Visionary: The Ultimate Narada Collection
Keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist David Arkenstone citesYes,Sibelius, and even author J.R.R. Tolkien as influences on his approach to composing, and evidence of their impact is apparent throughout this two-disc retrospective of Arkenstone's output from 1987 to 2000 for the Narada label. Using tracks selected from nine releases (plus a pair of label collections), this two-hour compilation showcases an imaginative artist who typically works the softer side of the progressive spectrum, at times leaning too heavily on dollops of sweetness or wispy ethnic flourishes when a harder edge would be more compelling. Even so, numerous tracks here reaffirm Arkenstone's ability to craft arresting, made-for-headphones soundscapes: the rhythmic, enveloping glow of "The Magic Forest"; the sonic aurora exuded by "Ancient Legend"; the violin-fueled Middle Eastern tempest of "Inshallah"; the uplifting insistence of "The Southern Cross." Kudos are also due Arkenstone's longtime drummer and brother Dan Chase for his inventive input on many tracks.--Terry Wood