Silent Majority are an American duo, specialising in that AOR-prog rock crossover, and they do a mighty fine job of it from what I can hear.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Silent Majority
ALBUM: Power
LABEL: Track Records
SERIAL: TR-12002
YEAR: 1994
CD INFO: Discogs Info List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Kenneth Cope – lead vocals * Randy Kartchner – keyboards, synth programming * Michael Dowdie – guitars * Steve Tavaglione – saxophone *Jeff Gauthier, Jean Hugo, Steve Scharf – violins * Jane Levy – viola * Stefanie Fife – cello * Joel Hamilton – contra bass * Vincent Cirilli – tambourine * Bernadette Jones, Natisse Jones, Bryce Neubert, S.K. Chollet – backing vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Power * 02 Oh Lady * 03 Imagination * 04 Bitter Suite * 05 You’ll Be There * 06 Another Shade Of Gray * 07 Greek To Me * 08 Made In Japan * 09 Falling From Grace * 10 Silent Treatment * 11 Status Quo * 12 More Power
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Here’s a 1994 rarity, which I’ve just landed via Ebay. I had seen the band Silent Majority previously on a Dutch Wants List (along with a bunch of other Dutch AOR-Prog rarities too I might add). However, Silent Majority are an American duo, specialising in that AOR-prog rock crossover, and they do a mighty fine job of it from what I can hear.
After hearing a couple of tracks on YouTube, I went in search of it. You can actually acquire a copy on CD Baby, but I was after the original, and I eventually landed the big fish. Silent Majority are a Californian duo of vocalist Kenneth Cope and multi-instrumentalist Randy Kartchner, and they get a load of assistance by a team of classical players too it would seem.
The Songs
Listening to this, it lands squarely in the territory occupied by Planet 3, Mr Mister, and Swedes Time Gallery etc. Chuck in a bit of Soleil Moon jazz fusion crossover and Joseph Williams flavoured vocals from Mr Cope, and this hits the spot rather nicely. So if it’s hi-tech you’re after, then this duo deliver in spades.
It gets all parpy for the opener and title-track ‘Power’, and you can hear just about everything I mentioned above all rolled into this track. Very brassy, very poppy. ‘Oh Lady’ is a tight, compressed affair, with some Dann Huff/Giant styled guitar work from Michael Dowdie. Nice. ‘Imagination’ is one for Planet 3 fans, while the short prelude ‘Bitter Suite’ leads into the lengthy ‘You’ll Be There’.
Another hi-tech smash-out is the exciting ‘Another Shade Of Gray’, again kinda Planet 3 and Tim Feehan all mixed together. ‘Greek To Me’ sits at the jazz-fusion end of the spectrum, though the arrangement could be styled on the great Airplay. ‘Made In Japan’ could be a Joseph Williams studio off-cut such is the remarkable similarity, while ‘Falling From Grace’ is not too dissimilar, though is lot more active and upbeat.
The five minute ‘Silent Treatment’ is the slow-burning candle moment on the album, and doesn’t get out of second gear, and quite frankly it doesn’t need to. Dowdie impresses again with some lovely guitar work. The hi-tech form is revisited on ‘Status Quo’, and if you recall a song like ‘Echo Park’ from Time Gallery, then this might be familiar to you. The closer ‘More Power’ is an outtro of the opener, a short 2 minute piece to close the album.
In Summary
I believe this has also been reissued by Retrospect Records, but I don’t have a serial number, but I know there is a link up on their site. There are a couple of clips up on You Tube, plus, if you are really desperate and want a copy come hell or high water, then go to CD Baby, it is definitely worth it. This really could be the best undiscovered hi-tech band that you’ve never heard of. Trust me.
Silent Majority on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
