Place in the World). The double cd live release from The Robe tour wasn’t a bad place to get reacquainted, and then here’s also the excellent Bob Catley The Tower release that Ten mainman Gary Hughes wrote. The best place to describe the Ten sound would be the heavier rocking moments of Magnum (think Pray for the Day from the epic Wings of Heaven release as a very close point for the Ten sound), so it’s no surprise that the chance to write for Magnum singer Bob Catley was a perfect mix. That also solved the main issue I’ve always had with Ten—Gary Hughes’ voice. Put a great singer like Catley on the material, and the songs just shined. I still count that album as Hughes’ finest moment, and it stands as one of Catley’s finest also.

Spellbound fixed the vocal problem with Ten somewhat, as you could hear emotion in Hughes’ voice for the first time, and you really started to hear Gary find his way vocally. After the Far Beyond the World cd, I thought the songwriting slackened a bit and the band started sounding like it was repeating itself in dire need of a producer (or some self-restraint—ie The Twilight Chronicles), and then came the extended absence and some questionable choices that did not endear the band to the fanbase. The return with Stormwarning had its moments, but there are still some tracks that I haven’t warmed to. One year later, Gary Hughes and company are back with album #10, so here we go.

TRACK BY TRACK
The Gates of Jerusalem is the intro that kicks off into suitably dramatic fashion before the Middle Eastern guitar strains of Arabian Nights signal the return of Ten. Pretty much your classic Ten epic rocker with a big chorus.

The rocking continues with Gunrunning, which is not a song about illegal arms but a play on words. This one has a pretty strong pop edge underneath the rocking, which is down just a hair from the previous song. Big chorus here.

The Lights Go Down turns the tempo back about one notch, and a little bit of a breather. Still, it’s fairly rocking with the big epic chorus you’d expect. So far, so good—and well sequenced up to this point.

Raven’s Eye is the first ballad, but in that moody style that Gary Hughes has done with both Ten and especially Bob Catley. Similar in style to Fear of the Dark from Catley’s The Tower album. Works well with Hughes singing, but I’d love to hear Bob have a go at this one. Pretty cool, but I think it needed some separation from the opening rocking blitz.

Right Now starts off with sounding like Ten has transformed into Mannheim Steamroller. Soon enough, the Ten sound starts with a slower verse that transforms into this mid-tempo rocker with some heavy guitar riffing in the background. Almost hearing a bit of the Tearing My Heart Out style, but the chorus underwhelms. Too bad as the rest of the song is appealing. Here’s where the track sequencing really starts to veer off in the wrong direction.

Game of Hearts is a track I originally struggled with. Heavy guitars and this fast drum beat makes one think this is a big rocker, but then the guitars disappear, and the song turns into this high-tech very poppy rocker. This would have fit well on Hughes’ solo album Veritas--probably better, actually. I like the verse better than the chorus, but it’s a grower.

The Last Time is ballad #2. Not sure it works well at this point as it sounds more like a song you’d find towards the end of an album, but moody, moody, moody.

With The Priestess, the album hits the low point. Rocking, but sounds like the song you’d hear at a strip club. Skip.

Insatiable is another rocker with some questionable lyrics. Not sure I would have kept this one, even though there are some redeeming qualities. By this point, most first time listeners will have lost interest in the album, and that’s sad because one of the best songs of the album is coming up next.

Another Rainy Day is a textbook AOR song with a nice verse leading into an incredibly catchy chorus that is immediate and familiar….and that’s the problem—it’s too familiar. The melody for the first part of that chorus is a duplicate of Lady Antebellum’s I Need You Now. Not sure how this happened with no one paying attention, but I suspect the other band’s lawyers could have a field day over demanding writer’s credit. You can easily sing the other song’s lyrics over top without changing the melody—it’s that close. Controversy aside, the rest of the chorus and song goes in a different direction, and there is a beautiful piano and guitar solo. It really is one of the best songs on offer—just too bad about that chorus, which as good as it is, has already been released.

Back to the rocking with Unbelievable. Solid, if not spectacular.

The Riddle ends the album on your typical Hughes/Ten piano-led sentimental power ballad with some nice vocals. Very nice.

The Japanese bonus track, I Found Love is another sentimental piano ballad that Gary Hughes seems to turn out without effort, and a nice addition to the album. Unlike most, this one stays soft throughout.


THOUGHTS & RUMINATIONS

Despite the initial thoughts upon first playback, this is a pretty solid album. The major problem is the middle album track sequencing that tends to group the least appealing songs together, then throws a few good songs in but totally out of sequence. Some of the best songs are buried deep in the album, and with the sequencing, it’s very likely that some people will not stay with the album long enough for those songs to reveal their charms.

If you take Andrew’s revised tracklisting however, everything seems to fit in place much better. By ejecting a few songs (The Priestess, Right Now), and adding the Japan bonus track to end everything, most of the flaws of the album are fixed.

I doubt this album is going to change anyone’s opinion of Ten. If you liked the band before, you’ll probably like them now. If you were never a fan, it’s unlikely that anything here will sway you to the fray.

My main issue (other than some songs included and the sequencing) is that Ten is often over-produced to the point that everything sounds nice and smooth and leaving none of the rough edges remaining. Spellbound was maybe the only album that kept the rough, and there is a life in that album that few of the other albums have managed. Sometimes, less is more. It’s not changing though, so I might as well get used to it.

In the end, I’d rate the regular version about even with Stormwarning, and the revised edition up with the better half of the Ten albums.

Album Rating: 73
Andrew’s Best Of Version: 79

To interpret scoring numbers:
Below 70…..needs work
70…..average. Good and bad points.
80. Solid, if not spectacular.
90+ future classic. Very rare to see stuff in this category.
(for scores more in line with Andrew’s current system, add 10 points to the score given)]]> Kevin NoticeboardMon, 19 Nov 2012 10:38:27 +1100