Band: Robert Berry

CD Title: “The Dividing Line”

Band Website: www.myspace.com/therobertberry

Label: Frontier Records

Label Website: www.progrockrecords.com  

Release Date: 2008

 

If you’ve been around the world of progressive rock music for any length of time, you will undoubtedly have heard of Robert Berry. I first became of Berry when he fronted the band “3” along with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. Their CD is a disc that I still enjoy listening to from time to time. But then Berry also went on to fill in the shoes of Steve Hackett in GTR and then David Pack in Ambrosia, all bands that I like. As an accomplished multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry has also had a very successful solo career and he’s back with his latest solo effort entitled The Dividing Line.

 

Over the years, Berry has often times displayed his progressive rock skills, but this time around the music tends to fall more into the melodic rock vein. Even so there are plenty of art-rock and proggy embellishments. There are eleven compositions here, most of which are in the four or five-minute range. Only the last track runs just a tick over six. These are songs that rely on melody and traditional song structure to convey their emotion and meaning. Within this framework there are slight shifts in time and tempo, naturally smooth dynamics and even some interesting musical change-ups but nothing to distract you from the main purpose of the piece. The arrangements are rich and full, at times even lush. There is no denying that these are well crafted musical compositions.

 

It doesn’t take but a few songs to show, this is a very accomplished disc and Berry is the consummate musical professional. The performance, the writing, the arranging and recording are all first rate. Fans of melodic prog such as that created by Ambrosia or Alan Parsons or those who have been following Robert Berry’s career will certainly appreciate and enjoy his new CD The Dividing Line.