Band: Daniel Gauthier
Band Website: www.danielgauthier.com
Label: Independent
Label Website:
Release Date: 2008
Back
in 2005 Daniel Gauthier released a CD/DVD sampler of the title track of his next recording. At that time it was a single track of
about six-minutes entitled called The Wish. It was sent out to let his fan base know that he was busy working on his next project.
Now a few years later that project has come to fruition. Taking its title from that earlier release The Wish features Gauthier writing
and performing as a solo artist, taking it upon himself to perform on guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals. While he worked with others
on his previous CD this time around he chose to go it alone and yet the music manages to stay clear of the one-man-band syndrome.
You can read about how he manages to do that in his interview elsewhere on this site.
The Wish features eight tracks most
of which are on the longish side, one being an epic twenty-one minutes. After the opening instrumental track, “The Wish Part 1” [2:53]
sets the stage for the music that follows and we slide directly into “The Clock” [6:42] which is perhaps a track that many will hear
as inspired by Pink Floyd. Like many of their tracks, this too is a mid-tempo affair with dreamy or ethereal vocals and an emphasis
on the Dave Gilmour guitar style. The Floyd influence however gives way to a more Yes inspired track “Just for a While” [8:24]. The
Yes influence should hardly be surprising as it was Chris Squire’s bass playing style that proved to be instrumental in driving Gauthier’s
obsession with progressive rock music. This influence becomes even more apparent in the epic length track “Song for Them” [21:21]
which to my ear takes it’s inspiration from the “Awaken” track off Going for the One. It’s a track made up of a number very different
segments each blended into the next with some accomplished arrangements and musical interludes. Sprinkled throughout The Wish, we
hear tasty bits of Squire’s bass tone and playing style and even little bits of Steve Howe’s guitar sounds. These influences are assimilated
well and mesh quite nicely with Gauthier’s tenor vocal style with only the slightest hint of a French-Canadian accent. Overall this
is a disc of classic symphonic progressive rock with a tone that hearkens back to the classic seventies British influences mentioned.
This is in every way a work of the heart as music is very much a passion for Daniel Gauthier. Inspired as he was from
an early age, he’s been at this game now for over 30 years and it’s been that kind of determination that’s pushed him to create such
a well crafted recording. The Wish will appeal to fans of Yes or Pink Floyd and certainly lovers of symphonic prog in general. Its
taken all of eight years for Gauthier to follow-up on his 2000 release, Above the Storm, but you won’t be disappointed. The Wish has
been well worth the wait.
