Search - Conspiracy :: The Unknown

Progressive Experiment For Squire

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 01/30/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"One of the hallmarks of MAGNIFICATION was the pleasure of hearing Chris Squire sing more prominently than he has in a while. Such a higher register voice for such a big fellow... His is not the mellifluous intonations of Jon Anderson, but he strings a lyric line together less fantasy driven than Anderson and that is very much part of the success of this CD. It is a very solid side project, much in line with his writing within YES, and by virtue of collaborating with Billy Sherwood, sounds quite a bit like late 90's YES.
Squire isone of the most creative and powerful bass players to have emerged in the late 60's. Along with John Wetton, Greg Lake, Mike Rutherford, they set a standard for rhythmic heavy deep pulsing bass lines. McCartney had made the bass a lead instrument and Squire and his contemporaries set about to really expand and deepen its role.
All of his strengths are on display here, and thankfully he avoids trotting out something anthemic like "Amazing Grace". Instead, he and Sherwood have crafted a song driven CD that has a certain high energy. The solo work is handled mostly by Squire, but Sherwood's multi-tasking skills support and supplement and move the whole process along. "Conspiracy" is the most Yes-like, and from that point on, you have what amounts to an exploration of what happens now that the fish is indeed out of water.
The weak side is the vocals: neither man is an especially convincing singer, "Confess" being the prime example. All the same, the level of commitment is extraordinary. Jay Schellen is the drummer on the project and he is a sophisticated time keeper in the Alan White mold. That may be the thing I long for most about Squire: I'd love to hear him play with the likes of Bruford again. If you listen to the current 35 year anthology, the difference is in the drumming. This is not to dismiss White, but Bruford was so exceptional and seemed to inspire Squire in remarkable directions. One wonders what sort of bass player Squire might have been had he not worked with Mr Odd-Metre. Up through CLOSE TO THE EDGE, Squire and Bruford had created the sonic foundation that set YES dramatically apart. While YES is currently in another R & D frame of mind, and celebrating their 35 years, squire has launched this interesting side project. It is compelling listening. It is not different enough from YES to suggest a new direction. Instead it fills out the details about this founding member, who left to his own devices can come up with a few good conspiracies."

A pleasant surprise

Tyler Stewart | Athens, AL United States | 11/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album surprised me. I hadn't expected a collaboration by Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood to sound quite like this. Unknown has a very slick, contemporary sound, much like the later Yes years when Rabin played with them. Squire's bass-playing is top notch, as usual, and Sherwood brings his guitar and keyboard skills to the table (as well as taking on the role of engineer and producer). And I won't forget to mention Jay Schellen, whose drumwork is also very good. Right from the start this is good, solid music. The first track, Conspiracy, begins the CD with an up-tempo, futuristic sounding number featuring some cool vocals. Actually, the whole CD sounds somewhat futuristic, but it does so without sounding like techno; The Wheel is a cool song, and one that I think upholds that argument. There's an almost mystical sound to some of this music, and I've noticed a number of eastern-influenced pieces. So, why not five stars? Mainly because there are two tracks that I care nothing about: Confess, and Premonitions. That's not to say that they aren't good songs, but I just don't like them. Maybe you will, though. Besides, the rest of the CD makes up for it. While nearly the whole disc is good, the must-listen track here is definitely The Unknown. It's an 11-minute trip of musical and lyrical imagery that brings to my mind the story of an uprising against a tyrrannical authority. This song starts off slowly and builds to a theatrical climax, taking a winding path along the way. It's my personal favorite. Another cool song is New World, which sounds the most Yes-like to me, for some reason. It's too bad that this record doesn't seem to be selling very widely. This is really a good album, and I hope to hear more from these guys in the future. It's not perfect, but I enjoy it, and hopefully you will too. If you're a fan of Yes' later music, or even their older stuff, I suggest you check out Conspiracy."

Sherwood & Squire's CONSPIRACY make modern prog-rock...with

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 03/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 2003, "The Unknown" is the 2nd collaboration of CONSPIRACY, a part-time band built around the talents Yes-founder/bassist/vocalist Chris Squire, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/producer Billy Sherwood (formerly of Yes & World Trade.) And although he was featured on a few tracks of the band's debut (as one of many guest players), this time out drummer Jay Schellen (World Trade, Asia, One) joins the band as a full-fledged member. This disc is, in my opinion, far, far superior to the band's first release (2000's self-titled "Conspiracy") While the first album had some great individual tracks, it sometimes had the incomplete feel of a demo recording (in fact, it began life as a Squire solo album, and included a few songs that had been previously released by Yes and World Trade, albiet in slightly different versions.) "The Unknown" has far more of unified feel, as if the songs were really intended as a complete package. And attentive listeners will also notice that the overall sound is far less "sunny" this time around, displaying some of the darkest, moodiest material (both musically and lyrically) that Squire & Sherwood have produced in their careers. To my ears, Conspiracy creates what I would define as "modern progressive rock, with the emphasis on the modern". The keyboards & guitars all have an underlying electronic/metalic edge (no Hammond organs or "retro" guitar sounds here!), and Sherwood's now distinctive production-style makes the most of current technology; with electronic effects, synthesized vocal treatments, and stereo panning all used in clever ways. (In fact, this whole album sounds quite stunning through headphones!) The vocals are also pretty impressive. I've always liked Sherwood's high, breathy voice (which to my ears often has the "airy" quality of a reed instrument); and he uses his pipes to great effect on many of the songs. It's also great to hear Squire given more lead-vocal time here, while he also blends perfectly with Sherwood on some multi-tracked harmonies. (Actually, I think this must be the best vocal showcase that Squire has had on any album since his solo album "Fish Out of Water" in the mid-70's!) And although Squire & Sherwood are certainly the stars on this show, Shellen also makes a great showing for himself with some thunderous, powerhouse drumming!(Can't wait to he what Jay does with his new group "One", where he is teamed with John Payne and Guthrie Govan of Asia.) As for the individual songs, the standouts include "New World" (an upbeat tune which boasts both a catchy chorus AND one of Squire's flashiest bass parts!) "Half a World Away" (which fluctuates between pretty, mellow sections sung by Squire, and harder-hitting sections sung by Sherwood), "There Is No End" (which features a quirky/jerky rhythm mixed with spiritual lyrics), "The Wheel" (a meloncholic slow-burner with a vibe similar to World Trade's "Evolution Song") and the epic title track, "The Unknown" (an 11-minute prog epic with many musical twists, and "vengence"-themed lyrics inspired by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.) All in all, if you are a fan of Chris Squire, Billy Sherwood, or Jay Schellen, or just a general fan of modern prog, then don't hesitate to buy this one...but just one caveat - if you are an older Yes fan, don't approach this album expecting to hear something that sounds just like "Close To the Edge" or "Fragile". Instead, expect..."The Unknown"."