Description

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Check the exclusive video showing this CD for sale

Eloy – Ra
Label: FM Revolver Records – REV XD 120
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1988
Style: Space Rock, Prog Rock
1 Voyager Of The Future Race 8:51
2 Sensations 4:46
3 Dreams 8:05
4 Invasion Of A Megaforce 7:42
5 Rainbow 5:21
6 Hero 6:51

Length 42:27

The album heralded the rebirth of ELOY – three years after the formation disbanded in 1985 – through the merger of Frank Bornemann and Michael Gerlach.

Frank Bornemann – guitar, lead vocals,
Michael Gerlach – keyboards, bass synthesizer, drums
Guest musicians:
Achim Gieseler – keyboards (4, 5)
Stefan Höls – bass (4), backing vocals (3, 5)
Darryl van Raalte – fretless bass (3)
Paul Harriman – bass (2)
Anette Stangenberg – lead vocals (3, 4, 5)
Diana Baden – whispers (3)
Tommy Newton – guitars (2)
Udo Dahmen – drums (4)
Sue Wist – vocal intro (1)

RA” was the beginning of a new era for Germany’s most successful art and progressive rock band ELOY – The previous formation had split up completely – But band’s founder, singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Frank Bornemann was still bursting with ideas that he wanted to pursue on the hitherto so successful path.

In keyboardist Michael Gerlach, he finally found a like-minded partner who was able to find his way into the band’s musical visions and create soundscapes with his perfectly suited equipment that, in combination with guitar and vocals, led to unique compositions.

“RA” addresses a topic that, from today’s perspective, seems almost prophetic in view of the fatal developments on our planet and in society. Eloy mastermind Frank Bornemann explains today that, even back then, it appeared humanity was already taking its first steps towards a new era, the consequences of which were still unforeseeable in detail, but which would irreversibly change our lives completely.

The scenario on the album, which the core content of “RA” ultimately defines and depicts still exceeds some of the limits of today’s events but is no less exciting for that. The music is undoubtedly absolutely unique.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Void Beckons

Eloy in its prime. Hard to pinpoint the apex of this apotheosis of a band but Rather certainly never disappoints. A must have for the Eloy collector.

5.0 out of 5 stars Eloy are Still Original

RA is the most misunderstood and underrated record Eloy has ever made, and being an avid fan for more than twenty years I would like to make the following observations,
RA should be reviewed and heard with a much larger context in mind:
The time and circumstances of its release.
The record was released in late eighties, the worst period for progressive rock, where many bands floundered, while the very few who stuck to the genre had to alter their sound and go more commercial (a prime example being Jethro Tull with Under Wraps, now you can not go more commercial than that!)
The music establishment and industry had their knives out for this kind of music!
To still produce and write a new progressive rock record in this not so favorable market and atmosphere was a great achievement and a credit to the genius of Frank Bornemann and his dedication to writing decent quality music.
Fans had to wait four years to be surprised by a new Eloy output, since Metromania was very much thought to be the band’s last after the ’80 line up that had brilliant classics to its name (Planets, Colours, and Time to Turn) disbanded.
But Frank Bornemann the driving force behind the band, held to Eloy’s name and returned with a new line up (made primarily of keyboardist Michael Gerlach, joined later by the return of the excellent Klaus Peter Matziol on bass, one of the best in rock music).The result of this return was RA.
In a way, you can consider RA as a new shift in Eloy’s sound, yet remaining faithfully in the progressive rock tradition, a heavier and darker sound, one that would remain audible on their next two records, especially on Destination,(tracks like Call of the Wild and Prisoner in Mind are very much in the spirit of RA).
One of the main criticism of RA is the reliance on drum machine, something considered blasphemous to most fans!, but again you have to judge this in the context of the circumstances of the record. Having said that, the quality of the melody and the writing was never compromised! If you just listen to the powerful opening of Voyager of The Future Race (it blew my mind!) or the haunting melodies of Dreams and Hero,(underrated all time masterpieces and in a way more progressive and complex than any track on Metromania),you will realize just how great that record is, and you can excuse Bornemann for going more commercial with tracks like Sensations and Rainbow (for me personally Eloy’s weakest track).
So RA is a record that should be reassessed, listened to again carefully, and I am sure you will too discover the original and creative song writing process on it, and the joy that this wonderful band has provided its fans for three decades.

5.0 out of 5 starseinfach schön 

Wenn ich einfach nur schöne Musik hören möchte und schiebe die Ra von Eloy in den cd-player – dann mach’ ich schlichtweg nichts falsch! Ich halte nichts davon, Eloy auf eine ausgezeichnete “legendäre” Schaffenszeit zu reduzieren, jede einzelne Phase/Besetzung ist reizvoll – und diese ist sicher nicht die schlechteste! “Dream” ist ein echter Genuss!

just beautiful
If I just want to listen to nice music and put the Ra by Eloy in the CD player! “Dream” is a real treat! I hear a lot of Alan Parsons Project in this album (especially the track Rainbow).
I you like Alan Parsons type music you will like this album I predict

A seriously (and no idea why!) underrated album which contains a lot of innovative moments, for example, choir lead vocals in some tracks, totally new (for Bornemann) principles of melody making and revolutionary (for Bornemann) arrangements in at least a half of the album, and major tonality as a prevalent one in two complex compositions (all the previous albums released by Eloy contained only tracks in minor tonalities, with the only exception of ‘partially major’ Magic Mirrors from Time To Turn, and the single track Wings Of Vision from 1980). In addition, Bornemann performed his best vocals on this album, he never sang so great as before so later.