Sam Llanas

GARY TANIN
Anthology II (1973-1980)
(Daystorm Music)

Gary Tanin is a veteran of the Milwaukee music scene, having produced and mastered albums for the Gufs, Yell Leaders, Reedy Buzzards and Acoustic Warriors. Tanin recently released two anthologies' worth of music he recorded in the 70's on LP and 45, and it is on Anthology II that we find a reissue of his 1975 album Otto & The Elevators packaged with previously unreleased material.

Even by today's standards, the music here is bright and bold, Tanin sticking his grubby fingers in every possible piece of genre pie: "everything from polka rythyms to blues guitar licks, cool jazz soloing, Tin Pan Alley melodies and Stax-Volt soul." More info at http://www.garytanin.com/. Feck off, Beck!

Mark Wong - BigO (October, 2002)

Tanin's music has a remarkable lasting power and tends to sound as viable today as when it was first recorded. This is probably due to its lyrical quality. At a time when dissonance and punk are in vogue, Tanin, an incurable romantic at heart, sings about sun and rain, love and happiness, just as he always has, putting sincere feeling into the words linked to his memorable tunes.

One of his songs says: "It's not too late to change the world," Tanin still believes that. "Without faith, none of us ever has anything," he said.


Gary Peterson
The Milwaukee Sentinel
June 17, 1977

- The Milwaukee Sentinel June (1977)

Review
by Greg Prato

Quite a few years have passed since fans have heard anything from former Utopia keyboardist Roger Powell. The last he was spotted, he was part of a brief Utopia tour of Japan (documented on the Redux '92: Live in Japan DVD), yet rumors spread that after the tour, he had all but retired from the music biz. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, 2006 saw the appearance of Powell's first solo release in a dog's age, Fossil Poets. Joined by guitarist/bassist Greg Koch (with producer Gary Tanin adding some extra synth parts, as well), Fossil Poets is an entirely instrumental affair. But instead of focusing on their playing chops (as most instrumental rock albums do), the songs are mostly about creating texture, including the ambient album opener, "Lone Gunmen,” and the robotic "Fallout Shelter.” Elsewhere, Koch provides some tasty Jeff Beck-esque guitar work (circa Beck's classic Blow by Blow/Wired period) on "Test Drive" and "Osmosis." Although Fossil Poets won't be challenging the Dixie Chicks for the top of the album charts anytime soon, longtime Utopia fans will surely be pleased with the album that signals Powell's return from the "missing person's list."

Rating 3.5 Stars

- All Music Guide (2006)

DOWNBEAT
June 2007
JAZZ by John Ephland

Roger Powell: Fossil Poets (Inner Knot 680; 51:22)
Multi-instrumentalist Powell's trio is less in your face than The Gang Font, more melodic, but still experimental and unpredictable. Synths, guitars, mandolin, accordion, organ and flugelhorn make up some of his arsenal, as guitarist/bassist Greg Koch and synthplayer Gary Tanin join Powell for song credits across 15 selections that span the gamut between hard-edged fusion, space music, a twinge of country and funk-all of it contrasting with what came before. "Creme Fraiche" features rocking guitar lines, a constant pulse and juicy organ lines. "Tribe By Fire" includes stop-time cadences to build momentum through heavily synthesized throbbing bass lines, angelic synths and some Native American flute.
Ordering info: disciplineglobalmobile.com

Rating: 3- Stars - DOWNBEAT Magazine (June 2007)

Roger Powell
Fossil Poets
(Inner Knot)

Best known for his stint with Todd Rundgren's Utopia, multi-instrumentalist Roger Powell teams up with guitarist/bassist Greg Koch and musician/arranger/engineer Gary Tanin for an instrumental voyage that combines pleasingly catchy retro (and modern) synth textures with atmospheric guitars in a series of stylistically varied compositions. If parts are redolent with echoes of Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk and other synth pioneers, there is still a lot of original thought in these arrangements, which variously pulse and drift and cascade in many directions. Back in the day, we woud've called this "a great headphone album"; that's still a compliment. The sonics are amazing––every bleep, bloop, swoosh and guitar cry is right there. Check out "Créme Faiche," "Tribe By Fire" and "Miles [as in Davis] Per Gallon."

Producer/recorders: Gary Tanin, Roger Powell.
Engineering, mixing and mastering by Tanin at GTLabs(Milwaukee). Powell's studio work: Pitchbend (Northern California).
––Blair Jackson
Senior Editor

COPYRIGHT 2007, Penton Media Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - Mix Magazine (December, 2007)