Flame Dream – Supervision (Vertigo, 1982 / 2025 reissue)
Supervision (1982) by Flame Dream is an example of what happened to many progressive rock bands. The band switched to uninspiring short, catchy, pop-oriented songs. The progressive rock roots are still there in the instrumental “Dancing Into Daylight” and parts of the closing epic, “Paradise Lost,” where the band played passages influences by Genesis and progressive rock superband UK.
As usual, the best moment were provided by composer and keyboardist Roland Ruckstuhl and Urs Hochuli’s inventive bass lines.
Despite the pop influences, inconsistent quality, and an overreliance on borrowed ideas, the band went back to making finely crafted progressive rock a few years later.
Musicians: Roland Ruckstuhl on piano, organ, keyboards, sequencer, vocoder composer; Peter Wolf on vocals, flute, saxophones, percussion; Urs Hochuli on bass, guitars, bass pedals; Peter Furrer on drums, percussion.