E.E.R.

Ten Jinn: Wildman (CD, 40:17); Emerald City Records , 1997
Wildman Records
c/o John Paul Strauss
P.O. Box 56822
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: tenjinn@pacbell.net
Ph: (818) 988-8280
Fax: (818) 988-8170
Cyberhome: www.loop.com/~tenjinn

	Ignoring the enclosed press kit which lists a variety of notable proggish musical influences and 
the mention of “progressive/art rock” as the genre -- I carry on listening through each track 
unbiased by blurb. Most obvious to me is that Saga/(Wildest Dreams) era sound in John 
Strauss’ vocals/lyrics especially and overall song structures. As is in Saga’s releases, Ten 
Jinn’s musicianship is topnotch with ample expressive and effective guitar textures and fills. Keys 
are strong and carry a nearly equal weight as guitars -- if not more so. Bass and drums are tight 
and theatrically melodic. There are enough hooks sprinkled in each song.  “Rainbow’s Moon”, a 
definite radio-ready cut has a neoprog, pop rock feel.
	On “The Vampire Lestat”, “Forever Young”, and “Full Moon” we get to hear Strauss’ 
signature deep-timbre vox, darkwave-gothy, passionate, and dramatic side come through. It 
sounds like Ten Jinn, (in Saga-esque mode), collaborated with the Alan Parsons Project to cover 
Ricean vampirology, mirroring APP’s Edgar Allan Poe’s works. Recall the excellent Tales of 
Mystery and Imagination. This is where Ten Jinn should head in future releases.
	I really got lost listening until I realized liner notes didn’t match actual disc track order with 
“Ritual Fire”, actually coming after “Full Moon”. In spite of this confusion I think the actual disc 
order works much better than if it had matched the liner notes. “Ritual Fire” was an upbeatly 
omnious track that brought echoes of Dave Adams et al on the marvelous Glass Moon releases of 
decades ago. 
	“Endings” is a jazzy, vibes thing with a that slightly unpleasant touch of mainstream 80's dance 
floor Wang-Chung/Duran Duran/Flock of Seagulls type of groove-out. “I know” again outros 
with more of that mainstream rock, nite-club, straight up/no flash/no tricks Saga feel but not 
impressive overall unless perhaps -- you were that lonely femme fatale sitting front row as Strauss 
serenaded you in subdued stage lighting.
	Overall, this release shows good songwriting, theatrically strong  vocals, solid and 
professional musicianship and all that but . . . this is too neo-pop-prog for my more eclectic prog 
and jazz fusion tastes. This is prog rock for the ladies deciding to do a genre crossover -- oh most 
definitely so.	~ John W. Patterson




Ten JinnAs On A Darkling Plain (CD, 72:09); Wildman Records WMR-002, 1999
Wildman Records
c/o John Paul Strauss
P.O. Box 56822
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
E-mail: tenjinn@pacbell.net
Ph: (818) 988-8280
Fax: (818) 988-8170
Cyberhome: www.loop.com/~tenjinn

	Well, after Ten Jinn’s Wildman release, I suggested Strauss had a pretty cool gig 
goin’ with this dark theatre of Ricean-inspired, rock vampirology he played with a bit. Now it has 
blossomed full and afresh into an epic 40:05 rock opera of eight movements. I am sure this makes 
for quite a stage show if done right, (to date I can but imagine such). As stated in my earlier 
reviews, Ten Jinn brings to mind the best of Saga and Glass Moon wrapped together. This time 
out, I hear less pop-sappy and hook-laden, mainstream-inflected rock. Finally the progressive tips 
the scale. Surprisingly so, three of the eight “As On A Darkling Plain” movements are all 
instrumental. This is a gracious proggish improvement on Strauss’ part, seeing that he must 
therefore refrain from sharing his fine voice. Just listen and you can hear Strauss’s transparent 
love for pathos-rich vocals. Passion and lush expression are loaded in all Ten Jinn’s lyrics.
	Ten Jinn holds yet another surprise -- “Happy the Stan” Whitaker, guests on guitars. So 
with some of that legendary Happy The Man axework present you will notice the guitar presence 
moving up several notable notches. Best cut, for my in-your-face, prog rockin’ taste, of the 
vampiric epic’s blood-letting was -- voodoo drum roll please -- “Run Away”, a clear hands down 
finale/outro/climactic killer track. The excitement was infectious with Strauss’ gut-wrenching 
vocals. Keys were a driving/whirling maelstrom cool, bass akickin’, drums mean, and monster 
guitars slayed me. Strauss solar-plexus-wailed beastly like Glenn Danzig did on How the Gods 
Kill. Great track dudes!
	The last 32 bonus “rock-out-and-croon-a-lot” minutes on this CD give us “Lost In The 
Money”, a Saga/Glass Moon-like rocker with a strong southern-fried rock “Sweet Home 
Alabama” undercurrent holding things together. “Blind Authority” is another peppy rocker with 
tight grooves and Whitaker, (methinks), tearing it up deftly on guitar solos. “Rock” slows things 
up in an undulating, drifting, cosmic carousel of Happy The Man meets Rush  prog rock with 
vocals. Guitar solos are straightup pentatonic rock with little fusion nor eclectic modalities, 
(which I wish were used more).
	ATTENTION: Please insert the very decent track, “Tomorrow”, (song six), right here as 
the “big finish”, CD outro. NOTE: This is where the CD should have stopped, in my 
amateur wannabe-a-CD producer opinion.
	Weakest, (should have been left off the disc), track for me was the 5:10 “I Can’t See”. 
This is irritatingly tongue-in-cheek, circus-like, goofball pop. It was plagued with 
dorky/dippy/dweeb vocal excesses and too much crybaby lyrics. Why do progressive, supposed-
to-be “art” rock bands choose to offer us such drivel/filler when they exhibit clear talent 
elsewhere?
	Final track, “Lay Down Beside Me (In The Rain)”. This is but more more of that 
Saga/Glass Moon-ish angst-drenched vox and please-love-me-baby jive with quasi-arena-slick-
rock delivery, and its inherent, not-so interesting compositional matrix. Sorry ‘bout that guys.
	Compared to Ten Jinn’s earlier Wildman release, AOADP is clearly 
superior. Strauss’ vampire-inspired songs really work. The remainder of the disc is professionally 
decent rock but holds two lackluster “filler” tracks. If you like Saga or Glass Moon, Ten Jinn will 
please. Alas, I heard very little on this disc that allowed Stan Whitaker’s monumental prog rock 
guitar legacy to breathe. He handles Ten Jinn, theatre-prog rock with ease but we know he is 
capable of so very much more. Strauss’ vox is superb as usual on tracks he really cares about. I 
am curious to see where Ten Jinn heads with their future releases. I hear an enormous amount of 
potential that needs a bit more focus and a bigger step towards more art and less rock.
~ John W. Patterson



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