Triumph in Melodic Rock

Moving from one extreme to the other, lets go from Broadway show tunes to classic rock. A brilliant band that masterfully blended solid guitar rock with orchestral themes was the Canadian band Triumph. One of my first introductions to this band was from a widely distributed vinyl audiophile sampler called the Maxell Rock Sampler. That record included as its opening tune a sweeping, rocking, melodic, classic rock masterpiece medley Blinding Light Show/Moonchild. This eight-odd minute movement was breathtaking not only for its sonic quality but also for its extraordinary blend of classic rock with classical guitar and string instruments. The drums are tight and clear and the recording of the classical guitar interlude is heavenly.

Enough gushing, now you must be anxious to hear the tune. Although I did transfer this from my Maxell Rock Sampler vinyl record, there were a couple of loud pops and some minor distortion that I could not eliminate from my recording. So, I got a copy of this spectacular song from a CD. You can buy the whole CD from Amazon here. It really is worth it. Most guitar enthusiasts are familiar with the absolutely brilliant picking of Triumph's guitarist Rik Emmett. I strongly recommend his albums (here's a list from Amazon), especially the fiendishly addictive Absolutely. Perhaps I'll post my favorite song from that album (Drive Time) here in a later post.

Here's a recommendation: Listen to this LOUD. Close your eyes and imagine the classical guitar is being played right in front of you. And when the drums kick back in .... sheer joy!

Triumph - Blinding Light Show/Moonchild (8 MB; 128kbps MP3)