Steve Cochrane - To See It Made Real

1. Reason is the Rising Sun (5:52) 2. Mount Fearless (5:10) 3. Makes Me Want To Sing (3:51) 4. Active Minds and Hopeful Hearts (4:23) 5. At Love's Door (4:08) 6. A True Olympian (4:18) 7. Dancing Under A Starlit Sky (5:08) 8. To See It Made Real (11:11) 9. The Enlightened Forest (2:51) 10. String of Emeralds (8:50) 11. Where Change Begins (4:35) 12. Off Into the Sunrise (4:25)

Total Running Time: 64:42

Steve Cochrane is an ambitious artist. He has been around in the music business for 10 years now since his debut album Heroes Awaken was first released in 1991. By ambitious, I'm referring to his tendency of releasing a record every 3 or 4 years and taking full charge of every last aspect of his music, composition, arrangement, performance, and production. Many sources compare his music and work to the likes of acts like Camel, Genesis, and Steve Hackett, but on his record, To See It Made Real, songs are written in a new age instrumental-oriented style, more reminiscent of a "light" Mike Oldfield or Yanni.

To See It Made Real, his sophomore release, is a very listener-friendly record; a mellow and soothing instrumental album filled with orchestral MIDI samples, comforting synth layers, and pleasant acoustic tones. Every song is full of meticulous arrangements and commercially accessible melodies that truly relax the listener in a very comfortable way. Because of this same reason, I fail to make any true distinction between the songs on the record, primordially because they all seem to go exactly in the same direction, never having harsh, unexpected twists in the course of the album.

Regretfully, most songs fail to be truly emotive or exciting, never really coming "alive" due to the overly processed MIDI sounds that represent the basic structure of the record, sometimes reminding me strongly of elevator and background music; pieces that no one truly dislikes and make the perfect setting for an office or working environment. Clearly, this is not the kind of songs that would make someone start singing or humming along to; instead, it would probably fall more under the category of the relaxing music that some people would normally choose to put on their stereo to have a pleasant sleep.

Still, let's not take credit away from Mr.Cochrane. His compositions are really based on great, relaxing melodies, and soothing sounds that would make up for a great "Pure Moods" album. Not a single song is distasteful or unpleasant, and that, I believe, is the true merit of this album.

-by Javier Elizondo

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