Comments for Mac Dowell Project, The Lenny, Lost Paradise

This is a nicely thought out concept album (idea by Jürgen Thürnau and Lenny Mac Dowell), with environmental themes and many fine guest vocalists. However, there is an unpleasant trebly harshness to the music, particularly the drums and keyboards. There is very little of Mac Dowell`s own flute playing, the music being mostly straightforward guitar or keyboard based rock, but nice enough. It seems to come together better on the later tracks, concluding (as well as opening) with a fine orchestrated instrumental piece. The lyrics convey the theme effectively, though sometimes oddly (such as on "Lonely is the Night," which is sung from the point of view of the last whale) and the cover with its Paradisical island floating over a cracked, polluted wasteland is strikingly appropriate. Of course, it`s unlikely that this sort of work will convince the unconverted, but the themes are worth exploring and this album covers several aspects, with diverse enough artists to attract a cross-section of listeners. Maggie Reilly`s track also appears on one of her solo albums. (Ian Thomas)