Formerly lead singer with long-established Dutch progressive rock band Kayak, Edward Reekers has released The Liberty Project, his first solo album in 15 Years. More recently this millennium he’s been involved with Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon project, while also singing and doing voiceovers for numerous commercials and native language translations for Disney movies and the Harry Potter franchise.

The Liberty Project has been described as “rock opera, a musical and a concept album.” Thus stated, I want you to take that centrally noted category as its principal description. It ticks the rock opera box by virtue of some of the personalities involved and aspects of the songs. The concept aspect we accept willingly because – let’s be honest! – much as we might love such milestones as Tommy or The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, as fans it still takes a great leap in logic to make sense of the gaps in their storylines (and anyone wanting to forward notes on Tales Of Topographic Oceans, it’s okay, I’ll live without them).

But, in an attempt to give you the gist of what it’s all about: Imagine there had been a second big bang. Would that have altered our evolution or even created a parallel world? And if so, what would that the world look like? Who would be its inhabitants? That’s – allegedly – the concept behind The Liberty Project.

Reekers said, “I wanted to create a story within a story, so I introduced the characters, Thomas and Catherine, falling in love, splitting up and finding their way back together. With a society in turmoil around them where politicians, bankers, and journalists, amongst others, comment on the situation they’re confronted with.”

You know, the politics side of things I hear, at times. It’s kind of Stateside musical Hamilton set in a passive Orwellian 1984 feigning it’s Utopia, but maybe I’m way off the mark – Half the fun with concept albums for music lovers is spending the rest of your life trying to unravel what the hell is supposed to be going on, and that’s probably why just as many are turned off with them, rather than the convoluted time signatures they pretend as their excuse.

But fear not prog rock fans, Arjen Lucassen, Joost van den Broek, and Damian Wilson (of Ayreon renown) involved, legendary Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett gives the work further genre legitimacy, while on the rockier end there’s and Praying Mantis vocalist John Cuijpers, Vandenberg drummer Koen Herfst, plus – among others – guitarist Mark Bogert, bass player Johannes Adema on basses. Oh, yeah, importantly there’s a string section, a mixed choir and even a children’s choir.

“Having composed all the music and written all the lyrics for the project, it really was a dream come true for me to hear it come to life with so many great musicians and singers giving me the benefit of their wonderful talent,” said Reekers.

Opening on piano, instrumental ‘Out Of The Past…(Prologue)’ picks up some eerie noises along the way to help define the track’s semi-science fiction mystery title before a flute leads us along melodiously. Then, a military drum beat pounds in, guitar chords flail down, and the atmosphere changes with keyboards and guitar taking that flute melody in a rocky vein On ‘The Present Day’ – Here, lead character Thomas welcomes us to his day and age. “We call the time we live in the present day, but so did the people who lived a hundred years ago, and so will the people who will live a hundred years from now,” Reekers noted. “After this second big bang, we find ourselves in a parallel world very similar to the one we live in. The song is the first song on the album with a lead vocal. It has a powerful beginning and an almost hymn-like touch to it.”

As a listener, I hear a voice with the mannerisms of a young Ian Gillan, singing not squealing, as if – in these parallel world analogies – having sung on Jesus Christ, Superstar he pursued that musical route, and Jon Lord joined him as a composer, until the latter branched off and began working for Disney. But that’s just me, you don’t need to take the medication I’m on, and I gather it’s Wilson singing.

Introduction and set-up more or less in place, we appear to get Cindy Oudshoorn, as Catherine singing about previously meeting with Thomas, alongside some possible Twilight Zone moments on the ballad ‘Two lifetimes’. Undoubtedly influenced by the covid pandemic we get the classic heavy rock of ‘The Disease‘ next, with hefty shard of guitar riffing from Lucassen and Cuijpers giving it a nice touch of Dio-styled drama along with the various choirs interspersed between a nice blast of guitar soloing. Now, whether this disease is actually bacterial (released as a single, its accompanying video implies it) or some analogy for false news on a Protocols of Zion level I leave to greater minds.

Either way, ‘Good Citizens’  is scary as crap! Wilson takes lead vocals in a veritable Big Brother role on a song that continues the bacterial theme. Listen to it in passing, and it’s a semi-prog but more melodic rock classy tune, with guitar courtesy of Mark Bogert. But the lyrics? Me, I’m not buying the goodie two-shoes political mantra being espoused.

This was actually one of the first songs Reekers recorded for the album and talking about it he said, “After the second Big Bang – history repeats itself – a different or parallel world has developed, not unlike the world we know. A terrible disease has spread, and people live in fear. We hear the politicians saying everything will be fine if we all follow the rules and regulations that they have drawn up. Naturally, they cannot deliver what they promise; what else is new?” So, I wasn’t going crazy hearing what I heard.

“When I recorded the demos for this album, I sang all the lead vocals myself. As the project was coming along it became clear to me that I had to have a variety of voices for the different songs and groups of people singing them, giving each group and each song a face of its own. I found ‘Good Citizens’ one of the hardest ones to give away, so to speak, because I loved singing it. Fortunately, my good friend Damian Wilson was willing to lend his great voice and overwhelming interpretation to the politicians both in this song and ‘Never again’. And I must say, I’m more than happy with and proud of the result!” Yes, this most definitely works.

Piano ballad ‘Liberty’ could be a songwriting collaboration between former Styx keyboard player Dennis De Young and Barry Manilow. Not overly appealing, however, one senses its some important moral dilemma within the opaquer aspects of the storyline. Reekers and Oudshoorn take the lead roles within ‘Patients, Have Patience’ that has Gilbert & Sullivan operatic male choirs intoning through the track’s glam rock riffed art rock arrangement; it shouldn’t work, but somehow does. However, all’s not well for Thomas and Catherine during Bobby-socked ballad ‘The Break Up’, then merging pop, barbershop, classical, and rock ‘Turn To Us, Learn From Us’ comes on like this scenario’s politburo picking one of the lovers up to join their cause while they’re at their lowest.

A straight choral affair ‘The Clash Of Belief’ is likely as not intended as a dramatic pivotal turnabout in this musical. It’s followed by ‘Money’ that merges Peter Gabriel’s ‘Big Success’ swagger with the monstrous lurch of his earlier ‘Moribund The Burgomaster’ alongside some tooled-up metal guitars. Here you feel the baddies are reaping the rewards of their political propaganda, with the following tense ‘We Live To Die’ a dramatic shift as the opposition, freedom fighters or whatever force there is begin to realise they have to up their game to survive. But, hey, like I keep saying, I could be completely wrong. Overall, it stays one side of being camp musical theatre with some more creepy moments within, not least the children’s choir.

‘Remember The Fallen, Celebrate Life’ is a crestfallen, largely orchestral instrumental before transforming into a more defiant Celtic rock sound. Apparently, the baddies got defeated and the heroes are now preaching their own brand of positivity as heard on ‘Onwards And Forwards’ that’s part Latin dance, Queen styled orchestrated guitars and kind of middle of the road really, followed by the more seriously intended musical theatre of ‘Never Again’.

With ‘As Good As Any Goal’ you can feel this concept drawing to an end, Oudshoorn and Reekers duetting on this piano ballad, where the lovers appear to be back together, wishing on a star in that fairy tale Disney manner, and much as it began, ‘…..Into The Future (Epilogue)‘ is a flute lead piece until a soling guitar takes its place and delivers us through to climax.

Probably more semi-classical Disney than progressive rock, per se, and I suspect Reekers’ real intent with this is as a theatrical presentation. There’s certainly something here though, but you have to sit back and let it wash over you, and accept its overall intent.

• Reviewed by Paul H Birch.

• The Liberty Project is released via Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group and is available now (from here).
• Official Website | Facebook

Track List:

1. Out Of The Past… (Prologue)
2. The Present Day
3. Two lifetimes
4. The Disease
5. Good Citizens
6. Liberty
7. Patients, Have Patience
8. The Break Up
9. Turn To Us, Learn From Us
10. The Clash Of Belief
11. Money
12. We Live To Die
13. Remember The Fallen
14. Celebrate Life
15. Onwards And Forwards
16. Never Again
17. As Good As Any Goal
18. …..Into The Future (Epilogue)