Alaska Reviews

An ambitious, epic-heavy album.
The orchestral grandeur conjured by O'Hara's multi-voiced keys
....can be breathtaking, and is worth the price of admission.
...
John Collinge, Progression Magazine , USA


Melodic prog with excellent thought-provoking lyrics, ..cool intricate
drumming, ..keyboard timbres and chord progressions not often heard.
They have a knack for making odd time signatures sound so even you
almost don't notice them.

Highly recommended.
Prof of Prog Grade: A-
..... "The Prof of Prog" - Rob LaDuca, WRKC , USA


Majestic, power keyboard landscapes.
Highlights: "Mesa Extrana": Fantastic instrumental...brimming over with complexity.
"Tiananmen Square": Great epic song with plenty of keyboard fireworks.
...Chris Dixon, Prog-Net, USA


"An exquisitely produced prog collection."
"The angelic vocals of Al Lewis suggest the high
alto vocal range ... that gave Yes its distinct sound."
...FUSE Reviews, FUSE Magazine, USA


On disc you swear you hear three, maybe four people but no -- this is
a prog rock duo. This is symphonic, prog, art rock at it's 1990's best.
Alaska is a must-hear. Get it.
...John W. Patterson, Eclectic Earwig Reviews , USA


I would highly recommend you take a listen to this album
...not only does it drag Seventies prog into the Nineties, but it is
a spectacularly impressive debut by anyone’s measure.
...
Frank Blades, Alternate View, Great Britain


This is another album that I found difficult to choose a few favourites as
they are all excellent,..all are superb tracks with some stunning keyboards,
many changes in direction, mood and tempo and lots of emotion and atmosphere.
Go out and BUY!!
...
Derek Daniel, Stormbringer Webzine , Bournemouth, England


Very well produced and also extremely well performed.
Stefan Polzer, Rivendell , Sweden


Alaska is a great symphonic art rock band...
they create some impressively rich electronic orchestrations.
George Graham, WVIA , USA


Alaska is certainly a genius of a rock group.
Alaska's sound is full, solid, rich and nurtured by excitement and experience.
Exhilarating !
...
Stavros Moschopoulos, FAO CASA Gazette (April 98) , Italy


"Just great!"..... René Janssen, The Dutch Progressive Rock Pages , The Netherlands


"Expertly sculpted in classic prog-rock fashion."..... Stereo Type , USA


"Fantastic modern progressive rock duo
based on lush keyboard works...Recommended!"
...
Eventyr Records , Italy


"An impressive debut." ..... The Christopher Currie
CFMU & rec.music.progressive
, Canada


From their name, you might be thinking UK, and you wouldn't be too far off.
Alaska play a very symphonic progressive rock that sounds like what might
result if Yes dispensed with electric guitar. The keys are more Emerson than
Wakeman, but singer Al Lewis really reinforces the Yes comparison.
This is one of those albums that gets better and better as it progresses.
..... Kinesis , USA


US progressive rock duo, Alaska power their way though this 11 track release, not stopping
for one minute they push as hard as any full band would. If I had not read the press release
with this I would never had guessed that Alaska were just, Al Lewis and John O'Hara,
Keys, guitars , drums, but no bass, which I never missed.
Alaska play a complex blend of of progressive rock,
with a strong YES feel at times, which for me only added to the enjoyment.
With two tracks clocking in at over 11 minutes plus, and others pushing 8 minutes plus.
If you're into progressive sounds, this is well worth checking out.
Acid Attack Music e-zine , England


Anyman's Tomorrow ist der einzige Song, bei dem man einen Bassisten und
einen Gitarristen eingeladen hat - und ich muß sagen, das ist auch der beste Song:
Ein schönes, hymnenartiges Intro, akustische Gitarren, tolle Percussioneinlagen
und zum Teil mehrstimmiger Gesang. Auch hier findet man, wie bei den meisten
Songs des Albums, einen bombastischen Keyboardteppich.
..... Robin Stierkat, contributor - ProgTeam Saarbrücken , Germany



Live Performance Reviews
ProgDay '98 Review in E.E.R.

Live Review in

Live, they still pull it off. You close your eyes and hear the lush expanse of sound
and imagine one of those ELP, UK, Eddie Jobson's Zinc, or even Yes configurations.
You look again and there is Al Lewis singing and drumming and John O'Hara
buried in keys, engulfing electronics, and tap dancing in an array of pedals.
You find yourself slack-jawed, shaking your head, and loving it.

...John W. Patterson, Eclectic Earwig Reviews , USA





Some memorable quotes about the music of Alaska
regarding old demo tapes :


Category A : Good ones :

A WELL-KNOWN CONDUCTOR :"They should have hired you to
compose the music for the Olympic Games."

A GUY FROM A FAMOUS JAZZ BAND :"It sounds as fat as a house."
ERIC FORCONI / FOH ENGINEER: "You guys spive!"

Category B : Not-so-good ones :

EDDY OFFORD :
"Pretentious and self-indulgent"
GEFFEN RECORDS :
"We respectfully decide to pass"
A GUY WHO LIKES COVER BANDS....A LOT :
"How could you lack
the common decency to play the music that people have grown to know and love?"



Category C : You-decide ones :

KEITH EMERSON :
"It's alright."
A FAMOUS CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR :
"Better tasting than partially
molten denatured milk caseinate on a bed of glutinated refined wheat product.
Masticate well for superior digestion."

AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER :
"Sounds like it belongs in a museum"


JOHN OHARA/Prog Dinosaur : "This bystander guy's got quite the
idea for a song there, don't you think? Let's see here..."


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