01	Zombierock						04:16
	02	Prelude						01:32
	03	Triangle Of New Flight						06:47
	04	Mutineer's Panorama						03:09
	05	World's Apart						04:06
	06	Dreamsearch						09:47
	07	Left Behind						06:00
	08	Mindgrind						05:38
	09	Greansoap						02:24
	10	I Want One Of Those						03:13
	11	Antarctica						10:29
	12	The Tiburon Treasure						02:23
	13	Dreamsearch (Remix)						09:40

Hands [USA]
Updated 12/12/02
Discography
Hands (96, Recorded in 1977)
Prism Live (97, Recorded ??, Prism was Hands' previous band name)
Palm Mystery (99, Recorded 1977, 78 & 80)
The Early Years (00, Recorded in 1974-76, Limited edition of 400 copies)
Twenty Five Winters (02)


Reviews
Hands 2002 - Ernie Myers (guitar, vocals), Rex Bozarth (bass, stick, cello, vocals), Martin McCall (drums), Michael Clay (keyboards, guitar, vocals) - Photos & collage by Fred Trafton

Like many American prog bands in the seventies, Hands went from obscurity to oblivion without a single album release. And like with so many other bands, it took nearly two decades before their music finally got a proper release. Hands is a Shroom Productions compilation containing 14 songs the band recorded between 1977 and 1980, as well as an extensive band biography full of amusing anecdotes. Unlike bands like Starcastle and Cathedral whose music was skillfully-played but highly derivative of one or two British prog bands, Hands took their influences from a variety of bands and used them in a way that was often quite original. Almost all of the band's six core members were multi-instrumentalists and a large cast of guest contributors appears as well, so in addition to the usual drums/bass/electric&acoustic guitars&keyboards there is also a lot of violin and woodwinds on the album. Vocals of inconsistent quality appear on about half of the tracks. There is quite a bit of variation within this collection, and naturally some lack of cohesion, but almost all the tracks work very well taken individually. "Left Behind" starts as a folky acoustic ballad, but then the instrumental middle section cuts in with sharp electric guitar riffs and a synth solo, just like Kansas; the delicate symphonic atmosphere of "Mutineer's Panorama", dominated by Mellotron and flute, reminds of PFM's softer moments, and Gentle Giant rears its head on "Triangle of New Flight" which is brimming over with tempo, rhythm and mood changes. A couple of the shorter tracks highlight nimble acoustic guitar playing and beautiful violin and synth work. Interesting is also the 10-minute "Antarctica" with its chilly synths and sound effects and one great instrumental section where flute and overdriven bass play solo lines around a repeating acoustic guitar riff; less so the rather straight-forward rockers "Castle Keep" and "Hands in the Fire", latter of which has quite a lot of Tullish flute work. The band have the knack of writing and performing complex material without sounding too cumbersome or self-indulgent. There are only a few moments where I feel they are trying too hard, otherwise they keep the music flowing on nicely and seemingly effortlessly. The sound quality is good throughout, apart from one live recording, even if you can hear an occasional "seam" where the sound of two spliced-together sections doesn't match. These recordings certainly deserved to be pulled out of the archives and released officially (better late than never). Though not a classic, Hands is still a small gem, a testament to what might have been. Shroom Productions has also put out a second disc of Hands material, called Palm Mystery. -- Kai Karmanheimo

Kai Karmanheimo, in the previous review, called the original Hands CD "a testament to what might have been". Well, now it's a prelude to what is. In 1996, original Hands musicians Michael Clay (keyboards) and Ernie Myers (guitar) got together again due to the positive response to the CD's Kai reviewed above. They began writing new songs, and spent the next few years writing and recording the new Hands CD Twenty Five Winters, which was released in 2002. The new Hands line-up includes four original members and a new bassist.
I recently got to hear Twenty Five Winters, and it's absolutely fantastic! I can't compare it to their older stuff, since I haven't heard it, but this is is a must-buy for any symphonic prog enthusiast. All the band members get to show off their chops in different places, but this album is more about great compositions than fast note runs. My favorite cuts on the album include the opener, "Knock/Enter" which flirts with a "southern sound" with its acoustic guitar picking and violin melody, reminding me somewhat of The Dixie Dregs, though less fusiony. This continues with a spacey multitracked vocal section, and finally a more intense restatement of the theme on electric guitars this time, with some nice violin soloing on top.

All the cuts are good, but several others deserve special mention; I really enjoyed "Light and Darkness" for its swinging between light and heavy sections, and for the Echolynish vocal overdubs, or maybe like Gentle Giant without the medieval madrigal feel. "I Laughed Aloud" is also very nice, an instrumental almost classical-sounding piano piece punctuated by violin over the top. Something about this makes me think I'm going to start hearing a story about the hare who lost his spectacles, but this never happens. Finally, there's a totally electrifying section in the otherwise laid-back vocal-oriented composition, "Leaving". The third part of this cut is entitled "Traveler's Lament", an instrumental section that wouldn't be at all out of place on a Starless and Bible Black era King Crimson album. OK, it may be a little too nice sounding relative to that, but it still kicks butt in a Frippian sort of way. If I had to make a complaint about this album it's that it's too short! I think they would have had room on the CD for another cut or two. Or perhaps a live "bonus track". But that's about the worst thing I can say about this CD.

Even more cool ... Hands is a Dallas-area band, so I get to see them playing live fairly often. In fact, they'll be one of the "headliner" bands in a progressive rock festival the GEPR is co-sponsoring with them called Cattle Prog here in Dallas on Dec. 7, 2002. Come catch them if you can! -- Fred Trafton

I was not acquainted with the music of Hands until now. However, I know that they are the veterans of American Progressive, and the band's eponymous debut album was released in the end of the 1970s. [Twenty-Five Winters is a] masterpiece! The music that is presented on this album is very fresh and original. It is woven from the mixed stylistic textures that, in particular, are typical for Classic Symphonic Progressive, Classical Academic Music, and Modern Art-Rock as well. Also, there are many of the purely acoustic episodes on the album. Furthermore, a few pieces are here completely acoustic. All three of the first songs on the album, namely "Knock & Enter", "Walls", and "Dance of Light & Darkness" (1, 2, & 4), are about Classic Symphonic Progressive with elements of Modern Art-Rock and shades of Prog-Metal. These songs contain the complete set of the progressive ingredients that are typical for this genre. The masterful solos and passages of violin and cello that are present on them (as well as on most of the tracks on the album, though) make their sound very symphonic. What's interesting is that each of the songs on the album, including two out of the four parts of "Leaving", apart from the lead vocals, features also a wonderful male choir. When all three of the band's vocalists sing only to the accompaniment of hand percussion, which, though, happened only once (on 4), their choir a bit reminds me of that which was invented and regularly used by Gentle Giant. Stylistically, the first of the three instrumental pieces that are featured on the album, "Green Room" (3), is much in the vein of the songs that I've just described. In other words, the first half of the album is completely of a unified stylistic concept. Various interplay between solos of electric and bass guitars, violins, and organ and passages of acoustic guitar, piano, and synthesizers, frequent changes of tempo and mood, complex time signatures, etc, are typical for all four of the first tracks on Twenty Five Winters. Among them, only "Dance of Light & Darkness" (4) features the parts of hand percussion, apart from those of drums, and, in addition, contains two short episodes of the industrial-like character. Stylistically, the second half of the album is quite motley. "I Laughed Aloud" (5), entirely consisting of continuously developing interplay between very beautiful passages of piano and violin, is, of course, the instrumental piece of a pure Classical Music. The contents of the following instrumental, "Zombeiroch-III" (6), represent a blend of Classical Academic Music and Classic Prog-Metal (yes, yes) with elements of both of Classic Symphonic and Modern Art-Rock. To be more precise, this unique composition features the alternation of the arrangements that are clearly about Classical Music and those in the vein of a heavy Symphonic Progressive. This is the only track on the album that contains the parts of clavier and electric woodwinds. To be frank, I for the first time hear of electric woodwinds, though "these ears" find that they sound here too realistic to be synthetic. Although there are no any pauses between the parts of the last and the longest track on the album, "Leaving", all four of them can be differentiated easily, even though almost all of them flow slowly. The instrumental parts of the first of them represent Classical Music, while the vocally instrumental parts of it are definitely about Classic Symphonic Progressive with elements of Modern Art-Rock. A pure Classic Symphonic Art-Rock is present on the second part of "Leaving". Quite a fast, aggressive and dark Prog-Metal dominates throughout the third part of it, which is entirely instrumental. Finally, the fourth part of this epic composition is a Classic Art-Rock ballad.
All the songs and instrumental pieces on the Hands jubilee album Twenty Five Winters (the band was formed in 1977) are amazing, so I can't select the best track among them, which is quite a rare case in my practice. However, this unique and, overall, very contrasting album, full of unexpected changes of styles, all of which are distinctly original, is also a rare case on a contemporary progressive scene. Highly recommended! -- Vitaly Menshikov



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Inspired by the artistry and commercial success of groups like King Crimson, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Jethro Tull, Hands began as an idea between the young Michael Clay (piano and guitar) and the slightly older Michael Barreyre (guitar and vocals). While still in high school the two, inspired by new and experimental music, hatched the idea of a progressive rock band. The group would be a cross between Yes and Soft Machine and it seemed strange that it could actually be realized in Farmers Branch, Texas. Concurrently, Ernie Myers (guitar and vocals), John Rousseau (drums and percussion)and Steve Parker (guitar and vocals) were jamming together above the concession stand of a drive-in theater. The three also were active playing in front of live audiences at parties and loose gatherings at the spillway at the area lake. Meanwhile, Clay and Barreyere were joining with the late David Carlisle on Bass Guitar. They were joined by Sonny Solell on Saxophone and vocals. The four began to rehearse at Clay's house - honing cover tunes by Pink Floyd and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. Through a mutual friend in high school the two groups of musicians began to blend. Rousseau, Clay and Myers grouped together for a while but were soon disbanded when Myers moved to California. At that turn, Rousseau, Barreyre, Carlisle, Solell and Clay formed Ibis and began to rehearse in Solell's den. The name Ibis came from Flight of the Ibis, a song from the McDonald And Giles solo album. Ibis played a number of gigs in and about the Dallas area. Playing an eclectic cover list that included King Crimson, Frank Zappa, PFM to Johnny Winter and The Allman Brothers, Ibis grew accustomed to playing technically challenging material in clubs that were ill suited to their unusual playlist. Still, Ibis managed to book a gig at Deb's Danceland which proved to be Carlisle's last with the band. At that point Parker entered as the bass player. Although not a bass player at the time, Parker quickly adapted to the Bass and lead vocal duties.

The musicians felt that the Ibis moniker was kind of ...stupid. The band changed from Ibis to Prism. Prism continued to record and play gigs while incorporating more and more originals into the set list. Clay felt that the original compositions the band were starting to play with would benefit from having a string player in the band. Through a newspaper ad discovered by Rousseau, Paul Bunker - a truly extraordinary viola, violin and guitar player - joined the group. From that point the band took on a completely different sound and a seriousness of purpose. Finally, citing artistic differences and an increasing reticence to work together, Barreyre was asked to leave the band. While that particular rift was brewing, Myers had returned from Los Angeles where he had met flutist and composer Skip Durbin. Myers was asked to join Prism. The band had moved from Solell's den to a house of their own down the street. By the time Myers joined, life at the band house on Valwood Street in Farmers Branch had become a culture all its own. Girlfriends, other musicians, friends, and just the idle curious formed an atmosphere where creativity and musical experimentation were the norm. Commune-like, the band house became a gathering place and a forum for artistic, political, and sociological discussions. It was also a great place for parties and impromptu concerts where the band played and the rooms of the house vibrated with discussion, laughter and music. Because Solell was living at the Valwood house and playing in the group he began to feel pressured. Solell retired from Prism but agreed to let the band continue to rehearse at the Valwood house. Durbin quickly joined and the sound of the group changed again to a more melodic and flowing sort of sound.

The band had to find new rehearsal quarters. Prism vacated the Valwood Street house and moved into a series of warehouses called Yancy Camp. This was a long, narrow warehouse with a loft in the back. There the musicians honed a collection of original tunes which reflected the many years of playing eclectic music of all styles and eras. The sound of Hands (still Prism then) was truly born there in that isolated, unadorned, industrial warehouse. Myers' father came to a rehearsal one night with one of his associates. Hearing the sincerity and originality of the band, he invested a sum of money for the band to make a recording. Meanwhile, Rousseau had been busy making contact with the promoters of a Gentle Giant concert that was scheduled for the Dallas area. Through sheer persistence, Rousseau secured the opening spot for the Gentle Giant concert. Spurred on by the great reception they received playing the Gentle Giant gig, the band entered January Sound in fall of 1977 and recorded what would be, some 25 years later, the Hands CD.

1978 was a year of grueling practice and songwriting. The group had to endure another practice room change-to a storefront warehouse in East Dallas- and, learning of the Canadian band Prism on Arista records, had to change their name. After a series of long discussions they finally decided on Hands. The name seem to sum up a great deal about the band; just a coordination of hands moving about to make music. The name actual predated many of the minimalist names that would appear throughout the early eighties.

During this period the band courted Ken Scott the seminal producer of slick pop-rock. Scott had just finished producing and sinking some of his own money into the band Happy the Man. Although Scott heard the music of Hands and enjoyed it, he was in no position to produce or recommend the band to any label. While Happy the Man, a great progressive rock band applauded to this day, were artistically a success they did not have the sales to match their great music. With the advent of music that was less and less sophisticated and the ubiquitous drone of disco plodding incessantly along, Hands found it more and more difficult to maintain their goals and the ideals of their sound. In 1979 Michael Clay left the band. Undaunted, Hands continued with keyboard virtuoso Shanon Day. Shanon was a great player from a heavy rock band called Point Blank. He brought a meaty, Hammond B3 sound to the band and a greater rock sensibility. The band also added the vocals of Gary Stone. His high range and smooth vibrato gave the band vocal appeal.This lineup consisting of Myers, Parker, Durbin, Day, Bunker, Rousseau and Stone, went into Crystal Clear sound for a marathon recording session. In record time they recorded a tremendous amount music including epics such as Myers' Mindgrind, Antarctica and Durbin's elegiac New Skies. This material would later form the bulk of the CD Palm Mystery.

Hands played an inspired show at the Wintergarten Ballroom in 1980. It proved to be the last public appearance of the band in that form. The concert was well attended and expertly played. However, the years, changing public tastes and the restless careers of the musicians themselves eventually pulled Hands apart. The band formally ended in 1980.

Flashforward now to 1995. A long time friend and relative of Steve Parker, Rich, was interested in progressive rock and progressive metal. Parker had given him some tapes of Hands early recordings from the seventies. Rich was in the process of starting Shroom records. Shroom, in Rich's concept, would release quality material from progressive rock, hard rock and psychedelic bands primarily located in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. So it was that Hands became Shroom's inaugural release. The CD sold well and established Hands as quasi-legends in the resurgent progressive rock scene of the nineties. Hands' popularity grew particularly well in Scandinavia and Europe. Two more CDs of the archival material were releases to wide acclaim; Prism Live and Palm Mystery. Hands, after so many years of anonymity, were finally being recognized for the progressive rock pioneers that they truly are. It was suggested, first by Shroom and then by Myers, that a reunion CD be produced. Since most of the original members of Hands were still alive and in relative good health the consensus was, "Why not?" In 1996 Myers and Clay began to write some songs in a style that was progressive but not a recounting of their earlier sound. That sound was gone and would never return. But the new songs began to take on life and after several personnel changes and midstream alterations in recording technique, the CD Twenty Five Winters was finished in the Fall of 2001.

Twenty Five Winters signals a new era and a new sound for a group of musicians that keep reinventing themselves and their relationship with music and each other. Hands is here and playing and their innovation continues into the new millennium.

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