j a c k

All right, it's time for me to gush here. Normally the kind of music I like tends toward the darker and heavier side of things, but not this one. This is probably one of the "sunniest" records I own, but I just adore it! My friend and I dubbed Gary "Cap'n Sunshine." This is the kind of music that makes me feel better when I have a headache or am feeling kinda "blah." Jadis is led by guitarist Gary Chandler. The lineup has changed quite a bit since they began way back in the 1980's, but Gary has remained constant. Most fans consider this the "classic" Jadis lineup. If you've heard IQ's Ever, you have a good idea what this sounds like (especially with Martin and John being in both bands). If not, well, it's a pretty typical neo-prog sound, not too far removed from Marillion or Genesis. Lush keyboards, twinkly guitar arpeggios, catchy melodic guitar leads and basslines. Though Martin's and John's styles are obvious in their parts, it's basically Gary's band, and the emphasis here is on the guitar. His style is very lyrical, very smooth, and well, very sunny. I find myself humming along to his guitar leads as much as I sing along to the vocals. Sometimes his solos devolve into big-hair rock, and his rhythm playing devolves into power chords, but not too much, and when it does, it doesn't bother me too much (at least on this album). Gary has an up-front, but pleasant, sing-along kinda voice. Martin contributes backing vocals, which add to the sing-alongness. Lyrics are pretty simple, maybe a little cheesy ("I wish the sun would shine on me, oh God I need it, shine bright"), but they don't bother me enough to ruin my enjoyment of it. Compositionally, it's not horribly complicated, but varied enough to be interesting, and always effective. There are verses and choruses, definitely, but it doesn't follow the typical pop song format. A typical song on this album may go something like this: begin with a simple keyboard and/or rhythm guitar part, with a catchy lead melody soon joining in with the rest of the band. This will develop through a change or two, and then lead into a verse/chorus structure. Then an instrumental interlude, with some juicy guitar leads, some trading off with keyboards. Then eventually back into a big dramatic chorus, with bass pedals and the works. Then they'll end it with a nice instrumental outro. Very complete, from beginning to end. Again, the obvious comparison is IQ, but Jadis is neither as dark nor as intense. It often sounds like TV theme music or something. Not necessarily a criticism, just something that I noticed. Light, pleasant, but catchy, and for me, uplifting. I realize it's not for everyone, but I think it's still worth a listen, at least. review by Jack Hesse — undated —

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Jadis plays neo-prog, and on this release they are joined by Martin Orford (keys) and John Jowitt (bass) who play with IQ. The most noticeable part of this band to me is the guitar playing of Gary Chandler, who sounds like a cross between Steve Hackett, Andrew Latimer, and David Gilmour. He puts together some really nice melodies behind a wash of keyboard sounds from Orford. "Sleepwalk" features lots of guitar sounding like Hackett from his early solo days. The only thing I don't care for is Chandler's vocals and his rhythm playing, which consists mostly of power chords, but his lead playing is so tasteful that this is forgiven. This leads into "Hiding in the Corner", another uptempo song, featuring some notable keyboard work in the intro. This one sounds like something from Spectral Mornings. "G.13" starts out with some very cool sounding guitar patterns, very melodic playing again. "Wonderful World" opens with some nice keyboards and acoustic guitar, excellent guitar solo, disappointing chorus in this one, sounds a bit like cheesy metal to me. Since the rest of the song has a nice feel, the chorus ruins it for me. "More Than Meets the Eye" opens with a flute sound on keys with guitar, very atmospheric and mellow. This one breaks up the flow nicely. "The Beginning and the End" again starts with a tasteful solo from Chandler, and builds into a good song. "Holding Your Breath" opens with a cool keyboard riff, with lots of changes within the song, and is an instrumental to close the record. Fans of Spectral Mornings-era Steve Hackett should really like this. I always get that feeling listening to Chandler's solos. He plays with alot of taste, and the songs have some great keyboard backing. My biggest complaints are the lyrics and vocals, but this is a nice one to sit back and enjoy some nice guitar work over some symphonic-like music. review by Eric Porter — undated —