So yesterday as I was scrolling through my iPod I came across this album, I haven’t listened to it for a long time! If you like The Moody Blues this one’s for you!….
So one of the things I like about Progressive Rock is the that there are so many sub-genres there’s virtually something for everyone! Today on the way back from the Garden State Parkway I listened to two very different albums. First there was the hammering metal sound of the album The Enemy Within from Prymary followed by the musically lush Random Acts of Beauty from David Miniasian. While I enjoyed both albums I like the Minasian album a little better!
David Minasian is not new to the music business nor to music in general. He is a classically trained pianist . He started taking lessons at the age of five and by the time he was 15, he was asked to turn professional He really became a fan of progressive music the first time he heard “Land of Make Believe” from The Moody Blues album The Seventh Sojourn. On his website Minasian writes:
“I was intrigued by the combination of flutes, fuzzy guitars, soaring melodies, heavenly vocals, and strange sounding strings, which I later learned came from some kind of keyboard called a mellotron. The song was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. I immediately called up the radio station and asked them to play it again, which is what you did in those days. Seventh Sojourn became the first album I ever bought as a kid and its follow-up, Blue Jays, convinced me that I had to try my own hand at writing music. Those two albums also led me on a wonderful journey of discovery into the world of progressive music which included bands like Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Renaissance, Barclay James Harvest, Strawbs, and of course Camel.”
This led to David recording his first album Tales of Heroes and Lovers, a lush symphonic rock album which really didn’t fit in with the music of the 80s. Throughout the intervening years, from that album, until the release of Random Acts of Beauty, Minasian stayed busy with film and videos. He produced and directed a number of DVD’s for legendary English progressive rock band Camel.
In 2009, David began thinking about the idea of recording a new album, Andrew Latimer guitarist of Camel added his supporter both moral, and a via guest appearance on the song “Masquerade”, and Random Acts of Beauty became a reality!
There’s no question that there is a bit of The Moody Blues in David’s music but at the same time it’s David’s music and talent that shines on the album. On the album, David plays keyboards (grand piano, harpsichord, mellotron, moog, and orchestrations), 12 string acoustic guitars, bass, and a return to lead vocals – something he hasn’t done since the “Tales of Heroes…” album! The cool thing about the about is that David’s 20-year-old son Justin Minasian plays some mean electric lead and rhythm guitar on the album. The other cool thing is that upon listening to David’s song “Blue Rain”, David’s inspiration for his musical journey Justin Hayward wrote:“It’s a lovely song… I really like the feel of the vocal on there… The guitar solo sound is fabulous and it’s a very Moody track. I’m sure it will be a great album for David.” (Justin Hayward, January 7, 2010)
I’m sure that made David’s day when he read that! So if you’re a fan of The Moody Blues or just great music, check out Random Acts of Beauty and David Minasian at ProgArchives.
Here’s “Summer End” from Random Acts of Beauty”