Search - Eloy :: Inside

The Dawn of New Creativity

mobby_uk | London United Kingdom | 09/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ever since I heard the first notes and that bass line in Land Of Nobody, my tastes and appreciation of music has changed forever: I was completely captivated by the richness in the melody,transported into another world by the spacey atmosphere, and enthralled by the excellent musicianship from the guitars of Frank Bornemann to the powerful and complex drumming of Fritz Randow,(in my opinion,with Phil Ehart of Kansas the best drummer in prog rock).
From that moment on I knew there was still quality in music outside classical, and I became a huge Eloy fan.
Frank Bornemann the genuis behind Eloy took control of the band in 1973(after a rockier first, the influence of Erich Shriever) to produce their first proper release for the legendary Harvest label, with whom they remained up until 1984, a collaboration that resulted in classic albums.
Yet Eloy have never had the proper recognition they deserve, although they are one of the few progressive rock bands whose fan base are really spread wide around the globe. The unfairness stemming mainly from the disregard the music establishment has for progressive rock as a genre on one hand, and the grossly unfair evaluation of the band from certain critics on the other. The first mistake many usually make is in comparing Eloy to bands like Pink Floyd, Focus, Jethro Tull or Hawkwind, and to my experienced ears and with hundreds of prog CDs in my collection, I am in a position to confirm: Eloy's sound does not resemble any band!! (maybe the closet to Eloy sound I heard was by the German band Ramses in their first two releases, but they were influenced by Eloy and not vice versa).
The slight similarity of spacey/bluesy/symphonic sounds are purely due to the fact that all these bands play progressive rock!! and it is inevitable that some themes do recurr, but this does not take the originality of many of these bands, and Eloy are certainly very original and most importantly very consistent.
Inside is a wonderful masterpiece, from the epic Land of Nobody to the classics Inside, Up and Down and Future City (because this song has a bluesy feel and because Eloy use the flute in this album, they have been compared to Jethro Tull!!! I wonder whether Schubert has ever been compared to Beethoven because both have written piano sonatas!! this is how ridiculous Eloy's comparisons have been.
Nearly twenty four years later, and after discovering and enjoying dozens of progressive and rock bands, I still listen to Eloy and still to this day get the same enjoyment, the same feeling of musical satisfaction and fulfillment.
In the first line of Land of Nobody Frank Bornemann sings,
We just leave the earths ground
On the way to see the new star
We forget the past time
Released from our imperfection
I can not describe the feeling I get from Eloy better!"

Eloy rockin' it out

B. E Jackson | Pennsylvania | 08/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one mighty fine rock album from the early 70's. It contains that pleasant and muddy sound that makes the music sound so darn good. I love it!



I prefer the early period of Eloy over the more atmospheric stuff they'd center around more in the later years. One thing that really surprises me about Inside is how the lead singer closely resembles Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull. Not that I'm calling him a rip-off or anything. Some people can't help the way they sing. Then again, if the guys from Eloy considered Jethro Tull one of their inspirations, that wouldn't be a bad thing either.



"Future City" is my favorite song on the album. The acoustic part that leads into a bouncy rhythm near the middle, along with some dangerously heavy and excellent guitar playing, is just too cool to put into words. The 17 minute track that opens the album has its share of atmospheric segments, along with some Deep Purple-like keyboard playing and some downright heavy guitar jamming. These guys sound so good, it's hard to believe they aren't more well known here in America.



As for what kind of images the music puts in my head, well, let's just say I'm dreaming about clouds, heaven, and all sorts of places when I hear this wonderful stuff. That's the benefit of making music adventurous.



Well, just remember, there's plenty of forgotten or unpopular rock bands out there, and many of the ones from the 70's are a LOT of fun to listen to. Eloy happens to be one of those bands."

Excellent second album

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 09/30/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 1971, Eloy released their self-entitled offering. Although I hadn't heard that album, it's said to be straight-up hard rock. Most fans didn't take too well to that album, and even Frank Bornemann would rather forget that album. Original members Erich Schriever and Helmut Draht left the band, while Bornemann, Wolfgang Stöcker, and Manfred Wieczroke stayed on and recruited new drummer Fritz Randow. They then signed with Harvest Records (and also got a deal in the United States with Janus) and recorded Inside, which is regarded as Eloy's first truly progressive album. It's definately not the most original album you'll ever hear, but as long as the music is great, I'm not complaining. The album starts with "Land of No Body", which is a side-length epic. A lot of this reminds me of Pink Floyd, Camel, and Focus, plus there's a very spacy, experimental section in the middle played on Hammond organ that reminds me a lot of what many Krautrock bands were doing around the same time. Great stuff, to say the least. "Future City" apparently received some minor airplay on progressive free form FM stations here in America, likely because it bears such an uncanny resemblance to Jethro Tull, except without the flute. The vocals are a dead-ringer for Ian Anderson, plus there's a great percussion-oriented jam as well. The album closes with "Up and Down", which, for some odd reason or another, Manfred Wieczorke decides to sing. Great spacy organ, plus there's some spoken dialog that sounds like a Bob Dylan imitation. Inside is very much like you expect a prog album in the early 1970s: heavy on guitar and Hammond organ. It's a great album, and is my favorite from Eloy's early stage."