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	REVIEWS Feb. 6, 2022: This amazing 10 out of 10 review is from DPRP's Greg Cummins. To access the excellent DPRP website and the full review (you'll have to scroll down a bit)  For those who have not yet heard of David Minasian, he is a multi-instrumentalist from the USA who released a solo album in 1984 but then took a new path of discovery which would see his own projects shelved for some time. David is co-credited with an obscure album from 1996 entitled It's Not Too Late. This was recorded with William Drews on vocals along with other session musicians to add drums, guitar and bass. After a temporary hiatus, David released the brilliant Random Acts Of Beauty in 2010. This was followed by The Sound Of Dreams in 2020. Both albums have been positively reviewed despite not being very well known in the mainstream arena. David really cut his teeth a few decades ago as a budding film producer and is currently credited with having directed and produced nine videos for legendary band, Camel. He has also been involved with producing for Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues). These engagements obviously took up a lot of his time, and accordingly kept him away from the recording studio until his own musical aspirations finally took over. This wonderful album contains seven tracks: three from his 2010 release and four from his most recent. It contains three epic tracks, all over 10 minutes long and four medium length gems. The album drips with very emotive and soaring lead breaks, along with achingly beautiful melodies that are simply not heard enough these days. Being principally a keyboard player, his playing on this collection is simply stunning and would satisfy anyone wondering what Tony Banks had been doing lately. His very talented son, Justin, is also credited with providing some excellent guitar accompaniment, worthy of a veteran twice his age. Additionally, the guest musicians helping David include many well known luminaries from within the industry, so you are in great company here. Justin Hayward (vocals, guitars, keyboards - 4), Steve Hackett (guitars - 5), Annie Haslam (vocals - 5), Billy Sherwood (bass - 5), and Julie Ragins (vocals - 6) all contribute magnificently. Opening proceedings is the stunning track Masquerade, which if you thought sounded like Camel, you'd be right. Andy Latimer adds his tell-tale evocative guitar magic, which helps punch this masterpiece right through the stratosphere. Storming The Castle is another excellent track. It begins with a beautifully serene melody but then opens up with some fine interplay with gutsy guitar and more synth. Summer's End begins with plaintiff piano, softly-sung lyrics followed by Mellotron and keys, to then embrace Justin's stunning guitar which rivals any of the best. Think a melding of Steve Hackett, Andy Latimer, Janos Varga, Lanvall, Edenbridge, and Kayak, and you'd be in the ballpark. The acoustic beginning to The Wind Of Heaven introduces another masterpiece that could have been lifted from any of the excellent albums by The Moody Blues. Justin Hayward adds his lovely voice to this wonderfully composed gem which makes you realize what a talented man he is. The Sound Of Dreams continues this pattern, while Room With Dark Corners allows female vocals to take centre stage accompanied by more excellent synth. The album finally closes with (the digital only bonus track) Twin Flames At Twilight, which at 13:42 minutes in length is the perfect epic to complete the odyssey. There are some inspiring multi-instrumentalists whose body of work never seems to be fully appreciated, as too many music fans just buy what they're told to by the corporate world. What a tragedy to think how much brilliant music never rises above the Plimsoll Line. While the rest of the world greedily laps up so much 5th tier commercial drivel from people who should not be allowed out in public, let alone be allowed inside a recording studio, gems such as this go sadly unnoticed. If only we could change that ridiculous level of ignorance. David Minasian sits comfortably amongst his contemporaries such as Rick Miller, Steve Unruh, Guy Manning, Alan Reed, Robert Reed, Ken Baird, Antony Kalugin, Dave Bainbridge, David Arkenstone, early Gordon Giltrap, Janos Varga, Kevin Peek, (Sky), Larry Benigno, (Sonic Music), Martin Orford (IQ), Mike Oldfield, Nick Magnus, Steve Thorne and so many others. I've extracted from David's website his favourite and most inspirational albums which include the following and which ironically match my own with a few exceptions: 1. Blue Jays by Justin Hayward and John Lodge 2. Seventh Sojourn by The Moody Blues 3. Trick Of The Tail by Genesis 4. Blondel by Amazing Blondel 5. Ever Sense The Dawn by Providence 6. A Nod And A Wink by Camel 7. Gone To Earth by Barclay James Harvest 8. Song For All Seasons by Renaissance 9. Going For The One by Yes 10. Songs From The Wood by Jethro Tull. From this list of music, you can easily appreciate the huge influence that these essential albums have had on David's own music. It possesses all the excellent qualities of those aforementioned bands but allows David to add his own DNA. If you have been missing some new output from these favourites, now is the time to change that. Obviously, David sounds best during his smooth, comfortable and melodic compositions, so if any of the previously mentioned bands or artists are on your favourites list, then this excellent album deserves a place in your collection as well. Recommendations don't come highly enough for this brilliant man's brilliant music. It's simple really. Get your shoes on, grab your keys and wallet and buy this gem that you know you deserve. Off you go now! Feb. 1, 2022: The following review appears in the February issue of Power Play Rock & Metal Magazine on page 42: When keyboardist, composer, vocalist and producer David Minasian recorded Random Acts of Beauty in 2010, his place in the progressive music scene was cemented for his beautiful serenity and ability to create musical landscapes that transport the listener to lands of tranquility and calm. Those lands are laid bare on almost every track through the combination of progressive sounds interspersed with folk and medieval character. Random Acts of Beauty became one of the biggest progressive rock releases that year, in part thanks to the impressive twelve minute track Masquerade which featured guitarist Andrew Latimer from UK progressive band Camel. On the long-awaited follow-up album The Sound of Dreams, David brought further inventive collaborations including the likes of Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, as well as contributions from Renaissance vocalist Annie Haslam, and Billy Sherwood of Yes. David's career as a motion picture producer and director shines through on these tracks, as there is a distinct parallel with his music and the soundtrack of major films, for their simplicity and ability to create a visual impression in the listener's mind. This is a wonderful compilation of work, and it's great to see that the album is only volume one, suggesting further volumes may follow. Some quite exquisite progressive music on display. Jan. 22, 2022: The following review is from Velvet Thunder. To access the full review and website  Both of David Minasian's previously released albums have been reviewed by Velvet Thunder so you can go back to look at these in detail if you wish. Basically, David Minasian is an American keyboard player, vocalist, songwriter and producer and, as I have said before, appears to be one of those people who can not only do just about anything but also seems to excel at everything as well. A child prodigy who was playing piano when at age 5, only to later turn down the chance to become a professional musician and chose a career in film productions instead. It was through this branch of the arts that he began a long and illustrious career with Camel and Justin Hayward, making music videos for them among others. He had already recorded two progressive rock albums before his collaboration with Latimer and Hayward with one in 1984 and the other in 1996. But our interest begins in 2010 when he released the sublime Random Acts Of Beauty which was an intoxicating progressive rock delight and featured guest Andy Latimer. It was re-released in 2020 at the same time as Minasian's new progressive rock masterpiece The Sound Of Dreams which this time featured an extensive guest list. Following on rapidly from these two CD's is this 'Best Of' album which features six remixed tracks, with three tracks apiece from Random Acts and Sound Of Dreams. It is being released on record as there have been many requests for a vinyl release and it will also be available on digital platforms with one extra track (from Sound Of Dreams) but no CD release is planned at this time. As a reminder, the guests featured are Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Andy Latimer (Camel), Annie Haslam (Renaissance) and Billy Sherwood (Yes) which is surely enough to pique the interest of any self-respecting progressive rock fan. Musically, this is a stunning mix of Genesis and Camel with beautifully fluid guitar solos and emotional orchestral/symphonic passages, wondrous swathes of keyboards and vocals that are almost too beautiful for words. These albums are perfect examples of progressive rock and quite simply are on another level altogether and once heard, you will have to play them again and again. The music is now available for lovers of vinyl and I'm sure this record will send all audiophiles into raptures of delight. Dec. 29, 2021: The following review is from Poland's MLWZ. To read the full review and access the website  We wrote about the great composer and instrumentalist David Minasian and the great musicians he has been able to gather around him in our reviews of his previous albums "Random Acts Of Beauty" (2010) and "The Sound Of Dreams" (2020). The first one was a real sensation which included a guest performance from the legendary Camel guitarist Andrew Latimer who had returned to active life after overcoming a serious illness. It should be noted that David is primarily a film producer, director and screenwriter with over 150 films under his belt. He has worked alongside some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Oscar winners Mel Gibson and Martin Landau, along with many rock stars such as Elton John, The Moody Blues, Alan Parsons and Kris Kristofferson. Unexpectedly, following the release of two promotional singles, David has now given us a wonderful compilation album through Golden Robot Records titled "Random Dreams - The Very Best of David Minasian Volume One". This came as a surprise due to the artist's relatively small amount of recorded output. This vinyl and digital compilation contains songs from David's two previous albums mentioned above but with newly remixed formats. These remixes do not fundamentally change the nature of the individual compositions which still maintain a dreamy, tasteful character and highly romantic mood. The atmosphere of all of them is emphasized by the epic strains of keyboards performed by our hero against the beautiful guitar parts and solos performed by such masters as Andy Latimer, Steve Hackett and Justin Minasian who shine like the sun in an azure sky. The vocal parts deserve separate attention. David's warm voice is appealing to the ear with pleasant articulation and creates a wonderful atmosphere. And when the voices of Annie Haslam, Justin Hayward or Julie Ragins are added, the music becomes exceptionally beautiful and wonderful. Perhaps the greatest treasure of this release is "Masquerade" - a composition recorded with the participation of Andy Latimer and equipped with a beautiful guitar solo from the leader of Camel. Another fascinating track is "Summer's End", whose value is emphasized by the emotional guitar parts played by David's son Justin, who performs one of the strongest solos on the album here. The track "The Sound of Dreams" brings together the talents of some of the most famous icons of progressive rock who perform here together for the first time: Renaissance singer Annie Haslam, Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Yes bassist Billy Sherwood. One of the most beautiful songs is "The Wind Of Heaven" sung by Justin Hayward. Such a song could have easily decorated any Moody Blues album. It is impossible not to be delighted with the composition "Room With Dark Corners" with its delightful vocal from Julie Ragins. The same can be said about the nearly fifteen minute epic "Twin Flames At Twilight", which is featured as a bonus on the digital release. In fact, this album contains no unnecessary sound - there is no wrong idea, there is no unnecessary note or phrase... every sound harmonizes with each other in a masterful way. This compilation is really worth reaching for. Simply put, it is a solid piece of melodic symphonic rock - it sounds great, is a wonderful listen, and a fabulously beautiful album. Dec. 13, 2021: The following review is from Spirit Rock. To access the full review and website  David Minasian is a film producer, screenwriter, director, and a musician, singer and songwriter. He has worked for motion picture production companies in the Los Angeles area. He has notably worked on some sixty documentaries and also on music videos and film concerts for familiar acts such as Three Dog Night, Camel and Justin Hayward. He has also released, somewhat intermittently, prog rock albums in his own right. Random Dreams is a compilation album, currently available as digital or vinyl releases, that draws on the more recent of these, notably 2010's Random Acts Of Beauty and last year's The Sound Of Dreams. In spite of the comparative newness of the original releases all the tracks have been (remixed). David draws his inspiration from the more melodic side of classic progressive rock. Barclay James Harvest rather than King Crimson, Renaissance rather than Yes. Not to say that there is not some traces of the latter particularly, but any influence is more in the background and less prime than the others. The Moody Blues and Camel are also very high on the list of influencers. The music itself is very warm feeling symphonic progressive rock with long instrumental passages and dexterous interplay between the musicians. Stylish and often graceful, the songs have great capacity to create images in the mind. The production is excellent with great clarity and definition achieved. There are no dissonant passages, the rhythms are not encumbered by intricacy. It is a canorous, mellow but essentially colourful sound. David and his son, Justin, are the principal musicians on the release but there are a number of invited guests making impactful contributions. Andy Latimer from Camel sings and plays guitar on the opening track Masquerade; Justin Hayward contributes vocals, guitar and keyboards to The Wind Of Heaven; Annie Haslam of Renaissance, Steve Hackett formerly of Genesis, and Billy Sherwood from Yes bring their respective talents to The Sound Of Dreams; Julie Ragins, who has performed with The Moody Blues adds vocals to Room With Dark Corners, whilst (Pentagram's) Geof O'Keefe plays drums on the last three tracks. They all perform with their idiosyncratic styles to an excellent standard. To a large extent the tracks that the guests play on pretty much sound like their home bands. Masquerade could be heard as a Camel tune, The Sound Of Dreams a Renaissance one with Steve Hackett contributing a guitar solo. This is not to say that there is pastiche at play here, as the songs are still very strong in themselves and they have a lot to say both musically and lyrically. This is a strong release though, and an appealing reflection on what are some of David's most loved songs. It is excellently written, played, and produced with significant contributions from all those participating. The music has a friendly approachable feel to it. An often beautiful and satisfying listen. All content except reviews property of David Minasian ©2010-2022. All Rights Reserved.