Ten - Far Beyond the World

Ten have been around the block and back, first coming into the industry with the highly acclaimed self titled release that was praised to the high heavens for the clever update on a dated sound, dragging the pomp trappings of the mid 80s bombast of Whitesnake kicking and screaming into the mid 1990s. Like the band named after a pale serpent, Ten had the ultra charismatic frontman with enough sex appeal to shock your grandmother and a well respected guitarist that could do the drifty bubbly sorrowful thing and then crank it up into shred happy land without breaking a string or skipping a beat. Lead singer and main songwriter, Gary Hughes was quickly welcomed by the AOR crowd and crowned the Shakespeare of the genre for his magnificent lyrics that actually crafted a well sculpted story using his eloquent use of prose and knack for throwing in words that you normally don't see in your average hard rock song. Disc after disc, they steadily kept improving, each album a technically well executed, yet ulimately pleasurable affair that appeals to the listener on a variety of levels without insulting their intellegence or sacrificing ease of access for artistic integrity. What more could you want from a band?

That question was answered with 2000's superb effort "Babylon". Its concept a little muddy when relying on lyrical content alone, but the story takes a backseat to the well crafted elegance of the disc. Integrating progressive elements in a very subtle way and bringing the keys (performed by the ever talented Don Airey) to the forefront, it was a slightly heavier outing that saw Ten combine the best of all worlds with the experience gained from their past work. Where could they go from here? There were high hopes for "Far Beyond the World" indeed. Even though it did not bode well that co-founder and guitarist Vinny Burns departed before its release, pleading irreconciable differences that sounded more like a divorce than anything else.

So just how does "FBtW" stack up? For starters, this is a kinder, gentler Ten. Apparently since Hughes has not been able to get his softer creative side out in a solo album for several years he decided to inflict the new album with all the ideas he had building up, either that or else all his creativity was blown out earlier, the resulting product being Bob Catley's quite delicious "Middle Earth" album. Either way, the shape of Ten has been altered enough to be startling, a pleasing surprise sometimes and the rest...well, it seems like alot of potential was wasted. Then again, they had to live up to an album that blew minds and stole hearts so perhaps the change was for the best. Not to say that "Far Beyond.." is not a good disc, quite the contrary. With Hughes and Burns together its hard for them not to achieve a certain amount of greatness, even if this is their final fling. And the fact remains than even when Ten is not at their absolute best, they are still a head and shoulders above 90% of everything else out there.

01.] "Glimmer of Evil"
A tantalizing track that teases the listener mercilessly, sending out a shadow of a promise that is never realized, and instead fades further into oblivion with every song that passes by. This is vintage Ten, the kind of material the band should be putting out consistantly with giant expansive ear catching hooks and a groove that punctuates with an esctatic exclamation. "Scandalized debaucher, She devised my tortured woes."

02.] "Strange Land"
Kicking it up a notch is this piece that flows like silken water. It beckons one to curl up with it, comforting in nearly every fathomable way despite its theme of clipped wings, lost love and broken dreams. The chorus sees the lead morphing into the background voices, slipping out occasionally on its own to help musically illustrate its point.

03.] "High Tides"
Oh what an insane laugh! The heat is cranked up a little more, shedding the years like a snake slips its skin, taking us 'way' back to the dawn of Ten, with their unique brand of over the top hard rock. The lyrics seem to touch upon the loveliest mystical beings of the sea, the mermaids...who's song can lead to the loss of one's soul, and the desperate struggle to retain sanity. The effects laid upon the vocals near the end is unexpected and just perfect..

04.] "What About Me?"
Ballad numero uno moves at a fair clip without being bogged down with all that snail pace nonsense, it is far too early in the album for something of that nature to pop up, but this cools it off nicely. The lovey dove sentiment is kept close at heart without beating one over the head with it. It lavishly heaps on the love theme, and Hughes' lyrics are a marvel. He definitely knows how to project every female's fantasy in a lovely dreamy perfectly worded weave that sends the senses reeling and the heart fluttering. The dominant acoustic trappings lend the song a softer sound without crippling the tempo. The sparse electric guitar work relegates it to playing the role of the temptingly rare delicacy, its few pointed appearances treasured when it does decide to drift to the surface with its intertwined electric notes nipping lightly at the senses. Also of note is the positively precious way Gary strings the next lines together: "I couldn't sleep tonight, I couldn't keep the light from burning from within..."

05.] "Last of the Lovers"
Sexy grooves masquerading under the guise of oh so hard rock, combined with a sly nod to such early in their career fare as "The Crusades (It's All About Love)", add up to one dynamite ditty that's bursting at the seams, just waiting to explode. The Spanish-like acoustic section calms the soul, simmers the song down for a few fleeting moments before the electric loses control and streaks out for a firey solo that leaves quite a bit of smoke left for a whirlwind finish releasing the remainder of the pent up red hot heat in one final blast of sensuality.

06.] "Outlawed and Notorious"
Tiresome and repetitive, it is far below what the band is capable of, making it seem like an absurd after thought. Rocking, yes, but memorable, no. Sorry boys, better luck next track eh?

07.] "Scarlet and the Grey"
Not chained down by the ghosts of Ten's past, nor can any firm relation be recalled to Hughes' solo material, this in particular is definitely one of the more standout tracks of the album. The chorus is strangely held back, flying far under the radar compared to the rougher, rawer verses that come off sounding powerful and majestic with their own identifiable twists. The rich vocal textures dipping into the deepness add such a lovely contrast to the proceedings, even when being stretched and warped with studio effects to provide emphasis on particular words. Acoustic is prevelant, especially in the chorus which depends on it extensively, while the electric plays second fiddle as simply the buried rhythmic mumur somewhere lost in the background. The solo allows for a bit of technical prowess in the axe area, but even the lead is oddly restrained, simple round notes an obvious slave to the more complex electric rhythm that stubbornly plods on in the spotlight.

08.] "Heart Like A Lion"
Ah yes a classic if I ever saw one... never has Gary Hughes' voice sounded quite so smolderingly sexual, delictably deep or oozed with such purely pulse pounding appeal. It catches the breath in your throat, stills the heart and warms the blood. The naughty honey haired angel weaves his unmistakable magic around this arrangement, giving it a sense of wild, otherworldy wonder and a yearning for a mere brush with love's relentless tides. The emotional complexity of the bluesy off guard catching opening is followed by the kind of rousing, barricade smashing hard rock that has not been heard since Whitesnake's sex anthem "Still of the Night", with its bombastic side wrapped firmly in a sultry gauze. This one just dares you to lose your soul somewhere amongst "the ocean with the wind in your hair in the light of truth..."

09.] "Black Shadows"
Songs can be repetitive yet not the least bit annoying, if done correctly, and this little tune almost makes a good example of that little information nugget, but then falls into its own pit and stays there indefinitely. It starts out well enough with an agreeable rhythmic flow based around some sizzly guitar and dancing keys that do unfortunately lack the tasteful grace of Don Airey who is sorely missed on this disc all-around. Just when it seems the song is about to end up somewhere, it stays right in place, afraid to venture out into unknown territory, settling for mediocrity when greatness, so close yet so far, could have been achieved.

10.] "Who Do You Love?"
One of the other better songs of the disc ended with a question mark, and this track continues the trend by being an addictive mid tempo track that leans heavy on the *must* sing-a-long phenomenon and light on the lyrical content. Fleet and infectious, Gary is absolutely adorable when he puts the question to the test in this spiffy melodic tune that has the whole 'beg to be replayed' thing going on. Even with age and quite a few miles put on it, it still holds up very well.

11.] "Far Beyond the World"
This gentle, subdued ballad recalls the tender romantic fare from Hughes' solo albums, especially the self titled and the more stripped "Precious Ones". The sentiment is sweet and touching, featuring a tear stained chorus, the waterworks turned on high for the delicate ending. The space and light/darkness combo makes for graphically pleasing imagery, however this little ballad is not even in the same galaxy as the two emotional shockers from "Babylon" that dealt with more complex issues. It does if nothing else, close the album on a heartfelt note.