Circa HQ – album review – Billy Sherwood
I’m relieved to hear that prog-supergroup Circa is currently working with ex-Toto lead singer Bobby Kimball for an upcoming album. The vocals happen to be one of the weak points on Circa’s recently released HQ album.
The group is made up of stellar musicians including two former Yes members – Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, guitarist Jimmy Haun (who played on Yes’ Union album) and current Asia/GPS/John Payne drummer Jay Schellen. These guys are phenomenal players that would make any prog/rock-fan proud. But the album lacks memorable material and Sherwood’s vocals are weak, thin-sounding and limited in range. Perhaps if the album consisted of all-instrumental music, I would have viewed it differently but the fact remains that the sound of Sherwood’s voice really ruined it for me. It’s very disappointing because I like these guys and think Sherwood is a great musician and producer. The recording sounds fantastic and the sound palette is pleasantly reminiscent of Yes without crossing the line into parody. But until you reach the last two songs on the album (”All Intertwined” and “Remember Along the Way” ), it just seems like a group of musicians lost, trying desperately to find a hook or a distinct melody line. The chops are clearly there – Haun with his fluid, tasty guitar lines, Kaye with his Hammond organ and Sherwood sounding a bit like Chris Squire with his Rickenbacker bass. But it all doesn’t really come together until those last two songs. And even though those two songs last a total of twenty minutes, they can’t save the album as a whole.
I was expecting a lot more from musicians of this caliber and lineage. Well, at least we have another project to look forward to now that Bobby Kimball is fronting the group.
retroGrade : C-
artist: Circa
album title: HQ
label: independent
released: 2009
HQ TrackList:
1. If It’s Not Too Late (10:50)
2. Haun Solo (1:18)
3. False Start (5:08)
4. Chasing After Ghosts (7:05)
5. Set To Play (1:49)
6. Ever Changing World (4:18)
7. We Can Last (9:16)
8. Twist of Fate (5:17)
9. All Intertwined (7:29)
10. Remember Along the Way (12:36)
Circa:
Billy Sherwood: bass and lead vocals
Tony Kaye: keyboards
Jay Schellen: drums, percussion and vocals
Jimmy Haun: electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
hey Dan, just to add to your review, the new group with Bobby Kimball is called “AKA”.
they just put up a new myspace page. check it out -
http://www.myspace.com/akabobbykimballcirca
later!
Rich
thanks for posting the link. I can’t wait to hear some of their music with Bobby Kimball.
I hope they make it around here for a tour of some kind.
Hey Dan,
Always interesting to see a critics review on music…
For some “CIRCA: HQ” hits the mark spot on and they like it better than the previous release of ours “CIRCA: 2007″, whilst for others such as yourself it falls short and evokes statements such as “vocals are weak, thin, limited in range and ruined it” and “non memorable songs, searching for a hook”.
Hope to see you somewhere out there at a show… Make sure you remind me your the guy who reviewed the CIRCA: HQ CD at “retro blog”
Cheers, Billy
Billy Sherwood posted an update on the YesFans forum.
AKA is now called YOSO.
here’s what he wrote:
When we discovered “AKA” was already trade marked we had no choice but to rename the band… If you have ever tried to name a band you know it’s a nightmare lol. After endless names were thrown into the hat I said “Yo, so… what are we going to call the band”, they said “that’s it… YOSO” !!
A rose by any other name…
The new record {cd} is almost completed. I am mixing it now. 3 Songs mixed, 9 to go. We are finalizing a small tour of Mexico in October. Forward motion….
Lou Molino is the drummer for “YOSO” now, Jay’s prior comittments to Asia jp were in conflict. Jay is still in “CIRCA:” and CIRCA: has some very interesting news coming soon…
Oh Billy the world is waiting for that “interesting news” LOL