From: "Bjorn Lynne" <>
I was a big fan of the old classic Eloy albums like "Ocean", "Silent Cries
and Mighty Echoes", pretty much everything from the 70s and early 80s was
very good. But on the other hand I was extremely disappointed in their (until
now) latest album "Destination" which I think was released in 1992 (?). That
was a bit, well, crap... Well they've just released a new album called "Ocean
II - The Answer" and I was just wondering if anybody here has heard it and
can make any comments? Is it great stuff like the original "Ocean" or is it
crap like "Destination" and they've just put the "Ocean" name on it in a
desperate attempt to sell a copy to everybody who owns the original "Ocean"?
(Which is quite a few, I've heard it's gone gold).
From: "Mark Fonda" <>
Eloy - Ocean 2: The Answer - fabulous new release from these German prog rock
masters... 21 years after the original Ocean release!! Huge symphonic
sound, instrumental and vocal diversity, ethereal and majestic and
powerful... great lead guitar and vocals by Frank Bornemann accompanied by
solid keyboards by Michael Gerlach who plays EMU Keyboards, original Hammond
Organs, Leslies & Doepfer Masterkeyboards, Sandberg Acoustic Guitars,
ARP/Moog/Oberheim Synthesizers and Roland Vocoder Plus. Rounding out
the quartet is Klaus Gerlach on bass and Bodo Schopf (new member) on drums
and percussion. Several guests also appeared including some female
backing vocals and Mini Moog by Hannes Folberth. I don't know Eloy very
well, but this album has got to be one of 1998's best!!
From: ProgNaut@webtv.net (ProgNaut)
I thought I'd share this with you all!! eloy-digest Volume 01 : Number 251
-----------------------------------------------------
Greetings, Eloyds! I come in peace... heheheh I'm late giving my Eloy 'Ocean
II-The Answer' review, I know, but I took my time, wanted to listen well, in
detail, before I gave my opinions. But we all know how good it is, so I
decided to write it directed to other prog fans that are not exposed to
Eloy's music. I'm including what I wrote for Dream Theater fans: Hey dudes! I
bought Eloy's new album called 'Ocean II-The Answer' and would like to tell
you about it. But before I continue, I must say that it's not metal. Instead
it's symphonic rock, so if you're not interested, skip this post.
I'm really excited about this album because Eloy is one of my favourite bands
and they're quite underrated. They're very symphonic and have always sounded
like a 'heavier' Pink Floyd. Guitarrist, vocalist and main composer, Frank
Bornemann, the only member remaining from the original Eloy, is the soul of
this German band, and he's kept it together all these years, he's seen many
incarnations of this band, and as a result, Eloy has put out many (excellent)
albums, first they were kind of spacey, psychodelic you could say, and then
they turned a bith heavier but with symphonic layers of keyboards all around.
This new album, 'Oceans II-The Answer', is like something I've never heard
before from Eloy: it's like all their albums put together in one wonderful
masterpiece. It's got everything that Eloy stands for: layers of spacey and
textured keyboards by Michael Gerlach, excellent and tight drumming from Bodo
Schopf (ex-Michael Schenker Group), they've got one of the best bass players
(IMO) in Klaus Peter Matziol and Frank Bornemann is simply, a true musician.
It's not like they all shred or anything. Their music is well written, has a
lot of melody (incredible melodies on this CD) and it just creates ambience
from the start, with the slow build up of 'Between Future and Past', just
keyboards and guitar, to the grand finale 'The Answer', with full choir.
'Reflections from the Spheres Beyond', 'Ro Setau', 'Paralysed Civilization'
and 'Awakening of Consciousness' are no doubt the best songs on this record
(um, I should've written all songs for that matter!), with Klaus Peter
Matziol playing bass with such a groove and his sound is so thick... he's a
living proof that you don't have to shred to kick serious ass, and a dense
wall synthesizers everywhere, you know, REAL sounding keyboards. Production
is excellent throughout the album. Frank Bornemann sings with a bit of an
accent (not much), so this can annoy some of you, but it's fine with me.
People who are interested in old Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Camel, King
Crimson, should definitely check this incredibly good and talented band, and
specially, this album. Few would be disappointed.<<<
It'll be lengthy now! Ok, I was trying not to shove Eloy in everybody's face,
I had to be polite. But between us.... THIS CD KICKS ROYAL ASS!!!!! People
who don't like it must be smoking Persian carpets by the dozen! KPMatze: YOU
RULE! What a performance! I have to be honest: if all Eloy members were in a
house on fire, and I have the chance of saving only one member, I would
choose not one, but a thousand times KPM. Flame me all you want, but this guy
is DA MAN. Of course, without Frank there's no Eloy, and he's come up with
the best songwriting in ages. His playing is right on the ball. His singing
couldn't be better and he must be one of the best producers in the whole
world. This is the very first time that I feel confident with Michael Gerlach.
I officially declare Michael an Eloy member. Yessir, I has him partly
responsible for Eloy's fall, but I've been foolish. In fact, if anything,
Eloy is richer now thanks to him. And Bodo Schopf though he plays quite
differently from what I had heard him play with Michael Schenker, shows such
maturity and skill! I couldn't be happier with the new line-up, and I must
tell you, was I disappointed years ago when I knew that just Frank Bornemann
was left from the 80's line-up! I don't have time to regret it now. Eloy is
back and better than ever! But as a bonus to all this, Hannes Arkona is back
in the band. I may die now. A few side notes: - -I can't stop listening to
this CD. But I'm being careful with it. I listen to it, then something else
and I play it again, etc.... - -Did I tell you that the highlight of
this CD is KPM's playing? Have you heard his intricate melodies during 'Paralysed
Civilization' or 'Reflections From the Spheres Beyond'? Whilst the rest of
the band play is playing 'by the book', KPM is on the loose, playing more or
less what he likes, intertwined around the main keyboard melody and the hairs
on my back stand up because he is like a band within the band. - -I
must thank the guys for not loosing perspective. Kudos to Robin as well.
Thanks to him, this is the very 1st. time that I know that Eloy are putting
an album, and I've never had been this close to them, like reading
interviews, enjoying so many news and this wonderful list, etc. - -KPM
rulez! I've got questions, but I'll post them in a few days (too busy
listening to The Answer).
From: "Craig Shipley" <>
Eloy has been around since '71/72. The one constant has been the guitarist,
Frank Bournemann. I really don't care for FLOATING or INSIDE (sounds like a
pale Jethro Tull) and POWER AND THE PASSION has embarrassingly silly lyrics,
but from there on, it is mostly good stuff! There is a definite Pink Floyd
influence (Eloy is known as the German PF, in some circles). OCEAN is killer
(OCEAN II, out this year, has not grabbed me by the short 'n curlys like THE
TIDES RETURN FOREVER did). My absolute favorite is METROMANIA, very hard
rockin' and the swan-song of the "big band" Eloy. I can recommend any of the
following (in chronological order): SILENT CRIES & MIGHTY ECHOES, COLOURS,
PLANETS, TIME TO TURN and PERFORMANCE, along with the above. Oh, I gotta add
DESTINATION to my "don't care for" pile (I really have tried, but it just
doesn't click overall...). The newest releases have a lot of vintage
keyboards on 'em (but then, so do the old ones! :-b) but the sound is always
predominately guitar. Oh, and Frank does sing in English.
From: Salmacis <>
Picked up Eloy's "Ocean" yesterday - WOW! What an excellent album!!! I had
Eloy's "Floating" on vinyl about three years ago, but when I moved across the
country I had to leave all my (500+ -- :( ) vinyls....
either way, I don't remember "Floating" being nearly as good as this amazing
album! A concept album about the beginning and end of Atlantis...
"Poseidon's Creation" is really wonderful. A beautiful gem to add to my
collection, and yours! :o)
From: "Alexandre A. S." <>
Yes, "Ocean" is definetely their masterpiece. "Floating" is one of their
earlier works, and is less "spacey", and heavier on the keys. But it's still
a very good album. Actually, every single ELOY album, up to the live one, is
excellent, with the possible exception of the very first one...
From: "Craig Shipley" <>
Love 'em, for the most part (there are a few weak ones, IMHO. INSIDE,
FLOATING, POWER & THE PASSION ('cuz the lyrics are silly and haven't aged
well) and DESTINATION (well, just the one song with the kiddie chorus on
it...). Heavy Pink Floyd influence, although in the earlier incarnations of
the band (INSIDE, FLOATING) it seemed that the influence was more Jethro
Tull-ish. At times, it seems like Eloy rips off Floyd licks directly, but I
think that this is a good thing. I am particularly fond of the "big band"-era
(two keyboardists) Eloy, which would encompass everything from COLOURS up to
and including METROMANIA (my all-time favorite; very spacey stuff. The band
dropped down to two members on RA (Bournemann on guitars & vox and Michael
Gerlach on keys and synths) with various guest musicians sitting in over the
next couple CD's. The band has grown with one of the old Eloy bass players
returning to the fold and a full time drummer (on RA, I think it was just a
drum machine). THE TIDES RETURN FOREVER is another excellent effort, with
"The Days Of Crimson Skies" and "Jean D'Arc" being the standouts. OCEAN TWO
just hasn't grown on me like the first OCEAN, but it is probably because I
haven't given it the heavy rotation that the other Eloy CD's got in their
heyday. I mean to rectify that soon, like right now... If you are into the
vintage keyboard thing, OCEAN 2 is dripping with them...
From: Gary Davis <>
> Subject: Eloy Remasters? anyone know anything about this?
I had recently received info from my import distributor regarding three
Eloy reissues - specifically Floating, Inside, and Power and the Passion.
However, as the information said nothing about remastering, then that's not
the case for these particular reissues.