Peter Blinne - "Deep Space Mine"
(Home Records 2002, 170660-34)
Peter Blinne - "Deep Space Mine"
(Home Records 2002, 170660-34)
From Aural Innovations #22 (January 2003)
Hailing from Germany, Peter Blinne plays rock in the grand and theatrical style, drawing on many 70’s album-oriented rock influences, from classic David Bowie and Queen, to progressive rockers like Yes and King Crimson, to even a bit of Andrew Lloyd Webber (from his early, more rock influenced musicals). Lyrically, however, his themes revolve around family and spirituality, often within the context of science fiction and fantasy themes (his lyrics are all sung in English).
The album opens up with Deep Space Mine, the only track Blinne himself didn’t compose on the album, a spacey rock re-working of Dennis McCarthy’s majestic theme from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The rest of the album features a nice balance of vocals, keyboards, and guitar work. My favorite is the 9-minute Judgement Day, which shifts from deep piano and orchestral tones, to a smooth and cool electric guitar riff, to some great strummed acoustic guitar and harmonies, all in the first two minutes! The rest of the song ranges from orchestral rock, to synthesizer excursions and a final sweeping grand finale. Sounds like a lot to fit into one piece, but Blinne makes it work.
All of his songs are not quite as successful as Judgement Day, however. Some of the musical themes sound a little too familiar at times, but the album is so chocked full of varying sounds and ideas, that it’s easy to overlook the occasionally too familiar passage.
Though Blinne is not quite as into the guitar pyrotechnics as Rick Ray is, this album, with its 70’s sheen and spiritual themes will certainly appeal to fans of Ray’s music, and anyone who enjoys that classic 70’s rock sound.
For more information, you can visit the Home Records web site at: http://www.homerecords.de, though most of the site is in German.
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald