Audio CD review:
Kayak - The Last Encore

Kayak - The Last Encore

Band: Kayak Title: The Last Encore Rating: Release Date: 18 June, 2002 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Back to the Front 2: Nothingness 3: Love of a Victim 4: Land on the Water 5: Last Encore 6: Do You Care 7: Still My Heart Cries for You 8: Relics from a Distant Age 9: Love Me Tonight/Get on Board 10: Evocation 11: Raid Your Own House 12: Well Done

Customer Reviews MAYBE THE LAST ENCORE BUT IT'S A GREAT ONE!!! BUT I NEVER BOUGHT THIS ONE AND THERE WAS A GOOD REASON WHY. i USED TO BUY KAYAK RECORDS BACK IN THE LATE 70'S, AND i LOVED EVERY ONE. WHEN JANUS RECORDS RELEASED STARLIGHT DANCER IT WAS A COMPILATION LP WITH SONGS FROM THE ORIGINAL STARLIGHT DANCER AND THE LAST ENCORE. bUT AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. AND THAT PARTICULAR ALBUM WAS MY FAVOURITE. I RECENTLY PURCHASED STARLIGHT DANCER IN A 2 CD SET WHICH INCLUDED THAT ALBUM AND THE NEXT 2. AND I WAS WONDERING WHERE ALL THE OTHERS SONGS THAT I LIKED WERE NOT ON IT. I LATER FOUND OUT WHY. NOW I HAVE THE LAST ENCORE AND I LOVE IT. GREAT MUSIC. GET IT!!!. The best of the band's many wonderful offerings While some would argue Golden Earring or Focus, neither band matches Kayak in either Kayak's ability to write and arrange or in their ability to just plain kick ass. Kayak is, at least for me, arguably Holland's best rock band. These guys can rock but do it with a sense of drama, flair and embellishment that is very European in its sophistication -- even adding a degree of humor that you will not find in any but a handful of bands. But don't get me wrong, this is no comedy group and they can write rock that is beautifully poetic in its classical edge, complete with vocals that border on damned near being an angelic choir at times. They can also do it while creating an edge that most rock bands would die to possess. This is rock like few bands can play and if you've ever loved bands like Camel, Genesis, Ambrosia, Kansas or Yes, then you NEED to get this album. Simply put, these guys are every bit as good as any of the top bands of the progessive rock genre and most prog bands never released an album as good as this one. Just buy it, this will quickly become one of those albums that you listen to over and over. Good for Pim Koopman fans It's strange that I have to order this CD in the USA, although I'm living in Germany, and Kayak is a Dutch band. . That's even stranger, if you consider that Kayak once was one of Europe's finest prog bands! One of their typical hallmarks was that they managed a good balance between 70's pop sounds and progressive elements. "The last encore" from 1976 is a special album because it is the last one with Pim Koopman on drums. It's also a special one because it contains an unusual large amount of Pim's songs. Although main Kayak composer Ton Scherpenzeel and Pim are quite different songwriters, their songs integrate very nicely on this CD. Ton is more prog-oriented and writes terrific ballads, while Pim is a great author of "intelligent pop music". Both gave their best on "The Last Encore", and that's why this CD is a must-have. (By the way, Pim went on to become a successful pop music producer after leaving Kayak. . . ). . You can see a complete list of all Kayak discography, or go back to the Kayak tabs