Boud Deun represents - for me at least - the optimism of the late 1990s. Both in life and in music. In particular, progressive rock had really found its footing again, and new and exciting bands were cropping up all over the world. Boud Deun's privately pressed debut was met with great enthusiasm, so much so that America's premier progressive rock label at the time, Cuneiform, scooped them for their roster rather quickly. Because of this association with the label, you'll often see Boud Deun tagged with the Avant Prog genre, but that is simply not the case here. Cuneiform, especially in those days, were promoting various kinds of progressive rock, beyond their core base. And it didn't hurt that Boud Deun were practically neighbors with the label, hailing from northern Virginia.
The regional note plays a role in their music as well. One can point to the Dixie Dregs as perhaps the blueprint for their sound, at least when The Dregs were focused on jazz fusion verse country rock. But it also becomes clear that Boud Deun had a knowledge of worldwide progressive rock. Their sound mixes in European styled jazz rock but with a touch of Appalachia. And a sophisticated kind of symphonic fusion, that we also find in Europe and Japan. Let's be clear: Astronomy Made Easy does not pull a single punch - it's very intense folks. But here's the kicker - it's also highly melodic, so that it does stay in the memory banks. Technical plus melody plus regional folk customs + rockin' out = success.
On a personal note, I brought along a pile of CDs before I was to be married in April of 1997. It was the long road trip from Denver (where I resided at the time) to Dallas (where I grew up). If I were to associate one album from that period of time - it's this one. So nostalgia plays a big role in my own subjective viewpoint. What's more interesting here for those reading this is... I hadn't heard the album in 22+ years since then. And guess what? I remembered much of it. It came back as each track unwound itself. I often read this is one of those highly technical albums that is academic overall. I beg to differ.
The regional note plays a role in their music as well. One can point to the Dixie Dregs as perhaps the blueprint for their sound, at least when The Dregs were focused on jazz fusion verse country rock. But it also becomes clear that Boud Deun had a knowledge of worldwide progressive rock. Their sound mixes in European styled jazz rock but with a touch of Appalachia. And a sophisticated kind of symphonic fusion, that we also find in Europe and Japan. Let's be clear: Astronomy Made Easy does not pull a single punch - it's very intense folks. But here's the kicker - it's also highly melodic, so that it does stay in the memory banks. Technical plus melody plus regional folk customs + rockin' out = success.
On a personal note, I brought along a pile of CDs before I was to be married in April of 1997. It was the long road trip from Denver (where I resided at the time) to Dallas (where I grew up). If I were to associate one album from that period of time - it's this one. So nostalgia plays a big role in my own subjective viewpoint. What's more interesting here for those reading this is... I hadn't heard the album in 22+ years since then. And guess what? I remembered much of it. It came back as each track unwound itself. I often read this is one of those highly technical albums that is academic overall. I beg to differ.
1997; 4/15/20 (new entry)
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