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review by Michael Woodhead Eclipse is a follow-up to Nick's previous Tears of the Moon. Bordering on a contemporary classical style, the compositions are very plain and simple, with only the bare essentials of musical accompaniment as the music crosses back and forth at times from majestic and cinematic to quiet and meditative, but still highly original and naturally graceful. "Anthem of the Heart" proclaims the start of the CD with a trumpet fanfare, coupled with violin strains reminiscent of a parlour orchestra. Following this, Nick drops rather abruptly into two slow, peaceful pieces: "Many Years Past" and "Yearning." The tempo picks up again on "Emerald Hills," reflecting perhaps, on the countryside of Ireland since the music has traces with an Irish lilt. At the same time, it also reminds me of a sprightly tune that could have been written for a Broadway musical. Enjoyable. The tunes on Eclipse seem to represent Nick's musical views on various experiences in his life, not necessarily things that happened to him, but perhaps places he's been, scenes that made an impression on him - "Picnic in Provence," "View of the Bay," for example - and he's created some moving musical moments. Nick released two earlier albums, Make it Happen and Déjà Vu in 1985. A year later, he formed the group known as De Vie and they released Spice of Life. After releasing a third solo album, Dress to Impress, in 1987, he left the recording industry for awhile to work on other projects. 1992 saw his return with A Chance to Dream and then Tears of the Moon in 1997. Fans of Windham Hill artists will certainly enjoy this album. I would certainly like to hear how Nick would fare on an album of synth music; I think it would be a pleasurable experience and no doubt would be something similar to the works of Ray Dretske, .Bruce BecVar, or Herb Ernst. My Favourite: "Spring Garden" |
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