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Reviews

Fonya — Upper Level Open Space
(Musea FGBG4285.AR, 1998, CD)

by Willow Polson, Published 1999-11-01

Upper Level Open Space Cover art

Instrumental but powerful, this album has the punch of Steve Howe’s Turbulence but more varied and less riff driven. At times it’s very reminiscent of Steve Hackett, especially mid- to late-era. The music is complex enough that you don’t miss the vocals at all, which can sometimes be a problem with all-instrumental rock or prog rock. Chris Fournier is Fonya — he plays all the instruments, composed all the songs, produced the album, and even took the photos for and designed the cover. I'm usually skeptical when a one-man-show like this comes along, and I picture some guy with a big drum on his back and cymbals on his knees, but Upper Level Open Space is really impressive and has changed my mind for good. The album has the power to put you in another time and place — a wind-swept mountaintop, flying through the clouds, driving alone at night, wherever it sweeps you along to. There’s even some choice jazz, especially on “Alpine Aquarium.” Definitely worth checking out.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 18, 1998 releases

Related artist(s): Chris Fournier (Fonya)

 

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