Yoke Shire: Another Stack of Positive "Masque of Shadows" Reviews

     The following are excerpts "taken from the Diary of Vitaly Menshikov, also known as ‘Progressor’, one of the Special Space/Time Travellers/Annalists from planet Earth." His log is an account of the journey he took thru space with the Starship Crew Yoke Shire on April 3, 2000 the day he first listened to "Masque of Shadows."

     "Can we really see what we hear? Can we really feel what we hear?
Can we really realize what we hear?…"

     "Maiden Voyage". Drifting through the spiral hair in Virgo (a satellite that's also known as the 'Maiden Voyage') the beauty is overwhelming. It seems the Yoke Shire Crew knew that I would be glad to hear the sounds of the Zodiac through the spaces of such a special constellation. I consider it as a Destination of my special voyage with Yoke Shire. The music I was listening to here, full of nostalgia, contains all the necessary 'ingredients' to be a blockbuster of the Progressive Music of the 70's, yet simultaneously it is very original and fresh, typical only for this Crew. Short vocal themes kaleidoscopically change with the diverse instrumental parts, the excellent, as always, work of rhythm-section and virtuostic lead-guitar solos... Is a picture I paint here with words instead of oil not vivid? OK, then this is music that is hidden within itself. Inside out music. Another new dimension.

     "The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden" is a special musical story of Virgo that the Crew told me while I was looking at this beautiful constellation. Their longest song, a song without words. Really, there's no need for words to show the beauty of Virgo. I heard it with pleasure: a wonderful polymorphous vocalization, lots of other spacey sounds of the Universe played on 'alive' (made of wood!) instruments - a flute, piano, acoustic guitar, mandolin, hand percussives... But the Universe is like a Mirror, a Mirror of our Earthly existence, a Mirror for itself. I did understand it when I was listening to splashes of water of our Earthly Brook and imagining a Virgo looking at it to see her own reflection.

     "Return Voyage". Yes, it's time to go home. We left the spiral hair of Virgo for our Solar System, for our 'current' year 2000 A.D. After the run the Crew performed a short farewell anthem - in their firm manner.

     Album Summary. It is obvious, the roots of the music I heard being in journey with Yoke Shire are somewhere in the beginning of the 70's, but... even the same sound is already very fresh and original, not to mention, there are lots of the new ideas. Yes, it is the sound of the Three who are really able to sound as a sextet, though there are very few overdubs in their program. There is a place for lots of various instruments within the framework of any song on the 'Masque of Shadows' route. Such a special program must be a stage, an impulse to the return of the really obvious interest in Progressive Music as it was in the good old years...

One cannot doubt that originality continues to be one of the best virtues of American progressive bands. Yoke Shire is a good example of it. This North American trio made up of Craig Herlihy (multi-instrumentalist; guitars, voices, bass pedals, keyboards), Brad Dillon (drums) and Brian Herlihy (guitars). I was delighted last year to receive the progressive package with "Masque of Shadows", a true mosaic styles whose main attraction is in the wise mixture of different musical currents. They go from the traditional progressive rock ("The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden"), to the characteristic rock sounds from the 70's ("Black Tower", "Shape of to Dancer"), added with a remarkable Celtic folk influence. In the gallant music of Yoke Shire clearly marches elements of Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. This is translated into sophisticated arrangements with extremely rich and complex atmospheres, emphasized by the enormous contribution from Craig on instruments like theremin, mandolin and marimba, as well as the solid presence of Brad on percussion.

The sound, not to mention the production, is another one of the strong points of this album, quality that will help you to observe the very small details of the wild musical odyssey of this trio from Massachusetts. Really, this is a work of high quality that, among other things, was awarded "Album of the Year" and "Song of the Year" (for the deserving "The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden") granted by the prestigious Jam Music Magazine. A jewel worthy to be in any progressive CD collection.

Yoke Shire come from Boston, but if one hears their CD, one must wonder, if they come from another country, or at least from 25 years ago. How is one to describe their music? A real 70’s feeling in the year 2000. Had Jethro Tull not stagnated (on an uncommonly high level mind you), but developed further, perhaps today they would in some way sound themselves like these three Hippie Druids, which play everything from melodihorn and mandolin, up to theremin, harmonica and marimba. Using all handmade instruments, through which they bring out the human aspect. Much reminds one of Tull, not only in music, but also the romantic atmosphere, best described as a Celtic tendency. It fits exactly the same as if Ian Anderson had worked on this recording, even if Yoke Shire act much more dark than Tull, where then the influence of older Pink Floyd discs shines through. All large bands of the 70's are represented here, Tull and Floyd, Santana, ZZ Top, Deep Purple are met by polar opposites like Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath.

All are there, a rock musician congregation somewhere in an English forest at a Celtic celebration, on which everything is played, underlaid by radio material over Folk, up to the Blues, and always with tidy prize guitars…"Masque of Shadows" is produced not only crystal clear, but also is very addictive, and I am sure that I will carry the CD to Holland in the summer.

The secret of the success of Yoke Shire, a trio from Boston, that all the world speaks of, is in the fusion of styles, in using a lot of sonorities and motifs which you've listened to already, but that they mix with an amazing imagination. So, you shouldn't be surprised if you hear guitars typical of Fripp (or from The California Guitar Trio, in the track opening the CD), or to hear a lot of influences from Jethro Tull (from "This Was" and the blues heritage, to "Minstrel in the Gallery" or "Warchild"). To come around in "Shape of a Dancer", with the uncommon influence of a band such as Zee (the project of Richard Wright [Pink Floyd] and David Harris in the splendid album "Identity") or to listen an instrument as strange to progressive rock as the Theremin (the first synthesizer according the experts, and one of so many instruments played by the leader of the band, Craig Herlihy). And Finally, you'll listen totally virgin and original passages as in the masterpiece of the record, "The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden".

The mind of Herlihy is full of a lot of influences and music styles, from pure symphonic rock to hard rock and from the classic music to the blues and folk, and the band mixes all these styles in a homogeneous and perfectly structured work.

The trio is completed with Brad Dillon, a fine and mighty drummer, and a
chameleonic guitar player and co-composer of some tracks who is called Brian Herlihy. God bless them.

When some weeks ago I asked Neal Morse, leader of Spock´s Beard, to name some new bands to follow because of their quality, he answered: "Yoke Shire". Immediately I searched for this CD, which comes endorsed by very good reviews in progressive e-zines and magazines... will Yoke Shire pass the quality controls of ProgVisions? The answer is YES. … it is clear that this CD is impressive, wonderful, indescribable and replete of originality. Its originality comes from the band members, a trio with an image a la Jethro Tull in Stand Up. It is formed by Craig Herlihy (producer, composer, singer, flute, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, harmonica, dulcimer, mandolin, theremín, marimba and melodihorn); Brad Dillon (drums, percussion, glockenspiel and choirs) and Brian Herlihy (guitars). Originality also for their attitude, warning us, like Queen did at their best, that all the sounds of the CD have been created on musical instruments played by humans, with no sampling or sequencing. Also, all the keyboards are analogue. And finally, originality as for their music, a tasty soup that mixes ingredients as appetizing as Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Queen and many others. Yoke Shire has created its own and spectacular sound mixing all those influences and they have released a masterpiece that can be considered an island of inspiration inside the ocean of mediocre albums usually released under the progressive label.

All this is included in a CD of less than 45 minutes (no more is necessary), with 10 tracks of different length, that I will detail one by one.

"The Three Welcomes" (0:59) is a short introduction of orchestral guitar a la Brian May.

"Black Tower" (5:40) is a party, a jam session played by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Gene Simmons (the voice reminds me of Kiss bassist, hoarse and personal), Geezer Butler and Mick Abrahams. In the middle of the jam a crazy Santana joins in with an amazing guitar solo while the percussion becomes a show of Latin richness.

"Shape of a Dancer" (4:52) follows the same scheme, with many details of quality in the bass and the percussion, an inspired harmonica solo and many instrumental developments by keyboards and guitars. There is more music in these 5 minutes than in whole CDs by many bands.

"Magic Circle" (3:44) is pure Jethro Tull as in "Songs from the Wood": mandolins, flutes, acoustic guitars, clapping hands and all that is necessary to recreate the English countryside.

"Maiden Voyage" (5:10) begins with an interesting guitar riff and a stony bass (everything Craig plays is excellent) and is a very edgy track, combining harder parts with more melodic elements in a great balance.

"The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden" (9:21) is the longest track and is a jewel. It begins with an a cappella choir that reminds me from the middle section of "The Prophets Song" an excellent song from Queen´s "A Night at the Opera". After the choir, some exquisite keyboards appear and the track is developed in a very descriptive way, as if it was a soundtrack, with acoustic sounds and a flute directly influenced by Ian Anderson. The track is marvelous, and without a doubt, the best in the whole CD.

"Return Voyage" (2:11) is very ambient in its beginning and ends with a Hammond joined with a great guitar solo.
"Ghost Notes" (2:13) is also very descriptive, mixing rhythm elements of the original Black Sabbath with the hardest Queen of `73-`75.

In "Masque of Shadows" (6:41) Tull sounds return in an amalgam of very versatile sounds that merge with Rush (Yoke Shire mixes influences that nobody would have ever imagined). This track is the most commercial of the whole CD, but it doesn't lower the quality at all, since the work of the guitar is simply devastating.

The end is "Magic Dust" (1:29) an outro full of beauty because of its piano and its acoustic guitar.

Some think that bands like Mastermind, Vanden Plas, Radiohead or Dream Theater are the future of progressive rock. Personally I wish the future of the progressive would hinge on bands like Yoke Shire, full of quality, originality and virtuosity without excess. For the next CD they will have the difficult task of excelling this one, although I believe Craig, Brad and Brian will be able to do it. That is why I have reserved the fifth star. To me...the biggest surprise in 1999 and a sure bet for the future.