Search - Medwyn Goodall :: Merlin

Not so magical

N. Lee | Seattle, WA USA | 09/13/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I admit it, I'm a sucker. I bought this album because of the cool cover art and because the titles of the selections all related to legends of Merlin. I had no idea whether the music would be good or bad, but with a title and cover like that, I figured it would be either Celtic New Age or Space music, and since I'm a fan of both I figured I'd give this album a try. Boy, was this album not what I expected. The music is slow and jazzy, with a heavy almost lethargic drumbeat and breathy flutes. I am no expert on world beat music, but to me this sounds like it was more influenced by Central or South American music than by Celtic music. When I close my eyes and listen to this album, it conjures up mental images of a steaming Amazonian jungle, or malevolent alligators lazing in a muddy river. Despite the titles of the cuts, I find it absolutely impossible to visualize anything Arthurian while listening to this music. There are no liner notes relating the music to the Arthurian legends, either. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that this album was not really inspired by the legends of Merlin at all, it was just given the name Merlin to increase sales. But that's just speculation on my part. Of course people who like this kind of heavy, slow, jazzy, percussive music might well enjoy this album, regardless of whether it's "Arthurian" or not. But my guess is that most listeners who are looking for an album that will evoke the spirit of the legendary Merlin will be disappointed by this album. I know I was."