SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TERRY DRAPER – THE ODYSSEY

TERRY DRAPER
THE ODYSSEY
TERRY TUNES RECORDS

Terry Draper loved to play music, in my conversations with him, he never saw creating music as work. It was what he did, and he enjoyed it. Perhaps his only problem, and this is not a bad problem, was that he had too many ideas just bursting to get out and get recorded. In his lifetime he released 14 solo studio albums. The Odyssey makes it 15 and follows last year’s Infinity. This is a collection of songs he was creating that he had pretty much finished. I have said this before, but it bears repeating. Reviewing an album by an artist who has left us is never easy. It is bittersweet thinking that this may be the final word, and even though the music is brilliant (which this album is), there is an overhanging of melancholy.

That aside, this is Draper at the top of his game. The melodies on The Odyssey seem to come easy to him and the music is embracing and welcoming. Songs such as “Time Flies” address getting older in a very creative and beautiful way without being overly sentimental. Brenda Webb’s backing vocals add a great deal to the song. Speaking of walking down memory lane, a live song by FUNN (a group Draper was in with fellow Klaatu member Dee Long in the late 1970s) makes an appearance. “Cold Turkey” is an odd song to cover or even perform live. But the band do and they do it extremely well. And it is the first time we get to hear anything from that band.

Draper writes about other subjects that are important to him. “Crop Circle Creatures” is sci-fi at its finest, while “The Unknown Soldier” is the perfect soundtrack for Remembrance Day. Literary characters, like Sherlock Holmes pop in for a few minutes, while conservation comes into play as well (“Mother Nature”). “In A World Without” is perhaps the hardest song to listen to on the album, as it sums up loss too well. It is also a rare cover version, as it was written by Fernando Perdomo, but Draper adapts to his style and really makes it his own. And there are love songs that tug at the heart, such as “Thinking Of Thinking Of You.” The strong melodies are met with incredible melodies and beautiful arrangements.

The title track, “The Odyssey” is the cornerstone of the album. Written and recorded long before the recent film was released, Draper taps into the real myth and has created a prog rock masterpiece. A wall of guitars and unearthly vocals help make this song one of his best songs in his career. Perdomo, Tommy Solo, and Bob Koenig all provide guitar and Draper’s vocals and rhythm section is perfect.

There is so much to love about this album. The Odyssey is an album that one will want to revisit time and time again. Pure pop mixed with rock mixed with a bit of prog. Three genres of music that Draper loved, and he manages to fit everything into these songs. I sincerely hope this is not the last word from Draper as his music and wisdom are needed more than ever in this crazy world. He created beauty, hope, love, and art. He did all this with that smile of his. And we were the better for it. If it is the final word from Mr. Terry Draper, I cannot think of a better album to leave with us. The Odyssey is jammed full of brilliant songs, and I know Terry (along with his family) are proud of this one. They should be.

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