Watching in Silence
CIRCLE II CIRCLE
AFM
Circle II Circle frontman Zak Stevens replaced Jon Oliva in Tampa operatic-metal institution Savatage and spent nearly a decade recording and touring with them. The songs on his new project were all co-written by either Oliva, Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery, or both. And sometimes even Savatage touring keyboardist John Zahner is a pivotal band member. Now, given that information, would you like to make any guesses regarding how Watching in Silence may sound?
Exactly.
Though often a bit more pared back in style than its principal’s former outfit, Circle II Circle’s sound remains firmly rooted in the kind of ambitious, classically tinged power metal that Savatage typifies. The opening track “Out of Reach” and second cut “Sea of White” rely on standard chunky guitar riffs to get their points across. Everything after that, however, is inescapably comparable to both the mid-’80s period before Oliva became obsessed with symphonic arrangements and neo-classical touches, and every Savatage album on which Stevens sang. The brooding intensity, atmospheric touches and overwrought vocals reach their apotheosis on “Forgiven,” the piano-driven ballad “Walls” and plodding closer “F.O.S.” “Into The Wind” and the title track also forcibly recall a time when deeply theatrical mood and a vocalist with a smooth, four-octave range were de rigueur for metal bands.
For what it’s worth, these guys are good at this shit, dependably delivering tunes that are tightly executed and cohesive, if a bit dated and predictable. Stevens and company are obviously preaching to the choir — Circle II Circle is already huge in Europe, where certain enduring metal trends become timeless instead of tired. And they’ll definitely be a hit with fans who consider Handful of Rain to embody everything that matters in metal. But anyone anticipating a breakout or evolution from Stevens, or anything approaching innovation, for that matter, isn’t going to get it here. 
1/2—Scott Harrell
Elephunk
BLACK EYED PEAS
A&M
After two solid albums and five years of near- constant touring, the Black Eyed Peas are ready for mass- market success. Though originally from Los Angeles, their approach to hip-hop places a high priority on diversity, as well as stylistic integrity and a positive spirit, which distinguishes them from the traditional West Coast sound. It is interesting, therefore, that despite having such A-list guest artists on their past albums (Macy Gray, Mos Def, Wyclef Jean), they have yet to gain widespread acceptance in the mainstream. Perhaps the group intends to remedy this with Elephunk, their most radio-friendly album to date. Recorded over two years, it is more slickly produced than past efforts, featuring tighter rhymes and fuller arrangements. Justin Timberlake, who guests on the single “Where Is the Love,” is woefully underused but breathes life into an otherwise average pop song. The various styles borrowed — R&B, Latin and hard rock, among others — as well as the seamless melding of live instruments, drum machines and samples, are perhaps the most outstanding aspects of Elephunk. Still, it all sounds somewhat contrived, lacking the spaciousness and spontaneity that has become the Black Eyed Peas’ hallmark sound. While the Peas continue to evolve musically, it would be a shame if they forfeited that which set them apart in the first place. —Mark Sanders
I Want You (Deluxe Edition)
MARVIN GAYE
Motown
The temptation is to hail every ’70s Marvin Gaye album a classic, especially when it’s packaged like this two-CD “Deluxe Edition” of I Want You. The extra disc of previously unreleased outtakes, alternate mixes, instrumental tracks and other rarities add an aura of importance. But I Want You was not a classic. Gaye, two years into a drug-addled torpor, had to be dragged into the studio by Motown, who put up-and-coming writer/producer Leon Ware at the helm. I Want You offers its share of delights, for sure. Recorded in ’75 and released the following year, it’s an extended love letter to Janis Hunter, Gaye’s soon-to-be second wife who was 17 years his junior. The songs are full of devotion and lust; the overall mood is smooth and sensual. Ware built these songs into little symphonies of soul, using gargantuan ensembles including rhythm, horns and strings. Gaye ladled his sultry, passionate vocals over the top, stacking them, entwining them, snaking them around each other. The singing, a symphony in itself, is the album’s best feature (most aptly demonstrated in an alternate mix of the title track on Disc 2 that showcases Gaye’s vocals with only bass and congas). The songs, co-written by Ware, Gaye and others, do not challenge the two bona fide classics that preceded I Want You: What’s Going On and Let’s Get it On (both of which have already been given the “Deluxe Edition” treatment). “I Want You” is winningly dreamy, but most of the other tunes are more like sketches, driven by mood rather than artfully drawn melody. The album’s other standout song, “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” is inexplicably cut off at 1:18 on the original LP. That’s where disc 2 comes in: It contains a full take as well as an alternate version that incorporates another song, “After the Dance.” Although I Want You doesn’t belong in the upper echelon of the Gaye oeuvre, it adds up to some pretty terrific music for horizontal pastimes. —Eric Snider
The Complete Works
SPIRITUALIZED
Arista
The unearthly and crystalline sound of Spiritualized has been around for more than a decade and has finally been compiled into a two-disc set of their best work. Formed during the demise of the Spacemen 3, their constantly changing lineup has produced five studio albums and noteworthy side projects, all with the same ambient British pop sound that always appears effortless. Their first single, released while the Spacemen 3 were still together, was a cover of the Troggs’ “Anyway That You Want Me,” and established them as part of a trend toward psychedelic, ambient pop. Other singles ensued but never strayed far from the multi-layered, Phil Spector-inspired sound. A wealth of diverse influences found on The Complete Works range from gospel to the Velvet Underground and Spiritualized’s contemporaries, Verve and Primal Scream. But unlike their peers, they have chosen to build upon simple melodies; building slow, calculated songs that reach a frenetic peak before dissipating. Fans of testosterone-injected rock may find Spiritualized’s earlier material somewhat difficult to digest, with so much passiveness that it almost sounds like a parody of early ’90s shoegaze. These songs plead for listeners’ patience, who are richly rewarded for doing so, if for the arrangements and lush instrumentation alone. 1/2—Mark Sanders
This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2003.
