While the opening track draws tangents to the 70’s anglo-saxon progressive archetypes, mixing some 80’s neo-prog keyboards by the end, the title song starts in an almost Billy Joel meets Tom Waits fashion. Gill displays his piano ability, providing an excellent ground for the vocals to interpret. In this vocal department, this second track is much more accomplished than the singing in the opening track, which honestly lacks entwinement with the music.
Arrakis has a jazzy rhythm section punctuated by melodic guitar tunes and sax soloing, resulting in an easy-listening fusion track.
Tomorrow’s World is the track that impressed me the less in this album. I believe the vocals don’t work well here, and the jazzy touch that is provided is normally not the cup of tea for the sympho progheads.
Gill dares to version one of the most fantastic songs ever recorded by Peter Gabriel, which is also one of my all time favorite tracks. In this he has turned out very well, as the vocals provided by Callie Lou Thomas. Gill has preferred to cover the piano/slower version of this track, and for me, the result is achieved when I still get goosebumps while listening to this track, something that I always get whenever I hear both original versions from Master Peter.
Memory of a Dream is an all instrumental track with beautiful piano passages which ends up showing the true Gill’s capacity to play this instrument in its purest form. Without a doubt, one of the higher points in the album.
In Colorado I must give credit to Cowden’s vocalization. This time around it perfectly fits the harmony and melody constructions that the instrumental part create. Here, the vocal add something to that instrumentation, driving t he listener in the right direction. A small, yet beautiful melodious track with prog keys.
Stay the Night has a very slight Michael Bolton (ouch!) touch that I would personally preferred to avoid. It is a ballad in which the piano playing is, again, the best asset.
To close the album, Rain brings back Callie’s singing, something she can really deliver. Again, the piano parts are great, and well accompanied by the bass playing, which is stellar here. This ends up being probably the best track in the album. Progressive and with a somehow magic touch, the track evolves and swirls, but maintaining its melodic line.

Blues for Lazarus may not be an album fully directed to progheads or to fusion lovers. It stays somewhere in between. Yet, music lovers from both mentioned backgrounds should give it a listen. There is much waiting to be discovered in this album, and Michael shows promising stuff, as he is an accomplished piano player and his playing is particularly good. Should the harder edges be smoothed and we may have a great sophomore.