01	R. Daneel Olivaw						03:07
	02	One Trick Pony						01:52
	03	Kazak, The Hound Of Space						02:14
	04	Tiny Machines						04:24
	05	Northern Pike						06:36
	06	Gulf Of Tonkin						01:05
	07	Are Your Pants Down? (Pants Down)						01:14
	08	Pull Your Pants Down (Pants Down)						02:22
	09	Big Cats						03:42
	10	Threnody For The Victims Of Brother Theodore						04:03
	11	Fanfare For A Losing Team						02:19
	12	The Boston Crab						02:22
	13	Winston Niles Rumfoord						01:13
	14	Elba (Never Come Back, I Want You Gone)						04:39
	15	The Sirens Of Titan - Chrono-Synclastic Infundibulum						00:57
	16	The Sirens Of Titan - Back Through Newport, Rhode Island						02:36
	17	The Sirens Of Titan - Unk And Boaz In The Caves Of Mercury						01:00
	18	The Sirens Of Titan - Salo						02:41
	19	Royal Jelly						05:26

Dreadnaught - Musica en Flagrante
Dreadnaught - Musica en Flagrante
Country of Origin: USA
Format: CD
Record Label: Big Balloon Music
Catalogue #: BBM1101
Year of Release: 2004
Time: 54:04
Info: Dreadnaught
Samples: -

Tracklist: R. Daniel Olivaw (3:07), One Trick Pony (1:52), Kazak, The Hound Of Space (2:15), Tiny Machines (4:24), Northern Pike (6:37), Gulf Of Tonkin (1:06), Are Your Pants Down? [Pants Down] (1:15), Pull Your Pants Down [Pants Down] (2:23), Big Cats (3:43), Threnody For The Victims Of Brother Theodore (4:03), Fanfare For A Losing Team (2:20), The Boston Crab (2:22), Winston Niles Rumfoord (1:14), Elba Never Come Back, I Want You Gone (4:39), The Sirens Of Titan (7:17), Royal Jelly (5:27)

Dreadnaught are one of those bands who give reviewers a real headache. Not because they create an ear-assaulting racket, you understand, but because they produce music which is very hard to describe. The promo material doesn’t necessarily help matters in describing the band as ‘progbilly’. This conjures up unpleasant mental images of a bunch of red-necks doing countrified versions of Yes songs, and is some way of the mark. A more useful description is given elsewhere in the promotional literature, where the bands musical styles are accurately described as follows: ‘classical, rock, jazz, country, blues, avant-garde, noise, minimalism, maximilism, you name it, it’s in their somewhere’. This is ‘fusion’ in a very real sense!

This is the Dreadnaught’s fourth album, and is an all-instrumental affair. The band’s current line-up is made up of Bob Lord (bass, keyboards, programming), Justin Walton (guitars, keys, Rhodes, saxophone) and drummer Tim Haney, with guest musicians supplying harmonica and violin. Unlike many bands we review on DPRP, Dreadnaught have played a plethora of live shows all over their native US, and this has obviously honed their playing and writing skills, judging by the totally assured performances all three musicians give over the course of what is, as I’ve already indicated, an album which includes a wide range of musical styles.

To give a detailed track by track analysis would be somewhat futile (and exhausting!), but a brief description of some of the tracks may help readers to understand where this band is coming from. Opener R. Daneel Olivaw (the odd title is actually the name of a fictional robot created by Isaac Asimov) has a nice laidback, almost ambient groove and some Wurlitzer like organ, and is a good introduction to the band’s sound. Kazak, The Hound Of Space is a more spacey, rather avant-garde track that seems semi-improvised and goes for mood over melody. Both Gulf Of Tonkin and The Boston Crab sees the band going for a more rocky approach, with some nice bluesy guitar licks from Justin Walton, whilst Big Cats and Threnody For The Victims Of Brother Theodore have something of a ‘film score’ feel, being decidedly cinematic and orchestral in their approach – parts of the latter reminded me of Bernard Herrmann’s main theme on Taxi Driver. The playful Tiny Machines, meanwhile, is one of several tracks that evoke the spirit of Frank Zappa.

The main jazz influence is to be found on Northern Pike, a warm, late-night evoking piece which, with its judicious use of harmonica, reminded me of the Jaco Pastorius track 3 Views Of A Secret. The seven-plus minute The Sirens Of Titan, meanwhile (probably counting as an epic by the band’s standards, given that many tracks last between one and three minutes!) is a nicely constructed, atmospheric piece with some fine sax playing and a violin-led section which recalls Eastern European folk music.

This is just an illustration of the wide range of styles to be found on Musica En Flagrante. Its one of those albums that never bores, and despite the shifts in style, tempo and mood it somehow manages to feel like a cohesive work, with the band managing to establish their own musical identity. Progressive rock fans who like their music safe and predictable probably won’t take to this, but if you like adventurous, lively and excellently played instrumental music, then Dreadnaught are a band well worth investigating.

Conclusion: 8 out of 10

Tom De Val